philippine Short Stories collection

8/9/2019 philippine Short Stories collection

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FAITH, LOVE, TIME AND DR. LAZARO

Greg Brillantes

From the upstairs veranda, Dr. Lazaro had a view ofstars, the country darkness, the lights on the distanthighway at the edge of town. The phonograph in thesala played hopin ! like a vast sorrow controlled,

made familiar, he had wont to think. But as he satthere, his lean frame in the ha"itual slack reposetook after supper, and stared at the plains of nightthat had evoked gentle images and even a kind ofpeace #in the end, sweet and invinci"le o"livion$, Dr.Lazaro remem"ered nothing, his mind lay untouched"y any conscious thought, he was scarcely aware ofthe %pril heat& the pattern of music fell around himand dissolved swiftly, uncomprehended. 't was asthough indi(erence were an infection that hadentered his "lood it was everywhere in his "ody. 'nthe scattered light from the sala his angular face hada dusty, wasted )uality, only his eyes contained life.*e could have remained there all evening, unmoving,and "uried, it is were, in a strange half+sleep, had hiswife not come to tell him he was wanted on the

phone.

Gradually his mind stirred, focused& as he rose fromthe chair he recognized the som"er passage in thesonata that, curiosly, made him think of ancientmonuments, faded stone walls, a greyness. The "rainled away an image& and arrangement of soundsreleased it- *e switched o( the phonograph,suppressed and impatient )uiver in his throat as hereached for the phone everyone had a claim on histime. *e thought /hy not the younger ones for achange0 *e had spent a long day at the provincialhospital.

The man was calling from a service station outsidethe town ! the station after the agricultural highschool, and "efore the 1an 2iguel "ridge, the man

added rather needlessly, in a voice that was franticyet oddly su"dued and courteous. Dr. Lazaro thadheard it countless times, in the corridors of thehospitals, in waiting rooms the perpetual awkwardmisery. *e was 3edro 4ste"an, the "rother of thedoctor5s tenant in 6am"alan, said the voice, trying tomake itself less sudden remote.

But the connection was faulty, there was a hummingin the wires, as though darkness had added to thedistance "etween the house in the town and the gasstation "eyond the summer elds. Dr. Lazaro could"arely catch the severed phrases. The man5s week+old child had a high fever, a "luish skin& its mouthwould not open to suckle. They could not take the"a"y to the po"lacion, they would not dare move it&

its "ody turned rigid at the slightest touch. 'f thedoctor would consent to come at so late an hour,4ste"an would wait for him at the station. 'f thedoctor would "e so kind-

Tetanus of the new"orn that was elementary, andmost likely it was so hopeless, a waste of time. Dr.Lazaro said yes, he would "e there& he hadcommitted himself to that answer, long ago& dutyhad taken the place of an e7hausted compassion. The carelessness of the poor, the infected "lankets,

the to7in moving toward the heart they were casualscri""led items in a clinical report. But outside thegrilled windows, the night suddenly seemed alive andwaiting. *e had no choice left now "ut action it wasthe only certitude ! he sometimes reminded himself !even if it would prove futile, "efore, the descent intonothingness.

*is wife looked up from her needles and twine, underthe shaded lamp of the "edroom& she had nishedthe pullover for the grandchild in Bagiuo and had"egun work, he noted, on another of those altarvestments for the parish church. 8eligion and hergrandchild certainly kept her "usy - 1he looked athim, into so much to in)uire as to "e spoken to alarge and placid woman.

91houldn5t have let the drive go home so early,: Dr.Lazaro said. 9They had to wait till now to call -hild5s pro"a"ly dead-:

9Ben can drive for you.:

9' hardly see that "oy around the house. *e seems to

"e on vacation "oth from home and in school.:

9*e5s downstairs,: his wife said.

Dr. Lazaro put on fresh shirt, "uttoned it with tense,a"rupt motions, 9' thought he5d gone out again-/ho5s that girl he5s "een seeing0...'t5s not ;ust warm,it5s hot.


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)uick decisions made without emotion, and it gavehim a kind of "lunt energy.

'5ll drive, 3a0: Ben followed him through the kitchen,where the maids were ironing the week5s wash,gossiping, and out to the yard shrouded in thedimness of the single "ul" under the eaves. The "oy

push "ack the folding doors of the garage and slid"ehind the wheel.

91ome"ody5s waiting at the gas station near 1an2iguel. ared "rie>yand was gone, traceless in the void. *e turned awayfrom the emptiness. *e said 9


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"oy, doctor, your son-: 1orrow lay in am"ushamong the years.

9' have all summer to think a"out, 9 Ben said.

9There5s no hurry,: Dr. Lazaro said. /hat was it hehad wanted to say0 1omething a"out knowing eachother, a"out sharing& no, it was not that at all-

The stations appeared as they coasted down theincline of a low hill, its >uorescent lights the only"rightness on the plain "efore them, on the road thatled farther into deeper darkness. % freight truck wastaking on a load of gasoline as they drove up theconcrete apron and came to a stop "eside the stationshed.

% short "arefoot man in a patchwork shirt shu@edforward to meet them.' am 4ste"an, doctor,: the man said, his voice faintand hoarse, almost inaudi"le, and he "owed slightlywith a careful politeness. *e stood "linking, lookingup at the doctor, who had taken his "ag and>ashlight form the car.

'n the windless space, Dr. Lazaro could hear4ste"an5s la"ored "reathing, the clank of the metalnozzle as the attendant replaced it in the pump. Themen in the truck stared at them curiously.

4ste"an said, pointing at the darkness "eyond theroad 9/e will have to go through those elds,doctor, then cross the river,: The apology for yet onemore imposition was a wounded look in his eyes. *eadded, in his su"dued voice 9't5s not very far-: Benhad spoken to the attendants and was locking thecar.

The truck rum"led and moved ponderously onto theroad, its thro" strong and then fading in the warm

night stillness.

9Lead the way, 9 Dr. Lazaro said, handing 4ste"anthe >ashlight.

They crossed the road, to a cleft in the em"ankmentthat "ordered the elds, Dr. Lazaro was sweating nowin the dry heat& following the swinging "all of the>ashlight "eam, sorrow wounded "y the sti>ingnight, he felt he was "eing dragged, helplessly,toward some huge and complicated error, ameaningless ceremony. 1omewhere to his left rose a>apping of wings, a "ird cried among unseen leavesthey walked swiftly, and there was only the sound ofthe silence, the constant whirl of crickets and thewhisper of their feet on the path "etween the stu""le

elds.

/ith the "oy close "ehind him, Dr. Lazaro followed4ste"an down a clay slope to the slope and ripple ofwater in the darkness. The >ashlight showed a "ancadrawn up at the river5s edge. 4ste"an wade waist+deep into the water, holding the "oat steady as Dr.Lazaro and Ben stepped on the "oard. 'n thedarkness, with the opposite "ank like the far rise ofan island, Dr. Lazaro had a moment5s tremor of fearas the "oar slide out over the "lack water& "elowprowled the deadly currents& to drown her in the

dephts of the night- But it took only a minute tocross the river. 9/e5re here doctor,: 4ste"an said,and they padded p a stretch of sand to a clump oftrees& a dog started to "ark, the shadows of akerosene lamp wavered at a window.

Ansteady on a steep ladder, Dr. Lazaro entered thecave of 4ste"an5s hut. The single room contained the

odors he often encountered "ut had remained aliento, stirring an impersonal disgust the sourish decay,the smells of the unaired sick. %n old man greetedhim, lisping incoherently& a woman, thegrandmother, sat crouched in a corner, "eneath afamed print of the 2other of 3erpetual *elp& a "oy,a"out ten, slept on, sprawled on a mat. 4ste"an5swife, pale and thin, lay on the >oor with the sick child"eside her.

2otionless, its tiny "lue+tinged face drawn way fromits chest in a 7ed wrinkled grimace, the infantseemed to "e straining to e7press some terri"leancient wisdom.

Dr. Lazaro made a cursory check ! skin dry, turningcold& "reathing shallow& heart"eatfast and irregular. %nd ' that moment, only the childe7isted "efore him& only the child and his own mindpro"ing now like a hard gleaming instrument. *owstrange that it should still live, his mind said as itconsidered the spark that persisted within the rigidand tortured "ody. *e was alone with the child, hiswhole "eing focused on it, in those intense minutesshaped into a ha"it now "y so many similarinstances his physician5s knowledge trying to keepthe heart "eating, to revive an e""ing life andsomehow make it rise again.

Dr. Lazaro removed the "lankets that "undled thechild and in;ected a whole ampule to check the tonicspasms, the needle piercing neatly into the sparse

>esh& he "roke another ampule, with deft precisemovements , and emptied the syringe, while theinfant lay sti( as wood "eneath his hands. *e wipedo( the sweat running into his eyes, then holding therigid "ody with one hand, he tried to draw air into thefaltering lungs, pressing and releasing the chest& "uteven as he worked to rescue the child, the "luishcolor of its face "egan to turn gray.

Dr. Lazaro rose from his crouch on the >oor, acramped ache in his shoulders, his mouth dry. Thelamplight glistened on his pale hollow face as heconfronted the room again, the stale heat, thepoverty. 4ste"an met his gaze& all their eyes wereupon him, Ben at the door, the old man, the woman

in the corner, and 4ste"an5s wife, in the trem"lingshadows.

4ste"an said 9Doctor..:

*e shook his head, and replaced the syringe case inhis "ag, slowly and deli"erately, and fastened theclasp. T *ere was murmuring him, a rustle across the"am"oo >oor, and when he turned, Ben was kneeling"eside the child. %nd he watched, with a tireddetached surprise, as the "oy poured water from acoconut shell on the infant5s "row. *e caught the


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words half+whispered in the )uietness 9.. in thename of the Father.. the 1on- the *oly Ghost-:

The shadows >apped on the walls, the heart of thelamp )uivering "efore it settled into a slender >ame.By the river dogs were "arking. Dr. Lazaro glanced athis watch& it was close to midnight. Ben stood overthe child, the coconut shell in his hands, as though

wandering what ne7t to do with it, until he saw hisfather nod for them to go.

Doctor, tell us ! 94ste"an took a step forward.

9' did everything Dr. Lazaro said. 9't5s too late !9

*e gestured vaguely, with a dull resentment& "ysome implicit relationship, he was also responsi"le,for the misery in the room, the hopelessness.9There5s nothing more ' can do, 4ste"an, 9 he said.*e thought with a >ick of anger 1oon the child will"e out of it, you ought to "e grateful. 4ste"an5s wife"egan to cry, a weak smothered gasping, and the oldwoman was comforting her, it is the will of God, mydaughter-:

'n the yard, 4ste"an pressed carefully folded "ills intothe doctor5s hand& the limp, tattered feel of themoney was sort of the futile ;ourney, 9' know this isnot enough, doctor,: 4ste"an said. 9as you can seewe are very poor- ' shall "ring you fruit, chickens,someday-:

% late moon had risen, edging over the tops of thetrees, and in the faint wash of its light, 4ste"anguided them "ack to the "oat. % glimmering rippledon the surface of the water as they paddled across,&the white moonlight spread in the sky, and a suddenwind sprang rain+like and was lost in the tressmassed on the river"ank.

9' cannot thank you enough, doctor,: 4ste"an said.9


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% "us roared around a hill toward, its lights "lindinghim, and he pulled to the side of the road, "rakinginvoluntarily as a "illow of dust swept over the car.*e had not closed the window on his side, and the>ung dust poured in, the thick "rittle powder almostchoking him, making him cough, his eyes smarting,"efore he could shield his face with his hands. 'n theheadlights, the dust sifted down and when the air

was clear again, Dr. Lazaro, swallowing a taste ofearth, of darkness, maneuvered the car "ack ontothe road, his arms e7hausted and num". *e drovethe last half+mile to town in silence, his mindregistering nothing "ut the frit of dust in his mouthand the empty road unwinding swiftly "efore him.

They reached the sleeping town, the desolatestreets, the plaza empty in the moonlight, and thedhuddled shapes of houses, the old houses that Dr.Lazaro had always know. *ow many nights had hedriven home like this through the )uiet town, with aman5s life ended "ehind him, or a child crying newlyrisen from the wom"& and a sense of constantmotions, of change, of the days moving swiftlytoward and immense reverlation touched him oncedmore, "rie>y, and still he could not nd the words..*e turned the last corner, then steered the car downthe graveled driveway to the garage, while Benclosed the gate. Dr. Lazaro sat there a momen, in thestillness, resting his eyes, conscious of the measured"eating of his heart, and "reathing a scent of dustthat lingered on his clothes, his skin..1Lowely hemerged from the car, locking it, and went around thetowere of the water+tank to the frotnyard where Ben1tood waiting.

/ith unaccustomed tenderness he placed a hand onBen5s shoulder was they turned toward the ement !walled house. They had gone on a trip& they hadcome home safely together. *e felt closer to the "oythan he hade ever "een in years.

91orry for ekeeping you up this late,: Dr. Lazaro said.

9't5s all right, 3a.:

1ome night, huh, Ben0 /hat you did "ack in that"arrio: ! ther was ;ust the slightest patronage in thisone !9 your momother will love to hear a"out it.:

*e shook the "oy "eside him gently. 98everendFather Ben Lazaro.:

The impulse of certain humor ! it was part of thecomradeship. *e chuckled drowsily father Lazaro,what must ' do to gain eternal life0:

%s he slid the door open on the vault of darkness, thefamiliar depth of the house, it came to Dr. Lazarofaitly in the late night that for certain things, like lovethere was only so much time. But the glimmer waslost instantly, "uried in the mist of indi(erence andsleep rising now in his "rain.


6/27

THE FARAWAY SUMMER

Bienvenido N. Santos

%merican 3eriod

Bo", ' hope youCre right, "ut 'Cm not sure. 't might not"e easy any more for me to get a passport "ack to/ashington, D.., unless you can 7 it up with my"oss, you know him, ' hope he still has some use fora fellow like me. *e might write to some"ody at the4m"assy. *e used to ask me, are you sure, 3a"lo,you want to go home now0 at this time0 ing. %nd welet him. /e stayed in the car and drove around andwaited and waited. /e got num" wth the cold. /etried ;umping up and down, cracking ;okes, "ut nogood. The cold was getting us, "ut we couldnCt leavehim, didnCt he say it might "e the last >ing in his life0%fter a long time, he came out, and there we weresneezing, )uite num" all over, "ut we were not sore.DonCt worry, he said, 'Cll send you a prescription if the

cold gets worse. /ell, we said good"ye and he sentus cards from overseas. /e followed him in ourminds, through London, through the fog and the "litz,and how it was on D+Day, "oy, the card from him waslike good+"ye forever. 3ray for me, he wrote, and weprayed as we knew how. /e prayed sitting in myroom with whiskey "ottles and stu( all around. 'guess we didnCt really pray, we ;ust sat there,thinking, thinking, till the tears stood in our eyes.

%nd that summer he got "ack, we were all ina 7. /ho would tell him, how could we tell him that


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his entire family got wiped out during li"eration in2anila, and that ' was keeping many letters for himfrom an only surviving sister0 *e was so gay. The warwas over. *e was going home. /ell, that night ' leftall the letters on his "ed and waited for him. ' sawhim come, ' saw him through the door, how he putthe "ed lamp on and saw the letters. *ow he torethem open. Then he knew. *e >ung himself on "ed

and no sound came from him. %nd he read on. Thenhe was crying. ' had to close my door.


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/ell, you write me, Bo". =ut here in thiswarm country, you do not remem"er the farawaysummers. at andthe repu"lic for which it stands. 1oon after he got"ack to work. To a new citizen, work meant manyplaces and many ways factories and hotels, waiterand cook. % timeless drifting once he tended a rosegarden and took care of a hundred year old veteranof a "order war. %s a menial in a hospital in ookountry, all day he handled lth and gore. *e camehome smelling of surgical soap and disinfectant. 'nthe hospital, he took charge of row of "ottles on ashelf, each "ottle containing a stage of the humanem"ryo in preservatives, from the lizard+like fetus ofa few days, through the newly "orn infant, with itsposition unchanged, cold and cowering and afraid.

*e had nightmares through the years of himselfinside a "ottle. l That was long ago. 6ow he had amore pleasant ;o" as special policemen in the postoce.

*e was a few years younger than Tony+%ntonioBataller, a retired pullman porter "ut he looked olderin inspite of the fact that Tony had "een "edriddenmost of the time for the last two years, su(ering froma kind of wasting disease that had frustrated doctors.%ll over TonyCs "ody, a gradual peeling was takingplace. l %t rst, he thought it was merely tinia>ava, a


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skin disease common among adolescent in the3hilippines. 't had started around the neck and hadspread to his e7tremities. *is face looked as if it washealing from sever "urns. 6evertheless, it was ayoung face much younger than FilCs, which had neverlooked young.

'Cm "ecoming a white man, Tony had said once,

chuckling softly.

't was the same chuckle Fil seemed to have heardnow, only this time it sounded derisive, insulting.

Fil said, ' know whoCs nuts. 'tCs the sick guy with thesick thoughts. oor"oards and thrown away the old mats, replacingthem with new plastic throw rugs. *e had got himself soaking wet while spraying the car, humming, as heworked, faintly+remem"ered tunes from the oldcountry.

Fill shook his head as he waited for Tony to saysomething. Gosh, ' wish ' had your looks, even withthose white spots, then ' could face everyone ofthem, he said, "ut this mug.

ThatCs the important thing, you mug. 'tCs your callingcard. 't says, Filipino. ountrymen, Tony said.


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mastery. *is style, however, was >orid, sentimental,poetic.

/ithout telling Tony, he had e7perimented onrecording sounds, like the way a "ed creaked, doorsopening and closing, rain or sleet tapping on thewindow panes, footsteps through the corridor. *ewas "eginning to think that they did. *e was learning

to identify each of the sounds with a particular moodor fact. 1ometimes, like today, he wished that therewas a way of keeping a record of silence "ecause itwas to him the richest sound, like snow falling. *ewondered as he watched the snow "lowing in thewind, what took care of that moment if memorydidnCt. Like time, memory was often a villain, a"etrayer.

Fall, snow, fall, he murmured and, turning to Tony,said, %s soon as they accept my invitation, 'Cll callyou up. 6o, you donCt have to do anything, "ut 'Cdwant to "e here to meet them.

'Cm going out myself, Tony said. %nd ' donCt knowwhat time 'Cll "e "ack.Then he added.


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what he wanted to say, the words didnCt come tooeasily, they were unfamiliar, they stum"led and"roke on his lips into a ;um"le of incoherence.

1uddenly, he felt as if he was in the center of a groupwhere he was not welcome. %ll the things he had"een trying to hide now showed the age in his face,his horny hands. *e knew it the instant he wanted to

shake hands with the rst "oy who had drawn closeto him, smiling and friendly. Fil put his hands in hispocket.

6ow he wished Tony had "een with him. Tony wouldknow what to do. *e would harm these young peoplewith his smile and his learned words. Fil wanted toleave, "ut he seemed caught up in the tangle ofmoving "odies that merged and "roke in a >uidstrangle hold. 4very"ody was talking, mostly in4nglish. =nce in a while he heard e7clamations in thedialect right out of the past, con;uring up playtime,long shadows of evening on the plaza, "arrio estas,misa de gallo.

Time was passing and he had yet to talk to someone.1uppose he stood on a chair and addressed them inthe manner of his >am"oyant speeches recorded inhis magic sound mirror0

Beloved countrymen, lovely children of the 3earl ofthe =rient 1eas, listen to me. 'Cm Fil %cayan. 'Cvecome to volunteer my services. 'Cm yours tocommand.


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%fterwards, he lay down on the sofa and a wearinesscame over him, "ut he tried hard not to sleep. %s hestared at the ceiling, he felt like >oating away, "ut hekept his eyes open, willing himself hard to remainawake. *e wanted to e7plain everything to Tonywhen he arrived. But soon his eyes closed against aweary will too tired and weak to ght "ack sleep++andthen there were voices. Tony was in the room, eager

to tell his own "it of news.

'Cve discovered a new way of keeping a>oat, he wassaying.

/ho wants to keep a>oat0 Fil asked.

ust in case. 'n a shipwreck, for e7ample, Tony said.

6ever mind shipwrecks. ' must tell you a"out thedancers, Fil said.

But this is important, Tony insisted. This way, youcan keep >oating indenitely.

/hat for indenitely0 Fil asked.

1ay in a ship... ' mean, in an emergency, youCrestranded without help in the middle of the 3acic orthe %tlantic, you must keep >oating till help comes... Tony e7plained.

2ore "etter, Fil said, nd a way to reach shore"efore the sharks smells you. oat, Tonysaid, "ut is was not TonyCs voice.

Fil was alone and gasping for air. *is eyes openedslowly till he "egan to "reathe more easily. The skyoutside was gray. *e looked at his watch++a )uarterpast ve. The show would "egin at eight. There wastime. 3erhaps Tony would "e home soon.

The apartment was warming up. The radiatorssounded full of scampering rats. *e had a recordingof that in his sound mirror.

Fil smiled. *e had an idea. *e would take the soundmirror to the theater, take his seat close to the stage,and make tape recordings of the singing and thedances.

6ow he was wide+awake and somehow pleased withhimself. The more he thought of the idea, the "etterhe felt. 'f Tony showed up now... *e sat up, listening. The radiators were )uiet. There were no footfalls, nosound of a key turning.

Late that night, "ack from the theater, Fill knew atonce that Tony was "ack. The "oots were outside thedoor. *e, too, must "e tired, and should not "edistur".


13/27

*e was careful not to make any noise. %s he turnedon the >oor lamp, he thought that perhaps Tony wasawake and waiting for him. They would listentogether to a play"ack of the dances and songs Tonyhad missed. Then he would tell Tony what happenedthat day, repeating part of the dream.

From TonyCs "edroom came the regular "reathing of a

man sound asleep. To "e sure, he looked into theroom and in the half+darkness, TonyCs head showeddarkly, deep in a pillow, on its side, his knees "ent,almost touching the clasped hands under his chin, anoversized fetus in the last "ottle. Fill shut the door"etween them and went over to the porta"le. 6ow.*e turned it on to low. %t rst nothing "ut static andodd sounds came through, "ut soon after there wasthe patter of feet to the rhythm of a familiar melody.

%ll the "eautiful "oys and girls were in the room now,dancing and singing. % "oy and a girl sat on the >oorholding two "am"oo poles "y their ends >at on >oor,clapping them together, then apart, and poundingthem on the "oards, while dancers swayed and"alanced their lithe forms, dipping their "are "rownlegs in and out of the clapping "am"oos, the pacegradually increasing into a fury of wood on wood in acounterpoint of panic among the dancers and in aharmonious >urry of toes and ankles escaping certainpain++crushed "ones, and "ruised >esh, andhumiliation. =ther dances followed, accompanied "ysongs and live with the sounds of life and death inthe old country& ' go rot natives in G+strings walkingdown a mountainside& peasants clim"ing up a hill ona rainy day& neigh"ors moving a house, their sturdylegs showing under a moving roof& a distant gongsounding o( a summons either to a feast for a wake.%nd nally, prolonged ovation, thunderous, waveupon wave...

Turn that thing o(E TonyCs voice was sharp a"ovethe echoes of the gongs and the applause settling

into silence.

Fil switched o( the dial and in the sudden stillness,the voices turned into faces, familiar and near, likegesture and touch that stayed on even as thememory withdrew, "owing out, as it were, in agraceful e7it, saying, thank you, thank you, "efore aghostly audience that clapped hands in silence andstomped their feet in a such emptiness. *e wanted to ;oin the nale, such as it was, pretend that thecurtain call included him, and attempt a shamefacedimitation of a graceful adieu, "ut he was sti( and old,incapa"le of grace& "ut he said, thank you, thankyou, his voice sincere and contrite, grateful for theother voices and the sound of singing and thememory.

=h, my God... the man in the other room cried,followed "y a moan of such anguish that Fil fell on hisknees, covering the sound mirror with his hands tomu@e the sounds that had started again, it seemedto him, even after he had turned it o(.

Then he remem"ered.

Tony, what did the doctor say0 /hat did he say0 heshouted and listened, holding his "reath, no longer

a"le to tell at the moment who had truly waited allday for the nal sentence.

There was no answer. 2eanwhile, under his hands,there was Tony saying0 That was his voice, no0 Filwanted to hear, he must know. *e switched dials onand o(, again and again, pressing "uttons. 1uddenly,he didnCt know what to do. The spool were live, they

kept turning. *is arms went around the machine, hischest pressing down on the spools. 'n the )uicksilence, TonyCs voice came clear.

1o they didnCt come after all0

Tony, what did the doctor say0 Fil asked, straininghard to hear.

' knew they wouldnCt come. But thatCs okay. Theapartment is old anyhow. %nd it smells of death.

*ow you talk. 'n this country, thereCs a cure foreverything.

' guess we canCt complain. /e had it good here allthe time. 2ost of the time, anyway.

' wish, though, they had come. ' could...


14/27

MAY DAY EVE

6ick oa)uin

The old people had ordered that the dancing should

stop at ten o5clock "ut it was almost midnight "eforethe carriages came ling up the departing guests,while the girls who were staying were promptlyherded upstairs to the "edrooms, the young mengathering around to wish them a good night andlamenting their ascent with mock signs and moaning,proclaiming themselves disconsolate "ut straightwaygoing o( to nish the punch and the "randy thoughthey were )uite drunk already and simply "urstingwith wild spirits, merriment, arrogance and audacity,for they were young "ucks newly arrived from4urope& the "all had "een in their honor& and theyhad waltzed and polka+ed and "ragged andswaggered and >irted all night and where in no moodto sleep yet++no, caram"a, not on this moist tropiceveE not on this mystic 2ay eveE ++with the night still

young and so seductive that it was madness not togo out, not to go forth+++and serenade the neigh"orsEcried one& and swim in the 3asidE cried another& andgather re>iesE cried a thirdMwhereupon there arosea great clamor for coats and capes, for hats andcanes, and they were a couple of street+lamps>ickered and a last carriage rattled away upon theco""les while the "lind "lack houses muttered hush+hush, their tile roofs looming like sinister chess"oardsagainst a wile sky murky with clouds, save where anevil young moon prowled a"out in a corner or wherea murderous wind whirled, whistling and whining,


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smelling now of the sea and now of the summerorchards and wafting un"eara"le childhoodfragrances or ripe guavas to the young men troopingso uproariously down the street that the girls whowere desiring upstairs in the "edrooms cateredscreaming to the windows, crowded giggling at thewindows, "ut were soon sighing amorously overthose young men "awling "elow& over those wicked

young men and their handsome apparel, their proud>ashing eyes, and their elegant mustaches so "lackand vivid in the moonlight that the girls were )uiteravished with love, and "egan crying to one anotherhow carefree were men "ut how awful to "e a girland what a horrid, horrid world it was, till old%nastasia plucked them o( "y the ear or the pigtailand chases them o( to "ed+++while from up the streetcame the clackety+clack of the watchman5s "oots onthe co""le and the clang+clang of his lantern againsthis knee, and the mighty roll of his great voice"ooming through the night, Guardia serno+o+oE % lasdoce han dado+o+o.

%nd it was 2ay again, said the old %nastasia. 't wasthe rst day of 2ay and witches were a"road in thenight, she said++for it was a night of divination, andnight of lovers, and those who cared might peer intoa mirror and would there "ehold the face of whoeverit was they were fated to marry, said the old%nastasia as she ho""le a"out picking up the piledcrinolines and folding up shawls and raking slippersin corner while the girls clim"ing into four greatposter+"eds that overwhelmed the room "eganshrieking with terror, scram"ling over each other andimploring the old woman not to frighten them.

4nough, enough, %nastasiaE /e want to sleepE

Go scare the "oys instead, you old witchE

1he is not a witch, she is a maga. 1he is a maga.1he was "orn of hristmas 4veE

1t. %nastasia, virgin and martyr.

*uh0 'mpossi"leE 1he has con)uered sevenhus"andsE %re you a virgin, %nastasia0

6o, "ut ' am seven times a martyr "ecause of yougirlsE

Let her prophesy, let her prophesyE /hom will 'marry, old gypsy0 ome, tell me.

oor. 1tay, old woman. Tell me what 'have to do.

Tell herE Tell herE chimed the other girls.

The old woman dropped the clothes she hadgathered and approached and 7ed her eyes on thegirl.


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hard, "itter, vengeful face, framed in graying hair,and so sadly altered, so sadly di(erent from thatother face like a white mask, that fresh young facelike a pure mask than she had "rought "efore thismirror one wild 2ay Day midnight years and yearsago.... But what was it 2ama0 =h please go onE/hat did you see0 Dona %gueda looked down at herdaughter "ut her face did not soften though her eyes

lled with tears. ' saw the devil. she said "itterly. The child "lanched. The devil, 2ama0 =h... =h...


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speeches and his patriot heart still e7ultant as hepicked his way up the steps to the front door andinside into the slum"ering darkness of the house&wholly unconscious of the 2ay night, till on his waydown the hall, chancing to glance into the sala, heshuddered, he stopped, his "lood ran cold++ for hehad seen a face in the mirror there+++a ghostlycandlelight face with the eyes closed and the lips

moving, a face that he suddenly felt he had "eenthere "efore though it was a full minutes "efore thelost memory came >owing, came tiding "ack, soover>ooding the actual moment and so swiftlywashing away the piled hours and days and monthsand years that he was left suddenly young again& hewas a gay young "uck again, lately came from4urope& he had "een dancing all night& he was verydrunk& he s stepped in the doorway& he saw a face inthe dark& he called out...and the lad standing "eforethe mirror #for it was a lad in a night go ;umped withfright and almost dropped his candle, "ut lookingaround and seeing the old man, laughed out withrelief and came running.

=h Grandpa, how you frightened me. Don Badoyhad turned very pale. 1o it was you, you young"anditE %nd what is all this, hey0 /hat are you doingdown here at this hour0 6othing, Grandpa. ' wasonly... ' am only ... amed so vividly in amirror one wild 2ay Day midnight, long, long ago.

%nd remem"ering how she had so""ed so piteously&remem"ering how she had "itten his hand and >edand how he had sung aloud in the dark room and

surprised his heart in the instant of falling in lovesuch a grief tore up his throat and eyes that he feltashamed "efore the "oy& pushed the "oy away&stood up and looked out++++looked out upon themedieval shadows of the foul street where a coupleof street+lamps >ickered and a last carriage wasrattling away upon the co""les, while the "lind "lackhouses muttered hush+hush, their tiled roofs loominglike sinister chess"oards against a wild sky murkywith clouds, save where an evil old moon prowleda"out in a corner or where a murderous wind whirled,whistling and whining, smelling now of the sea and


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now of the summer orchards and wafting un"eara"lethe window& the "owed old man so""ing so "itterlyat the window& the tears streaming down his cheeksand the wind in his hair and one hand pressed to hismouth+++while from up the street came the clackety+clack of the watchman5s "oots on the co""les, andthe clang+clang of his lantern against his knee, andthe mighty roll of his voice "ooming through the

night

Guardia sereno+o+oE % las doce han dado+o+oE


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philippine Short Stories collection

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