The Silken Crown

CHAPTER 2

Ligaya went to the doctor and was prescribed a tiny medication to alleviate her allergic response. The next day, as the papers were delivered to her house, she came upon an item about her and Dolores. Their fellow fourths, the working class, mocked them.

But after a few days, even the ones began to notice the drama in the working-class newspaper.

Ligaya was on her way to the market to buy some veggies when she heard a man speak from behind her. "Are you the girl with the beautiful hair but-" the man paused for a moment and gave a puzzled look "with a homely face," he chuckled and sighed nervously.

Ligaya remained deafeningly silent.

"Can I paint you?" the man pleaded.

Ligaya turned around and refused to do so by waving her hands in the air.

"I'll pay you 20 piloncitos," the man said, looking at Ligaya's empty hands. Ligaya was deep in thought, considering how long it would take to paint her if she agrees. However, one does not see piloncitos laying around, so she replied yes.

He began painting her when she nodded. She remained in the same posture for the next two hours, facing away from the painter and watching the lively shoppers at the market. She saw herself in the painting as she looked at it. Beautiful and graceful. It looked too perfect, unaware of what she truly is when she turned her back around.

A few kids approached her and complemented her hair, while others laughed and mocked her appearance. "She's so ugly, she's a slave for sure"

In their world, where beauty is most valued. People were divided into seven classes. Sevenths serve as slaves, while ones serve as celebrities. They were lavished with favor and devotion from the masses. Only a small number of persons were included in the ones, and the pleasure of being painted was largely reserved for them. However, Ligaya was able to obtain that favor with an additional piloncitos.

After a few hours, she felt an ache in her neck, her muscles numbed and she could scarcely move correctly due to the long period of staying in one position.

She passed by the store where she had a fight on her way home. She observed the young woman doing her usual business. When the young lady noticed her, she glared at her with a little grin on her face.

Ligaya shook it aside, not wanting to cause any more problems. However, as she continued, a newspaper flew into her path. She knelt down and picked it up, "a famous fortune teller will visit Mayari" turns out, the commotion of Ligaya and her fight with Dolores made news and drew the attention of one of the most famous ones, the fortune teller. The fortune teller is a man with a pointed hat, pale skin, a scarf around his neck and at least 6ft tall. He was very well-known for his unfailing read of the future, whatever comes out of his mouth is always regarded as the truth.

The street was filled with hustle and bustle, so Ligaya went out again to run some errands, and the fortune teller immediately recognized her. "Young girl with gorgeous hair, it took an eternity to find you," he teased Ligaya, "you don't believe you are as rare as your hair, do you?" Ligaya has no understanding what could it mean, so she dismisses it.

People waited in line to have their fortunes read by the fortune teller. As he read Ligaya's destiny, he purposefully gathered the crowd around them. He also requested that they find Dolores so that he could read both of them simultaneously. Dolores was soon spotted being hauled to the teller as soon as the word was sent.

He began chanting prayers and songs as soon as the ritual began. His bell rang as he chanted and mumbled inaudible phrases. He closed his eyes and took out his playing cards. He then took Ligaya's hand and handed her a red ribbon that he had tied to Dolores's hands. He then chanted a few more phrases, encouraging everyone to sing and join in on the rite.

Everyone stared in awe before joining in on the chanting. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the teller opened his eyes. "You, Ligaya, you are a princess, and you don't belong here; on your 17th birthday, you will have your last dress sewn from your hair, and this time you will wear it as your own but you will be deeply betrayed by someone you love dearly, but that's not the end," he said to everyone. All, their eyes were fixated on him. He felt satisfaction as the attention were mainly drawn, only to him.

"I see beauty, I see beauty in you; you will be more beautiful than ever Ligaya," he said, and as for Dolores, he sighed in disbelief "you will have something you valued the most taken away from you." Dolores was perplexed and plainly distressed.

"That can't be," Dolores muttered under her breath.

Everyone waited with bated breath for the fortune teller to reveal more about the ladies' destiny. but was interrupted by a rich lady who is also a member of the ones.

"Hey, read mine, won't you?" she said as she approached the teller and extended her hand. He nodded and began to predict the lady's destiny.

Everyone fell silent as they waited in line, eager to have theirs read as well.

When night fell, Dolores secretly went out of their home. She walked from one street to the next. She was nervous, seeking to reverse her fate. But what is it that she cherishes the most? She continued to think. She wandered on and on, with no sense of direction. As though she was a cloud in the sky. Until she stumbled upon an old house in the woods, it was the home of a local fortune teller.

The fortune teller was a fifth, and thus less well-liked than the fortune teller she had met previously. But she knew a fifth was the only person she could speak with. She knocked on the door, hoping that someone would answer. Except there was nothing but pure silence. She pounded on the door again till tears streamed down her cheeks and she collapsed on the front step. Crying herself to sleep, praying that someone would come out and save her from her misery.

it was a rainy night. She was knocked unconscious for hours and was awoken when she felt a cold shiver in her feet as the water from the rain reached her as she lay in the door. An old lady stepped out of the door and greeted her as she was pulling herself up. "I know why you are here, young lady, come inside." The old woman led her to an attic, where she discovered voodoo dolls. A drawing of manananggal, as well as sculptings of kapre, tikbalang, and even engkanto.

She was terrified as she approached the artworks of the hideous creatures

"Young lady, you were told about your fate earlier, weren't you?" replied the old lady. The truth is everyone knew what had occurred to them earlier. There were many articles written on their story.

Dolores nodded and sobbed as she listened to the old lady say, "you see Dolores, you are a very special girl, but if you want to destroy Ligaya's future -"

Dolores interrupted, "destroy? What do you mean by destroy?"

"Young lady, do you think it is fair for you to have an ugly life while Ligaya lives her life that was supposed to be yours?" the old lady asked.

"That is not true," Dolores objected. "She shall not devastate my life."

"Then you must do it first," the old lady said. "You shall destroy her"

"b-but-"

"No more questions, I know your fate better than you, and you don't want to waste your piloncitos, do you?" the old lady was notorious for her penchant for money. She would only tell fate if there was money involved.

Dolores urged, "I will double the payment; tell me what I can do to save my future."

"Then you will destroy her life; destroy her heart, and her hair will fall off; wear it, and it will stick with you forever, and you will be completely changed."

Dolores considered it for a moment, but if she kept her hair, she'd change into a one. She recalled every memory she had coping with life as a working-class person, as well as every opportunity that she had wasted due to her sagging hair. All of that would be gone, as would all of her sorrow. And before she realized it, she had signed a contract with the elderly lady and departed.