2I was the first to rise on that cloudless Monday morning. As I went through the hallway, I noticed the unusual stillness of the cloudless Monday morning. On my left, in their room, Leon and Maria slept soundly. Beside them, lying quietly in his crib was little Narding, also lost in deep slumber. In my parent's room, not a sound came from my mother, sleeping alone on the great double bed. I went downstairs and walked outside.
Going to the barn, I was greeted by a low moo. Labang, it seemed, had woken up way before anyone had, and was already chewing some cud. I took a look at Labang's wrinkled coat and told him, "Old friend, you definitely need a good washing today."
As I started brushing his coat with coconut husk, Labang started dancing with impatience and suddenly bolted out of the barn, toppling me over and sending me crashing into some mud. It was then I discovered that Leon had not tied Labang's rope well last night. As I was thinking of what to say to my brother, my thoughts were cut short by the sound of laughter. I stood up, and my eyes scanned the barn for the source of this rather familiar giggle, which reminded me of the ringing of a thousand bells. The "bell ringer" was standing at the doorway.
My eyes squinted in the bright morning light, and I was stunned by the figure that lay before me. She was charming. Her hair was like a beautiful stream cascading down to her waist. Her lips, as red as a santan blossoming in our garden were curved up in a smile. But what struck me most was her eyes. They were like brown cairngorms, sparkling in the sun.
She shook her head. "You haven't changed. I leave for a couple of years and you're still playing with that cow."
"Do I know you?" I heard myself say.
She laughed again. "Manong Baldo, you have definitely remained unchanged."
Her words were cut short by the call of a bull. I automatically knew whose it was.
"Labang!" The woman and I ran in the direction of the sound. Labang usually gave out that bellow of his every now and then, but now I felt as if something was wrong. We soon discovered I was right.
Labang had fallen into a deep and muddy pit. He could have gotten out easily, but I could see that he was injured by debris that some lazy farmer had left behind. We ran down to his side.
"He's bleeding. He must have been running when he slipped on some mud and came slipping down. The debris must have cut him when he landed on the bottom," the woman said. "Wait here, I'll go back to the house."
I nodded, not really comprehending her words. I watched as she dashed back in the direction of the house. Scratching Labang's forehead, I said, "Don't worry Labang, everything will be fine."
A few minutes later, the woman came back, accompanied by my brother and his wife. The two women were holding some tools, medicine and bandages, and it looked like they were preparing to perform an operation. Leon was holding some rope. Throwing the rope down, he started picking up debris, taking them away from the pit. He beckoned me to follow suit, and the two of us cleared the place of litter, while the two women worked on Labang's wound. When the place was cleared, Leon and I stood, waiting for what would happen to our beloved bull.
"I have treated Labang's wound. You can bring him to the barn now, where he can get some rest." I heard the woman say.
Slowly, I helped Labang stand on all four legs, and using Leon's rope to guide him on his ascent, we were able to bring Labang back to the barn.
After seeing that he was comfortable and relaxed, we started walking back to the house. It was then that I noticed three things: one was that the sun was high in the sky, which meant that Labang's little adventure had taken up our entire morning, and another was that my stomach was growling, since I had not eaten any breakfast. The third was that Leon and the stranger were chatting away like old friends, which apparently meant that he recognized her.
"Baldo?"
"Yes, Manong?"
"You should really give Cecilia a proper welcome. After all, it is she who you should thank for the safe return of Labang."
I stopped short. My jaw must have hung open for Cecilia started laughing again. Maria and Leon went inside, leaving us alone in the yard. I stammered, not knowing what to do.
"Cecilia, is it really you?" I finally brought myself to say.
"Of course it's me!" She seemed to find amusement in my surprised state. "We used to play together in the fields and steal mangoes from our neighbor's tree, remember?"
"How long has it been?"
"About twelve years."
"It's been so long."
"Where is your father, by the way?"
"Oh, he's in the city. Leon and I finally saved enough money to send him to Manila and have his leg fixed. He's staying with one of Maria's brothers. By the way, how are things at the university?"
"What do you mean? I've already graduated!"
"Really! What are you doing now?"
"I'm a veterinarian. My specialty is treating wounded cows."
I laughed, and she laughed along with me. The air was filled with our laughter, and we were brought back to the days of our childhood. We smiled, and walked into the house, where a mouth-watering feast was waiting for us.
That evening, Cecilia and I hitched Labang to the cart and went out for a ride. As we shuffled along the waig, we could hear the sound of a thousand crickets chirping.
I looked at Cecilia. She was looking up at the stars.
"It's been quite some time since I've seen a view like this," she said in a sort of dream-like voice. "I've missed Nagrebcan. It seems so different now. Looks like I have to catch up on what's been happening around here."
She looked at me. My black eyes met her lovely brown ones. It seemed like the happiest moment of my life. I knew right then that I loved her, that I had always loved her, but it was only then that I was really certain. I held her hands in mine, and we stayed like that, for what seemed like an eternity, under a brilliant canopy of stars.
Labang gave out a loud and vibrant call. Far away in the middle of the fields a cow lowed softly in answer.