Kahuyan village

It was a busy day in our village. People bustling all over the place preparing for the exciting celebration that will happen later this day.

“Aah! Lucio! We need to gather more woods,” I heard someone yelling from a distance. Adults were preoccupied with gathering materials and fighting with each other on how they need more stuff, and kids (like me) were busy playing.

As for me, I didn’t have many friends. I wouldn’t even call it few, just one.

“Guuuuuuus!!!” I heard someone call my name, though I don’t need to see who it was. “There you are. Where you headed to?” Paco asked.

He’s a short kid with a muscular body,  a high nose bridge, and thin lips. His hair was tied into a half-knot. Most of the people here have long hairs but I took the time every now and then to cut mine.

“I’m going to see gramps,” I answered.

“Again? But we should be enjoying this day at our village.” His thick brows knotted. His right eyebrow has a scar, that’s why it has a small patch where hairs won’t grow. He got it when we were young, and I remember that time when he realized that the hair won't grow back again, he stayed at their house for many days.

“I think it’s cool. You look strong.”

“Really?”

Since then, he was very proud of his scarred brows.

We were further away from the village now. The clamoring sounds started to fade away and were replaced by the hymn of the forest. Trees began to thicken as we continued to walk on our path.

Although the wild already took over this area, it was still easy to find our way to gramps’ hut since I’ve already carved a small path we can follow.

“Are you going to practice reeling again?” asked Paco. “Why can’t we just play with other kids? I don’t get why you like staring at a piece of peypuur.”

“Reading, Paco. Paper,” I corrected him. Then I continued, “As if you’re not enjoying our visits to Gramps. You always listen to his stories eagerly.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay fine.” He sighed and quietly followed me.

“Hi, Gramps!” I greeted him.

“Hey, old man,” said Paco.

“Oy, you kids, I thought you’ll be having your celebration today.” He invited us to come inside his hut. “I got excited and thought that this weak old man can finally have a day for himself.”

It’s true that Grandpa Malu was an old man, but there’s nothing weak about him. He has grey hair and a mustache proving his increasing age, and the wrinkles around his mouth and forehead were deeply carved. But his body looked sturdy and his eyes looked so sure making me think that gramps may not be weak as he says he should be.

I approached the huge pile of books in one of the corners of his hut. This was my collection. I found this in the ‘Cursed site’ and brought it here so that my parents won’t burn it.

“Gramps, have you seen the books I’ve collected yesterday?”

“Ah, yeah. Found a book that would be an easy read.” He moved towards a pile that was separated from the rest. “Tis... The ugly duckling,” he said.

He began scanning the said book. “Tis not the kid’s stories. It’s a love story.” He shook his head and smiled. “Teen girls must have covered it as a disguise. But why did they chose ugly duckling?”

“It’s fine gramps. You can just teach me how to read even without its meaning,” I said.

Paco came closer and peeked at the book. “Why would someone be interested in reading a love story? There’s nothing exciting with getting married and having kids.”

Paco may sound like an airhead a lot of times but I do agree on this one.

“Oy, not all love is THAT kind of love.” He waved his hand, dismissing our idea. “See, ters different kinds of love beyond tis woods. Not just the marriage and kids kind.”

He explained different love stories to us patiently.  By the end of it, Paco and I were in tears.

“So, what happened to Juliet and the Romeo guy?” asked Paco.

Gramps shook his head sadly, and Paco began wailing.

I didn’t get to read today but at least I learned a new story. We head back to our village after the stories ended and he reminded us that our parents would surely scold us if we stayed longer.

We arrived at the village with no one noticing our absence.

Paco saw her mother carrying banana leaves on our way to my home, he ran after her to help her carry it.

“I’ll see you later, Gus!” he said and sprinted to her mother. “Maa! Wait for me.”

I was so glad when Ma wasn’t at our house when I returned, she would have scolded me.

I have three siblings. The eldest is Marra, 16 years old. followed by Chico who is 3 years older than me—14 years old, and our youngest, Rowena is only 5 years old.

“Are they still hunting?” I asked Chico. He was scrubbing our floor with a coconut husk.

“Yep. They returned with a huge haul but the elders said they need a little more.”

Each family has their hunters. The hunters in our family were our father and eldest sister, Marra. On every occasion, it's common here that hunters will provide meat that everybody can share with.

We gathered at the large vacant area of the village when the sun was starting to set. This celebration was for villagers who were born this season. This will be the time we thank the spirits for giving the celebrants another year to live.

There were long wooden tables with different kinds of food placed in a banana leaf, flowers threaded together as decoration and dangled on nearby branches, logs(this is where we’ll sit) surrounds the fire that will be lit later.

“To all of you who was born this season, may you have a bountiful hunt this year,” Elder Akila said. His long beard hanging on his chin. I suppose it would have been better if the hair on his chin was placed on top of his head so that it wouldn’t look so bare.

“Tamula, Jose, Diwa, Remuldo, Butuin, Taruc, Rin…” Elder Rosio read the names of the celebrants, “— may you enjoy all the harvest this season could offer,” she said in a soft voice.

 After the two elders spoke, the three elders on the back bowed their heads followed by us. The people in the village lit the stack of woods in the middle.

The beat started, and the celebrants began to dance together. Other people started to join too, tapping their feet and clapping their hands in sync with the sound. The flame must have felt joyous as well, it began to sway together with the villagers surrounding it.

The place was filled with happy faces and laughter.

I felt warm inside.