Remembrance

It was the same old dream, vivid as the night before starting and ending on the exact moment.

A lavish banquet set in an opulent Spanish era mansion. She walks with familiar stride, Anne Marie was so familiar with this dream that she knows down to the last detail, the sequence of events.

"Leonor." A voice called her.

She looks at the woman and gave her a small smile. This is her mother, though she bears no semblance with her mom in real life. She tried to hold back the emotion but she was to easy to read.

"My dearest, why do you look so nervous?" The woman gave her a tender look and lovingly adjusted the sleeve of her terno.

"Mama, do you really have to ask? You and papa betrothed me to a complete stranger, and to a foreigner no less." Leonor scanned the room for her future husband to no avail.

"We already discussed about this, Leonor. You are ready to become a wife, and your father has chosen a good man for you. It's normal to feels the jitters but trust your father's judgement, he will never let anything bad happen to his unica hija would he?" Adoracion consoled her with kind words.

"But mama, I already..."

"I am not having a discussion with you, young lady. You are my daughter and you will follow whatever we decided for you. This is how things work on my time, and the generation before me. You will respect it like your father and I did. You have no say in this matter." Adoracion said firmly, obviously frustrated by her daughter's resistance over this engagement.

Adoracion recounted how many times she prepared her daughter's mindset about marriage and how many devotions and prayer offerings she recited to Saint Joseph before today, but why is Leonor acting so difficult? At what part did she fall short to have such a strong headed daughter.

Why can't she be as obedient like her?

Leonor was deeply hurt by mother's words. They are like daggers piercing through her heart, how can she tell her mom without being disowned, or worst, ex-communicated?

"It's time for you to get ready. Go with her Melina, the stylist is waiting for Leonor. Leave al the decorations and flowers to me. Adoracion sent the them to another room where her cousins and other unmarried friends await.

Leonor was immediately attended in dressing up.

Her mother had a custom made terno for this occasion. It was cinched a bit too tightly to highlight her tiny waist. The whale bone corset underneath her gown served it's purpose very well as it transformed her girly body into a curvy figure, the terno hugged her body in all the right places.

There's not much to do on her face except to apply rouge in her already natural red lips and cheeks. Then she was powdered generously from the face down to her bosom. She looked more like a marionette clown than a bride but she dared not speak to avoid angering Adoracion even more.

Lastly, Adoracion opened an ornate box containing their family jewels. One cousin adorned her with a golden necklace and another, a bracelet made with semi precious stones.

"You look lovely, Leonor." Her cousin Adelina whispered.

"I feel like a fattend calf ready for slaughter." She answered back making sure a fan was covering her mouth.

"You had a good catch, Don Manuel owns a vast rice field and a distelleria. What more could you ask for?"

"A college degree." She said cooly.

"You're insane."

"If wanting to be independent is craziness to you then I accept. i'd rather be called crazy than be treated as a decoration in someone else's life."

"It is time. Adoracion announced.

All eyes are on hers while she is being led away by towards the ballroom. Her lustrous jet black hair complimented her white terno, and her milky smooth skin look glowing thanks to weeks of preparation ahead. Everything about her looks beautiful except for her fake smile.

At this point, she begins to feel queasy. Her vision slowly blur as she comes closer to her father. The man standing next to him is facing away and as he turn around, reality will suck her immediately, leaving her wanting

to see what her groom looks like.