Brad Newsham‘s thoughtful ode to his long relationship with Timango (“Tony”) Tocdaan, “Can I Help You — The Give and Take of a 20-Year-Friendship,” was published in Afar magazine (December/January 2010). Tony lives in the Philippines, and Brad’s tale begins there:
“Unfolding behind me, completely ignored in the bewildering moment, is an isolated Philippine valley — a certified wold-heritage site complete with world-class views. If I turn around, I will see brimming rice terraces, thousands of them, shining like sequins and rising step-by-step from the riverbed all the way to the green valley’s rim.
“But in front of me, stealing all my attention, lies a thighhigh pile of charred timbers and twisted tin roofing, the work of a midnight arsonist in 2006. This is what remains of a handicrafts shop that once belonged to my friend Timango (“Tony”) Tocdaan, a rice farmer — and for 20 years one of the most important figures in my life.
“In 1988 I strolled into Tony’s life on a rode paved with, I swear, the most innocent intentons. On that visit, Tony guided me on a perfect trek through these mountains, part of the hulking Cordillera range, and 13 years later I invited him to the United States and drove him coast-to-coast — a soaring, life-changing experience for both of us.
“Now, in April, 2009, I stare at this rubble and don’t know wheteher to bawl or howl. . . . “
To read Brad’s full story with its moving photos, click here:
http://www.bradnewsham.com/Feature_Philippines.