The House of the Unholy

The Captain Interim

If there is one thing that Teo dislikes about the remaining months of the year, it would be the constant raining. During these months, typhoons would frequently pay a visit to the lands. It's the time of the year that downpours would come in turns, like avid suitors earnestly wanting to have a glance at a lovely lady. The recent summer season left a certain glow to the lands like a blushing maiden which would inevitably arouse the typhoons to fall in line and pay a visit to her one after the other.

The colors that bloom during summer season; the green rice fields that changes from emerald to olive to fern; the sky with hues of blue from pale to dark blue to indigo; and the trees with dark brown tint from afar; now all look gray and gloomy with deluges of rain showering them looking like a waning fresco. The pigment of the summer blush is abruptly being washed to dullness by the pouring rain.

Today is not any better at all as Teo finds himself lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. In the middle of his room's silence, Teo drowns himself to the sound of the rain outside hammering against the capiz-shell windows. Through the windowsill, droplets of water spatter inside his room along with the winds.

The cold breeze gives him a feeling of being cradled on his bed as his thoughts begin to travel outside. He imagines himself running off in the rice fields, both feet sunken in deep mud, his soaked shirt tightly hugging his body both hands lifted wide apart; his head tilted up in the sky. In that moment, he imagines every drop of rain water showering him, drops of water traveling freely from his forehead down his cheeks, then would find its way down his body before washing off the mud on his toes. He feels calmness with being one with nature, rain on his head, wind against his skin and earth on his feet. He then realizes, rainy days could not be that bad at all.

"Segnor, your uncle has arrived!," Ditas interrupts from the doorway

Teo slowly opens his eyes and stares at the old lady standing on his doorway as if trying to catch up with time. It's as if he suddenly gets back to reality, he rises up and lounges on his bed as he makes final stretches before standing up.

"Thank you, Nanang Ditas," he pauses, "come, let's welcome him"

The two walk towards the receiving hall just across the main living room; Ditas line up with Chuy in front of the servants while Teo stands in between them.

When Teo lifts his right hand to fix the sleeve of his garb, he notices a servant standing behind Ditas through the side of his eyes. After a quick glance he sees her who is dressed in dark brown blouse and skirt, covered in black veil embellished with sewn thread patterns, Teo turns towards the servant, stares at her and sees Jimena. Only now does Teo notices a bump on her stomach intentionally hidden by the hem of her veil. He thought she looks paler than before, but then he never really noticed her prior to that moment. When Teo sees Jimena looking back at him, he awkwardly looks away from her, when it occurs to him why he notices her now. Jimena looks familiar in veil; she looks like the veiled woman he saw back in the mausoleum.

"Could it be her?” he continues fixing his sleeve, “though I only saw the veiled woman at the blink of an eye" he whispers to himself, “before she quickly disappears into the grasses," he continues

Teo bows his head and looks at her through his side eyes one last time while still talking to himself

“my dream of her was not any clearer as well," he is puzzled

Before Jimena catches his stare, Teo's attention turns towards the arriving guests ascending the stairs. First on the line is Dr Saul Farin walking with his crane.

The stocky physician greets them with a wide smile as he indolently removes his hat revealing a patch of bald hair. His black suit is still drenched in rain water as he removes it and hands it to Chuy.

“The mud outside is a real struggle," he greets, “the carriage had to be parked at the gate,"

Behind him comes Teniente Leon, the lieutenant of the fields and Don Lorenzo’s younger brother. He has his brother's stance reinforces by his uniform.

"We need to fill the ground outside with more stones," he suggests as he reaches his hand to Chuy's, "the stone pathways are almost devoured by the mud"

Then the lieutenant turns his attention at Ditas who fails to hide her enthusiasm through her mischievous smile. Teniente Leon opens his arms widely to welcome the old lady, and with a deep laugh he embraces her,

"You look lovelier, Ditas" the lieutenant hails

“Spare me with your absurdity, Segnor,” Ditas replies in between audible giggles, “and if you would embrace me longer, your beautiful lady might get spiteful," she continues with a laugh eyeing a woman behind his segnor.

Teniente Leon gestures to welcome the lady behind him. As she moves forward, the spectators in front of her gasps for air as the main entrance hall is filled with audible awes. When she removes her white veil, she effortlessly lights up the hall with her enchanting allure. Her subtle skin glows with patches of pale red color staining her cheeks, must be from getting tired walking from the gate and climbing up the stairs. Her black hair with tint of wine-red shade delicately brushed to a huge hair bun; revealing her lengthy neck adorned with pearl necklace matching her earrings; and dressed in white frock paler than her complexion. Her ethereal stance is a breathing spectacle.

“Silly you, Madame” she pauses, "l rarely get malicious" she finishes with a soft smirk

"Forgive me, my dear” Teniente Leon pauses as he stares at his companion with admiration, "Ana Rosa, everyone" he finishes as he proudly holds her hand

The lady sensibly examines the entire entourage while keeping her soft smirk, she politely bows her head as she finishes looking at her audience. Her confidence radiates even in the smallest gestures she makes like the twitches on her neck, her simple nods or the way she pulls the hem of her frock with her fingers and the way her hand covers her mouth as she blushes; but it is more evident with her smile.

“Isn't she exquisite?," Leon asks with a slight hint of arrogance still staring at her

Leon finds affirmation with the silence of the people before him, all attentively watching Ana Rosa as she simultaneously reaches her hand to Chuy to give him a kiss in the cheeks, then a warm embrace at Ditas and finally a gracious nod at everyone else. Her nod is greeted back by another audible sighs from her audience.

"You are devaluing the lady" Fray Luciano interrupts from behind them coming off the stairs, "to me she is quite, untouched!"

Ana Rosa answers with another coquettish smile as she curls her arms around Leon's waist and rests her head on his brawny shoulder. Only now does she notice someone with an extended stare at her, like he is examining her every move cautiously than the others.

From a distance Teo stands awkwardly gazing at the lovely lady before him. Undoubtedly, he too, is mesmerized by Ana Rosa's charm, at the same time, there seems to be something familiar about her. He has been looking at her the moment he caught a glimpse of her ascending the stairs behind the physician and the lieutenant; he has been fascinated with her graceful gestures but part of him feels he had known her from years ago. While looking at her doing her rounds of greetings among the staff, he has been carefully brushing through his memories trying to identify the apparition happening before his eyes. No matter how long he stares at her, his recollection of her remains just at the onset of familiarity, only a glimpse of a penumbra which lights start to crawl into a corner of his mind permeating its cloudy region. He tries to imagine her on a much simpler garb, he thinks of the woman like she could be wearing a plain dress with dirt stained apron on top. He tries to imagine her bare-footed, disheveled hair with face not so delicate as she has in that instance. There, that’s how his recollection of her concludes; from his second year of studying in Manila; in one of its pavements he remembered seeing her standing at the corner. His jaw twitches as he finally fathoms his urgent sense of familiarity of his uncle’s wife.

“My brother’s child,” Teniente Leon utters as he reaches his arms towards Teo, who at that moment, seems to be lost, drifted away somewhere far. “it is so good for us to be united again. Your foster father would have been happy; he always talked about you the last time we were here”

Teo suddenly regains his grip of reality when he consciously responds by shaking his uncle’s hand, “It’s good to see you again uncle, I was looking forward to your arrival,”

The lieutenant gestures for his lady to come over, holds her by her hand, the other hand resting on his lady’s back,

“Ana Rosa, my dear, this is Mateo, the gentleman I have been telling you about,” Teniente Leon begins,

“The newest pride of your family, I see, ” she responds as she nods gently along with pulling the hem of her frock, “your uncle has always been proud, Segnor. He, the lieutenant of the fields, his brother, the Captain of the town, and now you, a pharmacy graduate. You must be really proud standing up to their legacies,”

“Segnora, the pressure had been high, quite unbearable at times; but that only inspired me to aspire greatness,” Teo responds, “only now it was quite incomplete not having my foster father with us,” he continues in a somber tone

“Ah, Mateo, enough of the despondency my child. Your father brought us all here and I can bet on my title that none is much prouder than him,” Teniente Leon exclaims while tapping Teo’s back

At that moment, Teo takes advantage of the chance to stare at Ana Rosa closely who is just standing inches away from him alternately covering her face with her hand while she blushes; and carefully caressing the pearls on her necklace. With the lady’s gestures, she seems to be tensed at that very moment standing close to Teo as she secretly looks at him from the corner of her eyes. She is aware that the young lad has been staring at her even more now that they are closer; and seems to be capturing every angle of her face like he is cross-referencing it to a memory that he had stored in his mind.

“Gentlemen and Segnora, your supper is ready" Ditas calls out

“Finally! I have been looking forward to your remarkable cuisine, Ditas” Fray Luciano answers

The guests are escorted to the huge dining room where the long wooden table is almost covered by the festive supper. At the center of the table is the lechon, a whole pig roasted in burning coal for hours, with its oil spilling over the banana leaves where it lays. Beside it rests a huge pot of fabada, a meat and beans stew. Ditas had to prepare the beans overnight before they were cooked along with tocino, morcilla, chorizo and longaniza; the hot stew is a perfect complement to the rainy night. Opposite the fabada stew is the pot for paella; the rice is cooked in seafood broth and is topped with shrimps, mussels, chopped cuttlefish and prawns.

On the side of the wooden table there also lays a plate for potato omelet; beside it rests a pot for vegetable tapas such as marinated carrots and fried slices of eggplant.

The festivity would not be as grand if not for the wine, and this night, Ditas settled to serve their guests with rice wine pangasi. All the while, the typhoon is raging outside bringing its wrath to the vast rice fields, inundating the fields with its rain and beating the stone house with its strong winds. This night though, the stone house seems to regain its life, the life that it was known for and the chatters in the dining table overpower the noise of the furious thunderstorm outside.

"How I wish I could bring the cocinera with me back in Manila” Dr Farin ponders while pulling the shell off the shrimp, "she could bring tastes back to the bland meals at the Cuerpo Sanidad Militar"

"I would have stolen her and place her at the monastery to cook for me; before I let you have your hand at her and step in a boat boarding Manila, Doctor" Fray Luciano cackles as he sips wine from his cup

"The old lady's heart belongs to this stone house" Teniente Leon answers, “it has always been and it always will be," he continues while raising his cup of wine to initiate a toast to which everybody joins in

"The Madame of the house has a talent, that's undeniable,” Ana Rosa retorts with her usual smile, "but I prefer my soup with more broth,"

As Ana Rosa glances at Ditas, she sees her at the corner standing along with the other servants. Her head is down, both hands clasp together.

The awkward silence is suddenly interrupted by Fray Luciano;

"My lady, what you have in your bowl is a mixture of beans; which I am sure was soaked in a bowl of water overnight. Not to mention that the water has to be changed at least once; and different meats have to be added after. What that means is that while you were still at the port waiting for the coachman, the old lady and her staff were already up and meticulously preparing this stew" Fray Luciano answers taking another sip from his cup, "which brings me to my point that what you have in your bowl is not a soup, but a stew, rather. If you could notice, the meats are generously cut larger; and they do not drown in broth intentionally made to stand out. It saddens me actually since the broth is not meant to be the main component of this dish, but the beans and the meat; but they were looked passed to in favor of the broth," he continues staring at Ana Rosa

"Pardon me, Padre" Ana Rosa responds still smiling though tense, "but that's just my preference,

"I would not have known the difference either," Teniente Leon starts to laugh

"That is fine my Lady; Teniente, I understand the natives are still adjusting their appetite and taste," Fray Luciano slurs, as he continues intoxicating himself with the wine

"Padre, you seem to be in rare form,” Dr Farin cackles as he continues to sip the shrimp’s head making a squeaky sound

“Ha, Doctor!, I can even dare you to examine my bloodstream; and prove yourself that I am not as intoxicated as the good Teniente here thinks,” the friar laughs then he looks at the shamed faces before him, “my lovely lady, Ana Rosa, isn’t it?” he pauses in anticipation

The lady bows her head gently, “that is right, Padre,”

“Our young gentleman here, Mateo, spent his years in Manila. He basically grew into manhood in the city and like any other adolescent boy, I am sure he had spent his adulthood with the city’s finest, if you know what I mean,” the friar traces the cup with his hand provocatively repeating the gesture up and down

“What exactly do you mean, Padre?” Ana Rosa responds curiously

“Tell me Segnor, have you ever wandered in Calle Iris in Quiapo?” Fray Luciano enquires at Teo who awkwardly shakes his head in disapproval, “or visited Paseo de Azcarraga, perhaps?”

“I was just at the University, Padre” Teo finally answers

“The lovely lady was from Manila as well, Segnor, I was just thinking you two might have bumped into each other,” the friar then sips from his cup again

“My apologies, Padre, but I have never been to those streets,” Ana Rosa responds, with a much tensed voice

The friar holds his gaze at her as he puffs his tobacco, “Oh!, it was so disrespectful of me,” he pauses, “those streets are flocked by the vagamundas. Those women who sell pleasures to men. Those who were the spawn of the very demon that seduced Adam and Eve that caused them exile from the Garden of Eden; who until this day and age; these demonesses continue to seduce men towards acts against the will of God. May it be to break the holy sacrament of matrimony or the vow of celibacy. I see those are no streets for such a lady like you, Ana Rosa,”

“ I will have the cochero bring you home later, Padre, you must have had too much wine," Teniente Leon imposes while he assesses his blushing wife.

The friar slaps the air with the back of his hands as if deflecting the lieutenant’s concern. He takes another sip from his wine before lifting it up as he examines the faces of the people surrounding the dining table

“I’d like to propose a toast to Teniente Leon, this town’s Captain pro tempore,” he announces

The servants, who have been standing at the corner unconsciously lift their head slowly to take a glance at the lieutenant; while Ditas tilts her head to where the lieutenant is seated and smiles in agreement. Dr Farin remains silent in his nonchalance still finishing his bowl of paella; while Ana Rosa reaches Teniente Leon’s hand and presses it gently as she nods her head as soon as the lieutenant’s eyes meet hers. Teo lifts his cup and joins the friar with his toast, only then the rest of the guests followed.