The Young and the Beautiful

Chapter 1

1941 Manila

The last glory days of the Pearl of the Orient.

It was that time of the year again wherein the young women of Philippine society will be introduced. But as I see it, it is more like a chance for their families to show their young daughters to potential husbands. It is my first time to attend this event since I arrived last year. It is a night called Las Debutantes de Manila or The Debutantes of Manila. A tradition kept by the Spanish-Filipino mestizo families who lived in Manila for several generations.

In 1941 fifteen beautiful young ladies will be introduced to young bachelors like me, my brother Andres, and many other young men from different parts of the country. Some were heirs to vast lands, industrialists, and real estate businessmen like my father.

The debutantes were all dressed to the nines, in their traditional traje de mestiza and many other dresses, though some of their dresses already had American influences. 

They all entered the grand ballroom of Manila Hotel. The tenth girl introduced caught my eyes. She was smiling while she was walking and being introduced holding on to her father's arms. Her name is Emily Almeida. She hails from a family of tobacco farm barons from Ilocos Sur the Northern part of the country. I can feel my hands get cold and butterflies in my stomach as she looked at me while walking. 

The band started to play music for the Rigodon de Honor or something like a cotillion social dance. I was the ninth man in line so my partner was supposed to be ninth girl. I asked Enrique, my best friend to trade places with me and he agreed. Now, Emily is my partner. We marched from two separate lines and met in the middle, I bowed in front of her while she curtsied in front of me. I asked for her hand then we started to dance. I felt some beads of sweat coming out of my forehead. The dance made us switch partners every now and then but Emily still caught my eye in the sea of young ladies. 

After the dance it's now time for socials. A cocktail party with endless food of both local and Spanish origins. I got a glass of water to offer to Emily. The ballroom was filled with piano lounge music as people started to mingle. The ladies' parents are in one corner observing if their daughter will be approached by a young man. 

"Buenas Tardes Señorita Emily. Are you going to spend the whole night sitting down or would you like to have a dance with me?" I said as I offer her the glass of ice water I got in the bar. The air conditioning of this ballroom doesn't really imitate cool weather as I experienced in Europe. 

She looked shy and hid her face behind her fan. But I saw her eyes  glancing at me. I smiled and finally introduced myself. Women here are different compared to Madrid. They're still more of a Pride and Prejudice type of ladies. Which is not bad as I think but they're like bound in this tradition like how tight their corsets were. 

"Pardon my manners. My name is Francisco Fàbregas. You can call me Pancho." I said. She folded her fan and extended her hand.

"Emily Almeida, It's nice to meet you Pancho." She said, then she stood up while holding my hand.

The band started to play again. We started dancing in a waltz song. I learned waltz when I was a boy. Máma taught me and my siblings how to dance and told us that it would be beneficial to us when we grow up. It was still quite old fashioned here in Manila. In Spain people are now dancing the Charleston, Foxtrot and so many other dances that made this one look like a vintage relic.

Emily knows what she's doing, and I glanced towards the rest of the crowd. The other young women looked jealous as I danced with Emily. Then I looked right back at her. She had deep brown eyes, her curly hair draped neatly to her back, some were tied with a ribbon. She looked so different from the girls I've been with in Madrid. She still holds a sense of innocence that some or even most girls I met there don't have.