CHAPTER 1

In a time of incipient wantonness and decay, a time whenthe line between truth and falsehood, honor and dishonor, sanityand madness was gray and thin, there is in every lonely heartan inaudible cry, a cry that could easily be labeled just; a crythat could throw caution into the wind. A wise man once saidthat "there is nothing new under the sun" making such a cryancient and though there are many worlds as there are spheresof influence, the saying shows the constancy of human nature,its vices and virtues, its longings and pursuits all rooted to anemptiness that must be filled, a crack in its image that must befixed. Yet even those who've encountered the one true God takeup idols and upon realizing that they have done so hardened theirhearts and embraced their perdition.

At the southern tip of Luzon was a J-shaped peninsulahugging Playa Bay. At the tip of the bay was the town of OpalCliffs, home to U.S. navy ships and at its crest was La Playa, apoor seacoast town known for the tall obelisk-like tamarind treethe source of folk tales and superstitions. The town was also afavorite hangout of sailors on their liberty. Our story involved thedisappearance of one such navy man.

It was 1957 twelve years after the end of the SecondWorld War when La Playa began to show the American influencein her lifestyle. At Rooster Ben's, the local pub, there was thejukebox with all the American hits of the 1950's. When there wasno free movie to be shown in Looban, there was the portable TVpropped up by Mr. Nakano on his window sill for those who wantto watch the syndicated westerns. The town was also known forthe Big House owned by Don Carlos Montilla whose house ofconcrete and marble instead of bamboo and pawid was pharisaicby La Playa's norm. It stood on a rise overlooking the bay onthe west and on the east the valley where the forest lay. Theobelisk-like tree to the irreverent a phallus taunting heaven wasalso witness to decades of vows of love beneath its bough. Onesuch vow was that between Andres Eden and Simona Montilla, intheir beauty was like a pair of Roman god and goddess. Amongthe rich, it was not uncommon to have arranged marriages,even among cousins. Though the word incest was never in theirvocabulary, the very idea repulsed Andres and risking life andlimb managed to win Simona taking her away from the manshe had been pledged, her cousin Don Carlos. That was fifteenyears ago when girls of fifteen marry and have a child. Now onhis usual morning walk Andres Eden, a tall, handsome man inhis early forties stopped by the Sandoval house and saw Ellen, adissolute young girl, by the window her face towards the ocean;her apparent disregard to the wailing of her daughter gave hima sense that the spirit of rebellion residing in his heart have alsocaptured the village youth. If God willed Isaac to be born whatwas he telling me on the death of Armand, my only son. Andso it would be his complaint against God even when he and hisbeautiful wife Mona would be given another. How this came to beI will now relate.

Pedro Alvarez, a stocky man with a dogmatic dispositionand the town's mayor, always believed that the movies fromHollywood were not inimical culturally but rather a necessaryescape from poverty, a belief which overlooked the impressionableyouth of his village. This was especially true to Ellen, thepubescent wife of Damian Sandoval, one of the town's policemen.Her house, one of the many which lined Looban gave her anadvantage allowing her to watch the movies held there just bylooking out the window. She didn't watch to be amused but toglean beads of wisdom. And like any sensitive girl was quickto take to heart sentiments or dilemmas akin to her. "If only Icould be good again" uttered by Pearl of Duel in the Sun was oneof them. Like Pearl, she felt like trash having been forced to amarriage she didn't want. Three months after giving birth toher first child, she would meet an ensign on liberty giving herhope of ending her dissatisfaction. One morning she was on thebeach letting Emma breath the morning sea breeze, a practiceof mothers to cure their children of congestion. She was breastfeeding her daughter when sailors on liberty came on a boatand spotted her. She descried a young man she thought lookedlike Cary Grant and wished that he'd come to her. He did. Vitothe amorous and bold among the three let the other two go onto town and he stayed with her. That night Damian was neededby Fabian, a detective, who was to bring Cuchillo, a convictedmurderer, to Maragundon, the provincial prison. One way it was atwo hour drive giving Vito ample time to enjoy Ellen. They wereinside Santiki's cottage and would forge a plan for her to leave herhusband and child.

One night in September six months later, Ellen Sandovalwould stand outside her house mesmerized by the antagonist ofLeave Her to Heaven. As usual the free movie would play on thescreen atop a van which peddled Cortal, a cold and fever reliever,parked at the south end of Looban. I will be like her strong,wily and beautiful Ellen said to herself idolizing her namesakeon the screen. "People in love don't really die". How true shesaid to herself mimicking Ellen of the movie. Like a supplicantneeding an answer to her prayer, she took the antagonist's wordas tacit approval of her plan. Three months later the wet seasonover, La Playa was adorned for Christmas. There were lanternshanging on every window and carols played over the radio. Boththe Roman Catholic Church situated in the heart of town and amile away from the Methodist Chapel located near La Playa HighSchool and across Mr. Politos' funeral parlor got ready for advent.Dr. Borschardt, a thirty year old German who made La Playa hishome and assiduously visits her and Emma, set her to give birthon the first week of December. That day had come and she didn'ttake the delay as the doctor's error rather as justification fromheaven of her plan.

Three days before the promised return of her lover andher plan's fulfillment—the first day of advent—she acted on herplan and went to see Santiki, a chubby boy her age. It was duringsiesta that she left her nine month old daughter to her neighborMona. After leaving Looban, she entered a narrow alley whichcontinued on to the fishponds. Before reaching the fishponds, sheturned to her left towards the woods. Hidden behind a clump ofbanana trees was Santiki's cottage. She was glad that its staironly had two steps. Reaching the door, she opened it. What shesaw assured her that her secret was secure. After telling Santikiwhy she came, she left and went home taking the road which cutthrough the forest.

Beneath the bough of the tall tamarind tree, Andres foundEllen reading the lovers names carved on its monolith-like trunk(it can hide four men abreast).

"There is nothing like true love is there," Ellen said.

What do you know about love? Andres wanted to say butremembering Mona was fifteen like Ellen when she gave birthto Armand, their only son, he didn't. The boy had been dead tenyears and he'd been going into the woods in the hope of catchingwhoever killed his son. He was convinced that criminal elementslurk in the woods and didn't believe the German doctor'sdiagnosis of death by spider venom.

"You're bold to be here alone," Ellen heard Andrescatching a hint of irritation in his voice. She looked at him andsaw how anger gave him a fierce countenance and regretted it forshe found him quite handsome. She left without...