The Wedding Dance

By: Amador Daguio

There was a couple named Awiyao and Lumnay. They were married for a long time but Awiyao
her husband has to marry another girl named Madulimay because Lumnay cannot bear a child.
On the night of the wedding of Awiyao and Madulimay, Awiyao went to his and Lumnay’s house
where they used to live to personally invite his ex wife to join the dance but Lumnay refuses to
join. Lumnay is the best dancer in their tribe.

They had a heart-to-heart talk about their separation, and on their conversation they found out
that the couple still had a thing on each other. They still love each other but they have to
separate because their tribe’s custom is–every man in that tribe should have one (or more)
child that would carry his name and if his wife cannot give him a child he can marry another
woman. It’s a man’s necessity to have a child.

Lumnay can hardly let go of her husband. The two both agreed that if Awiyao’s second
marriage did not work, he will go back to Lumnay’s arms and this was sealed by the beads that
Lumnay will keep. Then Awiyao goes back to the wedding because someone is calling him
already. After being fetched by others, Lumnay decided to go to the wedding not to dance or to
join the celebration but to stop the wedding. She decided to break the unwritten law of her
tribe, but when she is near all her guts to stop the wedding suddenly disappeared. She did not
have the courage to break into the wedding feast. Lumnay walked away from the dancing
ground, away from the village. She went to the mountain instead and in the mountain is where
she diverted all her bitterness in her and she partly reminisce their story of Awiyao.
 Analysis

Honor and dignity are signatures of men. These two things are significant because for them
men are naturally born to be respected. Women, on the other hand, are known for their love
and caring. When they love, they could give everything beyond their capabilities.

The story, ”The Wedding Dance”, is just simply the portrayal, the shadow, the mirror, and the
mere representation of the two different individual, a man and a woman. Awiyao represents a
well-defined being. His characteristics as a person are bold, passionate, a good follower, and at
the same time seeking the honor and dignity for himself. Lumnay as a woman is defined to be
unselfish, faithful, and ultimately strong. She is very courageous and has the will to give all the
things that she could give to her husband.

In the story, we could see how passionate Awiyao was. He was a dreamer. He wants to have a
child. For him, having a child is a fulfillment of a lifetime. But here’s Lumnay. Even though she
was forced by Awiyao to find another man, she can’t be unfaithful to her husband. All she ever
wanted was to be with him. She doesn’t want another man; she just wants to be with Awiyao
for the rest of her life.

The Wedding Dance is not just a simple story of two lovers. It is a story of passion and love, a
story of sacrificing and believing, a story of being faithful and a good follower, a story of honor
and dignity, and of course, a story of love and caring.

How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife

 By: Manuel E. Arguilla

The story started when Leon and his younger brother were both waiting for the arrival of Leon's
wife, Maria, riding in a carretela. As Baldo saw his older brother's wife, he described her as
lovely, tall, and beautiful. He narrated their journey to Nagrebcan, their hometown. Leon
wondered why Baldo drove them to the Waig instead on the Camino Real. Baldo answered that
he drove them to the Waig because their father told him to follow the Waig. The Waig route
served as a test for the wife to see if she could really live in a province which was very different
in a life in a city where she lived. While travelling, Maria described the place of Leon as clean,
and free of dust and smoke. Maria admitted of having some fears if the father of Leon would
not accept her as to be his daughter-in-law because she may not able to survive the life in the
province. When they got home, Leon's family talked to Maria. Baldo and his father had a
conversation about what had happened while they were travelling. The father asked Baldo if
Maria was afraid in their place. Baldo answered that Maria was not afraid and instead she
enjoyed the journey.

Analyis
 At first, I don’t really understand the story, but as the story goes on, I became more interested
with it. I like the story because it taught me about respect and acceptance of one's life. In order
to have a harmonious and long-lasting relationship you must show respect to each other and
the family. And if you really love a person you should accept who he/she is, and what he/she is.

The writing style of the author was good because he used figurative languages which made
the story more interesting, convincing, and beautiful. The message of the story was easy to
understand because it was clear and concise. The characters of the story were presented well
of what were their roles. The flow or the plot or the scenes in the story were organized. The
words used were appropriate. The story also taught us many moral lessons in life like one may
have to sacrifice small part of one’s life in order to be happy.

This story for me is a very interesting one. Here in our world, it is very rare to hear that a
city girl can fall in love with a provinciano.

According to my research, Leon’s father accepted Maria and it is a good thing even if
her life is different from theirs.

One thing is for sure, after reading this, I realized that loving someone is not full of
expectations, you really have to accept the person you love especially when it comes to his own
life, and you do not accept the person because of his riches, but you accept him because he
shows how he loves you for who you are in whatever way he thinks that is good.