Elderly women from Norala, South Cotabato are on the track! These are people who want to walk the Pilgrim Virgin in thanksgiving for the unexpected healing of a child with heart disease. No doubt, their hearts are on fire!
Unknown to them, the seasoned walkers are having a culture shock! Their muscles and sinews are already harmonized to a particular tempo acquired from walking together since October 28.
The rough twists and turns, ascents and descents from Lagao to Davao del Sur has only served to attune more finely the 17 pairs of legs to each other's step.
Now comes a new set of legs with unattuned steps. The drag is acutely felt. A dilemma rises... a mutinous spirit builds up... the banner bearer gets bored by the sudden slack in the pace.
He refuses to head a slow pack. The team leader musters all his courage to suppress a rising rebellion. He calls the base and asks for reinforcement and a replacement.
A happy man who has been waiting for an excuse from work to walk the Pilgrim Virgin immediately packs up and hits the road to be the next banner bearer. But the wait is too long for the team leader, he is too tired to face resistance at this point.
The assistant team leader takes over as the weary team leader tries to sort out his emotions. A brief conversation with the banner bearer yields a good spirit. The walk resumes in normal pace.
The new walkers struggle to keep apace. Soon, they are left behind. The service truck finds the meaning of its existence and dutifully picks up the laggards. Peace reigns once more.
Meanwhile, back in the base in Gensan, an emergency meeting is held to send a fresh team of sturdy walkers to give moral support to the scorched walkers. Very quickly, six musclemen produce their pilgrim's packs and kneel together to pray the Rosary.
Fr. Tim sends word to limit the following day's walk to 16 kilometers only and to defer the reinforcement until Thursday yet, November 17, as the fresh team of walkers would be more needed on the difficult days ahead.
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