Aldeheid

Chapter 2

Town Feast
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The whole town of Malcolm was festive. Hindi katulad ng karaniwang araw ay maraming tao ang nasa labas ngayon. May mga banderita na nakasabit kada poste at maliliit na kampana sa mga tindahang nakahilera sa tabi ng daan. Matao at masikip ngunit hindi ito magulo.

Dorothy was only tucking her arms on Aldeheid's to pull her wherever she goes—at para na rin pala hindi ito maligaw. Nagpatangay lang si Aldeheid habang manghang-mangha na pinapanood ang paligid.

Aldeheid was all overwhelmed, from her long white lacy dress that danced around her legs to her brilliant caramel eyes which were fighting what to look at first. She never knew that a celebration in the town could be this wonderful. Mas lalo pa siyang nasabik doon.

She's never really out in her whole stay in Malcolm. Sa tuwing nagpupunta kasi siya sa doktor ay diretso siya sa lumang automobile ng kaniyang matandang kapatid. Hindi niya pa nagawang mamasyal sa buong bayan kaya ngayon niya pa nasilayan kung gaano kaganda ang sentro nito.

It was as if she went inside a fantasy world, wherein a huge old fountain is in the center and taverns still exist. Walang ganoon sa Cragmerre at mas lalong hindi makaluma ang bayan na pinanggalingan niya. Cragmerre might be a very modern and high tech place but it couldn't beat the history preserved in Malcolm. She's not a fan of antiques and the sixteenth hundreds but the town of Malcolm changed her perspective.

"Ma! Pahingi ng coins! I'll throw them to the busker!" tinuro ng bunso ni Dorothy na si Rexter ang isang binatang pinagkumpulan ng mga tao, na nakatayo sa sa isang bahagi ng puwente.

He was singing a country song with head banging and fingers expertly strumming his banjo guitar that instead of metal strings, were nylons attached in it. Sinasabayan ito ng mga tao sa pagkanta at nasilayan ni Aldeheid ang makakapal nitong kilay at pilak mata na siyang nagpaganda sa simetrikong mukha nito.

Her forehead crumpled when she thought that this guy was familiar. Hindi niya lang talaga mahanap kung saan niya ito nakita.

"Throw it carefully, okay? Baka ibato mo na naman sa noo niya." Dorothy immediately shook her head watching her son eating his way towards the famous busker in town.

"Minsan naiinis ako sa pagkamahabangin ng anak ko, pera ko kasi lagi ang nauubos." humyaw nito bago ulit hinila si Aldeheid palapit sa mga nagtitinda ng sari-saring pagkain.

"Dee, do you have anything you want to eat?" tanong nito habang nakatingkayad na nilalantaw ang mga pagkain.

Aldeheid shook her head, "Just not cheese." she simply responded before Dorothy went towards the lair of stalls.

"Wait for me, okay? Bibili lang ako." aniya habang pasiplat na tumitingin sa bahagi niya.

She could only smile before turning her head around the entire place. For the nth time, she couldn't help but become amazed about her surroundings. Sa tingin niya ay maganda pa rin ang sentro ng bayan kahit paman wala ang mga nakasabit sa disenyo.

Naglibot pa rin ang tingin niya sa iba't-ibang bahagi nito hanggang sa napadpad sa higante statuwa na nasa itaas ng puwente. Kagaya ng mga kabahayan ay yari ito sa marmol pero purong itim lang. Everything about the statue was black except of the golden bell the bird on his shoulder was biting. Kumikinang ito sa ibaba ng araw at kumakaliling sa tuwing mababangga ng hangin. It's not a new thing for her because she knows that bells symbolize the town of Malcolm, but she does not exactly know what it means. Perhaps holiness, or maybe time?