CHAPTER XIV
THE EVE OF THE FIESTA.
It is the tenth of November, the eve of the fiesta to be celebratedin the town of San Diego. Departing from its habitual monotony,the town is displaying extraordinary activity in the church, houses,streets, cock-pit, and the fields. Windows are draped with flags andmany-colored decorations. Music and the sound of exploding fireworksfill the air. Everywhere there is rejoicing.
In the streets at fixed intervals, beautiful arches of bamboo areraised, the wood carved and worked in a thousand different ways. Thearches are surrounded with ornaments, the very sight of which bringsjoy to the heart of the small boy. In the church yard, a large andcostly awning has been erected. It is propped up by bamboo poles andso arranged that the procession may pass under it. Under its shade thechildren play, run, jump, fall and otherwise manage to tear and soiltheir new shirts, which have been intended for the day of the festival.
In the public square a platform has been built of bamboo, nipa andboards, to serve as the stage. It is here that the comedy company fromTondo will tell wonderful tales, and will compete with the gods in theperformance of miracles. Here Marianito, Chananay, Balbino, Ratia,Carvajal, Yeyeng, Liceria and the others will sing and dance. TheFilipino loves the theatre, and always attends dramatic productionswith a great deal of pleasure. The gobernadorcillo was very fond ofthe theatre, and, with the advice of the curate, he had selected forthe fiesta the fantastic comedy: "Prince Villardo, or the Nails PulledOut of the Infamous Cave," a play full of magic and fireworks.
From time to time the bells ring out their merry sounds. Firecrackersand the booming of little cannon rend the air. The Filipinopyrotechnist, who has learned his art without a teacher of any renown,displays his skill, setting up pieces representing towers, castles,and the like. Already the small boys are running at break-neck speedtoward the outskirts of the town to meet the bands of music. Fiveorganizations have been hired, besides three orchestras.
A band enters the town playing lively marches, and is followed bya lot of ragged and half naked pickaninnies: this one, perhaps, hason his brother's shirt; that one, his father's trousers. As soon asthe music stops, these little tots know by memory the piece that hasbeen played; they whistle and hum it with great delight, showing atthis early age their musical talent.
In the meantime wagons and carriages arrive, bringing relatives,friends, and strangers. Gamblers are also on hand with their bestfighting cocks and bags of money, ready to risk their fortunes onthe green cloth or in the cock-pit.
"The alferez gets fifty dollars a night," murmured a little, chubbyman when he heard of the recent arrivals, for there were alreadymany rumors that these people bribed the officer so that they mightnot be interfered with by the law. "Captain Tiago," he added,"is going to come and will be banker in the monte game. CaptainJoaquin brings eighteen thousand. There is going to be a liam-po,[11] and the Chino Carlos is going to back it with ten thousand pesoscapital. Big bettors will come from Tanauan, Lipa, and Batangas,as well as from Santa Cruz. It's going to be great! It's going to begreat! This year Captain Tiago will not skin us as he has in the past,for he has not paid for more than three masses this year, and besides,I have a mutya [12] of cacao. And how are all the family?"
"Very well, very well, thank you!" replied the visitors from thecountry.
But the place where the greatest animation reigns, where there isalmost a tumult, is over there on the level piece of ground, a shortdistance from Ibarra's house. Pulleys creak, and the place resoundswith the sound of the hammer, the chiseling of stones, hewing of beamsand the shouting of voices. A gang of workmen is making an excavationwhich will be wide and deep; others are busy piling up quarry stone,unloading carts, sifting sand, putting a capstan in place and so on.
"Put that here! That, there! Come, be lively about it!" shouts alittle, old man with an animated and intelligent physiognomy as hegoes about, a yard stick and plumb line in hand. He is the directorof the work, Nor Juan, architect, mason, carpenter, whitewasher,locksmith, painter, stone cutter, and, on occasion, sculptor.
"We must finish it immediately! To-morrow nothing can be done, andday after to-morrow the ceremony of laying the corner stone is totake place! Come, be lively!"
"Make the hole just large enough for this cylinder!" said he toone of the stone cutters who was chiseling off a large quadrangularstone. "Inside of this our names will be kept."
Then he would repeat to every countryman who came along what he hadalready said a thousand times: "Do you know what we are going tobuild? Well, it is a school house, a model of its kind, somethinglike those in Germany, but still better. The architect, Senor R.,draughted the plans and I, I am in charge of the work. Yes, sir,you see this is going to be a regular palace with two wings, one forthe boys and one for the girls. Here in the middle is to be a largegarden with three fountains. There, on the sides, groves, where thechildren can sow and cultivate plants during the hours of recreation,thus improving the time. Just see how deep the foundations are to be:three meters and seventy-five centimeters. The building is going tohave a cellar where the indolent pupils will be confined. This will bevery close to the playing ground and the gymnasium, so that those whoare punished may hear the diligent pupils enjoying themselves. Do yousee this large space? Well, this will be a place for them to run andjump. The girls will have a separate garden with benches, swings,a special place for jumping the rope and rolling hoops, fountainsand a bird-house. This is going to be magnificent!"
He kept going from one end to the other, inspecting everything andpassing his opinion on all.
"I find that you have got too much lumber here for a crane," said he toa yellowish-looking fellow, who was directing some other laborers. "Iwould have enough, with three large beams, to form the tripod andwith three others to serve as supporters."
"O, pshaw!" replied the other, smiling in a peculiar way. "The moreapparatus we give ourselves, the greater effect we will produce. Themassiveness of it will make a bigger show and give it moreimportance. They will say: 'What a lot of work has been done!' Youlook at that crane that I am constructing. In a little while, I amgoing to ornament it with banderolas, garlands of flowers and leaves,and ... you will say afterward that you were right in hiring me,and Senor Ibarra cannot wish for more than that!"
The man laughed. Nor Juan also smiled and shook his head.
As a matter of fact, the plan for the school had been approved byeverybody and all were talking about it. The curate had asked to beallowed to be one of the patrons of the enterprise and he himself wasto bless the laying of the corner stone, a ceremony which would takeplace on the last day of the San Diego festival, as it was consideredone of the great solemnities.
The dismal presentiments of the old Tasio seemed to have beendissipated forever. One day Ibarra told the old man so, but the oldpessimist only replied: "Things may go well at first, but be on yourguard against masked enemies."