43 Kabang and Tikaban Woman

When George was done with his ocular inspection uphill he right away returned below and immediately proceeded to the house while his shirt was pasting with sweat. He changed, rested and took a bath. After which, Albrecht offered him some breakfast while the house seemed so silent.

" Where is she?" George asked.

" She's done with her meal and said she'll sew one of your damaged uniforms. Yes, repair. Exactly, yours alone - not including ours."

Then uncontrollably George smiled.

While having his breakfast he shared to Albrecht what he has found out and some plans for it which eventually Baldur joined them and set it right away. They were at the receiving area chatting when she called his name.

" George..." It was too slowly.

"What is that? Is there another George inside?" Then Albrecht attempted to move his ear on the door but Baldur pulled his belt to return to his seat.

"You're not supposed to be the eldest you think backwardly. Leave her alone, she's maybe taming this man in front of us. Albrecht calm down and behave." Baldur seriously commented.

"Shh...its our little secret so that you two will be used to it." George whispered.

" What's that?" They asked in chorus.

" She talks and mumbles while sleeping. So you probably heard her calling my name while eyes closed right now and probably dreamt of me." He smiled and blushed.

" Oh c'mon! haha!" Okay, I have nothing to say about that anymore I felt some ants are biting my feet, are there any ants below which are biting you too, Baldur? I'm more interested on the ambush next day and the physical training today." Hmm..." Albrecht smiled.

"He still stare to nothingness, sighed and smiled and slowly spoke.

" She's making me dumb and melting me like the sun that melts the foggy mountaintop up there."

"George, you're 25 and the head of this command. Besides, you're not a teenager anymore. Someone might hear you, c'mon! haha!" Baldur felt being tickled.

He got back to reality and saw them smiling and staring at him.

"Hey brothers, can we look for a bigger angel fruit? something like as tall as a 5 year old child and I'll replace the smaller onenthat I've planted. How is that."

Hmm...we also think about it but she already saw what you have planted. Sadly, the tallest stands around 6 inches, its really for 8-9 months of waiting."

" Heavens! 8-9 months, that's too far!" Then he shook his head.

" But the ambush brother, where are you going to assign me. Am I a frontliner or a gunner or what?" Albrecht jokily intervened.

"Brother, everything's fine...its just that it takes time but you're already on the first phase, its a tradition she's following, better let's stop from planning the ambush and resume tonight. Me and Albrecht will facilitate the physical training and sparring. Just relax first. I know you've got a hard time up there plus you heard her calling your name when the room is always lock. Come Albrecht, let's water the angel fruit seedlings, that's the only way we can help." Baldur put his arms around Albrecht's shoulder then they got out from the house.

" Gosh! what will I do? Dad (Captain) had me for her, the brothers as well. The situation gives me a headache between het principles. Seldom I've heard a story like this, hmm." He bowed his head on the ground.

" George! are you there outside?"

He did not move for he thought she was just dreaming again.

" George!" Magee called him twice so he stood up right away in front of the door.

" Yes? I'm here."

" Here's your uniform, Please take this. I need to go to the kitchen and can you stay a little farther, away from the door or you may join with them in exercising outside."

" Ha? They told me to relax in here, I have no sleep yet."

" Oh, I see. Okay you stay here inside, take your sleep on my bed."

" Really? Thanks." Then he entered the room like a lightning.

Magee smiled and went to the kitchen and boil the breadfruit that Baldur just harvested. She put fair amount of sugar and 5 cups of pure coconut milk into a pot of breadfruit in chunk.

While waiting for it, she took a bath and when she got out she's startled by his presence, standing in front of the bathroom and he's too close on her. Magee smiled dryly and spoke.

" Sit down. I'll shout if you move closer to me. We agreed already and its final. Why you worry a lot when I'm just around, ha? Find your seat." She then smiled.

" You let me wait in your room." George expressed with his deepest voice.

" Did I tell you that I'll be back there while you're inside? I will sleep at my brothers' room tonight and they'll stay in the room where the map is. I know you like that room very much, I'm giving that to you now."

" Why you can't look at me straightforward."

" Its nothing. Just wait for the breadfruit, its almost done. I guess you're just hungry so here's the delicacy of Tikaban and this is really for you, George."

" I'm not hungry yet. I'll just stay around and watch you with the breadfruit." He insisted.

" Ah, I see. Hmm...how's your white daisies, I've heard that one of the roosters destroyed your newly transplanted runners, is it true?"

"Who said that? Then he ran to check if its true and its terribly frustrating, seeing those plants that are already uprooted and laid on the ground helplessly. Without wasting his time, he right away looked for some bolo and replanted. After a short while, he watered the risen white daisy plants and stood up with joy. Ready to proceed back to the house when a lady approached him.

"Sir, I think you need to put small drainage around them and constant watering is needed for daisies. You are fond with flowers, isn't it amazing? Most guys don't do it."

' Ah...my wife loves them." She smiled to her.

" Wow! she's dearly loved and she's very lucky having you as her responsible husband. Do you know the meaning of that? by the way, which place she's a native of? because people's tradition here depends on its origin or clan.

" Just mention three barrios around this place and feedback me what their traditions on planting for their wives mean." He curiously said.

" In Gabok, its where the bombs were dropped last night has an adorable meaning of it. Wives told them to do it so that their deities will bless their firstborn with blessings ahead. For a Tikaban woman, although its not meant for his husband anymore, but to his fiancee - asking him to help her preserve her purity before the wedding and that she's indirectly teaching him to carefully take care of the flowers he's planting because it represents their relationship and bond. Once the man don't water the flowers mean he stops loving the woman. If the woman noticed that the flowers are not taken cared of due to impatience - the woman will drop the agreement and conclusively finds him as irresponsible and legitimately not a good husband. For Kabang tradition, a woman requires her fiancee to plant flowers so to ask him to follow the pamanhikan process. It usually have two - way scope. First, they asked men to plant a tree and if it bears fruit, she'll marry her. She will always monitor him if he's taking care of the tree, if not, or if the tree dies, the man will be dismissed from the agreement. Second, the woman will ask to the fiancee some rainbow flowers (its a trick). The woman really needs one color that a man must pick, not randomly. If the man picked a color she have chosen too, it means, she will serve the man like a husband but only on that level but she still will stay away from him - till the day before the wedding. Thank God, Kabang women vanished long time ago, not anyone survived from the 1918-1920 Spanish flu pandemic. They were like Spartans, brave and determined. Men can't touch their hands if they're unmarried, its a sign of grave disrespect and a major offense."

" Wow! you are well-versed, what are you into?"

" I studied anthropology but I wasn't lucky enough to graduate. I joined the revolution even before the war. I was included in the pool of captives after being caught."

" Sorry to hear that."

'"By the way Sir, its clear to me that you're planting for your firstborn, congratulations in advance!" She smiled then left.

" Wait, we're going to Gabok two days from now for a search and retrieval operation, if you like you to see your hometown, you may join us."

" I'm George."

" Yes Sir, sure, I'll go. By the way, I'm Guida, its my name." She smiled then left.

He was left alone sighing.

" She combined the two traditions. Hmm...maybe because she lived in Tikaban and was born in Kabang, interesting! But still, the more I was drawn into our agreement. Huh! better I'll join the exercises, there's a lot to think about."

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