Enkindled: The Wild Scent of Desire

By Carmen Madera

Maria Carbella Buenotanco y Valderama, a descendant of a Spanish missionary and a Malay warrior, who died a Christian, has inherited a vast fortune in landholdings and treasures of the East. But even her vaunted wealth and reputed beauty could not hide the truth of her scandalous background.

When the parents of Florendo Medrano denounce his betrothal to 19-year old Carbella, whose mother refuses to grant consent, the lovers are forced to join two revolutions.

Married under the seal of the Philippine Revolutionary Republic and in the belief that only the triumph of both revolutions can validate his nuptial, Florendo defies the American authorities even after orders to lay down arms are proclaimed throughout the Archipelago.

Convicted of treason, only one person can save Florendo; the American officer, whose burning desire is to possess for himself the love and affection of his wife.

Restored to his high social status after one of the witnesses detracts his damning testimony, he begins to dream of building a commercial empire. After amnesty is declared for all political prisoners, Don Florendo advocates statehood for the Philippines, unaware of the growing closeness between his wife and the dashing Major Stewart McQueen.

Can love triumph over desire when all odds are against it?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493175499

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Carmen Madera.

Library of Congress Control Number:     2014903101

ISBN:                  Hardcover                        978-1-4931-7550-5

                            Softcover                          978-1-4931-7551-2

                            eBook                               978-1-4931-7549-9

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.

Rev. date: 04/07/2014

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Contents

Chapter 1   Glistening Stones and Wild Scents: 1521

Chapter 2   Like The Birds They Fly Away

Chapter 3   Miles Apart, They Connect

Chapter 4   The Polygamous Son

Chapter 5   The Entrepreneurs

Chapter 6   The Gold Statue and Sampaguita Blooms

Chapter 7   The Sinful Pastors

Chapter 8   The Passionate Parishioners

Chapter 9   The Chatty Parishioners

Chapter 10   Cockfight Betting and the Alcalde’s Affair

Chapter 11   The Attractive Visitors

Chapter 12   The Town Council in Session

Chapter 13   A Villa In The Mining Town

Chapter 14   A Garden Manor and a Hacienda

Chapter 15   The Adoption

Chapter 16   Talking Politics

Chapter 17   Secrets And Truths

Chapter 18   A Sinful Man Reflects About Life

Chapter 19   A Tale of Sorrow

Chapter 20   A Look at Love and Career

Chapter 21   A Yearning beneath the Gloom

Chapter 22   A View of a Maiden’s Mind

Chapter 23   A Question of Feelings

Chapter 24   Dreams and Realities

Chapter 25   The Wistful Chase

Chapter 26   A Change of Lifestyle

Chapter 27   A Manila Social Scene

Chapter 28   The Replacement Queen and the Recollection

Chapter 29   The Waltz

Chapter 30   The proposal

Chapter 31   The Bumpy Road to Happily Ever After

Chapter 32   Another Suitor

Chapter 33   A Family Conflict

Chapter 34   Fulfilling Destiny

Chapter 35   Love Can Be a Pain

Chapter 36   Of Lovers, Rebels and Beliefs

Chapter 37   A Baby in the Garden Manor

Chapter 38   Betrayal at the Rebel Camp

Chapter 39   A Houseful of Rebels

Chapter 40   Muds, Floods and Landslides

Chapter 41   Asia’s Bay of Contention

Chapter 42   Goodbye to Exile

Chapter 43   Faint Light of Liberty

Chapter 44   No Mabuhay for Americans

Chapter 45   An American Dilemma

Chapter 46   Trouble in the Mining Town

Chapter 47   The Requiem

Chapter 48   The Uncertain Future

Chapter 49   Pacification or Provocation

Chapter 50   Reality Beckons

Chapter 51   The Refugee Camp

Chapter 52   The American Military Officer

Chapter 53   The Friendship

Chapter 54   Death of a Young Rebel Becomes a Lesson

Chapter 55   A Secret Revealed

Chapter 56   A Desire under Peril

Chapter 57   The Likeable American

Chapter 58   The Serenade: January, 1903

Chapter 59   Adapting to American Life

Chapter 60   A Scene in a Mining Town

Chapter 61   Captain’s Wonderful News

Chapter 62   Matters of Conscience

Chapter 63   Affairs of the Heart

Chapter 64   Social Stability or Dangerous Activity

Chapter 65   Two Sides of Reality

Chapter 66   An Act of God

Chapter 67   Unity or Adversity

Chapter 68   Fifteen Candles

Chapter 69   A Burning Desire

Chapter 70   Hello and Goodbye

PART ONE: PROLOGUE

April 27, 1521

The tribal chief of a marsh-encircled mountain island sits on a fallen tree-trunk, a haunting dismay is etched on his face, which he covers with trembling hands. He reviews every prophetic sign of the past days, but nothing prepares him for the bloody scene what has unfolded before his eyes. Rajah Sula wrenches at how quickly the Spanish Captain-General is dispatched by his enemies.

It is not too long ago, when the Sultan of Subu, his wife and followers receive the sacrament of baptism, along with traders from China and Siam. The Rajah remembers how the Spanish Commander has exalted in his missionary victory when hundreds of natives line-up enthusiastically and kneel before the black Tindalo Cross for the Spanish priest to anoint them with the blessing of the Christian God.

Rajah Sula is impressed. He admires the shiny steel body covers of the men and the guns that could kill from afar. Knowing the ship’s crew would need food, he presents the Captain-General with two goats and a variety of fruits as tokens of an alliance against his long-time foe, Rajah Lapulapu. The hint that the tribal chief of a tiny marshland cannot be persuaded to worship the symbol of Christianity pricks the brave mariner’s pride. He takes the dare and advises his ally to stay behind and watch him fight the defiant warlord to a face-to-face combat. But the coastal dwellers have fought ferociously that Rajah Sula’s men flee the scene, leaving the out-numbered, gun-wielding foreigners to themselves.

The new Christian convert tenses every muscle of his body, unmindful of the grain-carrying ants that form a ring from his feet and legs to a nearby colony. He has gone through a rice field where some droppings from a recent harvest are sticking to his mud-cruddy skin. A painful sting causes his hand to shake and trace the sign of the cross on his forehead, chest and shoulders. The gesture triggers an awareness of what these hardworking creatures of the earth have handed him. He remembers the black wooden Cross on top of a hill. He feels obligated to make sure it does not fall in the hands of his enemies. He knows a place where nobody will ever find it.

The shouting of hala bira, coupled with the sound of thumping feet are heard throughout the island, while his enemies move to the beat of clapping bamboo poles and animal-skin drums. The celebration shows no sign of abating. In a mocking and defiant voices, his victorious enemies goad a warning of their invincibility and indestructability. Stirred by the roaring drumbeats, Rajah Sula sprints with utmost haste. His heavy footsteps trample all living things on or under the sandy soil. The crawling tiny crabs scamper everywhere; clams, conchs, snails, slugs and turtles are thrown several feet away as his heels dig and crush on the gravel earth. The loud chanting gives indication of a growing crowd as the disorienting oompahs rend his ears into a terrible numbness of hearing. Rapping the words hala bira, he steels himself against any weaknesses and moves quickly to fulfill his task. Gripped by nauseous anxiety, Rajah Sula hurriedly crosses the wetland in his bangka, jumps off fast to the shore, races to the hill and pulls down the cruciform emblem from its mount. He marvels at how light it rests on his shoulder as he paddles back to his village. He must hide the wooden cross in the cave, which tunneled through the northwest mountain peak. He alone knows its existence. Its secrecy is paramount, much more so after some members of his tribe have fled in fear of his enemies.

But to deliver the cross unseen, the only possible way is that part of the mountain where the strident voices are coming from. A dense forest covers the area which stretches from east to west. He has never heard of anyone going inside the vine-tied wild jungle and surviving. Apart from the presence of underworld creatures and beasts that feast on humans, the forest vegetation consists of stinging shrubs, poisonous dwarf trees and live plants, which devour all intruders including birds. The hideous forest is also known as the resting place of the patianak and the mananangal, which have been blamed for the disappearance of disobedient children by both the coastal and mountain folks. Hence the dark-wooded land has been left to itself as population grows around it. Though the frightful place leads to a steep climb of the mountain that opens to his family’s village and intruders, who can escape its savage denizens can easily mount a surprise attack on his tribe even if the raiders are outnumbered, no one so far has come close to succeeding.

Armed with the force of his new Faith, Rajah Sula senses something different about the reputed fearful jungle. Stepping on the spot where the red-blood earth begins, he encounters no barriers; all trails seem visible. Even the grotesque intertwined vines that he has heard so much about have apparently vanished. It is an amazing sight; a panorama of natural beauty. Huge green underbrush sway aside to let him walk, trees, plants and shrubs sport lovely and dainty blossoms, myriad colors of freshness blazon and thick shrubs untangle. A kindly powerful hand is guiding him to perform his mission.

After a while, he reaches the edge of the precipitous elevation. He looks up and almost falls backward. It is straight climb. He ties the wooden cross to his neck, shoulder and back. With the help of the fading sunlight, he starts the ascent, being careful not to step or hold on a rotten section. He feels invigorated and strong. His arms, hands and legs are like rocks, pushing himself up with them. It is the easiest cliff-climbing he has ever done.

At the topmost part, a flat, forested course presents a problem. The surroundings suggest nothing familiar. His eyes blink fast each time a marking strikes a memory lane. He could not find the blazes he has made on the trees. There are macapuno trees more than he could recall. While scanning the arboreal vegetation, his addled brain forms a dreadful imagination. In an urge to quicken his steps, he falls sideways and his head is grazed by a thorny vine. Luckily, the wooden cross prevents what could have been a complete immobilization of his body. While steadying himself up, blood oozes from his temple to his neck. The uncomfortable humidity of the air aggravates his situation.

A subdued scream accompanies his second fall. The wooden cross burns his shoulder as its weight presses hard on it. Instantly, his left hand touches a stump when he tries to get up. The cross is too heavy. He has lost the strength to go on. Every energy in him is sapped to the core. It takes every bit of his will power to rise and walk with the cross. His face is covered with soil and blood. He is feeling death within. To conserve energy he keeps still briefly and prays: Makapangyarihang panginoon, pakinggan mo po ang aking dalangin … .

Up again and walking, he drags the wooden cross as it scrapes against pebbles and wood piles. At the last three paces, his legs buckle to a kneeling position. Every time he moves, each tiny reflex causes excruciating pain. He does not know which direction to take. He is sure that the cave is nearby because whiffs of sampaguita scent mark the place, which are becoming more distinctive. An idea hits him when he sees the dead branches and rotting leaves. He could use the heap to cover the cross, if only he could untie it from his body. The one thing that should not happen is being found dead with the cross. He needs to abate whatever victory his enemies have achieved. The wooden cross must be hidden in the cave. He gathers all the forces of his body to stand erect, but his feet are like lead; he cannot go on. Everything is hopeless. The only solution is pray with all the intensity he could muster: Panginoon ko, patawarin mo po and aking mga kasalanan … Regrets have no place in his heart. At this point, he is happy to die with the cross. He is back in the forest of eternal damnation.

All of a sudden, there is light; a luminous orange glow that is like a blaze in the sky. The last burst of flame before dissipating behind the mountain. New life surges into him. He is not alone. Two strong hands are lifting his shoulders from behind. Thinking that the wooden cross is being taken off his back, he jerks uneasily. They grapple briefly before he recognizes his rescuer. His oldest son, Abdul, helps him carry the cross to the cave, which reinforces his faith in the Christian God. The cave is actually in front of him.   

The young man is about to go back home when he witnesses a strange light shoots down the sky, which lands on a bush and ignites it on fire. It is the bulalakaw. His father’s disheveled figure appears; floury sands cover his body and face, transforming him into a ghostly apparition. It is a big relief for him that the God Abba has spared his father from death.

Upon recovering his normal heartbeat, Rajah Sula advises his son to leave and go home. His son must not be involved with whatever he is trying to do. Inside the cave, he places the cross in an upright position facing the East. A tiny slot provides the cave with a ribbon of light, which makes possible the growth of some hardy plants.

Before darkness cloaks the area, he covers the entrance with everything he could find. He uproots some hedges and replants them around the cave. As the moon disappears, negritude creeps over the area. He hears the croaking of frogs and the shrieks of the black bird of death, which is interspersed by the eerie howling of dogs and the ominous wind-blown cawing sound of the shamas. The horrific view of the battle keeps flashing back, which sends him into an unfathomable apoplexy for the third time.

Rajah Sula sits motionless outside the cave for hours. As the hazy flicker of dawn looms on the horizon, he joins his hands and raises them to the sky. Quivering in extreme agony, he seeks the Christian God for guidance on what to do in order to get the body of the man, who has given him the wisdom to believe in the miraculous healer of the sick and the infirm. He has seen his dying grandson rise from the papag after drinking a brew that has been blessed by the Holy Man and after being touched on the forehead with a small metallic crucifix.

Time is moving fast. A ceremony must be performed according to his customs to insure the dead man’s journey to the beyond. But his triumphant enemy has vowed to keep the Portuguese Captain’s mortal remains as an example to others. His futile situation makes him miserable. It is easier to believe that his newfound Faith has liberated him from the upshot of his sin. His intention originally is fight the lowland-dwelling tribe with a boatload of the Spanish Captain’s men. Instead, he heeds the Captain’s instructions to watch the fight at a distance. If he has taken combat arms and lived, it would have been credited to his God Abba. He must do something for the Captain. But try as he may, his efforts have availed nothing. Hiding the wooden cross is his atonement for now.

Remorse strikes Rajah Sula. He rues what he has done. He should have listened to the learned man, Pigafetta, who has warned him that the Captain-General and his crew must not eat meat on a Friday. But he has boasted about his powerful anting anting and urged the guests to partake of the animal flesh. He has unwittingly stirred the innate human passion for survival between his ally and his enemy.

It is a beautiful day as he watches the oars of the three Spanish ships strike the waters and move out into the ocean. Suddenly, a terrible dread appears on his face. Over the horizon, a hundred sea monsters loom menacingly in attack formation toward the mountain where he stands. He is terrified when he sees four formations of the frightful sea monsters; three from the West and one from the East.

He kneels down as he has done when he converts to Christianity and besieges God for mercy. When he looks at the sight again, the specter is gone. As he walks back to his village, he knows that the terrifying image could be transformed into reality. There would be a day of reckoning. The burden of leadership weighs heavily on his shoulder when he spots the youngest of his wives having fun in the river. If he could only tell when doomsday would come, he could make plans to protect them.

A week passes since the tragedy. Still reeling from the emotional turmoil, the Rajah gathers his male descendants. Eyes misty with apprehension, he exhorts his sons to be prepared to fight for their land against any foreign invaders. All five sons swear with their lives.

The highland chief

Rajah Sula’s fortification covers the entire northeastern slope of a mountain. Built atop a sandy hill, it faces a span of soft grassland that affords a sight of any incoming watercraft. Fenced with four tiers of logs in thickness, it includes a watch tower and an adjoining arsenal of spears, armors, javelins, stones and hardened mud. Thirty well-armed men provide security for both facilities. The sloping side ends in an abatis as additional fortification.

He has been chief of the highland dwellers for almost ten years; having taken over the role upon his father’s death at the age of nine times the count of his fingers. Seven wives; two are sisters, have given his father five sons out of fifteen children. Rajah Sula’s four older brothers have long passed away; three to tribal warfare and one while repelling marauding pirates. His ten sisters have been married off to sons of other tribal leaders and loyal warriors.

As the youngest son, Rajah Sula has been under tutelage about combat tactics since turning fourteen years old by his uncle, whose daughter is his first wife and with whom he has a daughter. By the time he takes over as a tribal chief, he has four wives, three sons and a daughter. Within three years of his leadership, he has lost two wives.

While visiting a cousin in Borneo, he is lured to purchase a slave, whose master brags about the woman’s blood connection to a Chinese imperial member. The transaction almost bankrupts his tribal chest of gold, but the maiden is worth the depletion of his riches as she is gentle in character and beautiful in features.

Chapter 1

Glistening Stones and Wild Scents: 1521

In the face of reality, some Spanish sailors have grown weary of the travel by sea. The crucial maneuver is find a place on land where they can settle, possibly with the friendly islanders they have met before the tragedy. The opportunity arises, when the new captain-general orders the burning of the ship, which has been considered unseaworthy. The crew members ignore the command by hiding the ship in an inlet and returning to it in the dead of night. At once, the unnamed ship is steered out of the sheltered bay to the opposite direction taken by the voyagers to their original destination, the Spice Island. Looking at the green vegetation and palm trees along the coast way, the fourteen seafarers know they have made the best decision. They won’t be able to endure the harsh weather conditions of the tree-month trip back home. If only they can find a place far from the village of death, their odds are better on land.

Way back before the tragedy, the ship has exhausted its provisions of dried beans and peas, salted fish, and dried pork and beef meat, which are like hardened wood. They are forced to soak their rations in sea water for days before cooking and consuming them. By the time they are on shore of an island with abundant fruits, grains and spring water, most of the men are emaciated due to lack of proper nourishment, while some are still recovering from scurvy. Their earlier stint ashore, though cut short by their sudden departure under hostile circumstances, has enabled them to bring on board a good supply of rice, maize, bananas and sundried fish. But after a series of days and nights on the seemingly vast ocean, the food has dwindled to two days. An acute need to find replenishment soon drills into everyone’s mind. The fear of death from hunger has driven some sailors to gamble for each other’s share, which results in some of them losing everything. The gambling habit almost ends fatally for one oarsman, who has to fight for his allotment.

With the possibility of enforced fasting, the crew gathers around the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Captain’s cabin. The ship is still intact contrary to the findings of the Chief Commander, which is a huge relief for everybody. Some repairs are done that unless a powerful storm happens, they are safe. To insure fortunate tidings, everybody prays with heartfelt devotion for a place where they could lay anchor and live permanently.

As the uncertainty of the situation dawns, the mariners are stunned into silence. Hours of intermittent stillness follow. The only sound that can be heard is the flapping of the sails above and the movement of waves below. Suddenly, the watchman in the crow’s nest tolls the warning bell. The Captain and several sailors are directed portside, where they see millions of illuminations, sparkling and twinkling like star lights in panoramic formation. A wonderful sight to behold for the exhausted sea travelers.

Their prayers have been answered.

It is morning when they land on shore in a small boat. They notice that the glitters are gone. Marking the place instead is a bewildering scent, which obviously comes from the dainty white blossoms that dominate every space on the beach. The men have to resist the temptation to pick the flowers and massage them on their dry, itchy, and unwashed skin. Their situation worsens when they are met by scantily clad men with only their private parts covered and some half-naked women, who rival the scented blooms in intoxication. Though the Captain himself is visibly disoriented by the pleasant scene, he pretends to act nonchalantly and go with the business of acknowledging the welcoming and friendly gestures of the native folks, who don’t seem to answer to a particular leader. If at all, they are devoted to an Elder, who evidently has several wives and a number of children. He is addressed as Apo.

Though the Apo’s wives have modestly covered their breasts with stringed seashells and twisted fiber necklaces, and four are obviously pregnant, the Spanish soldiers have a hard time containing their libidinous desire, aware of the social blunder that their fellow mariners have committed in the island they left behind. One sailor has to be restrained from hugging a young woman, who presented him with a garland of the ubiquitous white rose.

There is one refreshing view that everybody notices with great comfort; not one of the natives is sporting tattoos, which are common in the other islands.

While walking alongside the dark skin inhabitants, the Captain wishes that the deckhand from Molucca is around. He is sure that Henrique would be able to communicate with the happy faces before them. It is such an Elysian feeling; a complete reversal of their experience in the island of Mactan.

There are no other foreigners in the town as evidenced by the racial details in every person. Even those with boats moored on shore are of the same features as the crowd around them, mostly children, who are fencing them in a semi-circle. Among them, there is no reason to be apprehensive about anything. Nobody shows any overtly eager nodding or shaking of heads. Most exhibit mental alertness and physical agility though their eyes are focused on them like a hawk. Earlier, instinct has prodded them to hide their weapons, except for the knives.

As the Captain scans the faces of the natives, he sees a heartening difference compared to the other tribal groups in the area. Nobody acts in a threatening manner. Everybody is smiling innocently and being very polite. The Spanish sailors instinctively behave the same way. They reserve admiration for some colorfully dressed women, who they learn later are trained dancers for entertaining visitors.

Through sign language, the mariners are urged to walk farther inland until they reach a community of thatched houses on stilts at least three feet above the ground. They notice animals under the structures. The grunts of pigs and the crackles of chicken momentarily grate their ears. Looking around, they see several goats and two skinny horses eating hay near a barn. An Elder beckons them to a tree-shaded vegetable garden where nothing seems familiar. As they sit on whatever is available; rocks, dead tree trunks or spread wide branches, they have to whisper about the mostly old men, who have accompanied them. Wary of being misunderstood, the Captain admonishes his men to relax and avoid unnecessary body posture. Be patient and wait.

In minutes, several older boys and girls appear from a nipa hut, who are greeted by the Apo. They are in playful mood. Some boys start kicking up with one foot, a toy-like mini ball with feathers tied around it and have fun keeping it in the air. The players stand on the other foot, at times alternating the left and right foot, hitting the ball with all parts of the body, with their hands clasped behind their lower backs to the gleeful shouts of sipa, sipa, until the ball touches the ground. The visitors relax when the last of the boys misses a kick, but then, another boy strikes in rapid succession a brass gong with a hand-held wooden disk attached to a string through a grove in the center, which for an instant scared-stiff the men. They slacken into an amused mood when the unusually lanky boy displays his prowess with the wooden disk by unwinding, then rewinding the string down, up, front and back, between the legs and above the head, to the screams of yuyu, yuyu.

Before long, the Captain notices the anxiety on his men’s face. As soon as the gamely boys exit the place, he initiates a dialogue with the Apo by assuring him through hand and finger gestures that they come as friends with honest intentions. After some awkward moments, he manages to convey their need for something to eat. The women understand quickly. An exchange of words follow with a bit of silly conversation among the natives. They soon smell burning woods and grilled fish. It is the most pleasant aroma for them in months, though the waiting gives them a headache, particularly when several pretty girls arrive carrying baskets of fruits on their heads. Most lustful thoughts have to be restrained. Adding to the discomfort is the pervasive floral scent. It is becoming hard to distinguish whether it comes from the beautiful women or the perfumed field.

A big relief comes when the harsh sound of the brass gong echoes and the Apo signals an invitation to partake of a sumptuous meal under an open straw-roofed structure. They see tables and benches made of crudely sewn wood placed on top of dried mud bricks. Spread on the table are banana leaves filled with steamed rice, grilled fish and an array of fruits and vegetables.

The guests are very hungry; their fingers are sometimes caught between their teeth. The sap of palm tree trunks serves as wine, which they drink from gourd flasks and coconut shell bowls. Some boys and girls are laughing at the way the men keep spilling the steamed rice all over the table.

After the festive meal, they all gather around some enchanting maidens dancing with wick-lighted oil bowl on their heads. The performance is a marvelous balancing act with the dancers gracefully swaying their bodies without dropping the small vessels. The Spanish sailors are fascinated.

Soon the attention is directed to them. The hosts gleefully calling them Tao Puti and clapping their hands. The visitors look at each other and understand what the clamor is about. Tao Puti has to reciprocate the entertainment. Using his shirt as a cape, the Captain entices the men acting as bulls to snort and charge at the torero. Ole!

Later on, as the mariners watch their hosts in silence, they are able to figure out some native words with their frequent usage in specific circumstances. Knowing the meaning of some local words makes for an easy day-to-day chores in the village. A few basic expressions are enough to communicate their simple needs. The Virgin Mary has indeed rewarded their prayers. In a week, the guests appreciate why the Apo has the awed respect and unquestionable reverence of his people. He is the wisest among them with his knowledge of the araw, buwan and tala.

One sunny day, the sailors are led to a plateau that is hidden by an outgrowth of shrubs and short hedges. They see people digging in a frenzy on the slope; hundreds of them, almost the entire population. Hours of tedious work are displayed before their eyes, scooping, dredging, and excavating the earth. Taken inside a cave, their curiosity rises to unbearable level. They watch two men melting what looks like black silvery gray sands, which are mixed with some other melted elements. The result is a yellow or red-orange metal alloy.

The Captain realizes that they have struck upon a gold mining town. The sparkles they have seen aboard the ship are gold ores refracted back by the moonlight. They have been described by the watchmen as a bright, flickering glow from thousands of candle light. The awareness creates a wonderful feeling. Everywhere in the clearings, in the dense forests and on the mountain ridges are teeming with dusts and particles of gold. Even the ground they walk on glints with deposits of ores and mineral matters. The Captain observes that the people are digging the black and gray stuff only. They have no idea there are other valuable metals under the ground. But gold ores are aplenty indeed. There is no reason for anybody to be greedy or envious of what others are getting. The only capital one needs are strong arms, patience and endurance. As sailors, they are fitted for the job.

To avoid any more suspicions from the locals, the new settlers have to rein in their enthusiasm at all times, though nobody has the time for frivolous ideas. The Captain and his men, even with darkened skin, are easy to identify. They always wear abaca fiber hats, which the natives find a bit amusing. The sun being their God Abba, they have no way of knowing that the scorching rays age their skin fast. They are more bothered by the wind that runs through the mining terrain and blows the piles of dirt soil, leaving airborne dusts in their wake.

It has been a month since their arrival in the coastal town. Except for the hot weather, the former sailors have adjusted well to the town’s customs and traditions. One extremely bright day, as the sun moves half-way to the West, the newcomers are tempted to seek refuge from the heat. They have just started to walk when a commotion occurs. Everybody seems to be gathering in the opposite direction, where a large boulder commands a vantage position. With no choice but to join the crowd, they are instructed to sit under the trees on the left side of a stone pillar on which a yellowish wooden cow figurine is mounted.

Minutes later, the Apo arrives with a group of men in costume made of seashells and feathers. A shroud of smoke from the burning coconut husks they are carrying covers their path. With hands raised, the natives begin chanting for rain. But the land remains parched and dry. The sunlight fades and they walk to their dwellings.

The next morning the chanting resumes. Singsong voices could be heard becoming very desperate. A hush falls when a thunder echoes, but still no rain, though the evening is nice and cool. The next day as preparations for breakfast start, the sound of joyful laughter rebounds. The whole townsfolk are frolicking in the shallow part of the ocean. There are droplets from the sky, which is decorated with a rainbow.

The Apo writes on a wooden slab with a chalk-like shell: kasal ng kulapnit.

From years of experience in the sea, the Captain senses that rain is imminent. He orders his men to fetch the statue of the Virgin Mary in his cabin and to devise a cross using the trunk of a dead tree. He places the statue and the cross on the pillar and covers the cow figurine with a shimmering silk cloak instead of putting it somewhere else. He doesn’t want to offend the Apo and his followers. The newcomers kneel before the Christian symbols. The Captain leads the invocation as the natives watch. His intuition is accurate. He is very relieved when a huge downpour drenches and vivifies the arid land, creating a rivulet that flows to the sea, carrying most of the discarded rocks and stones in the murky soil loosened by the excavations. The natives are astounded. They join the Spaniards in worship with bowed heads, occasionally raising them to the sky. The water pours nonstop. Everyone later dances and revels under the plentiful rainwater. The children, particularly jump with joy.

At the end of the day, the mariners are no longer the Spanish sea travelers. They are God’s creations in brotherhood with the celebrating natives; worshipping the same God. To take advantage of the passion they have aroused, the Captain immediately initiated the building of a wooden structure to house the Virgin Mary, which he names the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria. The boxlike canopied table that cradles the statue serves as an altar. In three months, the tall wooden edifice is ready to house the Christian symbols.

Before long, the Captain and his crew request permission to wed the Apo’s daughter. Within a year, seven infants are being rocked in cradles tied to trees. For the first time in the tribe’s ancestry, two babies are twins. The racial mix, Malay and Spanish results in improving the children’s feature, which doesn’t escape the notice of every transient landing in the town’s shore. Those with very light skin are called mestizas. Those with dark skin are referred to as morena, but the natives prefer kayumangi, adding the word kaligatan, if the child happens to have an even darker skin.

In the course of time, the mining town is to be known as Paracava from the Spanish word to dig. The town would typify a community of diverse cultural background. A form of government is set up consisting of barangays each headed by a barrio captain. With the Apo as Supreme Leader and the Captain as Alcalde, most activities are in relation to and dedicated to the worship of the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria, as the town’s patron saint. Upon the death of the Apo and the Captain, a central town council is formed from among the barrio captains with the son of the Captain as the self-appointed Alcalde. Don Manolo Lopez presides over the council’s sessions to determine important community projects and sources of revenue.

Chapter 2

Like The Birds They Fly Away

Two scores pass before a part of Rajah Sula’s fearsome vision becomes a reality. With orders from the Spanish Crown Prince Philip to colonize the islands that Magellan has discovered, a second voyage under the command of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos manages to reach a part of Mindanao in 1542, but doesn’t go farther northward after encountering a group of defiant natives. But he names the archipelago in honor of the soon to become King Philip II in his report.

There has been peace between Rajah Sula and Rajah Lapulapu for a number of years. One of Rajah Sula’s granddaughters has married the grandson of his former enemy. Though he has no objection to the match, one thing bothers him about his grandson-in-law. He recognizes the medallion on the young man’s neck. It has belonged to his Christian hero. But that is the past and better forgotten.

At the arrival of the third Spanish fleet, the two tribal chiefs are gone and the leaderships have been taken over by their sons. Rajah Sula’s widow, his youngest wife, is still a Christian; a belief not shared by her children and stepchildren, particularly the young Rajah Tangkai. When the Spanish soldiers seize the island, Rajah Sula’s family has fought to defend their land. Some members are captured and made to walk through the forest with their hands bound to bamboo poles until they are rescued by relatives. The family flees the island in dugout boats to the northeast direction, by skirting several mountainous landmasses and following the curb of a peninsula in the northwest lane of the Pacific Ocean.

Luckily, Rajah Tangkai, as a young man, is an adventurous one. He has been to the town of the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria, where his boat is diverted during a violent storm in the Pacific. He remembers the route. Rajah Sula’s surviving family finds haven in Paracava. It is a miracle. After their boats capsize due to strong winds causing gigantic waves, they are washed ashore, battered and tired but alive. The fishermen, who have found them are friendly. For a while, they seem to be in another world. One minute their rescuers are speaking in familiar words and in another minute they are hearing two unfamiliar conversations. That first night, they have to stay inside a tall ceilinged-building with candles all over a huge altar. Scented flowers are everywhere, which combined with the smell of burning candles can really assault their nostrils.

The next day, they are accompanied by a Senora Reming to the fishing village, where houses on stilt lend a scenic frame. Not too far from the church, they see several men and women building a house; pounding the post to the ground, tying beams together, knotting wall supports and installing the roof. Tangkai and his brother help install the nipa panels made of coconut leaves. That night, they are in their own house, complete with cooking articles and sleeping accommodations. In a week, two five-bedroom thatched houses welcome the late Rajah’s surviving wife, two sons and their spouses, a daughter, three granddaughters and two grandsons. They quickly become a part of the hardworking residents of the gold mining town. Good tidings greet them daily, mostly pleasant surprises.

The Pacific Ocean, which half borders the town, the beaches, forests and fields, present a veritable source of things to do in the community. And of all the fortunate coincidence, the churchgoers worship the same God as Rajah Sula. A priest and a prayer group visit them daily to make sure their basic needs are enough. Rice and salt are the bulk of the supply. As days go by, the former members of a Visayan tribe have found peace and contentment in the mining town. Being free to choose the chores that make them happy is indeed a blessing from the Christian God. No one is idle in the town except the infants. Recognizing the upper class descent of Tangkai, the Alcalde appoints him a member of the governing council. The decision proves to be a wise one. Tangkai’s knowledge of tribal precepts is a fountainhead of sound judgment.

The family later learns that the people helping them settle are devotees of the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria, who has brought them to Paracava. The explanation about undergoing baptism is not new to them. As preparations for the event occupy the town, Rajah Sula’s family feels very lucky for the help and attention being showered on them.

The day of the baptismal rite evokes a solemn occasion with prayers and the litany in honor of the Virgin Mary of Candles. The family name is changed to Sulano. The council member Tangkai takes the name Tancredo. The other son Masebo is renamed Maximo. The whole town goes into a wild celebration of dancing and music all throughout the day and into the night.

Two months later, one of Rajah’s Sula’s granddaughters, whose name Bayhani has been changed to Maria Bella, marries Alfonso Lopez, the oldest son of the Alcalde. The couple settle at first in the neighboring town of Paracale, but later move farther south of the Bicol peninsula, where abaca fiber plants grow in abundance. The Rajah’s grandson Irog, who is renamed Jorge, married one of the daughters of a Consejal. The newlyweds join Alfonso and Bella in Naga.

In five years, the two interracially married families encounter the Spanish conquistadors with their hordes of Mexican missionaries. They assimilate peacefully with the colonizers, learn the art of woodcarving, particularly religious figurines from the Mexican craftsmen. In 1585, Maria Bella’s daughter ties the knot with Arturo Contreras, the out-of-wedlock son of a rich plantation owner in Iriga. But every year, during the feast of the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria, Maria Bella and her daughter make a pilgrimage to the twin towns of Paracava and Paracale to celebrate the occasion.

The two towns, apart from the glitter of gold are a magnet for the devout Christians on account of the Patron Saint. The Holy Image is credited for the area’s bountiful harvest on land and sea and for the safe return of distressed fishermen and travelers during violent storms in the Pacific. Despite strong winds and deluge-size rainwaters, the candlelight on top of the church remains lit for those whose hearts are truly devoted to the faith.

Lovers regard the Lady Patron Saint as a reliable medium to find their soul mates and to worship beauty and truth in their daily lives. A porcelain statue of the revered patroness stands inside a dome-like structure atop the church, where a maiden could place lighted candles for a sign that a suitor is her intended. A candle that burns for two hours is considered a favorable sign.

The reunion in Paracava of the first Christian missionary and the first Christian convert in the Island of Subu has started the devotion to the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria. Tales of the thousand lights at night are told over and over again by seafarers from everywhere in the world. As befits the name Lady of Candles, her altar is revered and honored with lighted candles and fresh scented flowers at all hours. Houses have windows that open to a view of the Lady Patroness atop the church. Parishioners, at the instance of waking up and before busying themselves with their chores, have to cross themselves facing the church in gratitude for one’s life and for the blessing of good fortune each day.

Chapter 3

Miles Apart, They Connect

Even at his death bed, Rajah Sula remains a Christian. In the afterlife, he sees his wife, children and grandchildren arrive safely in the shores of Paracava, leaving behind the land, where generations of his tribe have lived for centuries. With undiminished hope, his vision of good fortune awaits fulfillment. As events course through the celestial vastness of the universe, the Rajah links with another Christian convert, whose family members are descendants of the Moors, who have dominated Spain in the eighth century.

The Valderamas typify the intermarriage of Muslims and Christians in Spain and Portugal, who have lived peacefully for a long time until 1492, when King Ferdinand succeeds in expelling the Moors. Given the choice of baptism or exile, the family, whose original name is Alderama, opts to convert. To hide their Moorish background, they precede the name with a letter V. Thus they have used the name Valderama.

From the province of Soria, the family of Saladio Valderama settles in the coastal town of Malaga in 1545, where they derive income by working the gardens of public parks and doing carpentry in residential houses. In 1562, one of the three sons enters the seminary in Madrid. Two years after being ordained, Fray Rufino Valderama is sent to Mexico as an Augustinian missionary. Later, he joins Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in the expedition to colonize the lands that Magellan has discovered. He stays in the coastal town of Subu before proceeding to the Bicol Region. While residing in Naga, he meets and falls in love with the great granddaughter of Rajah Sula, Maria Felicidad, the daughter of Maria Bella Lopez and Arturo Contreras.

Leading a double life, Fray Rufino has a son with Maria Felicidad, who is baptized Sergio Contreras. Through Fray Rufino’s connection with the Catholic Church, Felicidad and her son acquire large tracts of land in Bicol. Before long, Dona Felicidad owns several coconut, abaca and rice plantations. Despite his comfortable existence, Fray Rufino never contacts his family in Spain. He is not sure that they would fit in a country with a different culture. And sending them money is impossible to do; the implication of a priest having silver money could attract uncalled for attention. Upon his death in 1605, he leaves his son and Felicidad rich landowners.

And so, contact between Fray Rufino and his parents is lost forever. The last wish of the broken-hearted father is for his two sons to find their brother. But the sibling don’t have the finances to look for him. The youngest Hermoso dies of an unknown illness. The surviving brother Marcelo contracts marriage and has a son, who would continue the Valderama’s bloodlines to the nineteenth century.

It would take two hundred fifty years before another Valderama ever ventures somewhere else. Somehow, the necessity of finding a long lost relative is buried in their minds. This time, Saladio’s great, great grandson, Isidro, has moved to Madrid with his wife and children. The daughter, Marcela marries a very wealthy much older man, Don Diego Corpus, whose family owns several businesses, which include the manufacture of hand-made religious artifacts, leather products and wrought iron railings and furniture.

The couple builds a house in Bourbon Madrid. Marcela’s brother, Tirso and his wife, Dulce Acosta work for the Corpuses and soon construct their own house near the sister’s; a typical two-story residence with a spacious courtyard and balcony. Tirso’s two sons, Edilberto and Roque are born in 1837 and 1841. As the older child, Tirso’s parents have stayed with him until their separate deaths three months apart in 1855.

Five years later, Dona Marcela has a terrible dream that when she wakes up, she is determined to become a missionary in the Philippines. No amount of warning and discouragement could make her abandon the idea. The husband’s disposition is too placid and reserved to go against his young wife’s wishes.

It is about the time when large members of Spanish and Mexican mestizos establish businesses in the Asian-Pacific country, after the independence wars in Latin America. The exodus to Manila is not appreciated by those, who have been born or lived for years in the Philippines. Since most of those, who have been uprooted and relocated to the Asian colony are members of the clergy, the so-called friar lands, are causing a lot of social discontent for the native population.

As a token solution, the Ateneo de Manila is established in 1859 supposedly for all ethnic groups. But the educational institution instead destabilize Spain’s tight control of the country when an indigenous elite group known later as Ilustrados burgeons, which culminates in the formation of a solid, educated Filipino racial consciousness, particularly in the demands for an unbiased promotion of priests in the Catholic ecclesiastical hierarchy. Subsequent brutal treatment of the elite group forces members to change domicile, mostly establishing residence in Madrid, who later organize the propaganda movement seeking Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes.

When the Valderama and Corpus families decide to immigrate in Spain’s Pacific colony, the Spanish authorities in Manila are too glad to accommodate them. The two families set up business in the southern part of Luzon, where they purchase large tracts of land in Camarines.

At the instigation of Dona Marcela, both Tirso’s sons enroll in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and obtain a degree in Theology. After graduation, Roque stays in the university and pursues a Master’s degree in Canon Law. Edilberto transfers to the Ateneo de Manila University, where he encounters some members of the Ilustrados supplying information to the Madrid newspaper, La Solidaridad.

On the death of Dona Marcela’s husband in 1871, the brothers are forced to come home to Yndan, where both families have established permanent residence. Widowhood takes a toll on Dona Marcela’s health. She is afflicted with a disease that makes her frail and bedridden. Used to her husband’s company, she has to impose on her two nephews by requiring their daily presence in her room to pray the rosary. Roque dutifully obliged, but Edilberto finds the set up very confining. One day, he simply doesn’t come home. Six months elapsed before he sends notice that he has joined the local Spanish militia.

Feeling better a year later, Dona Marcela urges Roque to enter the priesthood. The chance to be free and be on his own makes him accept the idea. And so, he is off to Naga City.

As a Spanish officer, Edilberto tries to obtain information about his great, great granduncle, Fray Rufino, but he finds nothing. Most of the big churches in the area are either buried under volcanic lava or destroyed by cyclonic storms. Even the cemeteries have been moved many times to higher grounds as flooding is a frequent cause of disaster. He doesn’t give up the search until his trip to Mexico, where he encounters the Soria family. He is shown a faded charcoal drawing, but it is hard to figure out his looks. From there, Fray Rufino seems to have vanished from the face of the earth.

Then fate intervenes. Before the end of 1873, the priesthood-pursuing Roque has assisted in the celebration of mass at the Colegio de Sta. Isabel. Founded in 1868 in southern Camarines, the Colegio is the first school for girls in the Philippines and now the first scene of a meeting between descendants of two Christian converts.

The Seminarian would later recall that day in the chapel. A lady with the most exquisite face is kneeling by the communion rail. He is about to serve the Holy Bread, when his attention catches a beautiful figure. Dressed and veiled in white, she looks like an angel; pure and serene. Roque Valderama almost drops the ceremonial paten at the Eucharist, when his hand trembles at the sight of her bewitching lips. A tincture of doubt races through his blood. He has focused on the devotee’s physical aspect, instead of her avowal of faith to the spiritual communion with God.

Maria Claudia Contreras y Lopez, a descendant of Fray Rufino and a great, great, great granddaughter of Rajah Sula has become the medium for joining the bloodlines of two Muslim converts to Catholicism.

Corpus Christi!

Amen!

Chapter 4

The Polygamous Son

When the Manchus invade China and topple a popular uprising within the country, Bon Ton Kwon, a Chinese seafarer, has settled in Macao with his wife and son Wang Wei. By the time the Manchu Emperor subdues the southern part of China, Bon Ton Kwon’s wife is dead and his married son has moved to Manila, where he adopts his father’s names, but spelled one word following a Christian name, William.

The choice of the name William is connected to the Illanuns of Mindanao, whom Wang Wei encounters during one of his side trips to the South. As the story goes, Wang Wei arrives at port while the Sultan of Borneo is entertaining the officers and crew of a ship, which is commanded by a William Dampier, whose tales about his exploits in the oceans of the world greatly fascinate the former Macao resident.

In 1676, a Chinese settlement is established in Manila in a district called Parian outside the City of Intramuros. William Bontonkwon and his Chinese-Portuguese wife make their home in the district. By the year 1695, they have a son, Luis, and two years later another son, Enrique is born. The family is joined later by William’s brother-in-law, Nicolas LaPlaya and his wife. Together, they set up a trading business between Manila and Macao-Hong Kong.

Eighteen years later, Sembrano and Remedios, the brother and sister of Nicola’s wife arrive with their families in Manila. William’s son Luis marries Sembrano’s daughter Candida in February 1717. Their son Olivo is born in December. William’s other son, Enrique works for a marine forwarding company in Cavite and meets the daughter of a plantation owner, whom he weds in March 1720.

Despite constant interference by the Spanish authority, Luis Bontonkwon is able to operate an international trading enterprise in the central plains and southern parts of Luzon with the help of his extended family. The business primarily deals in silk, porcelain goods and gold jewelry. The trading operation is briefly interrupted with the seizure of Manila by England’s General William Draper. The family is forced to join the Spanish government in exile outside Manila. While in Pampanga, Olivo at the age of thirty-five is baptized in a church in Bacolor and Hispanicized his name to Olivo Buenotanco. The Buenotancos set up a Chinese community in the area.

By the time the Buenotancos return to Manila, they have become landlords of large tracts of sugar cane and rice fields in the central plains of Luzon.

William’s other son, Enrique, who has remained in Cavite follows the idea of a Hispanicized Chinese family name. Unfortunately, Enrique suffers a tragedy when his wife, Corazon, dies in childbirth, leaving a son, whom he names Enrique Buenotanco II. Being an only grandson in the distaff side, the boy inherits the fortunes of his maternal grandparents. The heartbroken widower joins a band of traders, who travel the coastal towns of the country selling and bartering any valuable merchandise.

In 1737, William and his wife visit Macao, but are unable to return to Manila. Both are to die two years after arriving in Macao, a month after the other. Before their deaths, the couple accumulated a collection of blue and white porcelain lacquer wares and decorative plates, including some antique pieces dating back to the Sung dynasty.

Don Olivo, in one of his trips to the Bicol Region, meets a Spanish mestiza, Filomena Rivera, who becomes his wife a month later. On October 10, 1768, their son Vicencio is born. As an only child, Vicencio grows up too pampered by his parents and a consummate womanizer. He beds women everywhere he goes. The combination Spanish, Portuguese and Malay race creates an Adonis-like feature. A lot of parents have matched him to their daughters. But Vicencio prefers to remain unencumbered by marital responsibilities.

Before turning thirty, Vicencio has fathered eleven children, a breakaway from the family planning tradition of his ancestors. He has eight boys and three girls from six different women. They are all recognized by Don Olivo as Buenotancos. The mothers are given a business to run: a furniture shop, a pawnshop, a bakery, a restaurant, a tailoring shop, and a dressmaking and beauty shop. Fond of expensive suits, Vicencio lives with the proprietor of the tailoring shop, Fidelia. Wearing well-fitting expensive pants adds to his good looks. At age thirty-two, he has six children with Fidelia, which proves too crowded for him. He goes back to the townhouse in Dapitan. He sires five more children during the next three years, but mostly with married women, who have to be discreet about the matter.

Senor Vicencio goes on with his life like a lost soul doing nothing worthwhile the whole day. Sometimes, he sails in his own carrack with two helpers visiting several towns in southern Luzon. One night after an uneventful day in the sea of Mindoro, the carrack encounters a southwesterly wind. At sunrise, they are stranded in a shallow water and under several kris weapons menacingly poise to strike them. Dalgo, one of the helpers, speaks their captor’s language and so it is arranged that they would be ransomed instead of being sold as slaves.

Soon the carrack is being maneuvered into a mangrove swamp territory, which is encircled by thickly forested mountain ranges. The mostly unseen sun creates a dark, scary atmosphere all around. After almost an hour, they land on a fortress-like encampment where they see several guns mounted in a position facing any incoming parties. Apart from several houses on stilt, other lodgings are in boats fitted with thatched roofs.

Vicencio tries to visualize a chance of escape, but every hour makes it impossible to accomplish anything with their necks in a stranglehold and fastened by a huge bamboo pole to a tree. Their hands are also tied behind their backs. And even if they are able to free themselves, they are in a God-forsaken place; they would not know where to go. Don Olivo’s only son is told to write a letter to his father and give the address where the ransom note would be delivered. He could not even remember his father’s address because he has been away from his family for so long. Dalgo has to give the information.

Meantime, they remain where they are; their hands are untied only during meal time. After a week, Vicencio has lost all hopes and would rather die than live any longer in their stinking, squalid condition. They are not allowed to go anywhere to unload, so they wallow in their own filth. He refuses to eat; his captors are forced to ram the food in his throat.

Relief finally comes on the third week. He thinks he is dead when he finds himself in a river with several nude females scrubbing his body with scented soaps. The pleasant ritual, instead of making him happy, turns into a dreadful foreboding as he contemplates being sacrificed to the Gods of his evidently non-Christian captors. He would rather die of hunger and filth than be slashed and his blood poured into a goblet. But Dalgo explains what is happening. The ransom money has arrived and a party is being prepared in his honor. The servant also informs him that the Illanun Chief has inherited a medallion that is an exact replica of the one Vicencio is wearing.

At the banquet, Vicencio suddenly wants to go back to the river with the bathing nude women, but something else catches his attention when he is told to sit beside the Illanun Chief. He sees that the lavish food is being served by more women, who are better looking than the river frolicker even with their skin covered. One woman, with a colorful shell headdress and barely concealed breasts, is smiling at him across the festive table. The Womanizer is tickled when the Chief tells him that Muslim Law allows men to have more than one wife. All he has to do is convert to Islam by passing a test of courage, which could be achieved by joining the men in the boats to fight foreign invaders trying to conquer them and possess their lands. Sounds reasonable, he tells himself. The young woman with the attractive head decoration is still giving him a seductive signal, and the bosom keeps popping out. He agrees to take the test. It has been a month since his dalliance with the fair sex. Celibacy is killing him.

The next day, they board an Illanun boat. He is amazed at its size. It is about one hundred feet long and unusually wide compared to the Chinese merchant carrack. The rovers operate from two tiers. The whole transport structure is made of the best of Mindanao timber, particularly the cabin