Preludes

by Daryll Delgado

CASTS: Ashley Climaco, Jehann Caliso. Kaethe Malalis, Genemel Dela Torre, Martpete Olaier, King
Dacula

Setting: Sala/Living Room

Narrator: There was a man who died singing. He had sung three songs before he heaved his last
breath and collapsed on a chair. It all happened at the Municipal Hall at three in the
afternoon. The sun was high. Heat seeped into people’s bones. The Tuba warmed their
blood even more. Someone’s death anniversary was celebrated. Another man’s life in that
party ended. It ended on a high note.

Nenita : Apo, go to the city and buy me this things.

Grandson: Opo ina.

Nenita : What should I do first? Oh, I know.

(Nenita catch a glimpse of Willy Revillame in the television.)

Nenita : Oh, today’s air is so dry. I wonder why outside is very, very quiet.

Narrator: Everyone was at the Hall, to attend the ninth death anniversary of the juez. The children
had all came home from America and Europe for this very important occasion but Nenita
herself did not mind.

Nenita : Apo? Nand’yan ka pa ba? Siguro umalis na ‘yun.

(Nenita positioned the electric fan in front of her and continue on watching the last segment of her
favourite show.)

Narrator: The next thing she knew was Willy pulling her into his arms, soothing her with words of
condolences, and offering his left cheek for a kiss. There was a huge applause from the
studio audience. Nenita forced herself out of the dream and the motion brought her entire
body up and out of the sofa. She found herself standing in the middle of the sala, face-to-
face with a teary eyed Willy.

Nenita : No, you are not real.

Husband: Why Nenita? Why did you do this? You fuckin’ swear you won’t do this.
Narrator: She looked around guiltily as she heard his husband swear at her. She felt his husband’s
presence, even if she knew he was at the death anniversary party.

Nenita : Oh, it was just a dream. I better cook now.

(Nenita turned off the TV and made her way on the kitchen.)

Setting: Kitchen

Nenita : I should not have taken that nap.

Narrator: Nenita berated herself.

Nenita : I forgot about the urgent orders of ten dozens of suman which must be deliver tomorrow
for the judge’s daughters who will be leaving right after the anniversary.

(Nenita prepares the pandan leaves on the table to be washed and warmed for wrapping the sweet sticky
rice rolls.)

Nenita : It is dark already. I must hurry up.

Narrator: She had spent all night boiling the sticky rice and mixing all the iingredients. By the time
she was done…

Setting: Sala/Living room

(The grandson enters the room with a beverage.)

Grandson: Maria. Maria. Ma-maria. Maria. Ina si maria? Maria?

Nenita : Sino ba si Maria? Nako, ikaw talaga.

Narrator: Nenita went back to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and brew a special tea concoction.

Nenita : Oh I nearly forgot that I have to prepare my hsuband’s medicinal tea. Silly me. All I
need to do now is to pick Ampalaya, Banaba, Bayabas, Dumero, and Hierba Buena.

(Nenita went outside.)

Setting: Garden

Nenita: Here are some Ampalaya and Bayabas leaves. Wait a minute…
(Husband sings a certain song.)

Nenita : It was indeed him. It was from the hall. I have never heard him sing this way in a very
long time, ever since he became ill-when the sugar and alcohol in his blood burned the
sides of his heart, almost getting to the core of it.

(Nenita continue to pick the leaves.)

Nenita : All I never understood was all the fuss of his singing, and the fuss of his brothers and
sisters which made him stopped from singing.

(Shows a flashback of his husband singing to her with a Tagalog Song when his brothers and sisters
starts to fuss about him singing.)

Nenita : I am glad my apo is here to indulger him in music talk.

(Shows a flashback of his husband and grandson singing and strumming the guitar string in the kitchen
while Nenita is listening when it changes to another scene where her siblings-in-law recalled with such
intense exaggerated regret the way their brother squandered his money and talent, and all the wrong
decision including marrying Nenita.)

Setting: Sala/Living Room

(Nenita enters the living room to get the basket, still hearing his husband’s voice singing a second song
in the Hall.)

Nenita : I must stop minding those things. I have forgiven them a long time ago, and now they
were all dead, I still pray for their souls.

Narrator: Setting aside the fact that Nenita was not very sorry that they died.

Nenita : I know my husband is happy the way he was besides I never hear him complain because
he had nothing to complain about.

(Shows a flashback of her husband with his affairs and Nenita taking care of him when he’s sick.)

Nenita : I took him back every time his affairs with another women turned sour. I took care of him
when he started getting sick, when the part of his heart that was supposed to beat started
merely murmuring and whistling.

Narrator: Nenita was thankful for her friend, the herbalista, who give her the right concoction for
this ailment. Even the doctors were delighted with her husband’s progress.
Nenita : I took him back again even when the money her in-laws sent for his medication was used
for one of his women. I never had the chance to confirm the rumors about my husband
who went in the Manila with the judge’s widow, nor asked.

Narrator: Nenita nursed her husband back to health again.

(Shows a scene where his husband was in the toilet spending more and more time alone.)

Nenita : If I only knew, I could have just prepared the other brew my herbalista friend had
suggested. The one that would make his balls shrink, give him hallucinations, and make
his blood boil until his veins popped.

Narrator: But of course. Nenita didn’t do it.

Nenita : Saan ko nga ba nailagay iyon?

Narrator: Nenita did buy and continued to keep the packet of the dried purples which is said to be a
rare vine found only in Mt. Banahaw.

Nenita: Oh I remember. There you are you soft lump of leaves.

(Nenita went back to the garden.)

(Nenita’s husband was singing with a popular song now, about kissing someone for the last time.)

Setting: Municipal Hall

(Showing a Spanish translated video while singing.)

Nenita : I remember this song now, it’s about kissing someone for the last time.

Narrator: As she remembered being told by her husband, she found herself enjoying this one. She
smiled lightly while listening to her husband’s voice. And then she heard him choke,
heave a breath before he sang.

(Husband sang: Perderte. Long pause. Perderte. Another pause. Despues. And then there was an
applause in which Nenita joined.)

Nenita : Oh, silly me. It is starting to be very, intolerably, hot here. I better be inside the house.

Narrator: After that, all was quiet again. As Nenita went back inside the house, she thought of the
hotness of the sun was certainly hot enough to boil an old ma’s blood and pop his veins.

(Shows an image with the word FIN.)