Read Online The Sea Is Ours by Jaymee Goh - Free Book Online Page B

where he scraped and flicked mud off. He was trembling, his face pomegranate red, when he finally stood outside the hollow. Without looking at anyone, Prasert stalked away as straight-backed as his muddy shoes would allow.
    Stricken, the novices raised beseeching eyes to Preecha, wails silenced by his serenity. All the wasps had stopped their motion in apparent deference to the Bodhi tree. A fly walked from one novice’s eye to the other without him blinking it away.
    Preecha inspected the dragonfly, especially the legs from which the load had slipped. Giggles in small twigs of the Bodhi quivered to a stop. Splattered red mud was beginning to dry on the rocks as the sun rose over the river embankment.
    â€œSometimes, even the proudest people have to get close to the Lord Buddha,” said Preecha, hoping to give peace to the young monks and wishing that they leaned less on his words. At least Prasert would not return to see him again, but he did not wish to say that.

The Last Aswang
    Alessa Hinlo
    Ever since the day she was cleaved, news came to Udaya in twos: bad later balanced by good more often than not. If she were lucky, both pieces were positive, but this was a rare occurence.
    Neither of those situations happened today.
    Udaya studied the swaths of jusi folded neatly in each of the women’s laps. In turn, they watched her with expectant expressions on their faces. “What exactly is the issue?” she asked Lagnat, though she could guess.
    Lagnat, her ever-loyal and long-suffering servant, had been put in charge of these women. In the past, the ones set with the task of preparing Kagubutan’s gown hadn’t needed such close supervision, but these seamstresses were new and younger. They lacked the proper respect for their benefactor. To them, Kagubutan was a name uttered as protection and curse, and not one of the diwata who’d saved them from the invaders who came bearing golden crosses.
    Lagnat offered her a pained smile. “They cannot do it.”
    â€œWhy not?” Her question came soft and quiet.
    One of the women—a young and pretty thing with soulful eyes—shared glances with her companions before leaning forward. “It’s unreasonable, this timeline you set. No one can embroider these patterns so quickly.”
    The impassioned words drew nods from the other women. Udaya was not so swayed. “Your predecessors did, with far less time, and the oldest of them was four times as old as the youngest of you,” she said. “You are not inexperienced. You all came with high recommendations. I would not have chosen you otherwise.” She dipped her head in regret. “A pity your previous employers were incorrect about you.”
    Her words quelled most of the women. Instant protestations spilled from their lips. Whether they respected Kagubutan or not, they knew failing her would leave a mark on their barely-made reputations.
    The instigator, however, was not deterred despite the obvious loss of support. “I don’t understand why it must be done by hand! Aren’t there machines capable of aiding us? You’re the local liaison! Can’t you get one of them? Even just one would help us. What’s the point of trading with España if we don’t take advantage of what they offer?”
    Udaya narrowed her eyes. This argument came up more and more these days—and not just from the mouths of seamstresses either. She’d let it pass without comment before, but perhaps that time had come to an end. “What is your name?”
    Panic twisted Lagnat’s face. What did her servant think she would do? Drink the woman’s blood? “Mistress—”
    â€œAnswer me.” Udaya ignored her servant’s counsel.
    With the aid of Kagubutan and her sisters, the datus and rajahs had driven the explorers and conquistadors from their islands. Even then, victory came with a price. The terms of the truce had been bitter, to Udaya