Fiction: Road (Part 4 of 4)

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

AS IT had been for the past few weeks, Marian found Tony under the tree, waiting for her. They smiled at each other.

Tony joined Marian on the road, and they walked together downhill. “Indeed, it’s just a matter of being used to,” Tony said, “waking up early.”

“I told you,” Marian said. “There is nothing more beautiful than the morning.” She breathed the air. “Everything looks fresh and new. Anything seems possible.”

“You talk weird again,” Tony said. They both chuckled. “But I agree. The leaves look so green and had dew on them. It’s cool to the eyes. I didn’t know what I had been missing until you inspired me to wake up early.”

Both of them fell silent. Marian had heard the word inspired clearly, but she did not want to assume too much. She said, “Well, as much as we should enjoy the view, we should hurry up. We might be late.”

Tony chuckled. “It’s still so early. We would be the first ones in school. Tony’s voice lowered as he finished the sentence. Something caught his attention.

Marian looked ahead, at what Tony was staring, and saw Janice at the fork of the road.

“Just ignore her,” Tony said.

“So it’s true,” Janice said as soon as Tony and Marian were near her. “You come to school together early.”

“Leave us alone, Janice,” Tony said. He and Marian kept on walking, but Janice blocked their way.

“Did you dump me for that Manoba?” Janice told Tony.

“Don’t call her that. She has a name.”

“She’s a Manoba, and I want to call her that. How dare you break up with me because of that filthy girl.”

“Enough, Janice. I left you because of your attitude. It has nothing to do with Marian.”

“So it’s Marian now. You used to call her Manoba when you talked to me about her.”

“Shut up, Janice.”

“Janice,” Marian butted in, “Tony and I are just friends. You have no reason to be mad at me.”

“Friends?” Janice told Marian. “Do you think I’m a fool? You are seducing Tony. You’ve been using some primitive magic of your tribe on him.” Janice reached out to grab Marian, but Tony quickly shielded Marian with his arm.

“Don’t you lay a finger on her,” Tony said. “What she said is true. We’re just friends. She does not want to be in a relationship.”

Janice stared in bewilderment at Tony embracing Marian. “No,” Janice said. “You’re not jut friends. You’ve fallen for her. She has bewitched you.”

“She has not bewitched me,” Tony said. “I truly love her.”

What Tony said surprised them all, probably even Tony himself. Janice was frozen. Marian let Tony lead her away, his arm still around her.

When Tony and Marian were already far, Janice shouted, “We’re not yet over, Manoba! I won’t let you have Tony!” Tony and Marian did not look back, and Janice did not rush at them. Marian stepped away from Tony, and Tony removed his arm from her. They remained close to each other, however, and in silence they walked to school.


MARIAN no longer glanced at Tony’s house, because she knew he wouldn’t be there. He would be waiting for her under the huge tree, and his mother would have no one to nag at. So Marian was surprised when she heard the voice of Tony’s mother, and the woman was addressing her.

Marian was used to hearing the woman shout at Tony in a shrill but affectionate voice, so when she talked to her in a low and cold voice, Marian felt the weight of each word the woman uttered.

“I know what’s going on between you and my son,” the woman said. “Tony’s ex-girlfriend suspects you cast a love spell on Tony, but Tony insists otherwise. I don’t care either way. I want you to stop seeing my son, right away.”

Marian said, “But Tony and I are not doing anything wrong.”

Don’t force me to make things worse for you. We’re living in a small village. I know almost everyone here. I know you. I know you’re engaged to your datu, and the wedding will take place at the first sign of your lack of interest in going to school.”

“Please . . .”

“It’s your decision.” Tony’s mother walked back inside the house.

Confused and afraid, Marian continued on her way to school. When she reached the tree, she found no one waiting for her.


MARIAN and Tony stood in quiet under the tree, the huge trunk between them. The wind was blowing to the west, and Tony was on the east side of the tree, so the rain drenched him up to his knees. He stood still, though, and did not join Marian on the other side.

When the rain abated, Marian walked to the road. Tony called out for her.

She stopped on her track.

“I think of you every morning,” Tony said.

She looked back at him. “Me too,” she said.

“I want to be with you every day. I want to ask you to run away with me. But . . . I’m thinking of the future . . . our future. Together.”

Marian smiled as tears fell from her eyes. “I’m happy to hear that. But it’s going to be a long road, Tony.”

“It is. But I’m used to walking.”

“I’m used to walking, too.”

“I’ll never get tired. If I do, there’s always the morning to remind me that everything can be fresh and new, that anything is possible.”

“You talk weird.”

Their chuckles, hollow and sad, disappeared into the wind.

“I’ve got to go,” Marian said.

Tony nodded.

She walked in a hurry but careful not to slip as Tony watched her from the tree.