08/09/2024
"The ----- END! -----"
by Katrina Cyrish Collado
(An ending entry for the story “THE WEDDING DANCE” by Amador Daguio)
As lumnay goes deeper into the river with a heavy heart, tears flowing down her cheeks, her hand tightly gripping the beads (given by Awiyao), mind all-blank, not thinking anything aside from the memories they had.
Her heart broken down into thousand pieces…… and in a split second, she was gasping for air struggling to swim, but it was too late, too late to realize she doesn’t want to die just yet.
So, she forced herself to swim with all her might, all her strength, but……some force was pulling her deeper, darker, and seem to be bottomless river.
She’s uncertain if it`s because of all the mixed emotions inside her that makes it so difficult to swim, the heaviness of the emotions makes her tired…. she was in pain.
There was a ringing, plucking, banging on her ear, “BAMBAMBAM!!!!”
She can`t breathe, her life flashed right in front of her eyes, “is this the end?” she thought, as she closes her eyes ready to accept her faith …………..painful faith.
What a faith!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, unimaginably, she felt a slight struck of hope, a tiny chance, and a magical change of faith………a man rushed over her, held her tummy and pulled her up into the riverside, she caught a glimpse of a figure of the man who saved her.
“Awiyao?” she murmured before losing consciousness.
Days passed…………
Lumnay slowly opened her eyes, blink once, then twice, then blink again for nth times then reality hits her head big time, she is in an unknown room.
“Where am I?” she thought, panicking.
She slowly looks around only to find a man at the doorstep, “Awiyao?” she excitedly uttered, but faith is just sore to her, he is not the man she expects to be.
“Who are you?” she cried.
“I am Makisig, Binibini, I saved you.” the man answered in both worried and anxious voice.
Lumnay was confused but still she looked at the man right in front of her from hair tip to toe fingertip. The man has a dark long hair, well defined jaw, a perfect long nose, well-built body, exudes sexiness on his dark skin……………. Man, he is gorgeous!
Lumnay cleared her throat then “Thankyou” she said shyly.
Makisig just looked away and before closing the door, he said “I’m glad you`re safe!”
Before she even called out for him, an old woman came in.
“Inang, may I ask if where are we?” Lumnay asked.
“Oh! You are here in our hometown, Boliney” answered the old woman.
“What?!” she screamed. “But this is the other side of the map!”
“I`m sorry. I am Fani, you can just call me Inang Fani.”
“Pardon my rudeness, Inang. I am Lumnay from Kalinga.” She answered more calmly.
“Makisig brought you here, he was collecting woodfires and went on fishing when he saw you near the boundary river.” Inang Fani explained.
“H-how will I go…… home?” she answered trembling.
“Stay here until you’re to go. It will take weeks to walk back home, you know. Believe me, balasang, Makisig will help you get back home safe after you recover.” Inang Fani said while she holds the trembling hands of Lumnay. That’s the time when Makisig was about to enter the room again, when suddenly…….
“No! I need to go home!!” Lumnay shouted, and with that she stood-up using her just regained strength but unfortunately her legs won’t dodg, she got dizzy, cold sweat running down her neck… again…..
“Are you okay?!” Makisig shouted and with a flash he was able to catch her.
“Please rest!” Makisig uttered.
Makisig gently laid her down and placed a necklace beads on her hands - it was the beads from Awiyao!
“You were holding that tightly when I saved you” he said.
Lumnay looked at the beeds and smiled bitterly as she slowly fell asleep… deep sleep.
Months have passed, thankfully she was getting better, in fact, better than before.
Makisig really took care of her very well.
He would serve her breakfast, fetch her water, he was always gentle with her…….. With this gestures Lumnay fell for Makisig - and Makisig also fell for her.
One day, she went to the river where she almost lost her life, she stared at the water and took a wooden box out of her pockets- it was the necklace beads from Awiyao.
She opened the box and smiled sincerely.
“Our love was truly beautiful Awiyao, perhaps we just met at the wrong time. I have someone else in my heart now, he`s kind and everything a woman can ask for. I wish Madulimay is the right woman for you….. I pray that you both live a happy life” she said teary eyed.
She then placed the necklace beads in to a small wooden box which contains also their beautiful love story, then managed to throw into the river, praying that it will be sealed by the waves of water, float with the wind of faith and be free like her current life.
“Time to go home” she smiled and ran towards the man who`s waiting for her.
“Let’s go?” Makisig smiled.
Lumnay did not answer instead she clung her head into his chest and they started to walk away. Away from the river…….. Away from the past……..
The two of them got married.
To symbolize Makisig`s love for her wife he gave her a beautiful wooden ring that he himself carved.
Years after, they were blessed with a twin offspring whom they named “Marikit and Malakas”.
Lumnay and Makisig were elated with the life they have.
Every second they spend together makes their love stronger. And the twins are just the first proof to that.
Time is immeasurable. Time is unstoppable. Time will come that their twin offspring –
Marikit and Malakas will meet their one true love, and experience a WEDDING DANCE!
The end.
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Written & Edited by
Katrina Cyrish D. Collado,
School Organ Editor-In-Chief
Written Performance for Oral Communication in Context.
Submitted to Teacher Ljj Ley Silva
