Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Severino Montano
Characters:
Sabina - a young farm girl
Mamerto - their grandfather
Rustica - their grandmother
Cleta - Sabina's aunt
Ariston - Cleta's husband
Ursula - their young daughter, Sabina's cousin
Antero - Sabina's older brother
Mr. George Price - an American
Place:
Kawakan - a small farm village near the sea coast, to the far north of Luzon.
Time:
The present, April evening. Ten o'clock.
Scene:
The living room of a rather prosperous-looking but old farmhouse in a Kawakan, a small farm village not
far from the sea.
It is a bamboo house with sloping bamboo rafters, sturdy teakwood post and shiny handsome floors. A
spacious platform upstage center. To the right of the platform and above it is a door leading into Sabina's
room. On the right wall is a big window with mother-of-pearl shellpanes facing the altar table. Below this
window is the main door leading to the entrance porch. On the left wall is the door to the kitchen. Another
window, a small one, is above the altar platform, center. The windows are luxuriant with ferns and air plants,
gleaming under the April moonlight.
The room is almost bare of furniture, for the villagers are used to sitting on these shiny floors. But a bamboo
couch, a heavily carved teakwood chair, a camphor chest, a cupboard and a cane easy chair are placed about
the room.
An old-fashioned oil lamp hangs from the sloping ceiling. Another lamp, a very new one of the “Aladdin”
variety, stands conspicuously on the cupboard. This lamp, however, is not lighted.
A novena is going on as the curtain rises. The mourners, led by Rustica, and old woman who is apart from
the rest, are kneeling on the platform facing the altar table which is lighted with several candles. The mourners
are Antero, son of the house; Cleta, his aunt; Ariston, Cleta’s husband; and Mamerto, grandfather of the
household. The prayers are said in an emotional litany like monotone, and more or less chanted. The cry of a
turtle is heard faintly coming from the sea. It is about ten o’clock at night; but for prayers and the voice of the
turtle, the late April evening is still.
The old man rises and turns coldly towards the big window.
MOURNERS: (Casting quick glances at the Old Man, their prayers becoming faster): My God! Let Thou
not forsake her from the rages of sin and the scorching heat of hell-fire, deliver Sabina, O Lord, from evil!
OLD WOMAN: Amen! (She makes the sign of the cross.)
Crossing themselves too and rising briefly, the mourners look questioningly at the old man.
OLD WOMAN: What made you rise just now, Mamerto? Is it the crying of the black turtle that worries
you, she that’s grieving deeply by the river’s mouth?
OLD MAN: No Rustica! I’m getting tired hearing you pray for Sabina every night. Isn’t it enough that
we mourn for the dead?
OLD WOMAN: It’s also a blessed thing to pray for the living, Mamerto!
CLETA: Indeed, it’s our duty to look after Sabina! I passed by the village store this evening, and
the women are laughing. “How’s Mr. George?” they asked me. “Is it true your Aunt Maria died because of
Mr. George?”
OLD MAN: Your Aunt Maria didn’t die of any such thing, Cleta!
CLETA: Didn’t she? Aunt Maria herself left heavy the day Sabina was fool enough to go out with
Mr. George!
URSULA: The doctor said it was her weak heart she died of, Mother, not Mr. George!
CLETA: Keep quiet!
OLD WOMAN: Maria’s heart was heavy that day, God save her soul! I fear her spirit will come back if
Sabina’s not careful this evening. Mamerto, what are we to do with Sabina?
OLD MAN: Nothing, Rustica! It would be wiser if we leave Sabina alone!
OLD WOMAN: Wiser? Once there was a strange sailor who came roaming round this village; a clean chap
he looked like. But soon one of the young girls bore him a child. The sailor left, and the poor girl died of
sadness!
OLD MAN: Mr. George is not a sailor, Rustica!
OLD WOMAN: He is a man, nonetheless, Mamerto!
CLETA: Do you know what the women in the market are saying? This is the night Mr. George is
coming back!
ARISTON: It’s gossip such as yours that brings the devil, Cleta! Stop it!
CLETA: Surely, it’s no gossip, Ariston!
ARISTON: Well, what if he is coming back?
CLETA: Sabina will want to light that lamp again in this house, instead of the candles.
ARISTON: What lamp?
They go, Sabina is left alone with the Old Man. She rushes to him and cries.
Sadly, Sabina watches him go out slowly by the back door. After a while, she picks up a
little cheerfulness again. Antero enters frozenly from the front door. There is a brief moment of cold silence
between them.
SABINA: (Cheerfully) Is there great need for us to be locking the gate, Antero?
ANTERO: (Sternly) The curfew has rung!
SABINA: Even so, let’s not close the front gate for just this evening. The night itself is bright enough
with the full moon, the streets are looking like day.
ANTERO: Are you so set on waiting?
SABINA: Don’t begin that all over again. Antero! Would you have me growing old, like a sour old
maid?
ANTERO: That’s not the trouble!
SABINA: It is! You should be well pleased I’m happy at last, after doing my goodly share of hard
work these long years since Father Died! Haven’t I helped to make things go on this farm, sharing gladly with
the planting and the harvesting? Am I to be married to the soil forever, with no happiness coming?
ANTERO: If you should fall into disgrace, what are we to do, your own kin, who’ll bear the brunt of
your chosen shame forever?
SABINA: Shame? Is it a shame to be happy?
ANTERO: Can’t you appreciate what it is to have a name?
SABINA: What care I, if I myself am not happy a little?
ANTERO: Are you saying you won’t listen at all?
SABINA: I love him so, Antero! I love him!
ANTERO: All right, but you know nothing about him whatsoever. It’s only three months you’ve
known him!
SABINA: I don’t care about that!
ANTERO: It’s your duty to care!
SABINA: Mr. George loves me! I know he does! My heart tells me he does!
ANTERO: I don’t care what your wild heart tells you! What I care about is your own good self, do
you hear me?
SABINA: He’s good to me Antero! Mr. George Is a good man. He’s a fine man. And I tell you he
loves me!
ANTERO: I warn you he’ll leave you like thunder!
SABINA: No, no, he won’t. He won’t!
ANTERO: Oh yes he will! I know enough of these sleek and tired and world-wise merchant men from
the city! I’ve seen it happen!
There is a tense speechless moment between them. Sabina picks up several of the broken
pieces and fingers them speechlessly. The turtle is heard again.
There is another silence broken by the approaching steps of Mr. George. Antero goes out through
the front door. Sabina rises quickly and straightens herself up. Mr. George enters cheerfully from the back
door.
He is kind, cheerful, somewhat tired but romantic-looking, businessman of about thirty years,
prosperous and plump, but not too fleshy; good-looking in a stout American way and bearing about him an
earthly kind of simplicity. There is gentleness in his tired voice. In fact, there is something romantic and
alarmingly disarming about him. He wears a white linen suit, white shoes, and a white tropical helmet. He
carries a week-end bag with him.
He rolls his shirt sleeves up, unfastens his holster and hands it to Sabina together with his bag and
helmet. She takes them all into her room. He loosens his tie, then sits down and relaxes, and begins stretching
comfortably. Sabina returns with her dressing gown and a towel and slippers.
SABINA: I’ll place the things you’ll need for your bath here, Mr. George. Rest yourself now, and I’ll
get you some supper.
MR. GOERGE: (Holding her by the hand) Don’t bother, I’m not hungry! Let’s just sit here and be quiet for
a while, shall we, Sabina?
SABINA: Oh, but if you’re tired… Well, then…
MR. GEORGE: Tell me, Sabina, what makes you kind to me?
SABINA: The earth itself is kind when the sun is good, and you’ve been good, Mr. George!
MR.GEORGE: (Thoughtfully) The women I know are kind, but you’re so much kinder! God knows how
much I’ve missed you.
SABINA: I’ve missed you too, Mr. George.
MR GEORGE: (Embracing her passionately) This whole month I’ve missed you! And I need you, Sabina!
I need you!
SABINA: (Softly) Mr. George?
Mr. GEORGE: Yes, My dearest?
SABINA: Will you always love me?
MR. GEORGE: Always! Forever and always!
SABINA: (After a while, timidly) Will you... let me keep that love?
MR. GEORGE: It’s all yours, sweet! I never knew what love meant until I met you, Sabina!
SABINA: And I never felt so happy before you came, Mr. George!
MR. GEORGE: I’ve never felt so happy myself. Oh, God, what I have missed.
She goes into her room, but she comes back quickly with a silver sewing box.
The others, Antero, Cleta, Ariston, Rustica, Mamerto, Ursula, and the two neighbors, come in
hurriedly.
CLETA: What happened? (She suddenly realizes Sabina is dead and cries hysterically.) Grandma!
Grandma! She’s dead!
The others try to quiet her. The old woman approaches Sabina’s body and begins mourning. The
men place the bamboo couch in front of the altar, the women take a white blanket from the room, and spread
it on the couch.
OLD WOMAN: (Praying) It’s an evil night! It’s an evil night, Mr. George!
The men carry Sabina’s body and lay her gently on the couch. They cover half of her body with
another white blanket. The others begin praying and mourning over the body. Mr. George comes away from
the window and joined the mourners.
CLETA: (Calling out to Mr. George) Mr. George! Mr. George! Please leave our Sabina alone!
A bamboo flute is heard far away. Once more we hear the turtle crying.