It was a peaceful sunny morning in the hacienda of Señora Gabriela, there were trees, herbs, and shrubs everywhere. Birds are chirping, and sounds of garden scissors could be heard from each side of the hacienda.
"Goodmorning Señora!" One of the workers said politely to Gabriela as she passed by them.
Señora Gabriela, a tall woman whose hair is always arranged in a bun and having a fan to cover her face with, nodded and smiled in a white filipiniana dress. "What a nice day I see!" she said moving her eyes around.
Someone suddenly entered and broke this pleasant moment. As the neighing horse was seen running so fast, workers were forced to give way.
Señora Gabriela narrowed her eyes as she opened her fan to see who the rider is.
"I see...," she said silently.
Meanwhile, the rider of the horse suddenly bumped on a tree for the horse got out of control, continued running, and left its rider lying down beneath a tree.
"I nearly did it properly!" a young lady's voice said laughing while standing up removing leaves and dirt from her baro't saya.
She's Ligaya, Señora Gabriela's daughter. Ligaya loves horseback riding and has a very strong interest in books. She loves being simple and showing kindness to every creature she meets.
Ligaya walked barefooted towards their house. As she sneaked into the living room, she was shocked by the voice she heared from behind the chair in front of her.
"Ligaya, have you attended your embroidery lessons with your Tia Merlita this morning?"
Oh no, what should I say? Should I say yes? No! I musn't lie, but if I reply No, Inay would scold me again. Ligaya paused and didn't know what to say.
Suddenly, the woman in white filipiniana dress with a bun hairstyle carrying a fan stood up from behind the chair. She walked towards Ligaya saying,
"Ligaya, I know that horseback riding is the thing that you really wanted to practice, and that reading books is what you really desire," She said putting her hands on Ligaya's hair. " but Ligaya, think wisely, you're a woman, What will you gain from these two? A woman is meant to stay inside the house serving her husband,"
Ligaya got upset, she lowered her gaze as she listens to her mother rebuking her.
"And what is this thing that you're wearing?" Señora said with a bit louder pointing her fan to the baro't saya that Ligaya is wearing looking at her from head to toes. "Woman like us wears neat and decent clothes, and your hair..,"she said walking around as she talks." Tie that up,"
Ligaya used to argue with her mother defending what she wants.
"Mother, I wanted to be who I am, I'm not meant for this,"
"But your tias' and I are well-known for this, and so you are....,"
"And besides, this is myself, I can do what myself wills," Ligaya interrupted.
"Ligaya! I'm your mother, you're still living under our roof and we still have the privelege to lead you to which path you must take," her mother said in a high tone voice.
"And I know what's good for you," she added.
Ligaya grew up hearing those words again and again, to the extent that she no longer show who she is.
As years passed, people used to admire her for her beauty, extreme modesty, and great skills in embroidery, sewing and cooking. She used to attend girl lessons with her Tia Merlita a fat woman whose hair is also arranged in a bun too. Ligaya grew up into an ideal woman that every guy desires to be with. Men are ready to shed blood for her hand, they lined up to her father each week but refuses them for Ligaya's young age. Her parents are very proud of her, they always mention her to their relatives whenever they meet. Ligaya and her family's name are widespread in town.
"The saying is true, indeed. What the tree is, so is its fruit," said the woman in a group.
"Yes, indeed, I remember Señora and her sisters being like Ligaya in their tender years," the other woman said talking behind her fan giggling.
Ligaya was pressured by the expectations the people are thinking about her. One day, when Ligaya turned twenty years of age, she wore her brown flipiniana dress and a necklace that was given to her by her father, Señor Angelo, a broad-shouldered, tall and handsome man. Ligaya arranged her hair in a bun and went downstairs to eat breakfast with her parents.
"How's your sleep Ligaya?" Señor Angelo asked politely as he gathered rice to his plate.
Ligaya nodded and smiled.
"Well I hope you'll have a nicer sleep after you hear our good news for you, Ligaya," her mother said politely smiling at Ligaya from the other side of the table parallel to her father.
"A rich and ideal man of a spanish decent family asked me for your hand, and I accepted him to be my son-in-law," Señor Angelo said politely.
