[Capítulo Nueve: Unang Araw (First Day)]

THERE'S something about that man that rendered her momentarily silent. Once again, his voice sparked a sense of familiarity within me, although I couldn't pinpoint when or where I had heard it before.

"Hoy (Hey)! 'Kaw ah (You there)!" I jumped as her furrowed eyebrows directed toward me. "Anong ginagawa mo riyan, Mister (What are you doing there, Mister)? Are you stalking me?" she accused, oblivious to the surrounding people.

"Shut up. You're making a scene!" I scolded.

She paused, walking past me, continuing upstairs as discreetly as possible.

I was about to follow her when she returned, her fist raised, eyes fixed on me.

"Go to sleep," I said, and she continued walking.

After a few moments of gazing at the scene outside, I finally felt my eyes yearning for another journey to the dream world. I took steps toward the bedroom, ascending the wooden stairs of the house.

Approaching the second floor, I found Marianne peacefully asleep on the bed assigned to her.

"Does she even know about this situation?" I pondered as I sat on the bed, removing my shoes. "No," I answered, shaking my head. "Of course, she knew! She's the Filipino here!"

I allowed my weary head to rest on the pillow once again. After some time, my eyes closed as the sun slowly rises towards the east.

.

TIKTILAOK! The crow of the rooster pierced the morning silence, jolting me awake.

As sunlight streamed through the open windows, I stirred from my slumber. The room was bathed in the soft glow of morning, the lamp having been turned off.

"Buenos dias, Joaquin (Good morning, Joaquin)." As I settled on the bed, stretching out my limbs, a voice echoed in the room.

"Clara?"

There she was again, and in that instant, her beauty seemed to shine even brighter than the previous night.

In that moment, the realization struck me – I was still ensconced in the past or some enigmatic realm.

"Tengo ropa para ti (I have clothes for you)," she spoke. In her hands, I noticed the attire common among men of that era – a distinct white long-sleeved shirt, crafted from a unique fabric.

Swiftly, I repositioned myself, settling into a proper seated stance, my feet making contact with the solid ground. "Gracias (Thank you), Señorita," I expressed, rising to approach her and receive the offered clothes.

"Puedes bañarte con los otros chicos en el río (You can take a bath with the other boys in the river)," she spoke. "Pero deberías darte prisa porque el número de hombres que vienen aquí está aumentando (But you should hurry up because the number of men coming here is increasing)."

Stepping outside, I was welcomed by the sight of people engaged in their daily chores, functioning as one cohesive village. Despite the sun not reaching its zenith, productivity marked the beginning of their day.

Men wearing hats crafted from leafy materials strolled by, and even children joined in, wielding brooms to tidy their surroundings.

"Magandang araw, Señor (Good morning, Sir)!" one of the men greeted.

Interpreting it as a good morning greeting, I returned the gesture with a smile, offering a single nod in acknowledgment.

"Magandang araw (Good morning)!" Several others greeted me with their delightful early morning wishes.

From a distance, a group of women caught my attention. "Magandang araw sa inyo, Señorito (Good morning, young Sir)," they greeted.

"Aba'y may itsura ang isang iyan (Oh, he has looks)," one whispered to the other.

"Mestizo," the other remarked.

A sudden awareness of their discussion prompted me to continue walking, choosing not to linger on their comments.

Upon reaching the river, women from the far side, adorned in white bathing dresses, captured my gaze as they swam together.

The group of men that Clara had mentioned also came into view.

Worry engulfed me, and I swallowed hard. Placing the clothes beside a stone, I came to a halt.

"Ang lamig pala rito (It's colder than I expected)," I overheard one of the men groaned as they immersed themselves in the water.

"E, huwag ka na kayang maligong gunggong ka (Don't take a bath then, you jerk)!" one of them teased.

Their laughter and banter filled the air. Clad only in their boxers, a sense of hesitation crept over me, dissuading me from joining their swim.

"I should've taken a bath earlier than this!" I muttered to myself.

One of the men noticed my gaze from a distance. He tapped his friend's back, and the latter stood up.

It was him again – the one I had seen by the river, conversing with Marianne the previous night.

Approaching me with just his undergarments on, he spoke, "Ikaw iyong kagabi, hindi ba (It's you from last night, aren't you)?" he asked. "Tara na at sumabay ka sa amin (Come and join us)!"

Regretfully, my lack of proficiency in their language left me silent. With no Marianne, no Clara, and no Señor Emilio in sight, my best option seemed to be maintaining silence.

My heart raced, realizing I still needed to bathe before undertaking any task they might assign.

"Sige na (Come on). Tara na sa ilog (Let's go to the river)!" he urged.

"

Goyo," the first man who spotted me spoke as he approached. "Tila yata hindi nakapagsasalita iyang kasama mo (I think your companion can't talk)."

"Oo nga, e (Perhaps he really can't). Kagabi ko pa siya napapansing hindi umiimik (It's what I observed since last night)," replied Goyo.

"Alam mo, kung ayaw niya maghubad, e di itulak na lang natin siya sa ilog (You know, if he doesn't want to undress, let's just push him into the river)," suggested another.

Goyo smiled and took hold of my arms, while the other man did the same, gradually pulling me closer and closer to the river until I felt myself plunging into the cold waters.

"Ayan, nakakaligo na rin siya sa wakas (Finally, he took a bath)!" the man jestingly exclaimed.

Laughter surrounded me as I struggled to float and avoid the shallower parts.

"Hindi ata marunong lumangoy (I think he can't swim)," I heard someone comment as I fought to stay afloat.

As I was on the verge of inhaling water, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back near the river bank.

My breath came in rapid gasps as I tried to recover.

"Naku, pasensiya na (Oh, I'm so sorry)," Goyo apologized. "Ayos ka lamang ba (Are you alright)?"

As things settled, I noticed the other men hurrying to change their clothes.

"Hindi ka pala nakakapagsalita (I forgot that you can't speak)." It was just Goyo and me. He helped me stand up, and we joined the other men heading in different directions with their clothing. "Tara na't magbihis (Let's go and get dressed). Nariyan na ang hinihintay na pangkat (The group we were waiting for has arrived)."

We both retrieved our clothes as we parted ways.

"Doon ka na magbihis sa masukal na parteng iyon (Change your clothes in that dense part over there)," he directed, pointing towards a part of the land surrounded by tall grasses. Some of the men headed that way, and most of them were already returning to their places fully dressed.

I quickly made my way to the spot and undressed. Despite feeling embarrassed, I had no choice.

"I hope no one saw me," I muttered after finally getting dressed. Holding my wet clothes, I returned to the house.

Observing the men hanging their undergarments on tree branches, I found a tree near the house where we stayed the previous night. There, I hung my wet clothes. "Now I understand why they only wear their undergarments."

I rose to my feet, observing people converging towards the nearby house.

"Tara na (Come on)! Magsisimula na ang pulong (The meeting will now begin)!" one of the passing men urged, seizing my hand and guiding me toward the gathering.