DISCLAIMER: This was first published on my Booknet account under a different pen name (https://booknet.com/en/book/hiwaga-and-alfonso-b183243)
The damp smell of mud brought old Alfonso's memories in the year 1940; the blissful time of his youth. The creaking of his old tumba-tumba, a rocking chair that his son, Kaloy, gave him as a birthday present, also added nostalgia in his weary mind. He had been dreaming a lot lately, and on cold nights where crickets and frogs sing in contrasting harmony, he felt that the long wait was finally coming to its end.
His wrinkled hands slowly clasped the necklace that he had been wearing around his neck. He smiled with content as he started to reminisce that cold moonlit evening when he first met Hiwaga, the love of his life.
One by one, his thoughts marveled upon the collective memoirs of his youth. Slowly, like the quiet gurgles of the nearby river, he drifted into the distant past.
≠
"Let's make it quick, Alfonso. We will be late for the dance," complained Erning, the childhood friend of Alfonso. They were headed to the town plaza where the annual Sayawan sa Barrio was being held. It was a dance party by which all of the single maidens and lads in their small town were invited to grace the occasion. This had been one of the greatest traditions that the town folks continuously uphold with pride.
They walked a little more, with Erning ahead of him. They brought nothing except a small torch that was seemingly becoming extinguished as they walked on. Only the ghostly whispers of the wind can be heard as they carelessly trudged along the dusty road. The moon hovered before them, lighting their paths as they teased each other with haughtiness and humor. They were so absorbed with excitement that they never noticed that they already reached the river near an old acacia tree.
Just then, Alfonso felt the cold palm of Erning on his shoulder as he whispered, "Did you hear the stories around this place, Alfonso?"
Alfonso nodded his head and answered, "I sure did. Why? Are you being a chicken now?"
"Me? Of course not!" Erning replied. "Those stories weren't real anyway."
Cold winds continued to touch their exposed skin which brought them goosebumps and caused the rapid beating of their hearts. For a second there, both of them were thinking about how the stories of diwatas bathing in the river in the fullness of the moon and stillness of night had been popular in their town.
"Come on now, Alfonso. We are already late for the dance," Erning eventually said.
≠
When they reached the sayawan, it had already started. Then Alfonso noticed the beautiful visitors who were standing on stage.
"Why are they being followed by fireflies, Erning?" Alfonso asked worriedly.
"What fireflies are you talking about? I don't see any fireflies!" Erning replied as he excitedly dragged Alfonso towards the stage. "Come on, let's go and get some of those girls to dance with!"
The ladies started to sing a melodious song which made all the guys drool and cheer. Everything about the enchanted-looking ladies was so majestic that even the town girls seemed to be drawn to the enchantment and couldn't speak. Just then, one of the ladies, the one with long black hair and who wore a necklace with golden pendant, descended the stage and softly held Alfonso's hand. She smiled brightly at him as she slowly guided him towards the center. She placed her hand on his strong shoulder while he automatically clung to her slender hips. She told him her name was Hiwaga.
They danced the night away, surrounded by the million fireflies that only Alfonso can see. Each time he looked into her eyes; he was drawn closer to her. Until one by one, the crowd that was with them a few hours ago started to fade, and all that was left was the two of them.
It might be odd for a man to get drowned by the majestic happenstance created by a woman who was a stranger. But Alfonso did not mind that. Because, for the first time in his life, he fell in love.
They walked away from the plaza and started to look for a place exclusively for them. Guided by Hiwaga, they reached a garden near a lake. Alfonso was confused for he had not seen such a beautiful lake before in their place.
"Are you sure this is our place, Hiwaga?" he asked. "I grew up in here all my life but I am sure I haven't been in here."
The garden was full of tulips and lily pods. Big acacia trees surrounded the area and the moon was reflected on the clear waters.
"It's always been here, Alfonso. You just didn't see it before," she said as she walked alongside him. "Just like... how I co-existed with you, without you knowing it."
Alfonso was baffled. "W—What do you mean by that, Hiwaga?"
Hiwaga drew one of her fingers and a small firefly alighted on it. It seemed to kiss her finger before it flew away again. Then she continued talking.
"Someday Alfonso, you will have to go with me. You will have to spend your life waiting for me; until such time that I will come and get you."
She walked to him in her gorgeous satin gown and Alfonso almost cursed under his breath when he saw how flawlessly she did that. He almost fainted when Hiwaga touched his face with her smooth cold palm as she whispered, "You belong to my world, Alfonso. We belong together."
He suddenly felt the chill in his body when he heard those words. It was like the magic that filled the atmosphere earlier suddenly became weirder and weirder.
"I don't understand," he said with confusion in his eyes.
"I know, but someday, you will."
≠
Old Alfonso was suddenly disturbed from his daydreaming when Kaloy hastily entered the room. He was a man in his thirties and resembled the younger version of his father. He was carrying a tray of food, clearly exhausted from plowing the fields in their farm and yet, he still made sure to bring his father's dinner himself rather than the helper of his Tatang Alfonso.
He carefully laid the tray on the wooden table near old Alfonso's bed. He knew that his father's already too old to prepare his meal that's why he wanted to help him as much as he could. Tinolang manok was one of the most favorite foods in their town and his Tatang Alfonso had always been fond of this clear, clean broth studded with chicken and green papaya home-style dish.
"Tatang, you need to eat now. Unless you want to eat cold food."
Kaloy's sweet voice seemed to awaken Alfonso from his deep thoughts. "Kaloy, is that you?"
Kaloy smiled upon hearing the familiar raspy voice of his old father. He quietly walked towards the old man, lovingly helped him stand from his tumba-tumba, and led him to the table. He watched his father sat and stared at nothingness with a blank expression.
"The end is near for me, son. I am old and all this time, I have been waiting for her."
Kaloy sighed and slowly shook his head. He knew that his father was already old and sometimes, he can be delusional.
"Who's coming, Tatang?"
God knows how many times this kind of conversation happened, but Kaloy, being the good son that he was, always tried to understand his father's condition.
"Hiwaga. She's coming back for me, Kaloy. Do you see this necklace?"
Kaloy stared at his father's hand as it shakily held the pendant on his wrinkled palm.
"Hiwaga gave me this as a symbol of love," Alfonso exclaimed with a chuckle.
Once again, Alfonso traveled back to the past and this time, Kaloy was there to listen.
≠
Hiwaga led Alfonso to the lake and they stood with the waters just below their knees, hands intertwined as thin lines of clouds covered the moon above them.
Though he was filled with confusion, it did not stop him from falling deeply to the majestic beauty of this woman. Is it because of the way her hair glided with the wind and her satin robe sparkled when its hem touched the water? Or is it because of how she managed to act like a lady and a child at the same time; for, in every humorous statement he threw, she could not stop herself from laughing heartily?
He did not know. Alfonso did not believe in love at first sight, but if this could be real love, he did not want it to end. Alfonso touched Hiwaga's face and stared at her shiny green eyes. Their faces were inches away; their breaths rapid and heavy.
"Kiss me, Alfonso."
Despite himself, he was not able to resist the sweet whisperings that they shared as the wind touched their heated souls. And in the flash of light, they both felt a magnetic force that seemed to have pulled their hearts together the moment they kissed.
Hiwaga and Alfonso spent the night bathing on the lake and smelling flowers in the garden. They talked and laughed and made love in the misty evening and when the morning star started to shine on the horizon, Alfonso caught himself lying on the grass as his head rested upon Hiwaga's lap. She sang a lovely song as she brushed her long slender fingers on his hair.
The next thing he knew, Hiwaga was gone and he woke up to the voices of Erning and the townspeople calling after him. He was lying underneath the big acacia tree that grew facing the river.
≠
"I woke up feeling numb and tired. My friend, Erning, and the rest of the people in our town insisted that I was gone for three days. I kept on saying that I only spent a night with Hiwaga and we bathe and talked and made love on a beautiful lake but they did not listen," explained Alfonso.
Kaloy caught a tear in his father's eyes and he heard him heaved a sigh. "It was the best night of my life, my son," the old man said. "And even if I was judged and misunderstood, I knew within myself that what happened between me and Hiwaga was not a dream, nor a product of my imagination. Because they truly exist!"
Kaloy realized that he was not able to hear this part of the story yet, so he asked, "Who's existence father? "
"The existence of engkanto, my son, engkanto! Your mother, Hiwaga, was a diwata. They are mythical beings that change into human form to socialize with real humans every once in a while. And you, Kaloy," he said as he reached for his son, "I believe that you are my son from Hiwaga."
Kaloy was not able to brace himself from what was coming.
"Me? A son of a diwata? A son of engkanto? That's crazy, Tatang."
≠
Alfonso was awakened by the voice of a wailing baby. He was confused at first because he could not remember anyone from his neighbors who was pregnant or anyone who was expecting a baby.
He tossed and turned on his bed for the wailing and crying of the baby seemed to bore in his eardrums. Not until a sudden realization came upon him. He remembered his father saying that if you hear a baby's cry and it's positive that there was no pregnant woman in your neighborhood, go out of your doorstep and answer the call. Because the child is a child of engkanto, and it wants you to be its godfather. If you heed their request, you will be as wealthy as you can ever imagine.
Alfonso groggily went downstairs and headed for the door. And there, at the very step of his stairs, a bundle of joy was wrapped in a satin prunella, wailing and crying as if it's calling for a refuge. He was stunned to see a baby in the steps of his abode. He slowly descended the stairs and awkwardly carried them in his arms. He realized how hard it was for the baby to be left outside his house for the midnight breeze was cold enough to make him feel sick.
"Who in their right mind would ever leave a baby on my doorsteps? Everybody in this town knows that I don't have a wife, nor a mother who would help in taking care of a child!" he didn't know what to do.
He placed the baby on his bed and looked at it for a long time. The baby cooed and giggled at the sight of him. Just then, Alfonso noticed that something was glowing in the baby's foot, and when he unwrapped the baby in its prunella, a dark circle right on the baby's right ankle glowed even more.
He was shocked and suddenly felt scared. But he dared to have a closer look at the baby's ankle. And when he did, he realized it was an image of a half-moon, more like a small tattoo. Alfonso suddenly felt scared upon the baby's weird mark. He hastily hid the baby's ankle with the satin prunella and he sat, feeling hopeless and defeated at the same time.
He closed his eyes and bowed his head for he was so confused. He did not know what to do with the child, how will it survive with a poor man like him? But right then and there, a familiar voice suddenly whispered in his ear, "Take care of the child, my love. Take care of our child."
Tears flew in his eyes when he heard the voice. His mind did not want to believe it but he knew that it was Hiwaga.
And the child; the child was theirs.
≠
"But Tatang, I don't have any mark, see?" Kaloy asked indignantly as he showed his ankle to his father.
"First of all, Kaloy, I can't see that because I am half-blind, and secondly, your mark was imprinted inside your body now. I don't know how to explain it but when I rechecked your ankle when you were just a baby, it was gone; like it never existed." He sighed once more and tried to hold Kaloy's hand. "I know, my son, that it's going to be difficult for you, but everything that I confessed was true," the old man said. "Any moment by now, your mother is going to get me."
"And you'll go with her, will you not?" Kaloy couldn't help but ask.
"I have been waiting for her for such a long time now. It's time," was the reply.
That night, Kaloy spent his time thinking about his father's story. Now, everything was clear as to why he was able to see strange faces and hear strange noises ever since he was still a child. He even experienced hearing beautiful music one time when he was tending their carabaos in the field. He often dreamt of beautiful women in satin gowns; but the most beautiful was the woman with a golden necklace; a necklace that resembled the one that his father always wore.
Meanwhile, in his room adjacent to Kaloy's, Alfonso stood up in his wooden tumba-tumba. He looked stronger and had already regained the youthful glow that he lost a few years ago. He was ready now...
≠
The stillness of the morning was notable. Not even a single noise can be heard. Even the sun seemed to forget to rise in the clouds. News about old Alfonso's passing spread like wildfire. And the townspeople knew that he was finally at peace.
≠
Kaloy spent many years healing the sick.
He discovered by accident a few months after his father's death that he had this kind of ability. And later, on his 32nd birthday, the birthmark reappeared and had imprinted itself in his ankle. What's more was that in misty evenings when the moon was on its fullness, he could hear happy voices and heartfelt laughter from a man and a woman.
He knew, by heart, that those were the voices of his parents, Alfonso and Hiwaga, waiting for him to finally be able to enter the realms of their world.