Last episode, Bayang read Bagani's palm and told him who he was destined to marry, and Amaya and Bagani met again as adults, although they still don't know each other's name.
Another datu, an emissary from another rajah, comes to visit Datu Bugna. The other rajah wants to ally with Datu Bugna's tribe, which is well-situated for trade and in an area where gold can be mined. Bugna refuses, however, since he is loyal to Mangubat. [OMG, is this foreshadowing?] One of his guards interrupts to tell him that his wife has barged into the bukot against his orders.
Meanwhile, Bagani happily tells his family -- his mother, father, and younger brother Banuk-- that he has found a binukot he wants to marry, and is granted permission to woo her. Linangan gives him gold bracelets for his bride, and when Bagani would immediately leave that night, Mangubat tells him to wait a little longer so that he may assemble gold and silk to offer for his bride. Later, Bagani and his attendants set sail with a chest of gold and silk, in search of the woman they had seen.
Inside the bukot, Lamitan is still slapping and shaking Amaya. Binayaan tries to intervene, only to be pulled away by Marikit. Bugna arrives and tries to stop his wife, but she won't listen to him, and he finally slaps her, to her great shock, in front of their daughters.
Lamitan stumbles away, still shocked that her husband had raised his hand against her. She muses angrily that Bugna was just a timawa -- a free commoner-- who became a datu because he married her. Mantal asks her why she hurt Amaya -- Lamitan bites out that he should pay more attention to her, his wife, than to his love child. She has lost all her respect for her husband and wants above all to see him punished. Marikit asks what punishment would her mother want meted on her father, and Lamitan looks thoughtful.
Meanwhile, Bugna tends to Amaya's bruises and tells her not to cry, for no one will hurt her anymore. Amaya thanks him for defending her, and says that she doesn't know what she will do if he were gone. [Something tells me this doesn't look good.] She adds that he should not have hurt Lamitan though. Bugna says that he didn't mean to-- it was in the heat of the moment, for he was surprised and angry that she had defied him, entered the bukot without his permission and hurt Amaya, and would not listen when he intervened. Amaya asks him to apologize to his wife and woo her so that they would be on good terms.
But Lamitan -- is way past all of that. She has gone to see Mangubat to ask for an audience. She then tells him that Bugna is assembling an army to rebel against Mangubat. [That thud you hear is my jaw falling open at her sheer single-minded stupidity.] Mangubat asks her if this is absolutely true-- the penalty for rebellion is death. Lamitan sticks to her lies-- and I'd like to throttle her and stab Mantal's shifty eyes, just behind her.
Mangubat says that he can't believe Bugna, of all people, would rebel against him. Lamitan, however, embroiders her lies-- she insists that she tried to dissuade her husband, but he refused to listen to her and thus she came to warn Mangubat. The rajah decides he's had enough and calls for his men.
Bugna asks Marikit where her mother is-- he can't find his wife anywhere-- but she says she doesn't know. After he leaves, Binayaan notices her older sister's shifty smile and asks if she had dared to lie to their father. Marikit said she didn't lie-- she really doesn't know. All she knows is that her mother is angry at her father and wishes to punish him-- but as to the nature of that punishment, she knows nothing.
Hilway, speaking with the voice of the male diwata, prophecies a successful invasion for Mangubat, says that it is for the good of their land, and grants a blessing [wait, didn't Mangubat abjure the diwata already?]. Angaway, who turns out to be Hilway's son, steps up and asks to come along, to his mother's consternation. Mangubat agrees to take him along for he needs all the warriors he can get.
Lamitan wants to come along as well [bloodthirsty woman!] but Mangubat tells her to stay there. He assures her that he will not hurt her daughters. Lamitan then says that Bugna's daughter by the slave girl is also a binukot, named Amaya. She doesn't care what they do with her.
Amaya again dreams of a snake speaking to her and warning her of approaching danger. Ahak assures her that of course it is just a dream-- snakes don't talk.
Linangan asks her husband if he is sure about Bugna-- she also can't believe that the datu would rebel against Mangubat. The rajah, however, gives credence to the fact that Bugna's own wife had testified against him. He and his men set sail to wreak destruction on Bugna's tribe.
Bugna tells Amaya how he became a datu. His relative who was a datu had no son and wanted to pass the title and responsibilities to Bugna, so he arranged a wedding between Bugna and his daughter Lamitan when Bugna was still a boy. Bugna had been in love with another girl at that time, but he had no choice in the matter. So he married Lamitan and got used to living with her, but never grew to love her.
He then tells Amaya that in life, sometimes there are things that you need to do for the good of all, even if it means that you have to leave behind something or someone important to you. He asks her to always remember this. [Gaaah! When are you going to tell her about the prophecy?]
Amaya wakes up that morning to see a snake beside her on the bed. Ahak panics and runs to look for a club, but Amaya can hear the snake speaking to her and she picks it up, preventing Ahak from hitting it. Ahak: Why are you talking to yourself? Amaya tells her that the snake is speaking to her, telling her that they are one, but there is no time to explain.
And outside, we see the boats approaching...
...and Amaya runs out of her bukot to give the snake's warning.
Comments:
Looks like Bagani will search fruitlessly and return home only to find that the woman of his dreams is now a slave-captive in his father's house... and what will he do now?
We now find out how Lamitan and Bugna got married. Perhaps Lamitan's obsession with a son was carried over from her own father's marrying her to Bugna just to make the boy his heir, making her second-class in his sight. Even Bugna treats her as second-class, valuing her only for his title and the heir he could get from her, but lavishing his affection on his lover and her child. Thus the slap rankles-- even if it could be said to be justified [and I am not condoning violence against women here] because Lamitan was getting out of control, her one-track mind thinks that she was justified in hurting Amaya, so she sees the slap as unjust. But then Lamitan has never been very logical -- I think she went over the bend when she found out she was already barren, because then her value to her husband was gone, and all that was left was the empty status of wife and princess. So she ends up being willing to have her tribe slaughtered [her father's tribe, that he passed on to Bugna] just to get back at her husband and Amaya. What does she care for the tribe? Her father loved it more than her, when he passed it to Bugna, who also loved it more than her, since she could not give him an heir.
I was waiting for Bugna to tell Amaya about her snake-twin, but it looks like he never will-- so how will Amaya find out? From the snake? Or from Bayang, maybe, since it looks like the two women will meet soon? Especially as Bayang knows how she looks even if she has never seen Amaya in person.
Also, next week, the angst begins. I normally hate watching the angsty episodes in a teleserye because I hate weepfests -- call me ostrich-- but it looks like I shall need to face my fears and get the handkerchiefs ready for the next week or so, as the wheel of Amaya's fortune turns from top to bottom.
Another datu, an emissary from another rajah, comes to visit Datu Bugna. The other rajah wants to ally with Datu Bugna's tribe, which is well-situated for trade and in an area where gold can be mined. Bugna refuses, however, since he is loyal to Mangubat. [OMG, is this foreshadowing?] One of his guards interrupts to tell him that his wife has barged into the bukot against his orders.
Meanwhile, Bagani happily tells his family -- his mother, father, and younger brother Banuk-- that he has found a binukot he wants to marry, and is granted permission to woo her. Linangan gives him gold bracelets for his bride, and when Bagani would immediately leave that night, Mangubat tells him to wait a little longer so that he may assemble gold and silk to offer for his bride. Later, Bagani and his attendants set sail with a chest of gold and silk, in search of the woman they had seen.
Inside the bukot, Lamitan is still slapping and shaking Amaya. Binayaan tries to intervene, only to be pulled away by Marikit. Bugna arrives and tries to stop his wife, but she won't listen to him, and he finally slaps her, to her great shock, in front of their daughters.
Lamitan stumbles away, still shocked that her husband had raised his hand against her. She muses angrily that Bugna was just a timawa -- a free commoner-- who became a datu because he married her. Mantal asks her why she hurt Amaya -- Lamitan bites out that he should pay more attention to her, his wife, than to his love child. She has lost all her respect for her husband and wants above all to see him punished. Marikit asks what punishment would her mother want meted on her father, and Lamitan looks thoughtful.
Meanwhile, Bugna tends to Amaya's bruises and tells her not to cry, for no one will hurt her anymore. Amaya thanks him for defending her, and says that she doesn't know what she will do if he were gone. [Something tells me this doesn't look good.] She adds that he should not have hurt Lamitan though. Bugna says that he didn't mean to-- it was in the heat of the moment, for he was surprised and angry that she had defied him, entered the bukot without his permission and hurt Amaya, and would not listen when he intervened. Amaya asks him to apologize to his wife and woo her so that they would be on good terms.
But Lamitan -- is way past all of that. She has gone to see Mangubat to ask for an audience. She then tells him that Bugna is assembling an army to rebel against Mangubat. [That thud you hear is my jaw falling open at her sheer single-minded stupidity.] Mangubat asks her if this is absolutely true-- the penalty for rebellion is death. Lamitan sticks to her lies-- and I'd like to throttle her and stab Mantal's shifty eyes, just behind her.
Mangubat says that he can't believe Bugna, of all people, would rebel against him. Lamitan, however, embroiders her lies-- she insists that she tried to dissuade her husband, but he refused to listen to her and thus she came to warn Mangubat. The rajah decides he's had enough and calls for his men.
Bugna asks Marikit where her mother is-- he can't find his wife anywhere-- but she says she doesn't know. After he leaves, Binayaan notices her older sister's shifty smile and asks if she had dared to lie to their father. Marikit said she didn't lie-- she really doesn't know. All she knows is that her mother is angry at her father and wishes to punish him-- but as to the nature of that punishment, she knows nothing.
Hilway, speaking with the voice of the male diwata, prophecies a successful invasion for Mangubat, says that it is for the good of their land, and grants a blessing [wait, didn't Mangubat abjure the diwata already?]. Angaway, who turns out to be Hilway's son, steps up and asks to come along, to his mother's consternation. Mangubat agrees to take him along for he needs all the warriors he can get.
Lamitan wants to come along as well [bloodthirsty woman!] but Mangubat tells her to stay there. He assures her that he will not hurt her daughters. Lamitan then says that Bugna's daughter by the slave girl is also a binukot, named Amaya. She doesn't care what they do with her.
Amaya again dreams of a snake speaking to her and warning her of approaching danger. Ahak assures her that of course it is just a dream-- snakes don't talk.
Linangan asks her husband if he is sure about Bugna-- she also can't believe that the datu would rebel against Mangubat. The rajah, however, gives credence to the fact that Bugna's own wife had testified against him. He and his men set sail to wreak destruction on Bugna's tribe.
Kabanata 9 Ang Babala ng Kambal-Ahas
[Chapter 9 The Snake-Twin's Warning]
Bugna tells Amaya how he became a datu. His relative who was a datu had no son and wanted to pass the title and responsibilities to Bugna, so he arranged a wedding between Bugna and his daughter Lamitan when Bugna was still a boy. Bugna had been in love with another girl at that time, but he had no choice in the matter. So he married Lamitan and got used to living with her, but never grew to love her.
He then tells Amaya that in life, sometimes there are things that you need to do for the good of all, even if it means that you have to leave behind something or someone important to you. He asks her to always remember this. [Gaaah! When are you going to tell her about the prophecy?]
Amaya wakes up that morning to see a snake beside her on the bed. Ahak panics and runs to look for a club, but Amaya can hear the snake speaking to her and she picks it up, preventing Ahak from hitting it. Ahak: Why are you talking to yourself? Amaya tells her that the snake is speaking to her, telling her that they are one, but there is no time to explain.
And outside, we see the boats approaching...
...and Amaya runs out of her bukot to give the snake's warning.
Comments:
Looks like Bagani will search fruitlessly and return home only to find that the woman of his dreams is now a slave-captive in his father's house... and what will he do now?
We now find out how Lamitan and Bugna got married. Perhaps Lamitan's obsession with a son was carried over from her own father's marrying her to Bugna just to make the boy his heir, making her second-class in his sight. Even Bugna treats her as second-class, valuing her only for his title and the heir he could get from her, but lavishing his affection on his lover and her child. Thus the slap rankles-- even if it could be said to be justified [and I am not condoning violence against women here] because Lamitan was getting out of control, her one-track mind thinks that she was justified in hurting Amaya, so she sees the slap as unjust. But then Lamitan has never been very logical -- I think she went over the bend when she found out she was already barren, because then her value to her husband was gone, and all that was left was the empty status of wife and princess. So she ends up being willing to have her tribe slaughtered [her father's tribe, that he passed on to Bugna] just to get back at her husband and Amaya. What does she care for the tribe? Her father loved it more than her, when he passed it to Bugna, who also loved it more than her, since she could not give him an heir.
I was waiting for Bugna to tell Amaya about her snake-twin, but it looks like he never will-- so how will Amaya find out? From the snake? Or from Bayang, maybe, since it looks like the two women will meet soon? Especially as Bayang knows how she looks even if she has never seen Amaya in person.
Also, next week, the angst begins. I normally hate watching the angsty episodes in a teleserye because I hate weepfests -- call me ostrich-- but it looks like I shall need to face my fears and get the handkerchiefs ready for the next week or so, as the wheel of Amaya's fortune turns from top to bottom.
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