E.M. PRAETORIAN - Salamat! I will try to find a beta :). Yes I kind of..um..talk to much..even in my stories. Thanks for pointing that out to me, I shall look into it! I hope you enjoy this one! we get Natnao and Natshiz interaction in this one.
Han Dj: Whoops! Kamison nga pala! sorry! tao lamang. Ayun, inayos ko na :) salamat sa pagbati noong typo ko na yun. Actually, Imelda Marcos' dress is a Filipininana and I think Balintawak is a kind of Filipininana..titignan ko ito! I promise and then I'll edit all the errs :). Oo, Maria Clara type siya diba? mestiza mahinhin, maganda, matalino pa -Ahay! perfection. Sana magustuhan mo to :)
Dreamshadower: Yes! and Natsuki would not be Natsuki if she did not blush. Salamat (thank you) for the comment and I'm glad you enjoyed and picked a few things from the story. I hope you enjoy this one :3
kikyo4ever: Thank you for your efforts. I appreciate it, sincerely.
Salamat to everyone who is reading this! this chapter is a bit rushed but I hope you all like it. Once again, DICTIONARY IS BELOW THE PAGE.
CHAPTER 4
FANDANGO IN LIGHT (PANDANGO SA ILAW)
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'Buenas noches' was repeated over and over again like a round song, slipping from a hundred lips and hundred tongues like the fine wine and whiskeys served by the maids as they entered and exited the kitchens. Carriages lined up like red ants outside the huge cal y canto house and even the kutseros could not help in swaying their heads in delight for the Rondalla that Don Perfecto hired to entertain the guests was playing such wonderful musicand many of the guests had paired up and danced to the symphonic tunes of the kundimans with much gusto.
The important men could be easily distinguished from the plainly rich mestizos by their attires and the topics that they discussed. The 'important' bunch had huddled themselves together in the right side of the room like chess pieces for they wore black and white tuxedos, while the military men wore their uniforms. They spoke politics and the fate of the Philippines under mother Spain, criticizing the former governador-heneral Carlos Maria De La Torre, for his 'unmanliness'.
The dandies on the other hand were composed of rich mestizos and they were such a display of colors like male peacocks. They clumped themselves on the left side of the room talking about how young the night was and how beautiful the moon and the Pasig was, how wonderful and stunning the architectures in Milan and in Venice are, or how lame and gawky the Filipinas and the mestizas in the Philippines are - 'So unlike the Valenzuelans!' 'So different from the señoritas in Italy'. And they turned their heads towards the Azotea and Ay Karamba! My God! Shizuru Viola stood elegantly in a lilac Maria Clara, staring out into the moon. Son of a Turk! She was truly enchanting!
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The party began at seven in the evening and the old people, conservative as they were, ordered that the dancing should be stopped at midnight. It was eleven thirty already.
'She isn't coming…' Shizuru said to herself and she raised her eyes to gaze at the full moon and upon doing this, she wondered what the mysterious woman was doing under this beautiful night sky. And then the faint sound of gunshots was heard. 'Ayuna Kapitan!' 'Rapido' 'Puta!''Vamonos herma-' and then there was a loud boom accompanied by a large puff of smoke. The huge mansion slightly shook due to the explosion. The rondalla and the dancers stopped their merry making.
Some of the guests rushed towards the windows, threw open the casements with great haste, and poked their heads to see for themselves what had just happened. The others fled towards their carriages. 'What was that?' 'Move your head, I can't see a damn thing!' 'I heard someone screaming' 'Mierda! Who could've done this?' And then the captain of the guards fell on his knees, trembling with blood shot eyes and screaming – "The Arsenal! Madre Maria! The Arsenal!!!"
"Come on lads! Put your backs into it!"
The guwardiya sibils had formed a straight line, passing buckets of water with much precision until it reached the lieutenant who quickly emptied bucket after bucket of water, throwing the pacifying liquid rapidly into the burning establishment. Those who were not part of the line ran back and forth with pails of water in their hands, and like the lieutenant, quickly tossed the contents in the fire. The natives watched as the building crumbled in fiery glory before their eyes. To them, it was a magnificent site.
After three hours of frenzied running, carrying, passing, and emptying pails of water amidst the dust and the thick black smoke that covered the area, the guwardiya sibils finally doused the blaze. The arsenal was reduced to nothing more than a few pieces of black wood, save for the lone brick wall at the end the room stood proudly amidst the sea of ashes. It was empty. All the weapons had been taken. Three burnt bodies that were tall in stature laid like petrified wood on the floor – they were guwardiya sibils.
"Lieutenant!" a guwardiya called out as he held a dying comrade in his arms. His throat was split open. The raw slick crevice spurted blood out. The lieutenant took of his cap, kneeled and leaned closer to the dying man so that his ear was merely inches away from the dying comrade's mouth.
"What happened hermano?"
The fallen Spaniard opened his mouth and spoke in a hoarse voice as blood and tiny eradicated veins oozed out his pale mouth: "Tulisans…Tulisans…"
And then the body went limp.
"Eight men dead?! How is this possible?! How did they know about the La Tranvia's party?!" Don Zobel's voice echoed through the room, seeping through the wooden walls of the viola's house, and into Shizuru's bedroom.
"We were so discreet! How Perfecto? HOW?!"
"I do not know, Jacobo…I do not know."
"We chose the attendees carefully, the invitations were secretly given! Where did we go wrong?!" Don Perfecto kept shaking his head. His eyes were fixed on the red, marble floor of his house while Don Zobel kept walking back and forth the room, his heels clicking with each step that he made.
Shizuru closed her eyes as she buried her face into her pillow. 'No more drowned men.'
And she was right. Her dreams were no longer plagued by the Pasig and its beautiful murderous muse. Instead, she dreamt of men on fire. Their skin turning crispy as the flames licked their bodies.
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Binondo and its bright red temples is just a few miles away from Manila. Here, the Chinese immigrants dwelled happily, free from the constraint of the Spanish authorities for truly, they were far more privileged than the poor Filipinos who were sent away to work in farms. It was usually a peaceful area, mainly because everyone knew their neighbors and everyone else was Chinese. But today was different…
It was 10am and there was a ruckus in the eastern part of town. Two guwardiya sibils were storming into a huge house. The neighbors hid in their quarters and watched from the slits of their windows as the two Spaniards struggled to enter the door, which was constantly being closed by some unseen force.
"Piao si! I'm not coming with you!" The woman shrieked as she pushed the door with all her might. The two Guwardiya Sibils rammed their bodies against it. In their struggle, the bagua on top of the door fell down the stairs and its mirror broke into a million pieces.
"This one won't bulge, Fransisco!" Ramon said as he continued to use his body as battering ram against the door.
"Stand aside, Ramon. I'll show how it's done." Francisco said as he rolled his blue sleeves up his thin arms, grabbed his pistol, and BANG! Small chips of wood flew and a hole was made on the on the upper part of the door. A small thud was heard, accompanied by cursing in Chinese, and smiling in contentment, Ramon kicked the wooden door open with all his might, and two officers entered the house.
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"Anyone home?" Fransisco said in a sarcastic manner. The room was pitch black and apparently, no one was home. The herby scent of Chinese medicine filled their noses as they began to search for the woman when suddenly there was a creaking sound and to their surprise, the door was shut tight and they were locked from outside. And then there was light and the two guwardiya sibils came face to face with five brawny Chinese men in black clothes. They were surrounded.
"Hello boys." A woman with red hair said as she approached the guwardiya sibils who were now sweating like pigs. She smirked as the light of the candle in her hands, flickered in her jade eyes. "What was I under arrest for?" She was a monster – the good looking kind.
"P-possession o-of i-illegal drug, Miss Zhang." Ramon replied in a shaky voice. Fransisco, who was braver and more spiteful than the frightened Ramon, began to reach behind his back to get a hold of his pistol again. Seeing this, Miss Zhang snapped her fingers and before Fransisco could even feel the cold, hard handle of his gun, the thugs came upon them, the lights went off, and the screams of the two Guwardiya sibils filled the entire neighborhood.
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five hours later, at another house not far from the site of the previous incident, Zhang, who was in an understandably sour mood was talking with a friend of hers.
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"So I've been sailing for three months and that means plenty of fucking water but nothing to drink. I got here; ready to kiss the solid ground that I've missed ever since I left Shanghai and then Piao Si! Two retards suddenly start grabbing me for crap that I don't even know so I start hitting the taller one with my luggage and I punched the other, the uglier one, in the face and then ran." Zhang lightly scratched her nose with the middle finger of her left hand. Natsuki just stared at her from the end of the Mah-jongg table, amused by the whole story.
"But the knuckle heads just won't quit. You know how those thick headed officials are right? They may be stupid and all but fuck! They sure don't know how to give up! So they start chasing me all around town! Luckily for me, the boys knew I was coming home and when they saw me running like a goddamn lunatic, they told me to head straight for Wong's house because most of them were there. So I did!" She ended the statement by pounding the table with her fist.
"So…where are they now?" Natsuki asked with slightly raised eyebrows.
"Well…" and then Zhang started to speak in Chinese. One of the thugs at the back of the room raised his head, smiled and waved at Natsuki, and then pointed to the 'pork' that they were mincing. Natsuki took a sip of the hot jasmine tea from her cup.
"And what do you intend to do with them, Nao?"
"Well the governador has ordered us to make some meat buns for his little meeting with the friars, next week, so—"
"Oh you sneaky little bastard!" Natsuki laughed huskily.
"Yeah, we were able to save a large amount of money thanks to those two guwardiyas."
"They deserve it anyway. Say, do you need to buy those crappy medicines now?"
"Fuck you! They are not crap. And yeah, I need to go and buy them now. I can already feel the headache coming thanks to all the exercise those two morons gave me!"
"Peste. Anyway, can I walk with you? I just need to discuss a few things with you."
"Okay I guess." And both of them stood up and climbed down the spiral staircase of the house, exited the large red door, and went out into the streets of Binondo were many merchants now filled the streets, exchanging goods and rants about the Spanish authorities.
"Nao…are you really not into the Opium Business?"
"W-What?! Now you're getting all suspicious and fucked up to?"
"Calm down you virago! I was just wondering about it since everyone in your clan has been in it!"
"No. Did I say no? well I'll say it again. NO!"
"Fuck Nao! You aren't lying to me are you?"
The wooden wheels of the kalesa squeaked as it trotted away from the Church of San Augustine. Riding it was of course, none other than the very lovely Shizuru Viola who had just finished visiting the church, not to attend mass but to admire its beautiful gothic architecture, for she had always been a lover of the arts and of all the forms that it took. She was wearing a red Filipiniana with batik designs, and was reading a copy of Plato's 'The Republic' when suddenly; upon crossing the bridge near Binondo, she passed by a familiar figure – long jet black hair and sky blue sarong. Her heart leapt with joy upon seeing the beautiful woman again but she became curious when she noticed that a Chinese national approached was chatting with her 'friend'. She courteously made the kutsero stop the kalesa by a corner next to the house so that the two women would not notice her.
She quietly climbed down the kalesa, paid the kutsero, and stealthily walked near the two, hidden by the vendors' stalls and by the people passing by. She was in a fairly good mood today but suddenly, a particular sentence agitated her and so she began to listen carefully to the conversation.
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"I would never lie to you!"
"You're lying already…"
"Tsh! Peste! Just because it's been running in my family for years, doesn't mean that I'll also get it! Oh come on, you're different to me." And then the two began to walk away and into the inner streets of Binondo.
'Different?' Shizuru wanted to shout but she suppressed and walked away from the area, towards the line of kalesas, and rode back to San Augustine Church. 'What did she mean by different?...could it be that they are…'
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"How long have you been gone?"
"You're awfully nosy. One year and two months."
"Then you don't know the bad things 'around'"
"Well, since you're waltzing around here in Maynila as 'Narcissa', I've already guessed that bad things are around. So what happened? Where's your mother?"
Natsuki did not reply and Nao knew why the raven haired beauty kept silent.
"Oh…hell, I'm sorry, Kuga"
"It's okay. At least she doesn't have to hide anymore."
"Well yeah…good point."
"Nao…the kapatiran…we are ready. We just need a few good rifles or even some shining pistols. Maybe you could-"
"Piao Si! A year and two fucking months and we are talking about the same old shit again! What the hell is it this time, eh? Your mother got killed because of that stinking group already and you still haven't learned your lesson! Why, you're as thick as the Spaniards! This is why I seriously want to hit you on the head with a shovel!"
"And you're being an insensitive wretch as always! One year, two months and still as pessimistic as ever! Fuck this! This is why I just want to sew that loud mouth of yours shut! The Kapatiran has now merged with the Katipunan. Now we aren't just one balangay, we are a nation of freedom fighters."
"I can't believe this! Is this why you're here in Maynila?! And to think I thought you were starting over a new life, a good life, but no! Turns out you're just here to gather more blockheads to fight for this stupid revolution that you're plotting. The British couldn't even beat the Spanish with their superior arms. What makes you think the kapatiran or whatever other crap organization would win against these blockheads? Collective anger? A shared ideology? Screw your shit! You guys should listen to old J.P.R. and just call the whole thing quits!"
And they had talked and cursed so much that either one of them noticed that they were back in Zhang's huge house.
"Ayos lang, Nao. I won't force you to. Thanks for the tea." And Natsuki began to walk away from Nao, red Chinese paroles and bguas hanging from the cream colored houses of the city of Binondo, while the wind kissed her cheek.
She had heard that to the Indios, love between two women, as well as love between two men was perfectly normal and acceptable. And so she sat in the Church with closed eyes and with rosary clasped in hands, praying to the Virgin to remove the malice running through her mind.
Could they be in a relationship? Che! A thousand times, che! God forbid it! But if they were, 'then, I would be her querida. A life of a querida is not so bad at all!' she thought to herself. You are still loved by the person you desire even though it is only half, and not the whole love that you receive. But then again, she opened her eyes and looked at the weeping saint in front of her. 'Have pride woman! Why force yourself on someone who is unworthy of your love?' She said to herself and stood up from her seat to exit the church when suddenly she saw Natsuki standing by the entrance, gazing at the Virgin Mary in the altar's center.
"It's beautiful isn't it?"
Natsuki's eyes rolled down came face to face with her crimson ones.
"You!"
"Ara…salamat, binibini. Truly, you are too kind." And Shizuru opened her abaniko again and covered the lower part of her face with it. Unsurprisingly, this made the helpless Filipina blush.
"No! I meant the saint!"
"Ara!" Shizuru replied as she removed the abaniko from her face to reveal an adorable pout. "Does that mean that I am unsightly, binibini?"
"I didn't mean it like that! I, well, I was…I-" she flung her hands up in the arm in exasperation "You're incorrigible! Who are you anyway?"
"Well, binibini, you should've found out last night if you attended the party."
"Oh yes…that. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come." Natsuki replied in a dull tone that
"It's fine. The whole thing turned out to be a fiasco anyway. But it truly makes me wonder, and I hope that you will not find it rude of me to ask you why you were not able to come to the party?"
"I kind of…fell asleep."
"Ah…I understand, binibini. I'm sorry for being so nosy. I'm glad to know you weren't blowing up some arsenal." With that comment, Natsuki's eyes widened and she blushed harder and redder so Shizuru could not help giggling audibly.
"Ara ara! I'm just kidding. By the way, I am Shizuru Viola, and I am a student at the Collegio De La Immaculada Concepcion De La Concordia."
"Shi-zu…ru?"
"Yes, binibini." She smiled sweetly for her heart wanted to scream out with joy upon hearing her name come out of the stranger's lips. "That is my name."
"It's not…Spanish!"
"Yes, because I am half Japanese."
"Oh! Oh I see…kaya pala…"
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"And you, binibini, what is your name? You haven't introduced yourself yet."
"Ku-kuga. Kuga, Natsuki."
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'Natsuki...such a wonderful name it is indeed! Beauty, give thy name- Natsuki Kuga!'
"Nat-su-ki" the syllables rolling off of her tounge like a song, like a hymn to beauty and like a beautiful kundiman. "I'm very pleased to meet you."
"Yeah...same here." Natsuki did know how to react for rarely had been approached by a stranger in this demeanor. And she felt embarrassed in front of this gorgeous señorita whose eyes were redder than blood.
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"I can help you find a job!" Shizuru gleefully said as they a kalesa, passing the stylish wooden houses of the streets of Manila.
"Salamat but...I'd like to find one on my own..." Natsuki was blushing all throughout the ride for she was sitting so close to Shizuru that she could feel the smoothness and the warmness of the woman's skin on the occasions that their elbows and hands would tough due to the wobbling of the vehicle, when it came across some rough road. It was five o'clock and the sky was preparing for the descent of the sun. They had reached the main street and they had halted the kalesa and Shizuru paid the kutsero.
"My house is just a few blocks away from here, Natsuki."
"Yeah well...fare thee well, then." And Natsuki, with raven tresses swirling around and sarong waving like the sea, flicked her hair with her right hand and started to walk wolfishly away from Shizuru who stood there staring at her, basking in her beauty.
"Natsuki, when will I see you again?." Natsuki stopped walking and turned around to face Shizuru again.
She thought about it for a while, her eyes fixed on the smooth cobble stones on the pavement. And then she raised her head up and coyly smiled at Shizuru.
"Anytime you like."
Her heart skipped a beat. The lights began to flicker and the sun began to set, ending the day like a dance, like a dangerous fandango of lights- one slip and you might drop the candle from your hands and set yourself on fire, your skin cackling and turning crispy as tongues of fire lick you clean of your flesh, scraping the soft material off of your bones until you are bare, and vulnerable like two maidens before an altar - few words spoken, many gazes made, one heart and one feeling, one true feeling surging through their bare bones and into their souls.
DICTIONARY:
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Hijo Del Puta – Son of a bitch!
Anitos – spirits or nature spirits that dwelled in all things related to nature.
hermano - brother
Kundiman - Filipino love songs usually symphonic.
tulisans - bandits
Paalam – farewell
Kapatiran - an organization; brethrenhood. It cannot be considered as a brotherhood since having exclusive male/female organizations was sexist and intolerable in the Traditional 'uncorrupted' (uncorrupted meaning that his/her ideologies and beliefs have not been affected by Spanish influence and sexism was among the very bad things that the Spanish left int he Philippines) Filipinos' minds.
Madre de dios – an expression that meant mother of god
Rondalla - A rondalla is an ensemble of plectrum instruments, stringed instruments played with a plectrum or pick. It originated in Spain, but became one of the traditional forms of Philippine folk music after its introduction to the islands
Madre – mother/nun"Alas singko" – 5'o clock!
Gracias – thank you!
Hindi –No
Ho – similar to oho, it is a sign of respect. It is used when speaking to strangers (even if the stranger is the same age as the speaker) and when speaking with elders/adults. Using ho, oho, po, and opo in the katagalugans was a sign of good breeding, kindness, and deference. Anyone who does not use the afore mentioned words are regarded as brutes and ill-mannered.
Binibini – Charming maiden.
Abaniko - a lacey fan with intricate designs. Usually, it has a famous painting imprinted on it.
bagua - a chinese charm that is said to absorb bad energy.
Kalesa - a colorful horse drawn vehicle. (not to be mistaken with the carriage)
Kutsero - Driver
Piao si - Chinese bad word meaning son of a bitch!
Peste - a light Filipino curse meaning pest/annoying.
Ayos lang - it's okay
Kaya pala - so that's why
Katipunan - The Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary organization founded by Filipino rebels in Manila, in 1892, which aimed to gain independence from Spain.
*J.P.R is none other than Jose Protacio Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. He was consulted by the katipunan regarding the revolution and his advice was to postpone it for he believed that the Filipinos would only lose and the wards would only result to casualties.