This is the English translation of story piece, Tagpuan. See original post here. I hope you guys enjoy reading.
The Tryst
by Krizia Michelle Erodias
The electric fan roared in the middle of the dark room. It seemed like it would blow everything on its path. The crickets could be heard as if they're just around, watching. One thing's for sure. The night was late but Isa's wide awake. She couldn't stop thinking about her mystifying lover.
She saw him only thrice; however, she's certain that she loves him as he loves her. In the moment she closes her eyes, she wakes up in a paradise. A paradise that she couldn't fathom whether for real or works of her imagination. She was on that thinking when sleep knocked her eyes out. In an instant, she traveled again.
The skies were blue and there was a strange joy in the environment. The huge flowers grew on the greenest grass that seemed to greet her in her every step towards their tryst, the enormous mango tree. An elegant young man could be seen under the tree. He wore white robes and looked at Isa, intensely. Once again, her prince was waiting for her. The man's long, black hair was tied cleanly. He was sun-kissed, had a sharp nose and thick, red lips but his most unmistakable feature was his green eyes. Though they're green, his eyes were fiery and would definitely capture anyone who gazed into them.
"I've waited for like eternity for you, my love," said the man.
The lady smiles sweetly.
"Why? Did you miss me?" Isa teased.
"I've longed for you, Narcisa. I thought you wouldn't come."
"Why wouldn't I? Of course, I'll come. I promised, right?"
The man nodded and took Isa by the hand. "Come."
They glided down the prairie and took the path down the hill towards the brook. They sat down the bank. Later on, Isa removed her shoes and felt the cold water in her feet.
"I hope this moment never ends," the man blurted pressing the palm of the lady.
"I hope so," Isa responded while leaning her head in his man's shoulders.
"Do you want us to be together for eternity?" The man asked.
"Can it be? Can we? How?" Isa asked simultaneously looking at her paramour.
The man brought his face towards Isa. He was about to kiss her. Though surprised, Isa closed her eyes. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat. She almost grew deaf because of the pounding of her heart. She felt her beloved's hot breath in her face.When suddenly, she heard her mother calling.
"Narcisa, narcisa! Isa!!" Aling Doray shouted. She's shaking Isa.
*"Hmmmm... Mom? What is it?" Isa asked half-awake.
"You were having a nightmare. I was waking you up for half an hour but you were not waking up." Her mother answered.
"Huh? I was having a beautiful dream. Why'd you wake me up, mom?"
The expression on Aling Doray's face turned sour because of what her daughter said but she didn't respond. Waking her only child was enough for her.
After that, Isa didn't dream again. She wasn't able to see the man. She, then, realized that she didn't even know the man's name. She continued to wait, hoping his prince would come back but it never happened. Life went on for Isa. She went to colege and became a successful teacher. His old lover became a distant dream.
Aftersometime, Isa loved again. She fell for Santiago, an engineer. He was one of the sponsor who helped building the new classrooms at their barrio. The bachelor courted her for 10 months until she said yes. They dated for three years when they decided to get married. They loved each other so much.
Everything was ready for the wedding when Isa fell seriously ill three days before the set date. Her sickness was unexplainable. Her fiance brought her to different doctors and experts but nobody could explain nor cure her disease. Isa became weak in a short period of time. She couldn't eat properly. To drink, cotton balls were swamped in water and squeezed into her mouth. It was inevitable to postpone the wedding.
Aling Doray was so worried about her daughter. It was the talk of town that Isa was soon to die. SHe often engages in catfights to defend her suffering daughter. She's in grief that her daughter was in that state of adversity.
One old outcast generously told her that there was a healer called Ka Tonyo in the nearby town that heals any kind of disease. Although their family doesn't believe in quacks and the old woman who told her that was a known lunatic, they still tried visiting the herb doctor because they had no choice.
The line was never-ending when they arrived at the healer's home. They needed to fall in line for thirteen hours for nothing. He stopped healing when the clock striked six in the evening and they were still far from being next. The people went home but they stayed to beg for help. THey were told that Ka Tonyo needed to rest. It was almost twelve when the old man came out of his room and was shocked to see Aling Doray, Santiago and the bed-ridden lady.
*"I know why you're here. I can't cure your daughter." He said with a stern voice. "It's better if you leave."
Aling Doray was crying. They introduced themselves and narrated their problem anyways but Ka Tonyo was decided. Aling Doray kneeled and beg. Santiago caught her.
"Please, Ka Tonyo." Santiago pleaded.
Ka Tonyo took a long breath and sat down beside Isa.
"We can't do anything about this. I can't do what you want. An insidious creature favored your daughter. He's too strong and I can't fight him."
Like flash, that morning came back to Aling Doray, the morning when she was waking Isa. She didn't expect that it would be related to what's happening to her daughter. Aling Doray told them what happened.
***
*Aling Doray entered her daughter's room to wake her up to eat. She was stunned to find her daughter sleeping with her left hand raised as if reaching for something. She was whimpering like someone's holding her neck. She immediately woke her up. She shook her hard but she can't move her. Isa stayed in that position for another 5 minutes. Aling Doray prayed and shked her once again. Her daughter moved. After a few, long minutes, Isa woke up.
***
"It's possible that your daughter met an enchanted creature, Aling Doray. It's likely that Isa liked or worse loved that creature as well that's why I... we can't do anything.
*After a while, Isa slowly raised her left hand. They couldn't bring it down. After three minutes of being raised, her hand suddenly fell. Life went out of Isa's body. She breathed no more. Her lifeless body was hard like that of a log. Santiago mourned silently while the silent night was broken by Aling Doray's wail.
The skies were blue, once again and there was a strange joy in the environment. The huge flowers grew on the greenest grass that seemed to greet her in her every step towards their tryst, the enormous mango tree. The elegant young man could be seen under the tree. He wore white robes and looked at Isa, intensely. Once again, her prince was waiting for her. The man's long, black hair was tied cleanly. He was sun-kissed, had a sharp nose and thick, red lips but his most unmistakable feature was his green eyes. Though they're green, his eyes were fiery and would definitely capture anyone who gazed into them.
"Come. We'll finally be together forever just like what we talked about earlier." The man said.
Isa was dumbfounded. She didn't desire this. She wanted to go home but she couldn't wake up. She felt as if heaven and earth devoured her. Everything went black. The flowers died and the grasslands dried. The winds howled and the brook weeped. She wished to go home but she can't leave. Darkness.