21st Century Literature from the

Philippines and the World

Salaza, Juan Christopher, C. Submitted to:

ABM 12- AYALA Mr. Ric Eldrid Pabico

Chapter 1

There was a child who is physically disabled, his face is titled and he is also
deaf and mute. He got bullied by the other street children. One day in the long
street of Laguna he encountered again the street children. They bombarded him
with hurtful words, punches and kicks. His head is bleeding and to escape, he ran
so fast until he saw an old house, he entered the house to hide from the street
children, because of the wounds he received he fell asleep. After a while, he heard
a noise that caused him to woke up , a voice came from the attic but nobody is
there only him, it is an old house, he’s afraid but he decided to go there and find
who’s talking, but after a while the one was talking is not somebody but it’s the
house , he was shock after knowing that the house is talking so he ran so fast away
from the house, but he felt so hungry and decided to find food in to forget what
happened. It’s rainy evening, he doesn’t find a place to hide, so he decided to go
back and sleep in the old house.

Chapter 2

In the morning the house is started to talk and tell a story about Martha. But
before that the child eyes want to say “why can you talk”? house notice in the eyes
of the deaf child that he really wants to know why so the house started to talk it
said that the purpose of this is to tell a story, a story that I only know what the real
happen. Then started to talk about who is living in that house before. Martha is the
name of the woman who owned me before, she always cleans me and she didn’t
want if something is broke in me. There was a three construction workers that
works to fixed me one of them are Thomas he is the ex-convict and he always has
a cigarette on his left hand. Martha lives her own but she has two sons named
Joaquin and Badong. Martha is a foster mother of Joaquin the real parents of
Joaquin died on an airplane crash. Joaquin’s parents Mrs. and Mr. Carpio are both
special to Martha, so she decided to adopt Joaquin. Then Badong is the only son of
Martha his father is also a ex-convict and decides to leave after knowing that
Martha is pregnant. If we both compare the two Joaquin is better than Badong
because Joaquin grow as a matured man. He knows how to control and discipline
his self while Badong on the other hand is like a teenager, very stubborn and
naughty like a child.

Chapter 3

One day in the cold and dark night, Martha is alone at her house then she
suddenly heard a noise that cause her to wake up, then she slowly went down the
stairs, she saw a shadow, a shadow of a man holding cigarette, she felt so nervous
but she face it bravely then she walk slowly going to the door, when suddenly
someone hold her mouth then grab her in counter tap and start malicious things,
Martha cant do anything.

Chapter 4

After a long day Martha decided to wash and wear her favorite red dress and
sleep but suddenly she heard a strange noise from the kitchen that caused her to
wake up. She slowly went down the stairs to know where the strange noise is
coming from then she saw the door was opened but it was so dark to see what is it,
she just saw a shadow, she walked slowly to the door, then she saw a cigarette and
suddenly someone grabbed her in the kitchen and started kissing her, she doesn’t
have enough strength to escape from the man, he started to rape Martha and the
man who raped Martha is the construction worker named Thomas. After that he
leaves Martha crying in the kitchen withiot wearing anything. The next morning,
Martha decided to clean the whole house specially the kitchen where the malicious
things happened while wiping her tears because it was falling rapidly while
thinking of why people doing such evil things.

Chapter 5

Martha waited for a long time for Thomas to comeback but he doesn’t
arrive, but she knew that Thomas would come back sooner or later. If Thomas
would come back to her house and initiate to raped her, she already placed a knife
under her pillow, before sleeping she would always image killing Thomas in her
hand or stab Thomas so that She can have a revenge on what Thomas did to her.
She was always waiting for Thomas to come back. But suddenly, the house
stopped telling her story because of that nightmare.

Chapter 6

When the child woke up he angrily out the house to find a food to eat, it
Saturday de glory, he is imagining and predicting whatever he saw on the street,
then he saw again the street children to get away from them, he ran away so fast, it
past evening when he go back to the to the old house, then again the house
continue her story, Martha still waiting, angrily waiting, she’s always clean the
houses for her revenge. As the days go by still Thomas didn’t comeback, but still
waiting.

Chapter 7

Joaquin came back from his mission in the parish, that day is Christmas so
he gave her mother a cellphone but she immediately declined it. Joaquin blessed
every parts of the house but when they’ve reached the kitchen Martha started to
tremble and cry. After the incident Joaquin and Martha ate dinner then Joaquin
asked Martha where Badong was but Martha lied and said he’s working in manila
and as usual he is not calling me, the last thing she knew about Badong is he is in
jail because of drugs, but she decided not to tell Joaquin because he has so many
problems in the church and not let him worry about it. The next morning, Joaquin
is getting ready to go back in Samar.
 Chapter 8

The next day, again Martha is alone in his house because his son Joaquin go
back to his mission in Samar. In the cold raining night he heard a noise but this
time she is ready, she get the knife under her pillow and slowly down in the stair
she feel nervous, she saw the door on the kitchen but this time she intended not to
lock the door but still she feel nervous, after a while she saw a shadow of a man
holding cigarette, she feel so afraid but she face it then he immediately open the
door and stab the man, but suddenly notice that the man she stab was Badong. His
blood is in the hands of Martha while so shock and can’t move. After a while the
police is in the scene and Martha is still shocks and can’t move. The police bought
her to the metal hospital detention.

Chapter 9

As the days goes by Martha is still in the shocks, she always listening to
badongs favorite song or listening to the rain. But still she is not talking and can’t
remember anything because of the incident happened. Still watching for nothing
and nobody knows what real happen at that night. She felt empty every night
wearing her red dress. Everyday Thomas visited and bring her puto but Martha still
can’t remember Thomas or any of what happened. She always accept what
badongs gave, she always see badong walking in the lobby of the hospital. She
always follow it, after a while it disappear but the smile of Martha is genuine.

Chapter 10

Thomas knows that the thing he do Is not right and immoral he needs to put
in the jail. She should here stab her to death but Martha is still can’t remember
about what happen because of shock she still in the mental hospital guided with
two guards. Thomas planned to get Martha escape out of the mental hospital. He
planned to wear a priest like clothing and pretend that he is a priest but it’s
impossible to escape in that place. The house stopped to tell a story of Martha,
because the end is near, if the story end, this is also my end, because I live to tell
the story of Martha, because it just the only one knows what happened. It’s gonna
be a sad ending for me but, it is better to Martha. She has now someone understand
her.

Chapter 11

The child run so fast like the first time she find a place but not like that. He run
angrily because of the house is story near to end and the house also will destroy,
there for he run so fast so that the story will not be ended he’s crying nun because
of sadness so that he hug the nurse and say’s ‘’why my friends always leaves me?’’
because I’m ugly and no one loves me, you all that I have but sown you’ll leave.
I’m so sad then because of sadness he’ll fell asleep and then after he wakes up the
house said I will continue the story it will end it happelly.

Chapter 12

It was two days since he sleep in Martha’s house, the child go outside and try to
thief in aling Maring store but it doesn’t have change so she go back and aling
Maring saws Badong spirit she follows it and feed it with a banana. After that she
try to speak in the spirit of Badong and said it was you, you’re own mother killed
you, yes I am but it is not intentionally, nay Martha is the best mother for me. Tell
her that I’m not angry of what she did. I’m forgetting her and I love her so much.
Then he thanks aling Maring and then he rapidly disappear.
 Chapter 13

Martha is still can’t remember anything but she’s freed from the mental hospital,
then after she’s free, she eventually go back to her house, and saw the house is now
destroyed but in the front of the house, she saw a crying child and said why are you
here but remember the child is deaf so he can’t speak, and how Martha seeing his
situation, immediately said that I want to adapt you and named you badong. The
child is very happy then Martha decide to fixed again her ho use, and live with the
child named badong.

Biographical context of the novel

Ricky Lee made it again on his third novel, “Bahay ni Martha”. He shoots
an omnidirectional short fiction that just flawlessly bull’s eyes all the marks he
intends to hit. This book is funny. Sad, tragic, and honestly satisfying that dares to
tread the known and unknown hallways of love, faith (or its lack of and
redemption). The novel opens with the encounter of a boy with facial deformity
and a seemingly unreliable narrator- animated abandoned house with perverse
musings of its previous owner. The tale catapults as it shares a grim event that took
place in its wake as the boy finds comfort in its shelter and company.

Sociocultural context of the novel

The novel of Ricky Lee titled “Bahay ni Marta” was published in March 02,
2018 published in the Philippines where in poverty and rape is rampant in our
country. Until fairly recently discussions of poverty have largely dwelt on
assessment income and expenditure with social analysis rarely proceeding beyond
of health and education. such discussion unfortunately neglect decades of rich
sociological, anthropological and phsyco-social research that sheds light on
poverty, it’s differential causes, expressions and on sequences in societies the
world over. Central to this discussion are key concepts from sociology.
Anthropology contributes each concept as culture, values, norms, ethical and
alliances while social phycology adds such notions as vulnerability, self-esteem,
insecurity, and discrimination.

Reader’s response

My interpretation in the story “Ang Bahay ni Martha”. There are things that are
better to forgetting than to remember and feel the pain.