Knowledge is Power.
Ignorance is a Bliss.

The two statement that are truly immortal. If you have to choose which one do you prefer? Both have a burden to carry. Like the friendly neighbor superhero spidy said, "with power comes great responsibility". And the burden of ignorance associated with the law of man as mention by high courts, "ignorance of the law excuses no one."

Let me tell you an old story. As old as my Uncle Baudoy (pronounced Baa - uw - doooii ). This is his story. My Uncle is from the central part of Mindanao in the Philippines, particularly in the province of Bukidnon. Bukidnon can be literally translated as "The Mountains". As a countryman, uncle's day job is helping people in the neighboring by hard labor, this include's harvesting sugarcane and corns in the harvest season. Trimming the weeds and the tress on the planting season. Fetching things from here to there and vice versa. People get by just like my uncle did. There's really no big ambition except for maybe becoming a famous guitarist or a public servant in the police department. And like everybody else, the slow paced of the province aids in the dreams to fade away slowly.

Uncle used to tend lands for someone's hacienda. Hacienda's are common in the Philippines. Owned by affluent people with mostly Spanish blood in their great great ancestry. As for those who are not familiar, the Philippines has been colonized by the Spaniards for 333 years.The colony was directly governed by Spain. As with other history about colonies and similar cases, the Philippines used to have multiple ethnically kingdom governed by Sultans and other tribal leaders. But 333 years long drawn eradicated the ancient tribal culture. Just like how the Red Indians were when Columbus supposedly discovered America.

Uncle's daily task is to oversee the farm. In a day he would stroll down the area to check if the plantation is good. The near the farmland is cave no one has ever entered. They were told that the cave is very dangerous and that there's a huge snake guarding the entrance. Uncle seem very convinced that what the old folks told him is true. He was then in his early 30's and have no intention to discover what's inside the cave. Although his curiosity have made him observe the cave for long usually on the lazy afternoons when there's nothing else to do. Other people are on their "siesta" a Spanish term for afternoon nap. Most of the words used in the Philippines are still influenced by Spanish language.

On those lazy afternoons Uncle will sit in bamboo bench in the shade of a big Mango tree. Overlooking the plantation and is somewhat close to the entrance of the cave. During these moments Uncle just play his guitar, he is very talented and good in that area. Plucking rhythm of songs from Beatles, Carpenters and rock bands like Bon Jovi. Playing the guitar and watching the field for crows and wild animals. Occasionally glancing his eyes to the entrance of the cave. And in those occasions and almost every same time he observed a bright red shimmer from the cave. This bright red light has been popular in gossips by local people, they say it's the eyes of the giant snake who checks out the entrance every afternoon.

It's been like that when one day, a Caucasian arrived in the Area. Asking questions about the cave. People warned him about the giant snake. But the guy has something else in his mind. The Caucasian observed the cave for few days, saying he is an expert biologist who wants to discover new species as an alibi. And one day that man disappeared. And nobody has seen him since then.

Along with the disappearance of the man was the disappearance of the red shimmering light from the cave every afternoon. Nobody really cared about it. Gossips spreading like wildfire about how a Caucasian Biologist disappeard near the cave.

Years passed people forgot about it, including my Uncle. Until the local government did a geological survey in the area. And the geologists and researchers went to examine the characteristics of the minerals in the place including the infamous cave who took the Caucasian.

There they discovered inside the mouth of the cave. Digging materials, a rotting rope and rotting bags. They saw the entrance had a rock like a totem with a large whole in the center. Some planks, flashlight batteries. It was a mess. Evidently someone had tampered the place a long time ago. They saw one pair of a rotting shoe with feet size unfit local people. Only then did they realize that the shoe belongs to the supposed missing Caucasian locals have been talking about.

Then the realized. There was never a huge snake. The red shimmering light that can be seen from far away every afternoon was the some kind of Jewel. Base on the geologist and researcher's discovery, it was declared that the shinning red light was a reflection from a red ruby that was on the center of the totem pole. The totem pole has a face in it, and you can definitely say it looks like a snake if you look near enough to observe it. But ultimately just a piece of wood. There were also evidence of digging further into the cave. And some, left behind gold jewelries. The locals realized the treasure must be worth millions. Uncle said, he could have been rich by now.

The Philippines have been the storage country of Japan, in terms of treasures they have amassed from the second world war. And to this day many treasure hunters are still on the hunt. These treasures, are famously known as "The Yamashita Hidden Treasures".

And there goes the lesson. Knowledge is indeed power. And in this story, the only person knowledgeable enough not to be afraid of telltales, was the foreigner. Bless his soul. Must have been a fortune. And the locals remained poor. But who have the right to regret? Nobody, ignorance is indeed a bliss. Knowledge is indeed a treasure worth millions.

Original Content

@PajeeBear at Cent.co is one and the same @PajeeBear at Publish0x