Tales I Have Woven

By Elenita Belgica

Tales I Have Woven is a collection of short stories that spin around the colorful fabric of life. The common threads of love, search for meaning, human choices, family values, tradition, change, environment, destiny and lifes purpose are intricately contrived into a tapestry that blends into one.
In The Stone House, Mr. So lived his life following the family values of honor and responsibility. He took care of his fathers textile company and of his aging mother. Polistico was the respected tenor in a little village until the day of a big wedding in the story of Polistico. In Chrysalis the quiet town of Anao woke up hearing a bellowing voice of a strange creature. It was a historical town that whispered and was heard. And in Amapola, the fields of poppies in the valley made people leave and move. It was the restless need to chase and venture towards something that followed them.
As the lives of these characters unfold, Elenita unveils her keen observation in the dynamic power of human sentiments, of love, compassion, purpose, and communal spirit. Tales I Have Woven is a propitious literary debut.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479752072

Elenita Belgica

Elenita Belgica is a published author, independent educator, lecturer and artist. She was a journalist, radio, television, independent documentary film producer. She has given lectures and workshops in communication skills, creative writing and public speaking. She is an active member and volunteer in diverse, multicultural organizations in Montreal. She was born in the Philippines and now lives in Montreal, Quebec Canada.

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 by Elenita Belgica.

Library of Congress Control Number:                         2012921659

ISBN:                         Hardcover                         978-1-4797-5206-5

                         Softcover                         978-1-4797-5205-8

                         Ebook                         978-1-4797-5207-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

95154

CONTENTS

Dedication

You Learn

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Introduction

Amapola

The Right Shoe

Lola Felisa

Polistico

Chrysalis

Soul’s Melody

The Stone House

Stories In The Kitchen

A Shot Of Confidence

Butterfly Wings

Conundrum

Limitations

Rapturous Rapping

The Hollow Birch Stands Tall

DEDICATION

Dedicated to my beloved parents, siblings, precious children, Ceejay, Mia, Corey and Paula, my cherished grandchildren, Leela, Sammy and Emma, and to dear Tita Sol.

YOU LEARN

You Learn

After a while you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats

With your head up and your eyes open

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today

Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans

And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn . . .

That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure . . .

That you really are strong

And you really do have worth . . .

And you learn and learn . . .

With every good-bye you learn."

—Jorge Luis Borges

A book is more than a verbal structure or series of verbal structures; it is the dialogue it establishes with its reader and the intonation it imposes upon his voice and the changing and durable images it leaves in his memory. A book is not an isolated being: it is a relationship, an axis of innumerable relationships."

—Jorge Luis Borges

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The book you are holding is my gift to my parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, my students, relatives, bosom friends, friends, the communities that I was part of in different places in this beautiful planet earth, particularly Quezon City, Baguio City, San Francisco, and the Filipino community in Montreal, with special appreciation to Canada for my twenty-five years, Silver Jubilee 2012 as a Filipino-Canadian in Montreal, Quebec.

I believe the best way to express my gratitude is through my God-given talent which I believe is writing. I have written so many stories that I have kept in my treasure chest. But to see them in a book form was not a goal I anticipated. But six years ago, the right people came together and they all motivated and supported my maiden entry into the world of digital book publication.

Therefore, this book was made possible by the encouragement and loving support of the following people:

The people who form the staff at Xlibris and four agents who waited patiently for six years until it manifested through my new agent John Briones and Elaine Tan who assisted in the production of the book.

To my book sponsor Estella Domingo, a successful financial consultant and a collaborative, supportive member of the Filipino community who offered to finance the project and see it published. I am very grateful for her support. She has always helped others so they could see their projects materialize.

To Learning Circle, an independent educational mentoring and coaching outfit for the promotional workshops and lecture tours.

To all my children, I love you dearly. To my only son Ceejay who always believes I deserve the best. To Paula who says, if you feel right then it is right. I value your support and I thank you.

My daughter Corey, a graphic designer and an emerging author, who worked with diligence and patience as my beta reader. Corey’s tenacity for purpose and her drive to attain integrity in her goals have inspired me. It gave me new wings to take flight. She also designed my book cover and wrote a foreword.

My daughter Clarissa, an independent filmmaker, who wrote a beautiful foreword in my book. I worked with her in her film project, Liham and saw her exceptional talent as a director and writer. She has separated her craft from personal and professional and underscored the importance of keeping them apart in a creative project. She became a teacher to me. She has always been the enthusiastic reader in my first drafts and who has that keen understanding of my allegorical style of writing.

To John Eric Sideco, a musician, erudite,and knowledgeable in literature and the arts, who I met six years ago and who offered the gift of friendship. It became the catalyst for a creative process coaching for me. The dynamic exhange that we shared over literature and the solitude in the lives of artists fleshed the characters in my stories. I am very grateful for the gentle push that gave the momentum.

To my good friend Marilou Berlow, a gifted photo artist, who took the photo cover on my book. Her friendship that wrapped around unconditional love and compassion grows more in meaning and purpose through the years. I thank her for being there.

To Manish Patwari, who edited a few stories in my book and whose input and brainstorming over content and meaning have proven to be an interesting point in this era of technology and change. His great written works in journalism have been admirable. I am grateful for his editorial collaboration.

To my brother Benjie Belgica, a self-taught-painter, sculptor, printmaker, teacher, writer and other art making processes for giving me permission to use his paintings for this book. I am very grateful.

To my loving parents whose love is beyond bounds and whose optimistic perception on the roads I had traveled and still will travel have always been enliven by the brilliance of their faith and love for my siblings and I. I am forever blessed and grateful.

To all my significant mentors, teachers and friendships in my life, Solita Marcelo Ordonez, Cesar Munoz, Lucila O. Dypiangco and Reinaldo Baena, you have all contributed to my evolution and becoming thus, you are all integral in my human process.

To the Filipino Community in Montreal and other multicultural organizations, we have shared a dynamic community life together, and I thank you.

To all of you who were compelled to read this book, there is a message for you on these pages.

I thank you all with joy in my heart.

FOREWORD

What’s in a book? What will it tell? The conception of a book is truly an author’s labor of love. It takes careful thought and nurturing. It takes months, even years of contemplation before the big reveal takes place. And once it is hard bound and printed on paper, the true test lies in the hands and eyes of the reader. At first glance, a book sits patiently on a bookshelf but quickly calls out to its destined reader and at the turn of a page the story unfolds.

The natural habit of reading a book from the beginning was something I had chosen to forego as I read The Tales I Have Woven. The plurality of its content had called upon me to pick a random short story and read each one as it called out to me. The book cover, showing Ms. Belgica in deep thought quickly faded in the background as I found myself enveloped in her delicately woven stories. Ms. Belgica’s shorts stories invite you to a plate of carefully prepared delicacies that fill your appetite for answers and questions for the many mysteries and surprises life interestingly brings to the table. She skillfully creates a world of seemingly common characters we come to meet every day but unravels truths we are so often remiss to. The vivid sights and sounds of the places that surround her characters heighten your senses into seeing what is not seen on printed paper. She often challenges you with an open-ended question that takes you on a labyrinth walk of reflection and appreciation for a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Each of these short stories renders a unique reaction. With a breath, I find myself wondering. With a sigh, I find myself understanding. With a laugh, I regain my humor. With a tear, I find sentiment. With a turn of a page, I find my own story unfold with these tales. With the final page drawn, a new presence and sense of gratitude overtakes.

—Clarissa Munoz-Banerjee, Independent Filmmaker

I like to read stories that paint vivid pictures in my head and emotionally grab me. Then as the story ends and I turn the last page, it stays with me a while longer. Each story in Tales I Have Woven did all of that.

Elenita Belgica’s natural ability of storytelling makes you want to curl up in bed next to a cup of hot chocolate. Her serene style subtly draws you in, making you want to eagerly flip the pages and absorb each place, each character and each emotion. Her stories cling to you comfortably, leaving you satisfied, but wanting more.

Tales I Have Woven is a lovely collection of carefully picked short stories. Plucked from the deepest part of the author’s heart, each story sprouts and grows on you. Each reader can find a favorite, one that they can easily connect to.

Books are magical things. They can entertain us, comfort us, make us laugh and make us cry. They can even teach us. This book comes with all of the above. It is a special treat—a gift to those who accept it.

Corey M. P.

Author of HIGH coreymp.wordpress.com

INTRODUCTION

I grew up in a family of storytellers. My Auntie Julita was a healer, herbalist, and fortune teller. But what endeared her to me was her great gift in narrating stories about myths, legends and predictions. Our relatives who visited us from the province for the summer vacation were all enthusiastic raconteurs. My father himself was a creative man. He would gather us in our living room and relate anecdotes with his natural flare of acting out the scenes as they occurred. My mother always took the seat as the attentive listener. What fascinated us, or should I say, what fascinated me was how he would create his dreams and visions on how we would all become through his stories and we were the characters in the making. It was not a surprise to see my siblings grow up animating life through their natural skills in storytelling. I took to the task as the eldest when I was expected to entertain my siblings and be the assigned inventor for the family bedtime stories.

Tales I Have Woven, is a book I hold very close to my heart. The stories between the covers were crafted from my imagination and my deep interest in human behavior and sentiments. I relish life in little villages, towns and provinces though I grew up in big cities, populated by milling crowds, who sought their dreams from a moving illusive canvas. My interest in the cerebral and academic lifestyle springs from my educational background. But from those circles, life still flows from the same needs and dreams.

The human question of birth, life and death are a given but the in between, the gap, the process and the need for balance remain to be the human riddle. The infinite reality of life and its enigma is what drove me to write short stories. In the little village where life spins in even cycles, the besetting ego takes its crucial test in the very person closest to you. You will see this in the life of Polistico. The province of Anao flows in a very passive energy sedate and content with simplicity. Change came like the flowing creeks where the ancestors have traveled and found land to settle. In the story of Chrysalis a young girl born with a handicap, her challenge shook the town towards change. Family values, culture and tradition were significant in Stories in the Kitchen, Amapola, The Stone House and Lola Felisa. Each of the fictional character will speak to the reader in different ways. It will deliver a message. If it resonates in a deep and safe place then the characters have lived within the pages and delivered the message.

The greatest reward of this book is the joy of creating the stories and imparting them, so a wider vision about life can be appreciated from the issues, the resolutions, the characters above all the answer to the universal question about humanity.

It is unity and oneness because I AM I and YOU are You. It is the acceptance of each other and our differences that gives birth to change and evolution. And in diversity the elusive unity is achieved.

Hope you find joy, solace and reflection