WAY-WAYA

(FRANCISCO SIONIL JOSE)

Biographical Background:
Francisco Sionil Jose was born on December 3, 1924 in Rosales, Pangasinan. He was of an
Ilocano descent whose family migrated to Pangasinan before his birth. The following
information describes a short history of the Jose Family’s migration to the Pangasinan
province. Waywaya is the Filipino version, specifically Ilokano, of that Papua New Guinea
story, with the Ilokano beliefs and traditions and the cultural strain reflected in the short story
of Jose. The title itself (Waywaya) is anIlokano word meaning “freedom” (Jose, 2012).

Characters:
Waywaya- is a lady from the tribe of luad,slave of dayaw and as the same time the love of his
life
Dayaw - a poet a musician who want to prove to ulo that he has a capability to rule and to be a
warrior. The son of ulo and the master and love of waywaya. Is a brave man from the tribe of
daya
Liwliwa - is a lady from the tribe of daya ,who give pleasures to dayaw.
Parabangon - the second son of ulo and the brother of dayaw who at first againts to the plan of
dayaw to make waywaya as a slave.
Ulo - the father and the ruler of the tribe of daya.The one who is always againts with the love of
dayaw and waywaya. Also the mortal enemy of the ruler of laun the chieftain.
Chieftain - the ruler of the tribe of laud and the father of waywaya also the enemy of ulo.

The Plot Summary:

Dayaw is from Daya he kidnaps a woman (Waywaya) - at first no given

name, from the neighboring land, Laud. The woman becomes his slave. They produce a son. It
turns out that the woman was the daughter of the chieftain of Laud.The people of Daya and
Laud have long been warring tribes. Waywaya dies. Dayaw with his younger brother Parbangon,
against their father's wishes (their father is stated throughout the story as the Ulo or in Filipino,
means the head or chief, yes their father is the chief of Daya - so they are like princes of Daya)
goes to Laud to talk to the chief - Waywaya's father, about peace between the two tribes. Dayaw
knows that the people of Laud will or may both kill them, he has a feeling that death will come
to them and that peace was absolutely uncertain. At the end, it is unknown whether Dayaw was
able to come back to Daya.

"There is something about an old tree," he said , "it grows no more. At the
same time, it is difficult to cut it down. Its roots are deep although it can draw no more
sustenance from the earth. Maybe, it is right that new trees should grow…"
He ate little when the food finally came, Parbangon ate nothing for he had fallen asleep. They
brought Dayaw wine- sweet and slightly bitter- and he wondered if it would be in the wine. But
it was not.
It was late and he must rest so they left him while the feasting and dancing continued outside.
He slept fitfully until dawn- that deep and tranquil quiet when just a tint of purple appeared in
the east and stars still studded the sky like germs. Now thoughts crowded his mind like drones
and he was filled once more with regret that he had not been kinder to her. He could see her
now in this time of day, her hair glossy and black, her precious face, the luminous eyes, the
moist lips - the image of her alive and breathing and touching, pottering in the kitchen,
preparing his meal. And the baby - yes their son, how would it be when he finally became a
man?
And Parbangon, would they enslave him or let him return as he had hoped they would, so that
he could tell the Taga Daya? And how would it end for him? He had been trained not to fear
death and though he had considered fighting, there was no sense to it as there was really no
logic for his being here, just as the Ulo had said. No logic, but since when did love have any?
Morning, and time to leave. The old chief was at the door and as he approached, Dayaw glanced
at Parbangon who was still asleep.
"Don't wake him up," the chief said softly. "He needs rest; we will take him back to the river…" A
wave of joy engulfed him. They went down the broad steps, into a brilliant morning where some
of the warriors have already gathered. The old chief put an arm around his shoulder,
murmuring. "Husband of my daughter - my son."

"Father of my wife, my father." He returned the farewell In the clear light,

everything stood out now- the bamboo houses with their grass roofs , the corrals of the pigs, the
chicken houses, the vegetable patches, the orange trees. He knew almost everything around him
just as Waywaya had described it; why he was almost at home! They walked him to the edge of
the village. He must utter now the important word, Waywaya," he said in reverential prayer, "I
loved her."The fruit of our union, a boy. Your blood is in him, he is across the river. Will you let
him grow in peace, ignorant of a time like this? Will you/ The chief did not answer and if he did
spoke, Dayaw did not hear. The gongs started again and then, from the women in the distance
came the sound of wailing. Was it for him? In his heart, though he was afraid, he was glad. The
forest awaited him but as sure as sunset, he knew that he would not reach the river .