The feel of ‘Eating Fire and Drinking Water’

If you were a young reporter who wrote articles on other people’s lives and discovered one day that you’re already digging into your unknown past, how would you take it?

This is the story behind Eating Fire and Drinking Water by Arlene J. Chai. It’s an extraordinary novel about Clara Perez, a reporter at the Chronicle who was an orphan raised by the nuns of Sta. Clara. The story is about her personal search for her past and also about politics, loyalty and love.

Clara Perez is a reporter of a daily newspaper who grows tired of the trivial assignments being assigned to her. She wants to write a story with substance. Her editor only gives her the simple stories, or so she thought when she was sent to cover a fire in Calle De Leon. Coupled with student demonstrations and a military soldier accidentally killing a civilian, the story changes everything. Soon her own family secrets begin to unfold, she discovers her missing history as well as learns about the realities of the world. She finds out that there’s no such thing as a small story.

The novel is an eye-opener. The author is able to mix history with fiction, using the backdrop of government administration, military operations, student demonstrations, Smoky Mountain and the Convent of Sta. Clara to show what is happening to a country.

While it is true that the events in the book are patterned after actual happenings in the ’70s and ’80s, reading the novel made a deep impact on me. I was still a child then so it’s only now that I am able to fully understand the situation of our country at that time. I began to realize that this is still happening every day in our lives.

Eating Fire and Drinking Water is a story from Clara Perez’ point of view. If there is something I learned from Clara’s character, it’s the determination to be the best that you can be. She has no knowledge of her own history and yet, she finds passion in writing articles – stories not her own. Her interest in other people’s stories somehow lessen her thirst for her unknown past.

The character of Clara is a reflection of every Filipino. Her zest for independence and bravery makes her hold onto life with a purpose. Filipinos are fighters to the very end. We prefer to focus on the brighter side of life rather than give up. We believe that our country stands a chance of survival, that there’s still hope for economic recovery.

Luis Bayani and Laslo Jimenez, student radicals, are common to Filipino society. It’s not unusual to see workers on a strike or students demonstrating against an issue. We love to express our freedom this way.

Consuelo Lamuerta, Clara’s mother, is similar to women who gave up their child for adoption because they could not raise her alone. She continues to live her life devoted to prayers. Filipinos are known for being religious and prayerful. It’s what made Edsa 1 a peaceful revolution. Don Miguel Pellicer, Clara’s father, mirrors the men who give up their love of wealth and success. It’s cowardly not to fight for what you really want because of a duty you need to fulfill. He is rich and powerful in the eyes of everyone but deep in his heart, something is missing.

Not to be forgotten is the value of forgiveness. As one event lead to another, Clara’s past is unveiled to her. Of course, her being raised by the nuns instilled in her great values so her acceptance is not that difficult. Her parents are able to forgive one another – Don Miguel did not know that Consuelo was pregnant when they parted ways so Consuelo was forced to give up her child. What mattered was that Clara was able to find the answers to all her questions. She now had peace within.

The novel is special to me because it’s from a reporter’s perspective. It’s my ambition to become one and I came to realize that we are all writers of our own lives. Each of us has his own story to tell.

The way we live our lives will create an impact, with or without our knowledge, on the world. It’s what we think, feel and do that makes the world revolve. Every deed plants a seed and history is all about us.