1 Gumamela

 I have fallen for her, a day I will never forget. 

26th of January a cold month of 1892 four years before the Philippine revolution would broke out I am Rogelio, a trabahador, 17 and working under Silvania Y Gustillo a very well-known family of Portuguese-Spanish decent. I work 6 hours a day, harvesting crops, cutting grasses sometimes gardening  making sure that the flowers would bloom again before summer. Their hacienda was one of the biggest this Sitio has. Since their family houses famous Gobernador Henerals  business men and good looking women that in four generations ruled the town for the past two centuries. Amilia just turned 16, was their youngest daughter,  if I can define her in words, I would say  she was beauty in human form she was titled as the family’s “beloved” they’ll make sure she won’t be wounded or even have a single scratch but boy’ she was a stubborn one, I remember that very day she's like a bird who just learned how to fly freely out of its nest I was starring right at her as she runs from their Balconahe, she turns around and fell, looking directly at me I was ashamed, not because of I didn’t help her up but because I was simply  looking at her eyes that mesmerize me for  a second or two,

        she smiled and got up, no one was there but us. She went closer and every step she takes was stunning my body, the closer she gets, the worst it's gotten me. My muscles becomes tense, it shakes it feels like that my thoughts and body are un-aligned.  Gumamela? She said, that voice. Ahhh a music It’s like a Concierto that I sneaked in last time  it makes your hair stands, as if you can hear your heart beat pounding in every nota the musicians make, her words becomes a metronome that feeling of fulfillment at days end of work, a sweet lullaby perhaps. Indio? Gumamela? From Gaussian blur I can see her face forming to sharpened, it snaps me out into reality, I nodded flowers of such beauty, it blooms on a time where we can rarely see sunlight it blooms even if it is heated up by the rays, just a good hardenero like you  would make such flower bloom daily.  Isn’t that nice? She said. Just like you señorita, I added like me? she questioned me in doubt.  And I answered Yes your beauty is always exceptional, anytime of the year you appeared to be beautiful day by day senorita. Bolero! She shouted at me with slight force.  I can see her Spanish cheeks turning red, as well as she notice me looking at her she covered her face with her fan, as soon she opened it back, I was offering her the flower. She was amazed yet and in awe, why did you cut it? she eagerly ask and I proudly replied as long as I see you here, this Gumamela will bloom.  So please accept it, as gift an offering of my friendship and loyalty to you and your family Thank you, she smiled and in her eyes I see gladness, those eyes that you can’t normally see from an elite royalty like hers. As far as I can remember, the eyes of her kind would always see me as lowest of the low, they gave so much authority that you are there for work and not for casual conversation, but these eyes of hers are different the stare was in gravity pulling you up, makes you float, makes you more like a human than a servant and if it retained me as a servant, then those eyes would make me her servant for a lifetime and yes those eyes of Amilia whom I will never forget,  she said thank you, the sweetest thank you I have ever heard.  I guess this will be our incipient for something new a friendship perhaps, will it be true that a trabahador like me would befriend a Principalia? that are well kept by its family ruling the division of classes they were observing for years now? I guess, it’s a nice chance of talking to her for even a minute or so, not for work, It’s a nice feeling.

And in any means I am in love.

She was holding the flower for a while, looking at me. Eye to eye she is smiling with her innocence Amelia! Doña Helena shouted, Amelia turned around quickly placed her hands at her back hiding the Gumamela. Amelia, I have been looking for you everywhere inside, and here you lie outside under the gloomy weather oh hala, you got to go now and dress up, Teniente Gernimo Poblacion will be here any minute now. Doña Helena, was a tough one, she never smiles at any indios nor talk to them, the only indio she talks with was Arnato, the family’s kutsero, the only thing you would hear from her when she talks with Arnato was bring me to the Cathedral, and that’s it the rest are intended to her son’s and daughter  and to her husband Gobernador Heneral Manuel Silvanias. Sorry Mother, I am just looking at Rogelio’ flowers they are blooming mother, No Amelia those flowers will make you sick, the petals might enter your noses trills and will trigger  your allergies so go inside and stop talking  to anyone the likes of him she pointed at me, and by the looks of it are the eyes of judgment as what I have said they look at me as if I was not human, and then Doña Helena added, what will be the neighboring Pricipalia might think if they caught you talking to an indio, go now and dress up, I saw Amelia’s hand as she slowly grips the flowers and eventually loosen it while the flowers drops down to the ground she rushes inside. I followed her as she enters the house patio and balconahe, the only that stopped me was Doña Helena firmly standing as she stares at me completely with the words on her eyes “don’t you dare talk to her again” as much as I could possibly imagine. as soon as she turns her back I grabbed the Gumamela kept it inside my kamiseta, and with a smile in my face. I grabbed my gardening tools and placed them inside my basket and walked away.

Today was a good one, I passed by the wooden bridge of Mambuloc, near the coastal area, it might be near six now in the afternoon I see the sun as it submerges every second of it down to the seas it was magical, just like it the day will end soon this place will turn dark and the moon and stars will appear, how I wish I could be called back again to work for them and see Amelia, dreaming of her made me forget that I left my lampara at home. Idiot, the only word i said I rushed and ran so fast little I know the Gumamela I kept was falling, it fell out completely,  I went back and picked its pieces, the flower shined upon the lilac skies and this flowers  is Amelia, my Amelia My beloved I ran faster and smiling. 

Author's Note

ignore grammar problems, what do you think of it.

Reviews

[Jake]

Yo, so: First, please don't be offended, because I'm genuinely guiding you to a better piece. So, I didn't get further than the title and the 1st sentence: Here's why: Title, it's a mouthful, and to me, at least, not interesting enough to justify such length. Don't worry about that too much right now, however. As the novel develops the proper title will, too. I've written a novel that in the 3rd rewrite and edit I only found the correct title and now I have to rewrite the entire thing again hahaha. 1st sentence. Dude, start maybe with "I have fallen for her" ... even though I didn't read further than the first sentence that's the line that instantly caught my eye in this piece. The reason: it says a male is speaking; it raises issues that are bound to follow: like love, heartbreak, etc. Secondly it raises a story question you can now develop: Who is this man? Who is this girl? Why did he fall for her? And what happened that he's now telling us about it? The right first sentence = reader interest. I hope this gives you some insight into bettering yourself! Please check out some of my pieces, I'd like to know what you think! Thanks!

[Wem Ortiz]

Thank you a lot sir! I find it very useful I just started writing this novel it supposed to be a short story but it got me writing more thank you for helping out!

[Jake]

Pleasure. Glad to have helped!