Chapter 4

The mist lay thick and heavy over the ground. The clouds are kissing the foot of the mountains. The sun was to rise shortly, but in this weather, all was dusk, and in this cold even the farmer who was tending to his crops of taro and banana, as well as the indebted tenants who planted the datu's fields of rice, were still fast asleep.

Kawayan, for her part, was roused this early as Piwaya was going to hand over the knotted threads by which the girl would know which part of the long poem she had last recited so she can pick up from there. The babaylan was there to watch her. She did not quite like these recitations and she wanted to grumble, but the babaylan’s face was too intimidating.

Say, how far away in the past is this story, anyway? Could there be any men today who can do half as much as this hero? Oh, that should be a fine, fine young man to get married to!

“Kawayan!”

“…”

“You are faltering.”

“…”

“Your voice is taking on a strange pitch. Repeat.”

“From the start?”

“…”

The princess sighed softly. “Alright…”

The babaylan sat up straight again and eyed the young girl even more sharply. There really is no escape, is there?

A little later, the woman summoned Alsani so the two sisters could rehearse the ritual dance together, as the rice harvest was nearing. The lady arrived, but the instruments have not yet arrived. The babaylan stepped out of the room and began to berate the servants, before leading them away to watch them get the gear herself, leaving behind the two sisters to wait on her.

"But they are such nice people,” sighed Kawayan. “They help me dress every single day. They always give the first portion of their own lunch to me. Who else would do that?"

“Do you not be fooled, they hate you, Kawayan.”

"No... That's not what I feel from them. They tell me.... how proud they are of my cheeks. They keep saying that I am the most beautiful girl in the whole land. They told me... They tell me how much they want me to be their own child!

"And I feel it everytime. I hear it in their voice. That they mean it."

"Slaves. They are slaves, that is why they are kind to you."

“Is it so?”

Alsani did not bother to reply. Foolish girl.

“Is Amang choosing a man for you now?”

"Mother is in talks with a nephew of the sultan of Johor," said Alsani.

"Ohhhhh...! Ateng, you are going to be royalty, aren't you, aren't you?"

"Tush. I may not be going straight to Johor, anyway. Maybe to Sulu, maybe somewhere nearby from there. Father refuses to believe it, but I think I won't be fit to marry anyone related to the Sultan."

"Oh, but you are being too modest!"

"Silence. I know how to grade myself. And you? Is facing the truth nothing more than simple modesty to you?"

Kawayan pouted. She was just trying to strike up a conversation. Even now, she was still a bit upset over her unusual guest that night, but is it even worth telling her anything now?

The babaylan and the servants finally returned with everything needed, so the rehearsal began in earnest. The younger sister was the first to go.

Kawayan began to kneel down on the wooden floor. The wood felt warm and welcoming. She spent the time enjoying the feel of it... until the bamboo began to slowly beat. And then the gongs. The beat of the instruments began to slowly quicken, but Kawayan kept up. She knew this dance, much as Alsani did. When it was time for her sister to join, she kept up with her, as well.

But oh… That was so tiring.

Kawayan lay prone on the floor of her own room. The wood was cool, although it wasn't quite the same as the floor of the room where she had performed. If she was to be kept locked away like this every single day... then maybe her purpose in life, was to feel this comfortable wood forever?

That dance had drained her. Now that she thought of it, however, it really did not take a lot of effort, certainly not as much as the servants who toiled away for her family, carrying wood and water everyday without fail. She concluded a tiredness of the mind rather than of the body was true exhaustion.

Tap tap tap

It was soft.

Tap tap tap

She knew what it was.

She scrambled to her feet and rushed to the window.

The girl had a hard time pushing the lauan panel, she did not realize it had been barred on the outside. And then, she recalled her guest was wont to come calling through the trapdoor, so she went and lifted it. And there he was.

For some reason, however, the tikbalang did not come into the room. His eye shone brightly in the pitch darkness but they were as pleading as ever, waiting on her, adoring her. He was ready to do anything she wanted, like he always was.

“Why are you crying, my Princess?”

“Heh?”

“You are crying.”

Kawayan touched her cheeks and, oh—! They were wet. It was then that she let her feelings pour out after that initial excitement over hearing him arrive. “I didn’t want this, I didn’t want this!” she gasped.

“…”

She calmed down, but her tears kept falling. "I didn't really want this," she sniffled softly. "Whenever they tell me I must stay in this room all of my whole life, I... My mind closes down. Like this window when the night air is too cold."

"..."

And then… her eyes clouded from more tears. She silently bowed her head and allowed them to flow freely. Next she knew, those eyes began to grow heavy-lidded.

"Ngggh..."

Kawayan stirred uneasily in bed. Someone is here with her in this room. Soon enough she began to flutter her eyes open and....

"Wah!" she yelped as she jumped up. Someone was holding a portion of her flowing mane.

She knew who it was.

“…”

So he is still here.

“Say,” she told the presence behind her, “your legs are long. It looks like you could… you could kill someone with that.

“Mind if I call you… Tadyak?”

“…”

The stroking of the hair continued. There was no response, but there was no objection either. It seems the tikbalang agrees.

"Say, you can keep me from getting scratched, right?

"Would you… Would you take me out tonight? To that waterfall you told me about last time."