The Legend of Banana

Long ago, the spirits and ghost were everywhere. They are in caves, hidden in the anthills and tree trunks. In the night their presence was felt, sometimes their tiny voices can be heard but they were never seen.

There was a spirit who has a limited time on Earth. He must leave Earth when his time is up but he fell in love to a beautiful woman. There was a girl who has bold and daring named Raya and she was never afraid of spirits. She would walk in the forests bringing a lighted candle.

One day she met a handsome man named Sag-in and he was a spirit who followed her and Sag-in confessed that he had fallen inlove with Raya. When the time comes, sag in disappeared and left a fruit that shaped like a heart and raya was wondering and thinking could this be Sag-in’s heart and the fruit slowly opened, a long golden fruits sprouted from it and Raya picked, peeled it and bit it, by that time she heard Sag-in’s voice and said “ Yes, Raya, it is my heart.

I have reappeared to show you that I will never forsake you and our child. Take care of this plant, and it will take care of you in return. It's trunk and leaves will give you shelter and clothing. The heart and fruits will be your food. And when you sleep at night, I will stand and watch by your window. I will stay by your side forever!" 

How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife

By:Manuel E. Arguilla

  (Nagrebcan, June 17, 1911 – Beheaded, Manila Chinese Cemetery, August 30, 1944) was an Ilokano writer in English, patriot, and martyr. He is known for his widely anthologized short story "How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife," the main story in the collection "How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife and Other Short Stories" which won first prize in the Commonwealth Literary Contest in 1940.

Manuel Estabilla Arguilla

In the story of “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” Leon arrived with his wife in the country meeting Leon's brother for the first time. They took a surprising route home for Leon, but it was meant as a test for the wife to see if she could endure the sacrifices she made and meet her new family.

The wife of Leon still manages to overcome even though the fact that the country is different from the city because she truly love Leon even though the consequence is to leave in the city and live where Leon came from.

The wife admits to having some fear, but also shows clearly it did not stop her. This is why the theme is related to how one may have to give up some things in order to find happiness in life or at least the best happiness that can be found in that particular life.

Nanking StoreBy: Macario D.

Tiu

 MACARIO D. TIU has a doctorate in education, teaches literature at the

Ateneo de Davao University, has three Palanca golds for Short Story in Cebuano,

and is a recipient of the National Book Award in 2005 for Davao: Reconstructing History from Text and Memory.  Now he writes mostly in Cebuano, and rarely in

English

The story is all about this two Chinese lovers who weren’t meant for each other because in the years that they were been together, they haven’t produce a child which is bad in their culture, because in the Chinese culture, it is very important to have a child in the group of the family, specifically a son because it’s the way of spreading their bloodline.

In the story, Peter was the only hope of the Zhin family to carry their name to the next generation. Peter’s mother was very unhappy and she was not in favor for Linda that’s why she always scolded and slapped Linda in public Unfortunately, Peter died in a car accident and had two sons with a Visayan bar girl which was called by the community as a “bad woman.” Linda became pregnant with no other suspect but the driver.

Camille B. Tenecio

Harvey Mackey D. Cugal

Geselle Ann J. Muit