Severino Montano's Sabina (A Summary)

SABINA
(A Summary)

The sad, beautiful, and tragic story of a young, dark, and felicitous girl from Kawakan named Sabina, began as she met the man whom she believed to be the love of her life. Everyone in the family tends to oppose this girl’s affair with the American merchant, Mr. George, who is about in his early 30’s. It has been the death of Maria, Sabina’s mother, the discussion of the entire village and marketplace, and that the woman passed away because of the heavy burden that she felt upon knowing that her daughter has been going together with the controversial Mr. George. This depressive incident has made the whole household to be reluctant to any kind of light or happiness. They only prefer to pray and mourn and hide themselves in the absolute darkness of their subtly-built simple house dimly lighted by a few of their candles. Then one evening, Sabina, happily walking into the house, seemed to be unwelcomed. In spite of that, she chose to open the windows and let the moonlight in, searched for the lamp, and gladly found it. His older brother, Antero, and some others, were blaming her. They wanted Sabina to immediately call that sinful relationship with Mr. George quits. However, the girl doesn’t want to give up and tries to defend the two of them, but nobody intends to listen, for they know a thing which Sabina is not aware of. Besides, it has come to a point wherein she told everybody to get out and just leave her alone. Mamerto, on the contrary, feels for Sabina and encourages her not to lose the smile that’s always in her agreeable face. She goes comfortably with her grandfather as if he was her own father, and tells him many things about her attachment with the American trader. As Mamerto ought not to fail his granddaughter’s feelings, he chose not to talk about that any further. Seconds after, Antero comes back, then closes and locks the gate. They argued again about her unlawful affair with Mr. George that Sabina just desired to glow the lamp and see her lover over. But it turned to breaking that nice lamp of hers so she dared Antero that she will open the gate no matter what. The man’s gentle voice was heard afterwards. Sabina’s happy again, but her brother simply gave her a hard slap on her face due to the extreme shame which his younger sister has been doing. Mr. George arrived wearily and thought of Sabina. Both talked romantically and swore to always keep the love they have for each other. And when the guy is about to sleep, Sabina conferred him a gift and said that she’s been thinking of their marriage someday and their little children. Astounded but glad, the American merchant loved to hear the news that his girl is bearing their child. Subsequently, the man told Sabina not to spread it at this time. And this unmindful girl sweetly informed him that she has told no one yet, and feels good about their marriage in the near future. On the other hand, Mr. George spoke to her slowly, closely, and heartbreakingly confessed to her that they cannot be wedded due to the fact that he’s already with a woman whom he does not love very much. Sabina refused to believe but Mr. George insisted. She really got frustrated about this, lost faith, and felt cheated at all. Somehow, this lover of hers begged for her love and wanted to go on being happy together again. But a breadth of emptiness feels to be present within them now. Sabina then ran back and looked for Mamerto, but it was Antero who was there. She deeply wanted to tell her brother about everything she’d just known but he went on being apathetic and only pushed her to the floor. Sabina saw the light now that she was completely wrong in falling in love for that Mr. George. Lastly, she explained to the whole household, ran back to her room, and shot herself. The noise was heard by Mr. George and Antero that they eventually sought for Sabina, then the lover came out carrying his girl’s dying body. They bothered to care but the entire Kawakan has no doctors at all. Sabina died telling her presumed man that she’ll be waiting for him on the hill by the sea, always. Mr. George blamed himself and went out of the house that evil night. It ended that the family grieved again for the death of another relative.