The Young and the Beautiful

Chapter 2

It was a fine Sunday afternoon when I sat on a plaza bench near our house. Emily lives nearby and said that she spent some time there when she was younger.

For a February afternoon, it is still cool. This park or plaza as my pápa called it, was a community donation of my grandfather. He developed this housing district. It is in the city but still near to the countryside than other locations. In a district next to ours, he developed a middle scale housing inspired by the townhouses of London due to the vast increase of Middle class families since the turn of the century.

The park was lined with tall acacia trees, some cypresses and the fountain in the middle was surrounded by white, and yellow lilies.  There were also vines of colorful vines of bougainvillea with blossoms of pink, white magenta and more. l It also had a generous distribution of benches and city street lights with intricate carvings and designs. The pavement was lined with bricks that resembled the ones in Spain. The soothing sound of birds chirping and the leaves moved in the air.

 I brought my camera with me, I always loved the concept of photos and how it preserves a memory forever. The local Philippine flowers are on full bloom. I brought a basket of sandwiches and a flask of tea.

A young lady was walking towards me. It was Emily. She's wearing a pale green dress that made her look more beautiful.

I used my camera to preserve this wonderful day and took photos of her and got to know her more.

"So how many girls have you charmed in Madrid with your tactics?" She jokingly said while eating the sandwich.

"Well not so much." I replied. She doesn't need to know it.

Our gardener Hiro passed by our bench. He taught me Nihongo when I was thirteen. Aside from learning Spanish, English, and Filipino I learned how to speak Nihongo. Hiro turned this garden park into a Japanese fortress. He arrived in Manila years ago as a trader but stayed here because of the weather and his love for gardening.

"Hiro-san!" I called him. Hiro is in his thirties but still looked my age.

"This is my friend Emily. She was so impressed by our plants here." I said.

"Thank you miss Emily. I have planted all of these since Pancho's grandfather wanted a park." He replied in an almost faded Japanese accent.

I handed her a bouquet of flowers that Hiro has in his basket. Her smile could light up this whole park tonight. 

"Thank you Pancho. They're beautiful." She said, as she smelled the flowers.

"You should thank Hiro because he grew all of those." I replied. So she thanked him.

After eating our snacks, I asked her to join me and get those pictures developed in Escolta Street in Downtown Manila. It is home to Manila's first department stores, first photo studios, camera store, and home of Manila's boastful art deco building that gives a feeling of a cosmopolitan city.  It's nice to have this just a stone's throw away from home. 

 I kept one copy of her picture and gave everything to her. I want to hold one because I feel that nothing's certain now.

In April 1942, Emily and I were seeing each other for more than a year, got engaged and was supposed to be married next year. My pápa said that the whole of Manila and Ilocos society would be invited. I intend to just have a simple one like how my friend got married in Madrid before joining the Republicans. It would be impossible here. Our families intend to fill the grand ballroom of Manila Hotel with 400 people because of silly traditions.