Teo has been lying on his bed all day, with the dinner's invitation on his chest. His arrival was just in time for the dinner that the friar planned as a tribute to the old Don. It is also this night that the friar would announce who would temporarily replace the Captain.
"The visitors and your uncle have arrived, Segnor" Ditas interrupts from the doorway
Teo slowly opens his eyes and stares at the old lady standing on his doorway. He slothfully rises up and lounges on his bed as he makes final stretches before standing up.
"Thank you, Nanang Ditas," he pauses, "come, let's welcome them"
The two walk toward the receiving hall just across the main living room. Ditas lines up with Chuy in front of the servants while Teo stands in between them.
When Teo lifts his right hand to fix the sleeve of his garb, he notices a servant standing behind Ditas through the side of his eyes. After a quick glance he sees her who is dressed in dark brown blouse and skirt, covered in black veil embellished with sewn thread patterns. Teo turns towards the servant, stares at her and sees Jimena. Only now does Teo notices a bump on her stomach intentionally hidden by the hem of her veil. He thought she looks paler than before, but then he never really noticed her prior to that moment.
Teo bows his head and looks at her through the side of his eyes one last time while still talking to himself;
"It is nice to see you too, Jimena,"
Before Jimena catches his stare, Teo's attention turns towards the arriving guests ascending the stairs. First on the line is Dr Saul Farin walking with his crane.
The stocky physician greets them with a wide smile as he indolently removes his hat revealing a patch of bald hair. His black suit is still drenched in rain water as he removes it and hands it to Chuy.
"The mud outside is a real struggle," he greets, "the carriage had to be parked at the gate,"
Behind him comes Teniente Leon, the lieutenant of the fields and Don Lorenzo's younger brother. He has his brother's stance reinforces by his uniform.
"We need to fill the ground outside with more stones," he suggests as he reaches his hand to Chuy's, "the stone pathways are almost devoured by the mud"
Then the lieutenant turns his attention at Ditas who fails to hide her enthusiasm through her mischievous smile. Teniente Leon opens his arms widely to welcome the old lady, and with a deep laugh he then embraces her,
"You look lovelier, Ditas" the lieutenant hails
"Spare me with your absurdity, Segnor," Ditas replies in between audible giggles, "and if you would embrace me longer, your beautiful lady might get spiteful," she continues with a laugh eyeing a woman behind the lieutenant.
Teniente Leon gestures with his hands to welcome the lady behind him. As she moves forward, the spectators in front of her gasps for air as the main entrance hall is filled with audible awes. When she removes her white veil, she effortlessly lights up the hall with her enchanting allure. Her subtle skin glows with patches of pale red color staining her cheeks, they must be from getting tired walking from the gate and climbing up the stairs. Her black hair with tint of wine-red shade delicately brushed to a huge hair bun; revealing her lengthy neck adorned with pearl necklace matching her earrings; and she is dressed in white frock paler than her complexion. Her ethereal stance is a breathing spectacle.
"Silly you, Madame" she pauses, "l rarely get malicious" she finishes with a soft smirk
"Forgive me, my dear" Teniente Leon pauses as he stares at his companion with admiration, "Ana Rosa, everyone" he finishes as he proudly holds her hand
The lady sensibly examines the entire entourage while keeping her soft smirk, she politely bows her head as she finishes looking at her audience. Her confidence radiates even in the smallest gestures she makes like the twitches on her neck, her simple nods or the way she pulls the hem of her frock with her fingers and the way her hand covers her mouth as she blushes; but it is more evident with her smile.
"Isn't she exquisite?," Teniente Leon asks with a slight hint of arrogance still staring at her
Teniente Leon finds affirmation with the silence of the people before him, all attentively watching Ana Rosa as she simultaneously reaches her hand to Chuy to give him a kiss in the cheeks, then a warm embrace at Ditas and finally a gracious nod at everyone else. Her nod is greeted back by another audible sighs from her audience.
"You are devaluing the lady" Fray Luciano interrupts from behind them coming off the stairs, "to me she is quite, untouched!"
Ana Rosa answers with another coquettish smile as she curls her arms around Teniente Leon's waist and rests her head on his brawny shoulder. Only now does she notice someone with an extended stare at her, like he is examining her every move cautiously than the others.
From a distance Teo stands awkwardly gazing at the lovely lady before him. Undoubtedly, he too, is mesmerized by Ana Rosa's charm, at the same time, there seems to be something familiar about her. He has been looking at her the moment he caught a glimpse of her ascending the stairs behind the physician and the lieutenant. He has been fascinated with her graceful gestures but part of him feels he had known her from years ago. While looking at her doing her rounds of greetings among the staff, he has been carefully brushing through his memories trying to identify the apparition happening before his eyes. No matter how long he stares at her, his recollection of her remains just at the onset of familiarity, only a glimpse of a penumbra which lights start to crawl into a corner of his mind permeating its cloudy region. He tries to imagine her on a much simpler garb, he thinks of the woman like she could be wearing a plain dress with dirt stained apron on top. He tries to imagine her bare-footed, disheveled hair with face not so delicate as she has in that instance. There, that's how his recollection of her concludes; from his second year of studying in Manila; in one of its pavements he remembered seeing her standing at the corner. His jaw twitches as he finally fathoms his urgent sense of familiarity of his uncle's wife.
"My brother's child," Teniente Leon utters as he reaches his arms towards Teo, who at that moment, seems to be lost, drifted away somewhere far. "it is so good for us to be united again. Your foster father would have been happy; he always talked about you the last time we were here"
Teo suddenly regains his grip of reality when he consciously responds by shaking his uncle's hand, "It's good to see you again uncle, I was looking forward to your arrival,"
The lieutenant gestures for his lady to come over, holds her by her hand, the other hand resting on his lady's back,
"Ana Rosa, my dear, this is Mateo, the gentleman I have been telling you about," Teniente Leon begins,
"The newest pride of your family, I see, " she responds as she nods gently along with pulling the hem of her frock, "your uncle has always been proud, Segnor. He, the lieutenant of the fields, his brother, the Captain of the town, and now you, a pharmacy graduate. You must be really proud standing up to their legacies,"
"Segnora, the pressure had been high, quite unbearable at times; but that only inspired me to aspire for greatness," Teo responds, "only now it was quite incomplete not having my foster father with us," he continues in a somber tone
"Ah, Mateo, enough of the despondency my child. Your father brought us all here and I can bet on my name that none is much prouder than him," Teniente Leon exclaims while tapping Teo's back
At that moment, Teo takes advantage of the chance to stare at Ana Rosa closely who is just standing inches away from him alternately covering her face with her hand while she blushes; and carefully caressing the pearls on her necklace. With the lady's gestures, she seems to be tensed at that very moment standing close to Teo as she secretly looks at him from the corner of her eyes. She is aware that the young lad has been staring at her even more now that they are closer; and seems to be capturing every angle of her face like he is cross-referencing it to a memory that he had stored in his mind.
"Gentlemen and Segnora, your supper is ready" Ditas calls out
"Finally! I have been looking forward to your remarkable cuisine, Ditas" Fray Luciano answers