What just happened?" I ask aloud, shaking my head to dispel the fog
clouding it.
"Pa?" "Honey!" I called out for my husband. "Paaaa!" I shouted, my voice slicing through the stillness, desperation lacing each syllable.
Silence hung in the air, a hea...
The star on her forehead further enhanced her beauty.
"Nabantog sa iyang kaanindot," Nai continued her tale. "Renowned for her beauty, Ayu Indah was talked about in other tribes and villages."
Many people travel long distances from their villages only to see her and to pay her homage, honoring her with offerings of gifts in exchange for good fortune, ug kadyut makalilig tan-aw sa iyang kaanyag, or catch a glimpse of her beauty.
I found myself witnessing a small gathering outside their wooden shack.
As usual, there was an array of banana leaves in front of it, with bundles of flowers and a mound of fruits and vegetables, but today, there was even a lambat, a bamboo net basket with freshly caught fish inside, a couple of chickens secured together, and a newborn goat tied to the wooden post of the hut, all of which looked to be offerings, like those seen in front of a shrine.
"Indah, gawas sa dinhi ug magpa salamat ka." I heard the father summon Indah to step out and say thank you.
He was sitting akimbo on a raised papag, a wooden bench outside the entrance, smoking his rolled tobacco with his sundang at his side, keeping a watchful eye on the gathered onlookers. Tatang, his face and body heavily tattooed, was a figure to be reckoned with. In his youth, he was regarded as a formidable fighter.
His wife, Inang, was sweeping the nearby grounds of leaves, and she exchanged greetings with a few of the women in the group.
"Gawas! Indah, anak!" Her tatang yelled, louder this time. Asking his daughter to come out.
The door creaked open, and a sudden, deafening hush descended over the crowd as the pale-faced young maiden peeked out from behind the doorway. At 13, she was already an emerging beauty.
As she stepped outside and stood by the door, the star-marked beauty presented a stunning image with flawless skin and flowing golden hair past her waist, eliciting ohhs and ahhs in astonished delight.
Awed by wonder sa iyang kaanyag, the small group cheered happily when she waved a delicate hand at them, discreetly greeting the throng with a Duchenne smile that creased the corners of her violet eyes and displayed her exquisite pearly teeth.
Then, shortly after, almost as quickly as she came out, she disappeared back inside.
Content to see a supernatural image of a diwata goddess, the crowd slowly dispersed in high spirits, talking among themselves.
Later, I overheard Inang, the mother, telling her husband that some of the women had come to seek Ayu Indah's blessing to conceive a child.
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In the eyes of the garlic farmer and his wife, their daughter, Ayu Indah, was a blessing, makagagahom na gasa, a sacred gift from the gods.
"Hinatag ni Abba Kan-Laon kanamo." They believed that Abba Kan-Laon, the highest deity, entrusted Ayu Indah to them.
He adds, "Gi taga-an pud sya ug ka gwapa ni Dal'lang ug kabut-an, ni Santonilyo." Dal'lang, the goddess of beauty, and Santonilyo, the deity of grace, bestowed her beauty and elegance.
They also thought, "Gatan-aw sige ug dili siya pasag-daan ni Dalikamata." That the many-eyed goddess Dalikamata keeps a watchful eye over her.
As a result, the gods themselves protected her from harm.
Wagas, she was cherished, and they adored her as their source of pride and joy. She was their good luck charm, and in return, they strived harder to provide for their daughter, Ayu Indah, with whatever she wanted, although they could hardly keep up, because the more they provided and the more she received, the more of these things she desired.
Her betrothal has changed their fortune; it has elevated their status and bettered their lives. They now have a larger expanded baol, hired hands, and a few alipins , slaves toiling on the grounds in rain or shine to bring on a better harvest.
And more than enough to please whatever her heart desires.
