A CACOPHONY OF CHATTER, laughter, and scattered greetings assaulted us. It was Madre Olivia who got off the ship first, followed by Josefina, then me. All of them were smiling at us. I saw one of them holding a sign that said “Fiesta Feliz”.
“Welcome back, Josefina and Carmelita!" a pretty lady approached us and greeted us cheerfully. She enveloped Josefina and me in a tight embrace. "Thank you and happy fiesta, ate Maria," Josefina said, beaming from ear to ear.
I couldn’t help but stare at Maria Montecarlos. She was gorgeous. So this was where our lineage came from!
“Where’s Mother and Father?” Josefina asked while looking around.
“They’re busy preparing for the fiesta. Father is expecting a lot of guests!” Maria explained. I caught myself still staring at her. She has heavy-lidded eyes and flawless fair skin. She’s also taller than all of us. She is easily the prettiest among the Montecarlos ladies.
She suddenly turned her attention to me, startling me a bit. “Carmelita, aren’t you happy to see me again?”, she teased, then reached out for my hand. “It has been almost six months since I last saw you,” she continued as she wrapped me in a tight embrace. Josefina joined us in a group hug. I suddenly missed Jenny and Emily. Even if we were always fighting, nothing beats being with your sisters.
“So what are we waiting for? Mother and Father are waiting for us,” Maria said. She led the way toward two kalesa waiting for us. “Madre Olivia, how have you been?” she asked, kissing the old lady’s hand before getting on one of the kalesa.
“Are my two sisters giving you a hard time?” she joked.
“Josefina is not giving me any trouble. This young lady here is diligent and obedient,” Madre Olivia responded. Josefina couldn’t help but smile at the compliment.
I swallowed hard when they all looked at me. “Carmelita on the other hand …” Was this what they called an “evaluation”?
“Why, Madre Olivia?” Maria asked.
“Oh, nothing. Carmelita is also one fine young lady—respectful and deferential.” I heaved a sigh of relief. I thought that she was going to rat me out. Maria will surely go bonkers if she learned of my encounter with Juanito.
Looked like Carmelita had a good reputation. Good heavens. I might be the one to ruin it.
MADRE OLIVIA AND I ended up in the same kalesa. I looked out the window and scanned the passing scenery. So it’s fiesta time in San Alfonso, no wonder everyone seemed so busy. We just passed by the town center and I couldn’t help but be amazed. The banderitas, those little flags adorning the streets, were a myriad of vibrant colors. The atmosphere carried a festive vibe.
“Don’t forget that you are now Carmelita, Carmela,” I heard Madre Olivia say. We were sitting opposite each other and I could feel her eyes on me. "Yeah, I know. Plus, our name sounds alike anyway," I answered back without looking at her.
"Hija, can you fix your manner of speaking? People from this period don’t speak that way,” she drew the windows shut, which startled me. I was supposed to pull a sharp retort but I ended up swallowing my words because she was now looking gravely serious at me.
"How do I talk like you?"
“As much as possible just keep yourself from talking. Keep that talkative mouth shut otherwise people will again think that you’re being possessed,” this made me think. I thought Madre Olivia’s suggestion was good. I didn’t want the same thing to happen again with the convent sisters thinking that I was possessed and would slap me several times again.
“Aside from that, mind your actions as well. Ladies of this time are prim and proper. They don’t act in a reckless manner,” she added. This made me frown—did it mean I shouldn’t move at all?
“Ladies and gentlemen of this period don’t just hold hands, especially when they’re not yet officially a couple. A man cannot touch any part of a woman’s body unless they’re already married. He cannot see even her soles, cannot stare into her eyes for any longer than a few seconds,” she further explained. This left my mouth hanging open. Every single admonishment of Madre Olivia I was already able to do with Juanito that fateful evening.
I held Juanito’s hand. I asked him to carry me. He saw my soles and my legs when I fell from the window—worst of all, I held his face when I forced him to look at me!
Madre Olivia drew a deep breath and opened the carriage’s window wide open. “Come. Behold the riches of la familia Montecarlos!” Before me was a fertile land so vast that stretches as far as the eye can see. There were rice and cornfields. There were orchards, too.
Ahead of us was a huge ornate gate decked in gold with Hacienda Montecarlos inscribed on top.
There were men wearing a blue uniform, each clutching what looked like a shotgun, who were manning the gates from the outside. “They’re the Montecarlos’ personal guards,” explained Madre Olivia as if reading my mind.
I was left dumbstruck as we passed by more fields of different sorts—rice, sugar, corn, pineapple. As we zipped by, farmers waved their hands to greet us. "Maligayang Fiesta! Happy Fiesta, Mang Raul!" I heard Maria shout from the other carriage. The farmers seemed so happy.
Next, we passed by a stone bridge, under which flowed a river, and not too far away was a lake. There were fishermen waiting for the day’s catch and women washing their clothes by the riverbank.
“That is called Ilog Tangis, while that one over there is Lawa ng Luha,” Madre Olivia said. Both bodies of water were within the hacienda grounds.
“Lawa ng Luha? Wait … isn’t that …” I wasn’t able to finish my sentence because Madre Olivia interrupted me, “Yes. The lake where Carmelita drowned herself. The real Carmelita.” I felt a chill run through my spine. Somebody died in that lake.
I diverted my thoughts to the big wooden structures we passed by. They seemed like barns housing all sorts of farm animals—horses, cows, carabaos, sheep, goats, and chickens.
“All these form the livelihood of the Montecarlos family,” Madre Olivia said. This made me wonder what happened along the way since we were not rich.
“I was supposed to ask Madre Olivia but the kalesa stopped. The coach went down and helped us get off. “Remember: they should not know nor notice that you’re not Carmelita,” Madre Olivia whispered to my ear. She got off first and I followed after her.
I readied myself for this moment, but I still couldn’t help but be surprised by the sight of Lola Carmina’s mansion. It was still the very same mansion, only that it seemed newer, bigger, and more elegant.
"Carmelita, my daughter!" I heard a woman say. I turned to look at who was speaking and I saw her sprinting toward me and gave me a hug. Next to embrace me was a man with a mustache, "Ah our beloved youngest one,” he greeted me. All eyes were on me.
"Hi?" I managed to squeal out a greeting and I waved my hand.
They looked puzzled by what I said. Greeting with a “Hi” was not the norm these days, I realized.
I looked at Madre Olivia who widened her eyes in return.
“Finally …. I am able to be with all of you again,” I stammered. This made all of them smile.
“Mother! Father!” Josefina greeted them excitedly as soon as she got off the kalesa. Right behind her was Maria. Josefina gave Don Alejandro and Doña Soledad a tight hug each. She kissed their hand and I followed suit. I also kissed the hand of the married couple in front of me.
THEY SAID THAT we would be attending the procession and the mass today. I was starving but I chose to bite my tongue and avoid talking following what Madre Olivia said earlier. I was not used to speaking in formal Filipino, which might leave them wondering why. So yeah, better not to speak at all.
The procession went smoothly. It was a delight to see thousands of lighted candles and the throngs of people moving as one toward the church. I had never been to a similar event. My family was not religious.
When we reached the church, the mass was just about to start. I could hardly understand a thing because most parts were in Spanish. I really shouldn’t talk much because I couldn’t speak Spanish.
I was confused why we didn’t go home after the mass. We instead went to another mansion. Mother (well, Carmelita’s mom) said that we would be having dinner here. We were now seated at a long table that was brimming with the yummiest-looking dishes. There were pochero, paella, adobo, pansit, roasted chicken, and many others I wasn’t familiar with. The desserts looked just as mouthwatering—leche flan, ube halaya, and an assortment of fresh fruits. Now I was even hungrier.
I couldn’t help but be annoyed that we hadn’t started eating yet. A mustachioed and bearded man was talking at the center of the dining hall. He was thanking the guests and he continued rambling on some more.
“Who is that man?” I whispered to Madre Olivia who was sitting to my left. She came along as the Madre Superior of San Alfonso. The whole Montecarlos family was also in attendance as the town’s richest. The other guests looked just as rich in their extravagant-looking clothes.
“He’s been going on and on and on. I’m starving,” I asked Madre Oliva again.
She snapped and said, “Use po and opo. Elders will surely reprimand you should they hear the way you speak.” I nodded my head twice and asked her again, this time more respectfully, “Who is he anyway?”
“He’s the governor of San Alfonso, Don Mariano Alfonso," answered Madre Olivia. I looked at her in shock. So he was Juanito Alfonso’s Father!
“I’m pleased to introduce my sons,” Don Mariano announced. A huge wooden door opened and three boys streamed in.
And one of them was the man who was part of my mission, Juanito.
He looked at me, leaving me startled. He smiled and nodded all the while holding my stare.
I was not prepared to see him!
"FELICES FIESTAS, MIS AMIGOS," Don Mariano Alfonso greeted everyone with a Happy Fiesta in Spanish. He raised his hand which held a wine glass and invited everyone to a toast.
“And now, we eat!” he announced with a smile. His sons and other family members joined him. I was surprised when Juanito chose to sit in front of me. He glanced at me before starting to eat.
I suddenly remembered all the things that girls of this period in history weren’t allowed to do but I did to Juanito that night when we first met. Did he still remember? Should I say sorry? No way.
I didn’t know but I felt awkward around him. He was better dressed now. You could glean right away from how he was all glammed up that he was from a rich and renowned family.
“Carmelita … your food …” Josefina, who was seated to my right, whispered to my ear. It was too late when I noticed that some of the adobo I was eating spilled out of the plate, staining the immaculate white table cloth.
I surreptitiously let a piece of meat fall on the floor and covered the stained portion with my plate. Josefina seemed shocked at what I did, but I just gave her a smile.
A split second passed when I felt something move under the table hitting my leg. I peeked underneath and was surprised at what I saw—it was Juanito’s white dog Sampaguita!
I stood up in shock, hitting the table and causing it to shake, sending my plate and glass crashing on the floor. Everybody turned their eyes on me. Even the orchestra stopped playing to look at me.