Months seem to have flown by since Miguel arrived in Binundoc. It is big compared to his hometown, but it is rather quaint. Even though it is still early in the morning, the street is already bustling with people who are eager to start their businesses and jobs. The Chinese merchants are already loading their goods into the small wooden pushcarts, while the indios are getting ready to start their work. The women were busily sweeping the front of their casas, and the religious who were up early to catch the morning angelus in the church were already walking their way back towards their home.
The sun was already up when he woke up. Unlike his life before, Miguel was now free to sleep whenever he wanted. Before, he needed to work his ass off before the sun rose, but now he have personal staffs who are willing to do his commands all the time. His life now was indeed fortunate, very far from the past life he had before. Thanks to the looks that he had, everything changed.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror, and he smiled when he saw his ever charming face. But Miguel wasn't just all looks; he was also good at manipulating words. The fact that he has been trusted by the gobernador-heneral was proof that he's been successful in using his assets.
"Just a little more, Miguel, and you'll achieve your dream of becoming a noble in your hometown," he said to himself while smiling confidently in front of the mirror.
He then called loudly to his attendant to help himself prepare because he knew he would have a long day ahead.
Indeed, a long day.
It's been almost half a year since he arrived in this town, but still, he's not accustomed to the mundane routine nor the scorching heat that pestered him every after noon. He then irritatedly shouted for his attendant's name.
"Hermilo! Hermilo! Ven aquí!", he shouted while wiping the beads of sweat that started sliding off his forehead.
Several shouts have passed, but still, not a shadow of Hermilo has come. Agitated, he stood up and strided his way towards the kitchen. He was about to open the door when he heard giggling voices inside.
'It's the gossiping servants again', he thought grimly while opening the door. He was about to step in when he heard his name mentioned.
"Ahhh, what do you think of señorito Miguel? Isn't he handsome also?", the pale girl asked excitedly.
"He is, but surely Hermilo is more charming and kind! Did you see how he helped me the other day? He's really a gentleman!", the tanned-skinned woman said while sighing in admiration.
He frowned when he heard what she said.
'Hermilo? More charming?'
The woman near her scoffed. "Yes, he is, and, fortunately, he likes me," she said airily.
"What?! You must be daydreaming, Lourdes, because I heard that Hermilo already has a lover. You know Maria? She is the rumored lover of Hermilo," the pale girl said in a hush tone.
"Ma—Maria, you mean the beautiful Maria?", Lourdes asked in a sudden dispirited voice.
Still listening to the gossip, Miguel suddenly remembered something.
'Wait? Maria...Maria... I heard that name before', he thought deeply.
"Yes, the rumor says that they're always seen together in the fonda last Sunday, and also last Todos Los Santos, Hermilo was seen visiting Maria in her casa," the girl rapidly shared as she wiped the table.
'Maria!', he suddenly remembered as an angelic face of a woman came to his mind. He then remembered that woman. She bumped at him last fiesta, and ever since that day, he yearned to know her more—only that, a pile of unfortunate incidents happened, and that kept him preoccupied for days. After that, he forgot about her. And now that he only remembered her when the servants were gossiping about her and his rumored lover, And to make it worse, it was just Hermilo!
'How could a beauty waste her life just to be married to a mere attendant?', he pondered bitterly.
Not caring about the gossip anymore, he decided to go back to his room. He almost bumped the mayordoma in his haste.
"Good afternoon, señorito," she said while bowing her head in respect, but he just ignored her and walked past.
The mayordoma already sensed something was wrong, so she proceeded to the kitchen. Before even reaching it, she already heard the noisy gossiping of the servants in there.
"Silencio! Why are you noisy in these supposed to be quiet hours? Have you got no shame?", she ordered loudly, silencing the gossiping servants.
"Sorry, madam, we just got carried a way—a little", the tanned-skinned woman apologized politely.
"Is it about Maria again? How many times do I have to tell you not to gossip about her? That girl was so kind to me when my poor Sinagtala got sick, so stop gossiping about her like some kind of cheap news!", she ordered while motioning for them to continue their work.
"B-but madam, is it true that Hermilo is Maria's lover? I mean, I'm not—
Lourdes was suddenly cut off when the mayordoma laughed hysterically. The servants looked at her with confusion evident in their faces.
"Ahh, how foolish!", she said in between her laughs. When it died down, she looked at Lourdes in amusement and asked her, "And where did you get that ridiculous gossip?"
Lourdes just mumbled the pale girl's name incorrigibly. The pale girl glared at her, but it seemed the mayordoma was not angry at them. Rather, she looked amused.
"Oh foolish girls! Hermilo is not her lover! He is her brother! So quit your nonsense gossiping and get back to work!", she shouted seriously.
After hearing what she said, the women around her scampered back immediately to their works. Lourdes just smiled sheepishly at the mayordoma before she proceeded to wiping the drenched plates again.
"Dios Mio! These girls never fail to give me head aches!", she exclaimed as she later headed out of the kitchen, and after she exited, the whole kitchen was filled with laughter.
It was late afternoon when Miguel decided to visit Maria. He still can't accept that he will lose that fine woman to just a mere indio. He immediately put on his best clothes, and after that, he hastily made his way to the kitchen. The gossiping women were already not there, but the fruits he ordered them to arrange were already at the table. He picked it up and hastily made his way towards Maria's house.
Her house was somewhere near the river, so he just told the coachman to stop near the crossing roads. He then braved his way towards the tall trees and bushes. He reached out where his pistol was, and when he felt it, he sighed. He brought one just to be sure.
'Because I never knew when those sneaky guerillas would come to get me'
After a few minutes of walking among the tall trees and bushes, Miguel finally reached a clearing, and there he saw a simple casa. He smiled when he saw a figure on the veranda.
'Maria!', he thought excitedly.
The maiden seemed to notice his presence, so she immediately retreated back to her room.
He smiled arrogantly at himself.
"I'll surely not let your beauty go to waste, Maria," he silently vowed as he curtly rapped on the door.
After the pleasantries, Miguel was then invited to the dinner. He attempted to decline it, but Maria's expectant look made him stay.
Finished reciting the graces, he slowly ate the food that had been served to him. In the middle of the dinner, Maria excused herself. Curious, Miguel decided to excuse himself as well.
He immediately looked for Maria, and not later on he found her sitting on the veranda. There was no light, but the moon is brightly shining, thus seemingly giving a dim light to the whole place. He immediately knew she was eating something, so he just decided to watch her from a distance. He was about to leave when Maria suddenly turned her head around. The light from the moon made her face seem to glow, but fear engulfed him when he saw something dripping down her chin.
It was blood!
He immediately froze for awhile, and when she went back to her eating, he immediately bolted his way back to the dining area.
He sat down in haste, and to distract himself at that moment, he stirred his food.
'What was that? Was that Maria?', he pondered fearfully. 'So the rumors are true...'
'No, it can't be,' he argued in his mind.
He scooped up a portion of Estofado, but he suddenly dropped the spoon when he saw what's in it! It's a tongue!
The moment he saw it, the conversation of the guardia civil immediately came to his mind.
"What? That can't be true...", one of them said.
"It's really true; I mean, why would they bother leaving far away from the town if they're not?," the scrawny man said with conviction.
"Maybe that was true because the last man who visited became mute; maybe they cut his tongue, so he can't talk!"
Miguel immediately came back to his senses when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
"Are you okay, señor?", the old woman asked.
He suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of fear, and before he could comprehend what he exactly felt, he immediately bid his goodbye to Maria's grandma. Perplexed, the grandma just returned and bid him goodbye as well.
Without looking back, Miguel immediately left Maria's house, vowing to never ever come back again. That moment indeed changed everything.
"Maria, your Spanish visitor has left in haste; why didn't you talk to him?", his grandma asked her.
Maria turned around, and her grandma gasped in shock.
"Dios Mio! Maria, what happened to your face?!"
Maria quickly hid the fruit basket behind her back. She immediately wiped her mouth and chin.
"Ahh, this, sorry grandma, I'm just eating a little of the grapes that Miguel had brought," she said with a hint of embarrassment.
Her grandma just sighed, and when she saw the stains on Maria's panuelo, something dawned on her.
"Poor boy, you indeed scared him."
NOTE:
Lo siento: Spanish ; I'm sorry
indio: Spanish ; literally means as Indian, but it became the term used to refer to native Filipinos during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
casa: Spanish ; home or house
gobernador-heneral: Filipino ; governor-general
Ven aquí: Spanish ; come here
fonda: Spanish ; an inn or restaurant
Todos Los Santos: Spanish/Filipino ; a major holiday among Filipino Roman Catholics to honor all saints–known or unknown.
mayordoma: Spanish ; the term for the female headservant in a household.
señorito: Spanish ; young master
silencio: Spanish ; silence
Dios Mio: Spanish ; literally means as my God, but it also means goodness gracious , goodness me [interjection] expressions of surprise
Estofado: Spanish ; stew
guardia civil: Spanish ; civil guard
senor: Spanish ; term of address equivalent to sir or Mr.
panuelo: Spanish ; literally means as handkerchief or scarf, but it also a term used to call a square cloth folded triangularly and worn in the Philippines like a great ruffle or collar