The House Of The Unholy

Hours have passed before the carriage reaches the town of Jaro, south of Iloilo, crammed in between Dungon creek and Jaro river. The carriage passes through the town's iridescent plaza where its church is also instituted, the Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, The cathedral has an unusual belfry as it is proudly erected in the midst of the plaza, across the busy streets from the church. The Parish of Our Lady of the Candles is mostly known for its marvelous statue of the V.i.r.g.i.n Mary as it is believed by its townsmen that she has been growing in size each year, and on humid days, the V.i.r.g.i.n Mary would vanish from its alcove near the pinnacle of the cathedral to bathe her child in the stream.

The Jaro Plaza is where the life of the town is for its people flock it during market days every Thursdays at two in the afternoon. The only place in town where one can find the natives mingled with the mestizos and the principalias; like those garments on offer where blouses and saya for the ladies are mixed with trouserings for the gentlemen; sombreros for him and sarongs and handkerchiefs for her.

Walking forth through the innards of the market one can see rows of native women of varying age seated on the ground each holding either sarongs and trouserings of pinya or jusi and sinamay. Next to them there seated a group of young lads shouting straw hats for the segnor or woven baskets for the segnora. While the mestizo patrons seem to struggle which items to buy, and which stalls they can have them at the cheapest.

At the heart of the marketplace there are stalls of bamboo tables selling varieties of edibles from coarse cakes of sugar, biscuits, rice delicacies, dried beans, peas and other vegetables, and assorted oils. Adjacent to the food stalls is a corner store manned by hulking native men rowdily offering the items they are selling: cotton twist made from native cotton, and leaf tobacco in assorted bundles.

As one goes further deep into the market then they will get the fatigue of it being crowded, add to it the scent of the vendors sweat and the breaths of those who are shouting to catch the attention of the purchasers; both make foul atmosphere. The consolation is the number of umbrellas warding off the glare of the midday sun; and the church belfry which seems to be sacrificing itself by blocking the scorching sun to give enough shade to the patrons and vendors. While the tall cross quietly stands in the middle of the plaza.

In the midst of the noisy street, the carriage which holds Teo and Isko makes a sudden stop to give way to crossing families holding the goods they bought from the market. A moment passes by and its door opens and Isko steps down from it.

"I will be staying at a distant uncle Segnor, I will see you by tomorrow," he pauses when another group of maiden cross the street, "You can find me in front of the bell tower waiting. I will not hold you any longer for the Governor must be waiting," he smiles

"You could still come with us, Isko," Teo smiles back

"I wish I could Segnor, but I had not washed my mestizo coat and trousers back home," Isko removes his straw hat and nods as he excuses himself to blend in the crowd.