Footnote to Youth

Jose Garcia Villa

Expound the ff.lines extracted from the text.

In the cool sundown he thought wild young dreams of himself and Teang Teang, his girl. She had a small brownface and small black eyes and straight glossy hair. How desirable she was tohim. She made him want to touch her,to hold her. She made him dream evenduring the day.

“I asked her last night to marry meand she said… yes. I want your permission. I..want..it” There was animpatient clamor in his voice, an exacting protest at his coolness, hisindifference. Dodong looked at hisfather sourly. He cracked his knucklesOne by one and the little sounds itmade broke the stillness of the night.

“You will let me marry Teang?”“Son if that’s your wish..of course…”There was a strange helpless light in his father. Then he continued his Mind to Teang dreaming of Teangand himself. Sweet young dreams.

In a few moments he would be aFather. “Father, father”, he whispered the word with awe, with strangeness. He was young, he realized now contradicting himself nine months ago. He wasvery young…He felt queer, troubled,uncomfortable… “Your son”, people would soon be telling him.

Teang did not complain, but thebearing of children told on her. Shewas shapeless and thin now, even ifshe was young. There was interminable work to be done. Cooking. Laundering. The house. The children. She cried sometimes, wishing him to dislike her. Yet she wished she had not married.

One night, as he lay beside his wife,He rose and went out of the house. He stood in the moonlight, tired andquerulous. He wanted to asks questions and somebody to answer him. He wanted to be wise about many things. One of them was why life did not fulfill all of Youth’s dream. Why it must be so. Why one was forsaken…After love.

“You want to marry Tona?” Dodongasked. “Yes” “Must you marry”Blas voice was steeled with resentment.“I will marry Tona”Dodong keep silent, hurt.

“You have objections Itay” Blas asked. “So..n n.one…” (But truly I don’t want Blas to marry yet. Not yet. I don’t wantBlas to marry yet.

Dodong was helpless. He could not do Anything. Youth must triumph…now.Love must triumph… now… Afterwards it will be life.

Answer the following questions:

1.What made Dodong feel that he was no longer a boy but a man?

2. Does manhood consists only of physical appearance? Defend your answer.

3. Why was Dodong’s father sorry about his son’s decision to marryTeang?

4. Why was Dodong confused when his youngwife was giving birth?Would you have felt thesame?

5. How did Teang findmarried life? Did she regret her early marriage?How about Dodong? Citeinstances in the story to prove your answer.

6. Why did Dodong notobject to his son’s decision to marry at a young age?

7. If you were DodongWould you have allowedyour son/daughter to marry at a young age?Why or why not?

8. What message does theauthor wish to convey tothe youth of today.