Fiction: Road (Part 2 of 4)

(Note: The first part appeared the previous Monday.)

MARIAN walked fast. She was running late for school. She felt like crying.

She couldn’t tell what time it was because she didn’t have a watch. But she knew the flag ceremony must have started and she was very late, because when she passed by Tony’s house, it was closed and quiet. His parents must have gone to their farm and he had left for school.

Marian passed by the huge tree where Tony and she had been stuck the day before. She began to think of it as their tree. Tony and hers. But when she thought of what happened on the road—her slipping and telling Tony about her soiled uniform—she felt embarrassed. She didn’t think she could so much as glance at Tony again.

The tree was on a hilly part of the road. While Marian was walking uphill, she could not see the other side. When she was almost in the same line as the tree, she could see the downhill road, where Tony and a girl was walking together. Marian felt as though the tree had crashed down on her.

Tony and the girl did not seem to be in a hurry. They were talking, and the girl laughed every now and then, slapping Tony in the arm. Marian recognized the girl to be Janice, a classmate of Tony. She was fair-skinned, had bleached bangs and fancy bracelets, and liked teasing her Manobo schoolmates. Marian realized that Janice was the reason Tony was always late. Marian realized too that she might not be late yet.

She hesitated to walk faster and go ahead of Tony and Janice, but the need to arrive in school on time got the better of her. Her head bowed down, Marian walked past the couple.

“Hey,” Janice called out.

Marian knew Janice was calling her attention, but she kept on walking.

“Hey, Manoba!” Janice said.

Marian felt as though the world froze, but somehow her legs were able to keep on walking.

“Did you pee on your skirt?” Janice said, laughing.

Marian knew what Janice was talking about. Her skirt was still clammy. She washed the dirt off the skirt the day before and hanged the skirt near the hearth. She waited for it to dry, but when she realized she would be late, she decided to wear it even if it was still wet. Marian ignored Janice and walked faster.

Marian heard Tony saying something to Janice, but Marian was no longer able to understand his words. All she wanted to do was to get away from them.

MARIAN was walking home, and she wondered why Janice and Tony were following close behind her. She had not walked with them before. She would always go home ahead of her schoolmates. She had only been under the tree with Tony because she had to take shelter from the rain.

“Hey, Manoba!” Janice called out.

Marian walked faster, but Janice ran until she caught up with Marian.

“So your skirt has dried,” Janice said. “Why did you wear a wet skirt today? Don’t you have any other skirt?”

Marian did not say anything. She did not want to fight Janice. She just wanted to avoid her.

“I’m asking you, Manoba,” Janice said. “Answer me.”

To Marian’s surprise, Tony said, “That’s enough, Janice.”

Janice ignored Tony. She told Marian, “Do you have only one uniform?”

“Leave her alone,” Tony said.

“Why are you defending her?” Janice told Tony. “Do you like her? Oh, Tony, I didn’t know you have a thing for Manobas.”

“Shut up,” Tony said.

Marian ran away from the two, and they continued arguing.

WHEN Marian passed Tony’s house, everything seemed to have come back to normal. His mother’s voice reached the street, telling him to wake up.

When Marian reached the tree, however, she saw Janice standing some fifty meters away. Janice was beside the road, on the fork leading to a hamlet where she lived. She was already wearing her uniform. Marian thought Janice must have woken up earlier than usual just to wait for her.

“Hey, Manoba,” Janice greeted Marian with her usual taunting. “I want to talk to you.”

Marian stopped walking. “I don’t want any trouble,” she said in an even voice. The bravery in her voice surprised Janice and even Marian herself. Perhaps Tony’s absence made her feel more of herself.

“Now your true attitude shows,” Janice said. “You’re no longer Miss Nice that Tony’s not around.”

“Leave me alone, Janice,” Marian said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t act innocent. I know you like Tony. You want to take my boyfriend from me.”

“You’re crazy.” Marian resumed walking.

Janice gripped Marian’s arm. “Who do you think you are? You’re just a Manoba. You’re ugly. You smell. Tony will never like you.”

Marian pulled her arm off Janice’s fingers. “I’m not interested in your boyfriend. He’s all yours.”

“Liar! I know you Manobo women want Christian men.”

Marian felt that her tears were about to burst. She walked fast away from Janice.

“Do you think I don’t know what you did?” Janice walked beside her. “You slipped on the road on purpose so that Tony would come and help you. He told me about it. And know what else he told me? You repulse him.”

Marian stopped walking, and her tears fell.

Janice smiled triumphantly. “You should know your place, Manoba. Go away now. I still have to wait for Tony here.”

The third part will appear next Monday.