THE OTHER WOMAN

By: Virgilio R. Samonte

Manuel possessed a vitality that was

insatiable. His healthy, younger years were

marked by a succession of mistresses. Even

servant girls were prey to his desires.

Cecilia, the wife had taken Loida, the

harelip as a house help in a desperate hope

that she would repel him.

His philandering caused the state of penury

in which they existed. So it was surprising

how even with his intended imperfections,

Cecilia seemed to have loved him even

more.

Loida had been with the couple since. She

possessed a face which to a stranger would

most likely be described as hideous. The

cleft lip, with repulsively livid gums went

up in an angle to a flat nose framed in an

equally flat face as though it had been

bashed in by repeated fist blows.

Now Manuel is dying, his appearance a far

cry from the lusty man he was once known

to be and he has the ashen look of a corpse.

Cecilia cares for him and she seldom goes

out his room. For Cecilia, Manuel has

finally became hers.

Loida on the other hand had adopted an

unservantly attitude. Suspicious of strangers

and guests, she doesn''t bother to hide her

bitterness at the thought of Cecilia alone

caring for Manuel and sleeping in a room with

him. She seems to bristle with suppressed

anger and moves around doing her chores in

furious haste.

In one of those rare times when Cecilia went

out of the room, Loida screamed repeatedly.

Her screams sent Cecilia back to the room

where she saw Loida holding the inert form

of Manuel, screaming while tears flowed

down her face, saliva flying from her mouth

that he is hers too, that he loved her.

THE END!