The Tragic Story of Omeng and Juliet (Not to be confused with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet)

“Omeng, it’s already late. Untie the carabao and we’ll go home.” Mang Tonying was tired. He was up before the roosters crowed and now it’s already getting dark. He was not able to get a good siesta since he and his son Omeng was in a hurry to plant the rice seedlings. They have till the month’s end to finish the job for any delay would mean a delay in harvest and a delay in harvest would mean more interest on their loans. “Omeng I want you to work that part of the field, the one abutting the new residential subdivision.” Mang Tonying can’t hide the disgust and fear he felt for this so called development. His neighboring acreages are slowly being eaten by the developers and Mang Tonying is beginning to see this as a threat. “I will never sell my land.” He vowed.

Omeng was up before the rooster crowed. His mother was frying dried fish and the combined salty, sweet and bitter smell of the tuyo and boiling coffee made him sleepier. He sat on the bamboo step, rested his chin on his two hands and stared at their nipa ceiling, mesmerized by the dancing light of the kerosene lamp. He was snoozing, his saliva dripping when he felt a slap on his cheek. “Mother”, he protested. “Here’s you’re coffee” His mother Aling Inyang said, “don’t forget to bring me some papaya today. You’re father’s already working the field. Here’s your lunch. Don’t forget the papaya.” His mother was already out the door with the laundry.

“Father whose is that?’ Omeng was pointing at the new house at the edge of their field. “I don’t know son. Must be owned by one of those rich businessmen from the city”, Mang Tonying wearily replied. “Go now, we have a lot of work to do.”Omeng was plowing when he noticed an easel standing on the veranda of the new house. He stopped the carabao, looked at veranda, curious about the identity of the painter. A few minutes later he saw a petit, long haired form approaching the easel. He drew nearer and he was shocked at the beauty of the face smiling back at him. His breath was literally taken away. He tried to cover his dirty bare chest with his hands. He felt that his nakedness might offend the beautiful angel.He was toss and turning in his bed and he can’t sleep.

He dreamed about her.

His dreams start to turn into fantasies.

His fantasies are getting more and more painful by the day. “Son, are you alright?” Mang Tonying asked Momeng. “You’ve been working that part of the field for almost a week what’s taking you long?” “Nothing father, I will finish it tomorrow promise.” Omeng replied. “Ok, get some sleep son, you looked tired.”Omeng was plowing when he heard the young lady in panic shouting “shoooo, shooo, don’t eat the roses.” Their herd of goat was in the young ladies garden gnawing the flowers. He immediately left his plowing and went to the young lady’s garden to fetch their goats. “I’m sorry ma’am.” Omeng apologized. “It’s okay; actually they are not my roses they are my aunt’s. I’m only here for a vacation.” The young lady smiled. Omeng felt he died when he saw the smile and the brown smiling eyes and the red lips and the soft skin and the midnight black hair and the soft angled nose and the small dimples. “Thank you for saving my aunt’s roses. Here have some sandwiches.” Omeng can’t take his eyes off of her but at the same time he can’t stare at her because he was embarrassed. “I’m Juliet and you’re?” She was extending her hand. Omeng shook it and its softness made Omeng winced. “So soft, so fragile, he was thinking, so fragile.” “I’m Omeng. I’m a farmer here.” He softly said.

And they became friends.

“….booom, he was killing the villain with his bare hands….” Juliet was telling a story about a movie she saw….”crash, booom……” Omeng was mesmerized by her beauty and by her smile and the animation of her hands while telling him the story and by the way her dimples appear and disappear making her face more mysterious.... It does not matter that Omeng didn’t understand what she’s talking about; all that matters was she.“Omeng your color is starting to come back.” His mother said. “You must be in love.”

“When will you finish your work?” his father asked. He doesn’t care. Nothing else matter. His fantasies are getting more and more realistic and more and more painful and more and more troubling.

Summer is ending and Omeng knew what will happen. He stopped going to Juliet. He is already preparing himself for the worst. I must wake up. “She’s rich and I’m poor. I must wake up. It’ll only be very painful for me because what am I to her….nothing!” “How many better looking and richer and finer and more educated men will woo her heart and what am I to them….nothing-- curse of the gods to fall in love with an angel.” It was late and Omeng was about to go home. He was miserable, forlorn and beaten. He was about to kick his carabao when he noticed Juliet running towards him. Omeng was puzzled. “Omeng, please stop!” Juliet cried. “I must talk to you.” Omeng alit from his carabao and he was surprised when she hugged him, hugged him so hard that he almost melted with the softness of her touch. “Omeng my parents will be coming to take me to the U.S. tomorrow. I won’t come. See, Omeng I’m in love with you. Despite the…I know that you will learn to accept me. Please let’s leave tonight, let’s go away.” Omeng was speechless. His dream is coming true, his fantasies are becoming a reality; his love is in his hands. “Juliet, meet me here tonight. We’ll go to my father’s resting hut on the other side of the field and there we’ll talk about our plans. Tonight, my dear, tonight before ten, I’ll meet you here.” “Thank you Omeng.” She cried, “thank you.”Omeng took his savings, his father’s bolo, a kerosene lamp and silently left their nipa hut to meet Juliet. “Come on Juliet before you’re parents arrive” Omeng and Juliet half walked, half ran to wards the resting hut.

When they arrived there Omeng was surprised when Juliet suddenly kissed him. “ Oh Omeng, though you didn’t knew how much I love thee the first my eyes laid my eyes on thee. Oh, my Omeng, how thou have made my heart skip a beat, Oh Omeng how do I love thee?” Omeng replied “Oh Juliet you knew deep in thine heart the answer to thy question. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” The passion they felt, Omeng’s fantasies, Juliet’s fantasies. It was their night the night when stars and the constellation was right. He was never been kissed and the way Juliet kissed her drowned him. He was like being killed to be revived to be killed again and revived again and again…She was touching him and he was touching her…Their bodies melted into one…. Omeng was mad with passion, he touched her and touched her when he felt something in her groin…something hot…something hard….something he was familiar with….he took the kerosene lamp and looked at what he was holding. When he saw what it was, he let out a voiceless scream and then everything went blank.

“Doctor, please help us. We’ve been to the best albularyo but still he’s not improved.” Aling Inyang cried. “Tell me what happened to him” The barrio doctor asked. “Three days ago we found him in his father’s resting hut naked, drooling, with that blank look in his eyes. Doctor what happened to him?” The doctor was dumfounded with what’s in front of him—a breathing cadaver. “This is the first time I’ve seen a case like this. Aling Inyang your son is catatonic. He’s been through a traumatic experience and his mind just snapped. I’ll write a prescription for intravenous fluids. Sorry, all we can do is to keep the body nourished and hope that some day he’ll snap out of this state.”Mang Tonying and Aling Inyang were weeping while they pushed the wheel chair with the breathing cadaver out of the clinic. “Our son, our son. uh. uuh uuuuuh”

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…


Moral lesson? None whatsoever! Just having fun he, he, he,…