Tanabata S Wife
TANABATA'S WIFE
By Sinai Hamada
I
FAS-ANG first came to Baguio by way of the Mountain Trail. When at last she emerged from her weary travel over the mountains, she found herself just above the Trinidad Valley. From there, she overlooked the city of Baguio itself.
Baguio was her destination. Along with three other women, she had planned to come to work on the numerous roads that were being built around the city. Native women were given spades to shovel the earth from the hillsides, and to make way for the roads that were being cut.
They had almost arrived. Yet Fas-ang knew of no place where she could live in the city while waiting to be taken in as a laborer. Perhaps she would stay in the worker's camp and be packed with the other laborers in their smelly quarters. She had heard a lot about tiered beds, the congestion in the long, low-roofed house for the road work¬ers.
It was mid-afternoon. The four women and three men, new immigrants from Bontoc, walked on the long straight road on the Trinidad Valley. They had never before in their lives seen a road so long and straight. After the regular up and down journey over the hills, the level road was tedious and slow to travel on.
Plodding along, they at last left the valley behind, passed through the narrow gap of the Trinidad River, and entered Lukban Valley. All along the road, the sight was a succession of cabbage plots, more and more.
And when they passed Lukban Valley and came to Kisad Valley still there were rows and rows of cabbage.
But now the sun was sinking low behind the brown hills in the west. And the company thought of their shelter for the night. For they had one more steep hill to climb before the city laborer's camp. So they had been told. And their feet ached painfully. Was there no door open for them among the thatched homes in the valley?
It was then that they came to the house of Tanabata-san. The Japanese gardener was looking out through his tiny window as they were about to pass on. He halted
By Sinai Hamada
I
FAS-ANG first came to Baguio by way of the Mountain Trail. When at last she emerged from her weary travel over the mountains, she found herself just above the Trinidad Valley. From there, she overlooked the city of Baguio itself.
Baguio was her destination. Along with three other women, she had planned to come to work on the numerous roads that were being built around the city. Native women were given spades to shovel the earth from the hillsides, and to make way for the roads that were being cut.
They had almost arrived. Yet Fas-ang knew of no place where she could live in the city while waiting to be taken in as a laborer. Perhaps she would stay in the worker's camp and be packed with the other laborers in their smelly quarters. She had heard a lot about tiered beds, the congestion in the long, low-roofed house for the road work¬ers.
It was mid-afternoon. The four women and three men, new immigrants from Bontoc, walked on the long straight road on the Trinidad Valley. They had never before in their lives seen a road so long and straight. After the regular up and down journey over the hills, the level road was tedious and slow to travel on.
Plodding along, they at last left the valley behind, passed through the narrow gap of the Trinidad River, and entered Lukban Valley. All along the road, the sight was a succession of cabbage plots, more and more.
And when they passed Lukban Valley and came to Kisad Valley still there were rows and rows of cabbage.
But now the sun was sinking low behind the brown hills in the west. And the company thought of their shelter for the night. For they had one more steep hill to climb before the city laborer's camp. So they had been told. And their feet ached painfully. Was there no door open for them among the thatched homes in the valley?
It was then that they came to the house of Tanabata-san. The Japanese gardener was looking out through his tiny window as they were about to pass on. He halted