The Ladies of Jaro

When Teo approaches the lieutenant and Ana Rosa, his Uncle welcomes him with a nod

"Teniente, Segnora" he nods back,

Ana Rosa smiles in response with her ivory teeth on display. For a quick second, his gaze locks at her eyes for which to him feels like close to eternity, until she looks away without uttering any word. The lieutenant lead their way to the mansion where the other principalias and mestizos are lining up the door.

"Gentlemen and ladies, Teniente Leonardo Salgado and his family!" the butler proclaims as the three walks in the doorway to which the other guests pause to take a glance at them.

The sea of faces look their way with their eyes wide which some speak of scrutiny, and some of curiosity. These eyes gaze at the young man walking towards which most of the spectator did not pay much attention to. To these guests, there is nothing to pay much attention to an indio wearing mestizo coat and trousers just like them. Some even has look of disgusts on their faces looking at the well-dressed native young man. Their gaze turns towards the valiant lieutenant whose sympathetic stance captures the ladies' attention, completely charming them These acts of the ladies make their men intimidated, consequently giving the lieutenant stabbing glances.

Beside the lieutenant there she walks, the woman who quickly steals the attention away from her companion. Her warm smile bewitches the gentlemen in the room and sends threats to their ladies. Ana Rosa carefully inspects the room and sees the Governor standing at the end of the door way with his wife.

It is the ladies turn to fall into the trap of jealousy as they struggle to keep their men's attention to themselves. As the lovely lady passes by, their curious gaze turns easily into looks of envy.

By the end of the doorway there stands the Gobernadorcillo Don Federico de Carlos and his wife, Donya Emilia. The honorable Governor is dressed in silk-velvet single breasted court dress coat with standing collar showing a plain white silk waistcoat with gold lace embroidery on collar, cuffs and pocket flaps. This is paired by dark trousers with gold lace embroidery down the seams. His exquisite wife is elegant in a long dress of native sinamay cloth woven from abaca fiber; long sleeved, low cut with a hand embroidered waist flowing to a long elaborate embroidered full skirt. Donya Emilia has her hair coiffed to a central bun in the back ornamented with brass and gilded flowers. The couple welcome the Salgados when the lieutenant reaches them.

"Buenos noches, Teniente," the Governor extends his hand for a handshake

"Pleasant evening, Don Federico and Donya Emilia" the lieutenant responds

Ana Rosa bows her head while clasping her hands together before the Governor and leaps to embrace his wife while Teo remains looking awkward with his head down quite longer as if shielding himself from the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd.

"Lieutenant, the Governor wishes to be with you along with the other gentlemen. I shall take the lovely lady with me to the oratory where the other wives are gathered," Donya Emilia smiles and holds Ana Rosa by her hand.

Teo watches the women disappear into the crowd, then the Governor and Teniente Leon left for the hall as well. He is left behind looking at the sea of unfamiliar faces; principalias, mestizos, and consuls from Europe; all around him with some obviously murmuring to the other guests with audible disbeliefs of his attendance. Moments like these remind him of his being different from the rest of the guests, of him being an indio dressed as an ilustrado lost in a jungle of mestizos and the principalias.

Donya Emilia and Ana Rosa reach the oratory where a round table is set covered in pastel tablecloth with vase of orchids and roses at the center. The center table is surrounded by brass sofas with small cotton pillows. The oratory speaks of its Iberian modifications with immense portraits of different saints hanging on the walls; the stern portraits of San Joaquin, San Antonio and San Geronimo. The oratory has life size statue of the Virgin Mary at the center, a replica of the miraculous statue of the Virgin found in the Parish of the Lady of The Candles; but if she too also leaves during summer to bathe her child, no one knows for she might find it too tedious to walk from the mansion to the stream.

"Pardon me Segnora, I forgot to catch your name," Donya Emilia looks apologetic

"oh, Donya Emilia, that is fine, it is Ana Rosa, by the way, " the lady responds smiling at the Governess and to the other wives sitting on the sofa.

"A name befitting a lovely face, I must say," Donya Emilia seeks approval from the other guests before her

The wives nods their head in approval in unison, while some murmurs to the other ladies beside them.

"Ana Rosa is the wife of the Captain of Pasi," Donya Emilia slowly reclines on an empty sofa along with Ana Rosa

"Pardon me, but Captain Lorenzo can be had as the lady's father," a woman claims leading to a subtle laughter from others

"Oh no!, Donya Consuelo, the old Captain is dead" another woman responds,

"What?, the lady here is a widow?" Donya Consuelo retorts back

"Ana Rosa is the wife of Teniente Leon, the new Captain of Pasi" Donya Emilia finally intervenes

"Teniente Leon is the old Captain's younger brother," adds the other woman

Donya Consuelo still has her look of disbelief while the other women secretly laughs at her

"A friend of mine used to reside in your town and I obliged her a visit this one time. The town was so sleepy and was carpeted with rice fields; it was a lovely visit nonetheless. However, my friend and her family believed the town was haunted by an animated corpse with its skin claimed to be decomposing and its insides hanging out its torso. I was so young but I can vividly recall how we were forbidden by her father to roam at night, afraid that the Maranhig might abduct us, or worse, consume us" Donya Ysabela claims

The ladies sigh exchanging terrified looks and settle their gaze at Ana Rosa with her head gently shaking in agreement,

"I have heard of the stories, Segnora, I have had my own experience too,"

"So it was true, then" Donya Ysabela answers

" I just saw a shadow in the rice paddies, that is all. I would have been so terrified if that was indeed the same creature," she smiles

"Ana Rosa, this is Donya Consuelo, the Lieutenant Governor's wife, on your left is Segnora Elena, the wife of the Maestro de Obra. This is Segnora Ysabela, the wife of the town's notary and my sister here, Carmen, the wife of the Surveyor" Donya Emilia finishes obviously dodging the terrifying tale of the burned man

The servants come in to deliver a tray of hot chocolates in fancy cups with English biscuits laid on the center table making Donya Emilia gesture her left hand signaling the women's conversation to pause abruptly. They have to wait for the moment when the servants leave at once, to resume their chat;

"Your house is lovely, Madame" Ana Rosa politely puts down her cup and reaches for the English biscuit

"The furniture had to be imported from England and Spain," Donya Emilia pauses as she sips from her cup

"And they had to be shipped directly to the port of Iloilo. We even had to deploy local men to carry them here which I personally opposed to for I did not want the natives' filthy hands touching my eventual bed, or the dining table," Carmen interrupts chomping on an English biscuit

"Your mouth is full, Carmen," reminds Donya Emilia

The Governess and her sister are Iberian in origin, while the Governess has a soft heart for the natives, the same could not be said about her sister who still feels superior to them;

"You pointed it right, Carmen," Donya Consuelo pauses, "I even want to fire my servants and ask Antonio to send an advertisement to Spain to look for young women to be our new servants, the indians, specially the women, could just not be sufficient"

"I am glad I am not the only one who feels the same disgust," Segnora Elena joins in, "If some Spanish maids would answer your advertisement, Donya Consuelo, would you save one for me?,"

"Antonio said he will send in the advertisement this week, once we get the responses, I will send one to your house, Segnora Elena," Donya Consuelo assures

"Emilia, we should ask for some too," Carmen nudges at her sister who responds with an irritated side eye

"My apologies ladies for how you feel, but Carmen, our servants' services still satisfy me. I do not see a need for us to hire new ones let alone to replace them with maids from Spain" Donya Emilia smiles awkwardly

"Besides, it will be much costly if we are to import maids," Donya Ysabela asserts, "I could even pay my servants half of what they used to get and I could just reason out that the cost of living increases and I have to tighten my finances, I am sure they would just politely comply,"

"How is that?" Carmen asks

"These natives do not even attend school to educate themselves, as such, they would accept any job that pays them the easiest," Segnora Ysabela continues sipping from her cup

"Very clever, Segnora" Carmen answers

"Just last month I had to fire my criada and ask her to leave the town at once. Ay, Dios mio!, the woman was a mujer de publica back in Manila. Only did we find out when a merchant visited our house and recognized her, the man used to be her client back then," Segnora Elena takes air in

"Jesus, Maria Y Jose!" Donya Consuelo exclaims as she signs a cross on her forehead

"What a filthy woman, she was" Donya Emilia claims

"Just the thought of that woman touching my belongings, fixing my hair and attending my clothes makes my skin crawl in disgust. I even attempted to burn all my dresses and asked the Padre to bathe me in Holy water!" Segnora Elena retorts

"You should have shamed the filthy woman in the plaza so the other Segnoras and Donyas will not hire her anymore" Segnora Ysabela says

"These women should be kept away from our men. No matter how exquisite we are, these women can still find ways to let the men succumb to their cheap pleasures. It was fortunate though that she never slept in our house, not once and Antonio was spared of the temptation to creep out at night to be with her" Donya Elena retorts

"These vagamundas, once exiled from Manila, always prefer the provinces to continue their brazen trade. Why don't they just perish all at once?" Carmen claims heartily still munching the English biscuit

"The fires of hell are waiting for them, at the least we can be consoled with that thought," Donya Emilia answers while everyone nods in agreement

Ana Rosa sits in silence while sipping her hot chocolate cup secretly staring at the statue of the Virgin Mary at the center of the oratory who seems to be staring back at her mercifully.