Conching placed the faded wedding photographs back into its silver frame and after one more lingering look, she placed the solid picture frame on top of the old Steinway piano.
" Mama was a handful alright! "
She managed a smile as the thought crossed her mind.
Conching, born and christened as Consuelo Magdalona De Gracias was an illegitimate child of Dona Martina De Gracias to a mestizo Chinese Tradesman from Tondo, Manila.
His name was Rafael Castro Syquico.
She retained the De Gracias family surname.
The two met when Tinang was sent to a girl's boarding school in Manila at the Colegio De Sta Clara by Dona Fausta after the disastrous Mount Kanlaon eruption.
She wanted her to be safe, or at least she thought that Tinang would be safer under the very strict eyes of the nuns at the colegio. Far away from Hacienda De Gracias. Little did she know.
" Mama ... Oh what a wild child you were! " Conching reminisced.
It was the wedding of all weddings!
Everyone and anyone in the whole city of Bacolod and beyond talked about it for days prior to the wedding date.
Martina was going to be a summer bride.
The month of May being the harvest season, when head or panicles of grain are yellow; the stem and leaves may still be green, but the head is yellow, it is ready for harvesting, much like that of a young woman when she reaches adulthood, her body shape changes, and the percentage of body fat increases and accumulates in the hips and thighs, and menarche begins. This was her.
She was betrothed to the much older lieutenant Fernando Almendras by her widowed mother, Dona Maria Fausta Nunez Arcillas viuda De Gracias at a ripe young age of 18 years old.
The night before the wedding, Tinang was inconsolable and in tears.
" I don't want to get married... I honestly don't! And much less to that Kapre and tall bland man... Fernando!" Martina wailed to Yaya Metring.
" There, there Bunso. That's not fair to call people names. After all, Senor Fernando came from a prominent family from Leyte. This will be a good match for both clans." the elderly woman consoled her.
" Good for whom? Certainly not for me! He is so tall like a kapre, and old enough to be my uncle!" She stormed to her bed and sobbed. "Hu hu hu... I don't want to marry... I Don't!"
Yaya Metring felt sorry for her beloved ward, but there was very little that she can do. Dona Fausta was a force to reckon with, it would be tantamount to facing a raging storm to go against her wishes.
She walked towards the lacy curtains and started to unbind each one of the curtain binds and she couldn't help but noticed the red glows from afar. The very peak of Mount Kanlaon was a hot ember amidst the dark blue sky.
She immediately did the sign of the cross and muttered. " In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen."
The early dawn brought forth a foggy day. The ominous smokes spewing from the imposing Mount Kanlaon grew bigger by the hour.
The whole village was abuzz with the hives of activities. Everywhere people were busy doing something; there were lots of cooking amidst the loud chatters, children were running to and fro, men carrying loads of stuffs back and forth, in and out of the mansion.
It was a big day indeed for the De Gracias clan.
As the preparation progressed, so did the heavy volcanic ashes from Kanlaon. It's viscous magma continued to thicken every minute, emitting with it, a sulphuric stench.
Mount Kanlaon's fury continued on to pushed more lava out of it's vent, and finally a huge eruption occurred with a deafening crescendo of lavas and thunderous roars.
Everyone in the village started to scrambled for safety. Even the Kura Paroko, Parish priest Father Samuel, decided to call it a day and dashed off with a quick sign of the cross.
Martina took it all in her strides, and decided that this must be a sign from heaven above to stop the wedding.
Sadly, poor Lieutenant Fernando perished amongst the flowing hot lavas that devastated half of the village.
Conching couldn't help herself from giggling at the very thought of her Mama Martina; left alone standing at the altar in her white virginal bridal gown, while everyone else scrambled all around her. She stood there smiling like a cheshire cat.
" Oh that would have been too funny... Oh Mommie dearest!"
She said out loud.
" I soooo missed you"
YOU ARE READING
FOREVERMORE ( Simula Ng Walang Hanggan)
Historical Fiction" According to stories, which may or may not be true, this was half of a whole. This used to be a tiara, a mini crown when Nana Sepa got it. She was awaken one midnight by a voice calling her name...Sepa! Sepa! So she followed the calling, well thr...
