Wedding Dance

WEDDING DANCE

AMADOR T. DAGUIO

AMADOR T. DAGUIO (1912-1966) was born of hardworking parents in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. He lived in the Mountain Province until he was twelve years old. He went to the Rizal High School in Pasig and at sixteen he entered the University of the Philippines, where he graduated in 1932 with a Ph. B. Degree. He obtained an M.A. degree from Stanford University on a Philippine Government scholarship twenty years later, in 1952. At Stanford he presented a fine translation of an Ifugao harvest song, the Hudhud Hi Aliguyon , for his master’s thesis. Besides writing short stories he also wrote a substantial body of poetry and a few delightful essays.

He was on the faculty of the University of the East when his The Flaming Lyre, collected poems, appeared shortly after his death.

Awiyao reached for the upper horizontal log which served as the edge of the head-high threshold. Clinging to the log, he lifted himself with one bound that carried him across to the narrow door. He slid back the cover, stepped inside, then pushed the cover back in place. After some moments during which he seemed to wait, he talked to the listening darkness.

“I’m sorry this had to be done. I am really sorry. But neither of usw can help it.”

The sounds of the gangsas beat through the walls of the dark house, like the muffled roar of falling waters. The woman who had moved with a start when the sliding door opened had been hearing the gangsas for she did not know howlong. The sudden rush of the rich sounds when the door opened was like a sharp gush of fire in her. She gave no sign that she heard Awiyao, but continued to sit unmoving in the darkness.

But Awiyao knew that she heard him and his heart pitied her. He crawled on all fours to the idle of the room ; he knew exactly where the stove was. With bare fingers he stirred the covered smouldering embers and blow into them. When the coals began to glow, Awiyao put...