The sun shone mercilessly on the already-parched patch of land where the palay were planted just a couple of weeks ago. It was already the month of May but the rains were delayed in their arrival, probably scorched on their way down by the summer heat, the dusky-skinned, big-boned girl thought to herself. There was nothing to do at that unholy hour as yet and she was just lying on her back
under the shade of her family's thatched hut, which was, in turn, cozily tucked in a menagerie of shady and fruit-bearing trees at the corner of the rice field which her forefathers have tilled since way before the colonization. It has since dwindled greatly in size when the hacienderos took over and allowed the local indio population, as Avani's ascendants were then called, to continue farming the land in exchange for tributes every harvest time. Fast forward to several hundred years later, despite the land reform program of the republic, her family's lands continue to be owned by the hacienderos' descendants. Avani's grandfather has joined the group of farmers who made the historic walk of protest to the country's seat of government and they haven't returned as yet.
She kept looking over at the horizon where she watched Tatang B'lara leave for the trek with her older brother Nilay to join the 50-strong contingent about a month before. She'd been hoping to be the first one to see them return. Oh, how she missed Tatang so much already! As she closed her eyes, she recalled those lovely moments. She'd often spend her summer afternoons beside Tatang as he took his siesta. She would sometimes take to counting the white hairs on his head just to pass the time (a task which she hasn't gotten to completion as yet since it has been a very effective sleep inducing activity for her... and Tatang, too!).
Just then, she heard the familiar sounds of wooden worn-out caretela wheels slowly making its way over the dry earth, and bells, followed by Bella's snort. Immediately, Avani opened her eyes and jumped, nearly fell, out of her make-shift bed and rushed to meet her mother who was already alighting from the carriage made out of bamboo slats carrying a couple of bilaos under her arm. The bilaos were empty --- and that usually means, good news.
"'Nay, were you able to sell everything?", asked Avani excitedly as she ran towards her mother.
"What is this? You haven't kissed my hand yet and still you ask me about that?", quipped her mother with a theatrical pout, obviously pleased with herself for her sold-out bucayos that day at the market.
"Oh, 'nay! I was just excited to see those empty bilaos," sighed Avani as she reached for her mother's hand to kiss it, as held by tradition is the respectful way to greet elders.
"Okay, okay! Don't be dramatic now. Better get your Ama's towel and slippers, and be quick about the basin of water. He's quite tired waiting for me to sell everything when he was done selling the goat on the first hour of the market," she told her daughter with a big smile.
So, now, there are a couple of good news, not just one, thought an exuberant Avani as she prepared the things her mother instructed her to do. Ama is easily irritable when he's bored, especially during summer, but she was hoping a good deal on the fattened goat would temper her father's mood quite a bit. He was a man of few words... but only when sober. When he gets drunk, though, he's just the opposite... or so, her mother says. Avani hasn't seen his father drunk but she smiled at the idea of seeing her usually quiet father regaling his drinking buddies with stories of candor.
===
That night, after finishing a dinner of boiled rice, grilled eggplants and fried fish which she helped her mother prepare, she proceeded to cleaning up and washing the dishes. She was puzzled, though, as her mother and father kept talking in hushed voices while they were seated on sacks of rice husks just outside the hut, on Avani's makeshift bed. She has been a keen observer, even if that meant being spanked at times for eavesdropping. This time was no exception. She crept quietly towards her 'Nay and Ama to know more. As she got closer, she could hear the whispers getting louder, but still inaudible. She was just a step away when her foot hit the aluminum basin her father used to wash his feet earlier in. With the clang, her parents immediately turned to the source of the sound and found Avani frozen on the spot.
With a nervous smile, Avani stayed on the spot, in what looked like suspended animation. After what seemed like ages, her parents turned to each other and her mother nodded her head towards her husband.
Standing up and letting out a deep breath, Ama called Avani to come closer and seat with them.
"Ava, we have something to tell you...", started her father.
(To be continued)
She kept looking over at the horizon where she watched Tatang B'lara leave for the trek with her older brother Nilay to join the 50-strong contingent about a month before. She'd been hoping to be the first one to see them return. Oh, how she missed Tatang so much already! As she closed her eyes, she recalled those lovely moments. She'd often spend her summer afternoons beside Tatang as he took his siesta. She would sometimes take to counting the white hairs on his head just to pass the time (a task which she hasn't gotten to completion as yet since it has been a very effective sleep inducing activity for her... and Tatang, too!).
Just then, she heard the familiar sounds of wooden worn-out caretela wheels slowly making its way over the dry earth, and bells, followed by Bella's snort. Immediately, Avani opened her eyes and jumped, nearly fell, out of her make-shift bed and rushed to meet her mother who was already alighting from the carriage made out of bamboo slats carrying a couple of bilaos under her arm. The bilaos were empty --- and that usually means, good news.
"'Nay, were you able to sell everything?", asked Avani excitedly as she ran towards her mother.
"What is this? You haven't kissed my hand yet and still you ask me about that?", quipped her mother with a theatrical pout, obviously pleased with herself for her sold-out bucayos that day at the market.
"Oh, 'nay! I was just excited to see those empty bilaos," sighed Avani as she reached for her mother's hand to kiss it, as held by tradition is the respectful way to greet elders.
"Okay, okay! Don't be dramatic now. Better get your Ama's towel and slippers, and be quick about the basin of water. He's quite tired waiting for me to sell everything when he was done selling the goat on the first hour of the market," she told her daughter with a big smile.
So, now, there are a couple of good news, not just one, thought an exuberant Avani as she prepared the things her mother instructed her to do. Ama is easily irritable when he's bored, especially during summer, but she was hoping a good deal on the fattened goat would temper her father's mood quite a bit. He was a man of few words... but only when sober. When he gets drunk, though, he's just the opposite... or so, her mother says. Avani hasn't seen his father drunk but she smiled at the idea of seeing her usually quiet father regaling his drinking buddies with stories of candor.
===
That night, after finishing a dinner of boiled rice, grilled eggplants and fried fish which she helped her mother prepare, she proceeded to cleaning up and washing the dishes. She was puzzled, though, as her mother and father kept talking in hushed voices while they were seated on sacks of rice husks just outside the hut, on Avani's makeshift bed. She has been a keen observer, even if that meant being spanked at times for eavesdropping. This time was no exception. She crept quietly towards her 'Nay and Ama to know more. As she got closer, she could hear the whispers getting louder, but still inaudible. She was just a step away when her foot hit the aluminum basin her father used to wash his feet earlier in. With the clang, her parents immediately turned to the source of the sound and found Avani frozen on the spot.
With a nervous smile, Avani stayed on the spot, in what looked like suspended animation. After what seemed like ages, her parents turned to each other and her mother nodded her head towards her husband.
Standing up and letting out a deep breath, Ama called Avani to come closer and seat with them.
"Ava, we have something to tell you...", started her father.
(To be continued)