SELECTED READINGS WEDDING DANCE ‘Amador T. Dagulo (1912-1965) was born in Laoag, Norte and lived in the Mountain Province unt he was’ After finishing his Ph. Bu at the University’ of the Phil he" obtained M.A trom Stanford University where Hi Aliguyon, for bis master's theste He taught Eelish fal wellknown universities. He was the first Filpina ave his work published in the Phulippine Magazine, precwar literary” magazine. His fist collection of" Entitled The Ftuming Lyre." Aside from his postry, he Short stories anda few entertaining essays. “ don’t want any man,” she said sharply. “I don't want any Ho felt relieved that at last she talked. “You know very wel ‘ran’ want'anyother woman, cher. You know Gat don't ‘She did not anewer him. ‘You know it, Lumnay, don’t you?” he repeated. ‘Yes, I know,” she said weakly. 1 is not my fault.” he said, feeling relieved. “You cannot Jane me; Pave been a good husband to you. ‘Neither ean you blame me,” she said. She seemed about to “No, you have been very good to me. You have heen a good ie have nothing, fay” azine you.” He" act some OF the Keren harvests is just t00 long to walt. Yes! we have waited lone. Should have another chance Uetore Yt is too late for both oF Awiyao reached for the upper horizontal log which the edge Of the head-hiph threshold. Cl rm oy tad tobe done, Tam cetyl Serene Tet di ie eis ge ne ug Sana ne, ts ea es Ne Se Siee Se as Sa ak rec Sh Sher ete oo nar eerie ag oer eer tats en Ss arm ert poe atte da lp ldots mae Me Rese he toe He ce Mae Shea romana BF dete ant toa Seane eet i es as athens, Ge an put ae ec. ge ney Set a eared Ime the woman stirred, stretched her right leg out and jet ley in. She wound the blanket more snugly around ‘You know that I have done my best,” she said. “I have prayed, Kebunyan much. U have sacrificed many chickens in my pray: “Yes, Lknow.” “You remember how angry you were once when you came Stow your work in dhe. tetace Because | butchered one of pigs without your permission. 1 did it to appease Kabunysn, spire ke vou 1” wanted so much to haves child. But what he sai hie ire. The sparks row through the crackles’ Of the *\The smoke and soot went up to the ceiling Lumnay looked down and unconsciously started to pull at the that Kept the split bamboo flooring in place. She Waged at Fatan flooring. Each time she did this the split bamboo went sna ‘Same down with a slight rattle. The gongs of the dancers ously called in her cars through the waits, Awiyao went to the comer where Lumnay sat, paused before jJooked at her bronzed and sturdy face, then turned to where Jar of water stood. piled one over the other. Awiyao took a nut up and dipped. it in the top jar and. drank. Lumnay ‘cd the Jars tom the mountain’ creck carly thai evening,1 came home,” he said, “because I did not find you amo the dancers. Of course, Lam not forsing you to come, ifyou dont ‘want to Join my wedding ceremony. T came to tell You t Madutimay, although Ivar marrying her, can never become ‘00d a5 you are. She is not as strong in planting beans, not as fap fi cleaning water Jars, not as good in Keeping a house clean Yoq re one of the best wives in the whole village “That has not done me any good, has it?” she said. She looked at him lovingly” She almost seemed to smile He put the coconut cup aside on the floor and came closer to her, He held her face between his hands, and looked longinely x1 hher beauty. But her eyes looked away. Never again would he hold her face. The next day she would not be his any more. She would go Wack to hor parents, Me let go of her face, and she Dent tg he floor again nd looked at her fingers as they tugged softly at the spit bamboo floor. “This house is yours,” he said. “I built it for you, Make i your own, live in it at long as you wish, I will bulld-another howe for Madutimay. [have no need for & house.” she sid slowly, “I'l g0 to my ‘own house. My parents are old. They sill need help inthe planting fof the beans, in the pounding of the rice.” “I will give you the field that I dug out of the mountain during the first year of our marnage,” he said. "You know T did it for {you. You helped me make it for the two of us “L nave no use for any field.” she sid He looked at her, then turned away and became silent. They were silent for along time, ‘Go back to the dance,” she said finally. “It is not right for you to be here. They will Wonder where you are, and Madulimay Will nt feel good. Go back to the dance.” “ would feel better sf you could come, and dance: for th last ime. The gangsis are playing.” “You know that I cannot “Lumnay,” he au tendery,Lummay. i i thi it is bo ‘of my need for a child. You know that life is not worth lviné Without'a child. The nen have mocked me behind my back You know that.” “L know it,” she said. “I will pray that Kabunyan wil you and Madulimay" ‘She bit her lipe now, then shook her head wildly and sobbee bles J inowsht of the seven harvests that had passed, the high ‘had in the beginning of theis new life, the day he took from her parents across the routing river on the other he mountain, the trip up the tril which they had to ithe stcep canyon which they had. t0 cross. the watery ther mind in foams of white and Jade and roaring iver olled and growled, resounded in thunderous echoes ‘he walls of the sill cliffs they were far away now but fn receding: the waters violently smashed down from ‘on the tops of the other ranges, and they had looked at the buttresses of rocks they had to step on- 2 slip meant death. They both drank of the water and rested fother bank before they made the final climb to the other the mountain. Tooked at his face with the fre playing upon his features sirong, and Kind. He had a sense of lightness in his way things, which often made her and the village people How proud she had been of his humor. The muscles were ‘irm, bronze and compact in their hold upon his skull is bright eyes were. ‘She looked at his body that ‘Out of the mountains five fies for her: his wide and torso heaved as if-a slab of shining lumber were heaving: and legs flowed down in fluent muscley: he was strong that she had fost him. ‘ung upon his knees and clung to them. “Awiyao, Awiyao, band," she cried. "I did everything to have a child.” he nately in a hoarse whisper. She took away. the blanket het. “Look at me", she cried. “Look at my body. ‘twas full of promise. It could dance: it could work fast in Tt could climb the mountains fast. Even now itis firm, ut, Awiyao, Kabunyan never blessed me. Awivao, Kabu” ere! to me. Awiyao, Lam useless. 1 must de It will not be right to die.” he said, gathering her in his arms. sng now t0 his neck, and her head lay upon his right shoul Ther hair flowed down in cascades of gleaming darkness don’t care about the fields,” she sai. he said. “If you die it means you hate fou do not want me to have a child. You do not want my tole in our tbe.”he explained, dic. Nobody will get the fields Ihave carved ou ‘nobody will come after me I you fall. ifyou fal this second time. fuuty, Then her voice was'a shusider. "No toa “IE 1 fail” he said, “Tl come back t0 you. Then both of us will die together. Both of us will vanish from the life of out ibe." “The gongs thundered through the walls oftheir house, enor mous and far away 1 she said thoughe ino, don't want yon beads," she hal whispered “You will keep the beads. They came from faroff times. My {Syed people across the sea You keep them, Lumnay. They at ~Awivsc, “Tl Keep them because they stand for the love you have for the sit “Tove you, I love you and have nothing to Bie" ‘She took herself away from him. fora voice was calling out to him from outside. "Awiyao! Awiyao! O Awiyao! They ae look. tng for you a the dance!™ “Ham not in hurry.” “The ekiers will scold you. You had better go “Not until you tell me that i¢ allright with you.” “Ie al ight with mo." He clasped her hands, Ie sd. “know,” she si. He went to the door. He stopped as if suddenly hit by a spea her. Her face was agony. It pained him to leave. She had bee? wonderful to him. What was tein fe in the fields, the plantne lnd'harvest, in the silence of nigh, in the commonings inusband’and wife. in the whole life ofthe tribe itacit that mel® man wish Yor the mughter and specch' Of a child? Suppose, Me changed his mind? Why sid the anveritten law demand anys, that man, to be aman, must have a child to come after his do this for the sake of the tite: In pain be turned (© was fuitess: but he loved Lumnay. It was lke taking ofthis lite to leave her like this, 20,” she suid, and her eyes seemed to smile in the light. back and walked to the farthest comer of 1 ‘dug out from the darkness the beads which had been by his grandmother to give to Lumnay on the day of He went to her, lifted her head, put the beads on, them in place, The white and Jade and deep orange ob: ein the freight. She suddenly clung to him, clung to fas if she could never let him #0. and buried her face in his neck ‘all for him from the outside repeated: her grip loosened, sd out into the nih. say sat for some time in the darkness, Then she went to tand opened it The moonlight struck her face the moor ‘tse upon the whole village, ould hear the Uwobbing of the gangsas coming to h the cwern of the other houses, She knew that all the Swere empty: that the whole tbe was at the dance. Only. Mabsent. And yet was she not the best dancer ofthe village? ‘Dot have the most lightness and grace? Could she not, yng all the women, dance lke a bird wipping (or grains ‘round, beautifully’ timed to the beat of the gangs? the men praise her supple body, and the women envy she stretched her hands’ ike the wings of the mountait ‘and ‘hen a6 she danced? How long ag0 dud she dance fown wedding? Tonight ail the women who counted, who feed net honor were dancing now in honor of another (Only claim’ was that perhaps she could give her husband fs not right. It snot right!” she cried, “How docs she know? anybody Know? It not right she sald nly she found courage. She would go to the dance. She $0 10 the chiel of the village, tothe elders, 10 tell them Rot right. Awiyao was hers: nobody could take Dim sway =f Let her-be the Tit woman to complain, to denounce ritten rule that aman may take. angther woman, She Break the dancing of the men and women. She would tell to come back to het. He surely would relent” Was Not