Peasant

It was the day Edong had promised to meet her. He had been away for so long and Mona was happy and excited to wait at their oak tree.

Mona sat on her favorite branch, watching everything under the clear, bright sky. Her eyes rested on the sight of the rich green prairie, to the surrounding nipa huts, and to the surrounding evergreen trees. Anywhere she looked, she was reminded of her childhood. This village was her home, so was Edong's. How he must have missed everything in this place.

Edong was her best friend, her most treasured friend. Their friendship started when they were way, way too young, in the nearest school to the village.

Mona had not liked attending school as she had to walk a long distance under the scorching heat of the sun. That had changed, however, when she had noticed that there had been only one boy to answer the teacher's questions every day. He had been smart and she had been amazed. Edong had become her motivation not only to wake up early and walk a long distance but also to take her lessons seriously.

Being the most hardworking in class, Mona and Edong had quickly become friends. Their friendship had extended beyond the school. They would walk together back home, chase each other on the way, skin their knees, and steal guavas from someone's tree until they had become too old for those.

Many immature years had passed and Mona and Edong had graduated from high school. Mona had been satisfied with her education, although she had not been sure what she could use it for. All those years she had only thought of studying as a way to see Edong and her friends. She had had the time of her life.

Mona had known then that those years were behind her and that she had to help her parents on the prairie. She had not been sure what was ahead of her, not even been sure if she had had any dream. The girls in the village, and even some of her friends, had already had families of their own. Mona had wondered if the same was her fate, or if she had wanted it if it was.

Edong, however, had had other plans.

One late afternoon, Edong had told Mona that he had wanted to continue his studies. He had been offered a scholarship and would have to move to the city before the academic year.

"Isn't this supposed to be good news?" Mona had said. "Then why do you look like you've just been to a funeral?"

"We won't see each other for most of the year."

Mona had been willing to be optimistic for him. "There are Christmases. Sure people are allowed to come back home during those times?"

Edong had smiled. "That's right."

They had stayed silent, watching the reds and yellows that had streaked the orange sky.

"Let's meet each other on the Christmas day after my graduation," Edong had said. "Here."

"What's with the Christmas day after your graduation?"

"Until then, would you promise to not promise yourself to anyone?"

Mona and Edong had consistently written each other in the months after that. Edong would tell her how great the city was, how great his school was, and how difficult his subjects were. Mona would always reply with words of encouragement. Through all his letters, Edong would not miss writing his dreams and hopes for the future. On some occasions, their future.

Mona had been steadfast and anticipating in those months. When Edong had returned for the first Christmas, she had been the happiest, only to become the saddest when he had left a few days after. And soon after, they had written to each other again. Such was the routine for years, and Mona had been steadfast and anticipating.

The longer she had waited, though, the stronger she had felt her grip loosen. She had loved him without question. She had been willing to wait for him. But it had been hard. Even harder when a man named Benito had set his eyes on her and everyone had been telling her to accept his love and marry him.

Mona snapped out of her thoughts when the sun scorched her skin. It was noon. Mona climbed down the tree and saw Kira, one of her friends, with a casserole in hand.

"You really shouldn't be walking such distance in such heat in your ninth month," Mona said.

"I don't have a choice," Kira said. "My children won't have anything in their stomach, and it's Christmas."

Mona went inside her nipa hut and filled Kira's casserole with as much rice as she could.

"Don't keep your hopes high," Kira said as Mona handed her the casserole. "He might not come."

"What made you say that?"

Kira shook her head. "He won't come back, not anymore after what happened last time. You yourself said that his letters had been scarce. We cannot imagine how comfortable his life may now be. Besides, all men are the same."

Kira was already far away, but her words hung in the air. Mona knew that Kira might be right. After what had happened last time, she really should not be expecting Edong to come back. Her parents had thought that he might be why she had refused Benito, so when Edong had returned for Christmas, they had warned him to never see her again.

Mona had felt them grow apart after that, and she did not know what had come over her to still be expecting him that morning. She could not blame him if he had made an easier choice, if she was no longer one of those he dreamed for, if she was no longer a part of his future.

Maybe Edong's life was much better now than before, or than hers, or than anyone's in the village. And maybe that gave him the right to forget her and the village they had grown up in. Mona felt a twist in her heart. It would not be easy for her in the coming days, weeks, or who knew how long. Still, she would not hold anything against him; in fact, she was happy for him.

And maybe he could get himself a better woman. Someone smarter, prettier, less poor . . .

Mona had not realized a weight had formed in her heart. She breathed deeply as she tried to come to terms with what was to be her reality.

The hours stretched into the day until it was late afternoon. Mona went back to the oak tree, the sky no longer nice and bright, but bloody. She sat on Edong's favorite branch and watched the village from his point of view. The bloody sky bruised with hues of purple. A few more breaths and it was time to go.

Before she went, Mona looked at the oak tree. That was probably the last time she would look at it with remains of hope in her heart.

Mona walked away, chasing her faint shadow with every step.

End