The Invitation

The next morning, Teniente Leon finds Ana Rosa in the back lawn sitting on a wooden chair, holding a paint brush on her right hand, and before her stands a canvass half of it almost filled with water color. The lady has her cheeks stained with blue hue of acrylic paint, while the hand that holds the paint brush has mixes of green, yellow and brown hues. Her unkempt hair is loose, but still immaculate nonetheless; her silk night gown fails to contain her complexion with its natural glow against the morning light; as she stoically stares at the vast rice fields and onto her canvass to capture and immortalize the scenery before her.

Teniente Leon softly rests his hand on his lady's shoulder, then lets it slip over her back; the palm of his hand sends warmth and tickles Ana Rosa as she gently looks up to her companion;

"Undeniably breathtaking," the lieutenant exclaims after which he arches his back and kisses her forehead, down to her cheeks and makes his way to kiss her bare shoulder

"Do not take a peek yet," she pauses as she smiles softly, "this is far from finish, my dear"

"I was not even referring to your artwork, my dear," he smiles back

Ana Rosa catches his hand as she looks away to the green rice fields with her smile still on display. The lieutenant extends his other hand on her back to gesture her to proceed with her painting.

"The Gobernadorcillo sent an invitation over dinner" he whispers softly

"Tonight, my dear?" she asks curiously still stroking her brush against the canvass

"Tonight, it is" he pauses, "and I can already imagine the look on their faces upon laying their sight on you; the gentlemen of amazement, the ladies of envy. When that happens, I will be the proudest Captain in all of Iloilo for the most precious woman in the province only has her arm holding mine"

Ana Rosa squeezes her man's hand as she bursts to a soft giggle; puts down her paint brush and leaps to plant a gentle kiss on his lips.

When midday comes, the lieutenant and Ana Rosa meticulously choose their clothes for the dinner with the Governor. Him, a blue-black wool coat with its collar wide and the front opens deeply to show off the waistcoat; paired with black wool trousers and completed with a top hat; while she settles on a short puffed sleeved dress of white color; her full skirt has layers of petticoats and frilled hems of horsehair. Her hair is simply swept back from the face to a chignon bun with a crocheted crimson snood breaking the monotony of her white ensemble. The central spectacle is the necklace that adorns her neck; which is of thick bold chain with thick round balls of gold inlaid with precious stones.

When the lieutenant glimpses at his lady in her ensemble, his eyes gleams with pride as he extends his arm towards to assist her. With just one glance, Ana Rosa completely captivates her man; submitting him to her magnetism, as they leap through the parked carriage. Teban, the coachman is not spared from her charm; stealing glances at the enchanting beauty while attending the carriage door. When the cochero whips the rein on the horse-drawn vehicle, the wagon moves toward the dirt road.

Teo sighs heavily while watching the carriage moving away while standing in front of the second carriage with Tatang Chuy on its rein. All he could do was to look away when Ana Rosa was approaching earlier; his heart was pounding heavily, his knees were trembling, consciously wondering if she somehow noticed him standing there struggling to fight off the lure of being enthralled by her. But now that she was out of his sight, he somehow feels remorseful for not having the courage to glimpse at her and appreciate how lovely she looked; but the worse feeling was him being envious of his uncle. He wishes that he is with her instead, in that carriage which is now disappearing into the rice fields

"Segnor, you would not make it to that carriage by just standing there," Tatang Chuy interrupts

Teo stands dressed in a black tailcoat, opening in front to reveal a white waistcoat, paired with light brown long trousers. Completing his ensemble are black boots and a top hat.

He shrugs the shame that engulfs him upon hearing the old servant. He turns his back on him and sees him with a loose smile, his crooked teeth making another appearance. Teo stares at the majordomo longer until he notices the old servant is wearing a familiar ensemble. A plaid undershirt covered in a dark grey coat paired with a black trouser; to which Teo knows he has seen before.

Then he figures out why the outfit looked familiar, for they were Don Lorenzo's. Those were the same outfit the Don had worn when he sent Teo to Manila at the port of Banate years ago; and looking at the old servant before him, he could not deny the resemblance. The posture, their height and even in the way some patches of bald hair built up at the top of their head. That moment, he also suddenly recalls the cane that the old servant was using when he picked him up at the port, it was also the Don's cane that he was using whenever his arthritis had attacked and worsen. Teo chases his breath while staring at the old servant who remains smiling at him as if he is ignoring the tension building up at Teo's face

"There you are again, Segnor, lost in your own thoughts," Isko greets from behind holding his straw hat, "Jaro is quite far from here, we should leave at once"

The carriage runs toward the dirt road as Teo watches the stone house slowly disappears from his vision inside the moving wagon.