The Flowers of May Francisco Arcellana Lis May again. [tis still generally sultry but it has begun tor the afternoons and (he evenings are the skies are of the utmost blues new grass is breaking from the earth everywhe ant inthe afermxins afer the rain, T Its specially ple clear and fragrant, the sky has a new washed look, and evervth cle born. Maytime makes me think of rain and flowers, Tt inakes me thin my father and dead. It mak May after moth: brothers and my sisters, the living and the me think of ¢ es andl how it is inside churehes on WON, ye is running in the rain and gathering sampaguita is Father standing by the window, watching the cain, his grief for the dead Vietoria deep atwl unspoken; and it is Mother too stancling beside Father, trying to #1 La and Ju and the dead Vietoria and Peping and Narciso and Clara and ‘Ting and and understaml t ving Lourdes and Paz and Gloria and Monsersat and Toni aml even the dead Josefina and the dead Concepeion whom [did not know, [tis the church in Tondo aml the chapel in Gagalangin and the churches in the Walled City and the churches in Ermita and Malate and San Andres and Baguio and all the places that T have ever been. ftermmons in May: there are les, They stand or sit in ‘This is how it is inside churches in the girls all dressed in white. They wear blue ath the ehurel dome it front of the altar, The smallest are in front anv the tallest bring up the rear, They ys filled with floyiers: sampaguitas, cam all the flowers of May. They pray and si a ble gindhe claps her h chairs arranged in Iwo rows lilies, plemty of A woman in while nis and the girls sit down, She clapsher hand and the girls rise. The gils sing and then they di fo their flower traps js af flowers which they throw into ve micldle oF th etweeen them until the 1 ant for the Blessed Wi to bre the flowers are at to receive the imprint of her sruall white fe girls mach ap the alr and disappear into the refectory, Long alter 1 volves. Th nd pick up fill his well etre aishes pe B are gone you still hear the; ir ie heavy with the scent of tt Ido not know why on May afternoons | should seek the churches. Unless it is because [ like watching the Mower festival: or because [like looking at girls all dressed in white or because | Tike the ppare eluaste look of bl voices: or because | like te listen to singing, you [like the sight of an altar all decked with flowers, the flowers of May, or because [like the cool clean smell of flowers (a May after chuck is like a May morning anywhere} or orth ide of des; or becamae T idee a theese things It is usually a different church each time. Before the war it was mostly the Lourdes church in Intramuros, Now it is mostly the Pro Cathedral in Sam Miguel. It is ol as young, sweet, at sume, A] is that of the same May moruing, This curely not anything | a Cath te Amid it sisters, every single one of the seven of th . It is certainly wot anything like what it was to the hing like what my brothers know: | can't imag voi ewehat it is 10 my brother, Narciso, who be like w! lini hans: be ut it ta 1 my the dear ‘ail Vietoria, * Jnaning ving it; | ean't think of Pepi us it either; Tings who is goings 9 schoo! wonkl—tut it would not he at all the sane things on} Who is going to Hiate school? Perhaps Tau And I don't know that it is anything like what father might have: known Whe was living; and Mother only docs Father's w Father imight have knows it; if he did, it was surely before Viel 1—aiet alter, hardly after Maytime is an afternoon in May. The year is 14, It is the year of Victoria's fh. [tis am aflerioon in May and Vietorta has been dead boock in whe alternen neff his cna » all rowalks to the windew and w, bey the window watching the cain It is three: He has just tik vi) theeateni from The picture of kes me think of Verlaine. The cours fall in wey heart Like ra the 1 e aflernoen of Lin Mareh, youn, he was She had me, lt was Mag the year belore when she was taken ill, Shes was out in the countey gathering Howers for the flawer festival when [lovas rain like this one Fath ow can't see through it or aron Father is thinking of my sister, Victoria, It rained her burial, Victoria has been dead (eo months Victoria at uly when elu li she wats caught by the rai cow is wale ch was ill year was the Last May she ever saw. It was also the last time sl participated in the: floral rites. She hadl been one of the sin girls si rs, Nine years is a le e she was six. Nine flower girl, It ve afer her nd we Durie din early t died befive her dis aney anid two months since Vietaria sie her has 1 ler Mother rs atthe Ube: wire: frame (it looks ae sewing oF reading From micepeeon wi mol deer. he once or even spk we has of her im rable copies of a weekly in thee falews all the intecmi walks without malkiny Mother says, pks down at her but a le. Falher tiens back to the ble serials. She looks at vernaenlar wh Father. She walks to bin, Sh “didn't niles a | ine aed Looks pat hing,” Mother says: + he does not answer, “Manuella is out piane te ‘ath knows th ing is i the bw iil tomnrecnw 7 Meth