CHAPTER IV
CAPTAIN TIAGO.
Captain Tiago was short in stature, but both his body and hisface were well filled out. His complexion was clear and he did notappear to be more than thirty or thirty-five years old, althoughhe was really more than that. In these times his face always wore apleasant expression. His head was small, round and covered with hairas black as ebony, long in front and very short behind. This head,according to reports, contained a great many things. His eyes weresmall but not terrifying, and always without expression. In short,the Captain might have passed for a good-looking little man, if hismouth had not been disfigured by the use of tobacco and the betelnut, the juices of which trickled out of the corners of his lips anddestroyed the symmetry of his features. However, despite these habits,both his own teeth and the two that the dentist had made for him,at twelve pesos each, were well preserved.
Tiago was considered one of the richest property owners in Binondo,and he also owned large plantations in the provinces of Pampanga andLaguna de Bay, especially in the town of San Diego. The rent of allthese lands increased every year. San Diego was his favorite townon account of its excellent bathing place, its famous cockpit andthe pleasant memories associated with the neighborhood. He spent atleast two months in this town every year. Captain Tiago also hada great deal of property in Santo Cristo, in Analoague Street andin Rosario Street. In partnership with a Chinaman he carried on aprofitable business in opium. It is understood that he had contractswith the Government for feeding the prisoners in Bilibid and thathe supplied fodder to many of the principal houses in Manila. He wasin good standing with the authorities, able, clever, and even daringin his speculations in the necessities of others. Hence it was thatat this time the Captain was as happy as a narrow-minded man couldbe in such a country. He was rich, and was at peace with God, theGovernment and man.
That Tiago was at peace with God was indisputable. In fact, there wasno reason whatever for his not being so, since he was well situated asfar as worldly matters go and had never loaned God any money. He neveraddressed God in his prayers, not even when he was in dire straits. Hewas rich, and his money, he thought, could pray for him. For massesand prayers, God had created powerful and lofty priests; for specialreligious functions and rosaries, God, in His infinite goodness, forthe benefit of the rich, had created poor people--poor people who fora peso would make half a dozen prayers, and would read all the HolyBooks, even to the Hebrew Bible, if the pay were large enough. Ifat any time he found himself in hard straits and needed heavenlyaid and was out of red Chinese candles, he applied to the saints,making them great promises in order to win their favor and convincethem of his good intentions.
Captain Tiago was therefore beloved by the priests, respected by thesacristans, fondled by the Chinese candle-makers and fire-crackermerchants, and thoroughly happy in the religion of the world. Someeven attributed to him great influence in the ecclesiastical court.
That the Captain was at peace with the Government must not be doubtedsimply because such a thing seems impossible. Incapable of conceiving anew idea and content with the modus vivendi, he was always willing toobey the latest official recruit in any of the Government offices andeven ready to give him at all times of the year such presents as hams,capons, turkeys, and Chinese fruit. He was the first to applaud anytax imposed by the Government, especially when he scented behind ita chance of securing the contract for its collection. He always keptorchestras on hand to serenade Government officials of all gradesfrom governor to the lowest Government agent, on their birthdays,saint's days, or when any occasion, such as the death of any oftheir relatives, or a birth in the family connection should afforda pretext. He even went so far as to dedicate laudatory verses tohis royal patrons on these occasions, thus honoring the "suave andloving governor" or the "valiant and mighty alcalde."
The Captain was a petty governor or gobernadorcillo of a rich colonyof mestizos, in spite of the protests of many who considered himunfit for the position. He held the office for two years, but duringthis time he wore out ten frock coats, about the same number of highhats, and lost more than a half dozen of gobernadorcillo canes. Hishigh hat and frock coat were always in evidence in the city hall, atthe Government palace in Melacanan [1] and at the army headquarters,and they always appeared, too, in the cock-pit, in the market, in allprocessions, and in the Chinese shops. Dressed in this official costumewith the tasseled cane, Captain Tiago was to be found everywhere,arranging, ordering, and putting in disorder, everything with whichhe had anything to do--and all with wonderful activity and with stillmore wonderful gravity.
Sacrilegious people called him a fool; poor people called him ahypocrite, a cruel man who gained a livelihood by making othersmiserable; while his inferiors looked upon him as a despot and atyrant. And the women? Ah, the women! Slanderous rumors circulated inthe wretched nipa houses, and it was claimed that often lamentationsand sobs, mingled with the cries of a child, could be heard. Morethan one young girl was pointed out by the malicious finger of theneighbors, with the remark: "See what a different expression she wears,and how plainly she shows evidences of her shame." But such things asthese never robbed the Captain of any sleep; no young girl disturbedhis rest.
Such was the Captain at that time. His past history was as follows: Hewas the only son of a very wealthy but avaricious sugar manufacturerof Malabon, who was unwilling to spend a cent in his education. Forthis reason young Santiago became the servant of a good Dominican, avery virtuous man, who tried to teach him all the valuable knowledgewhich he possessed. About the time when he was to have the happinessof studying logic, the death of his protector, followed by that of hisfather, put an end to his studies and from that time on he devotedhimself to business. He married a beautiful girl from Santa Cruz,who increased his fortune and gave him a social position.
Dona Pia Alba was not content with buying sugar, coffee and indigo;she wished to sow and reap, so the young husband bought lands inSan Diego. It was in this town that he made the acquaintance andfriendship of Father Damaso and of Don Rafael Ibarra, the richestcapitalist of the town.
The lack of an heir for the first six years of his married life gavehim a great opportunity to accumulate wealth, which perhaps was acensurable ambition. Although Dona Pia was handsome, robust and wellformed, she made her pilgrimages in vain. By advice of the devotees ofSan Diego, she visited the Virgin of Cayasay in Taal; she gave alms,and she danced in the procession before the Virgin of Turumba in Pakilunder the May sun, but it was all in vain. Finally, on the adviceof Father Damaso, she went to Obando, and there danced at the fiestaof San Pascual Bailon and asked for a son. It is well known that inObando there is a trinity--Our Lady of Salambau, Santa Clara and SanPascual--which grants sons or daughters as required. Thanks to thiswise triumvirate, Dona Pia became a mother, but like the fishermanin Macbeth, who ceased to sing after he found a rich treasure,Dona Pia lost her gayety, became very sad and was never seen tosmile again. Every one, even to Captain Tiago, declared that it wasa pure caprice. A puerperal fever put an end to her grief, leavinga beautiful daughter motherless. Father Damaso baptized the child,and, as San Pascual had not given the son which had been asked for,the name of Maria Clara was given to it in honor of the Virgin ofSalambau and of Santa Clara. The little girl grew up under the careof her aunt Isabel,--that good old lady with the manners of a friarwhom we met before. The little girl lived the greater part of thetime in San Diego on account of the healthful climate, and whilethere Father Damaso paid her much attention.
Maria Clara did not have the small eyes of her father. Like her mother,her eyes were large, black and shaded by long lashes, brilliant andsmiling when she was playing, but sad, deep and pensive at othertimes. When a child her wavy hair was almost blond. Her nose waswell formed, neither too large nor too flat. Her mouth was small andbeautifully shaped like that of her mother, and her cheeks were setwith dimples. Her skin was like silk and as white as snow, but herfond parent found traces of the paternity of Captain Tiago in hersmall
and well shaped ears.
Aunt Isabel attributed the child's semi-European features toimpressions made upon Dona Pia. She remembered having seen the mother ashort time before the child was born, weeping before the image of SanAntonio. Then, too, a cousin of Captain Tiago had the same features,the only difference being in the choice of the saints, by which thephenomenon was explained. With her it was either the Virgin or SanMiguel. A cousin of Captain Tiago, a famous philosopher, who knewAmat [2] by heart, explained it all by attributing it to the effectof the planets.
Maria Clara, the idol of all, grew up surrounded by love andsmiles. She won the favor of even the friars when she was dressed inwhite for some religious procession, her long, wavy hair interwovenwith flowers, two silver or golden wings attached to the shouldersof her dress, and holding two white doves, tied with blue ribbons,in her hand. When she grew up, she was so full of childish mischiefthat Captain Tiago did nothing but bless the saints of Obando andadvise everybody to buy handsome statues of that trinity.
In tropical countries a girl becomes a woman at the age of thirteenor fourteen years, like the plant which buds at night and bloomsthe following morning. During this period of transition, so full ofmystery and romance, on the advice of the parish priest, Maria Claraentered the religious retreat of Santa Catalina in order to receivefrom the nuns a strictly religious education. She left Father Damasoin tears, and likewise the only friend of her childhood, CrisostomoIbarra. Shortly after the entrance to the convent, Ibarra went toEurope. For seven long years, the girl lived under the vigilance ofthe Mother Superior in the iron-grated building, shut off from anycommunication with the outer world.
Don Rafael and Captain Tiago, in the meantime, while Ibarra wasin Europe and Maria Clara in the convent, noticing the trend ofaffairs, and at the same time having in mind their own interests,decided that the children should be married. It is needless to saythat this agreement, which was arrived at some years after Ibarrahad left for Europe, was celebrated with equal joy by two hearts,on opposite sides of the world and amid very different surroundings.