Variations of Love

With subtle literary artistry, Yvette Tans Waking the Dead and other horror stories is an urbanized folklore where fear is seen as not the main intention of the writer but rather merely a product of gore realities as she transforms Philippine horrific mythical characters to dwell in modernized times, coping with timeless issues of losing a loved one, societal and individual greedy machinations, and acting in the name of love. Contextualized in the Filipino mixture of food and love, she created vivid descriptions of every scene and picturesque settings and characters.

The pain of losing a loved one can be so intense that we would want to take our own life and be with the one we loved. It is indeed difficult to go through each day knowing that the person we have become accustomed to be with is no longer there. For some, the bond is so deep that a void of despair consumes them or an illusion of reliving past times becomes an escape from painful reality. In Tans book, Daddy tells of the three telephone calls a father makes to his daughter, Achie, after his demise. The first call happens during work in the office, the second time occurs while she is in a meeting, and the last time was after a conversation with her mommy. Even if the call was not long and they did not talk at all, it is supposed that the purpose of the calls was to remind his daughter and the family he left behind that they are loved and not to forget that he had been a part of their lives.

For a country whose population is largely Christian, marriage is a ceremony that binds two people into one in the eyes of God and the people. When the spouse dies, it feels like losing your other half. Maybe it is harder for those who loved their partner but whether there is affection or not in the relationship, a bond has been built in the course of time of being together. Waking the dead is about Manong Gorio, an old man who lost his wife first. They have been together for decades and his loneliness led him to chant a ritual which caused zombies to appear and his beloved wife to come for him. She offered him her hand and he walked with her to eternity.

Today, Achie and Manong Gorio would be deemed absurd for their experiences but it is not unusual for us to hear of the unnatural as we have a history of ancestors whose traditions and superstitions are ingrained in every generation. We tell tales of haunted houses, schools and buildings by people who have died from terrible fates in the place. For example, a rape victim dies in the comfort room of a school or a house member hangs himself in the stairwell. Then aside from the teaching of resurrection at the end of time by the church, beliefs that there are means of communicating with people on the other side of the living spectrum or even bringing them back to life are still very alive in the present. Some consult psychics and other paranormal individuals to deliver messages from the dead relation to those he/she left behind and vice versa.

Exploring issues brought by greedy societal and individual machinations with dramatic imagery, Tan has defined a reason why greed is a capital sin. Whether it is a hunger for power, love or wealth, its growth in the heart of a person or in a society is a scary thing for it tampers rational limitations and control over ones desires. To illustrate, Delivering the goods brings you to a room with an operating table whereupon a child is cut and the vital organs are replaced with bags of drugs. For millions of money, people at hand in these dreadful deeds take away the dignity of a human being and overlook the impact of the illegal drugs they sell. By delivering these drugs, they destroy individuals and families and futures.

The Bridge tells of a woman whose desperate vanity brings to mind the persona of Imelda Marcos which is supplied to her by devils. We all have the need for happiness, acceptance and prosperity. When one yearns for more than enough he/she is able to afford at the moment, one could think of rash risky measures to get ones desires. Though it is not apparent at first, this impulsivity is troublesome for one will soon realize that it is as if he/she is filling a pail with air. Not discerning the value of the object one wants will leave a pile of empty treasures. Also if these wants are provided by people who ask for something in return, one is putting him/herself into their power. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely put it, a man in debt is so far a slave. The debtor is obliged to abide with the wishes of the person leasing money. So when the leaser demands for something bigger than the debtor is capable of, he/she would

immediately regret for wanting in the first place because what he/she has already is in danger of being taken away.

Boss, Ex? is a story of a man named Bien who is about to settle down into marriage with Shiela. Set in a futuristic era, he buys chips that contain encounters of the girls of his past: Anna (his first crush), Karen (his first girlfriend), Alice (his first experience in sex) and Pia (his first illicit affair). Their journey prepares him to set his mind about the vocation he has chosen, to become a married man. Nowadays, perhaps Biens circumstances might help lessen the cases of infidelity and divorce. In these changing times of modernity, when the couple does not get along or fall out of love, it is better to choose to separate than force to stay together and work out the relationship. This opportunity to reflect on ones past relationships will enlighten him/her on weighing commitments.

In Child Abandoned, Teresa symbolizes the Ilog Pasig where she is portrayed as a smelly, dirty, ugly girl like the river once was. The water comes alive as she speaks to it every day of her misfortunes from her abusive alcoholic father and neglectful mother. With eight other siblings, it is her sister who takes care for their well-being. She is bequeathed healing powers and she helps many people, telling them to drink and your eyes will be opened. But a storm comes and she is offered as a sacrifice to save the rest of the people. In the same way, the Ilog Pasig had been abused and neglected by the communities that lived around it. As its deterioration is simply allowed, it has taken endless warnings and occurrences of dire consequences to move people to act in saving it.

Another story entitled Sidhi tells us of Noah, a charming celebrity, who escapes from the troubles of being popular. In real life, there are two sides to fame. It can be high life because you get VIP access to all the good stuff and you get acknowledgement but it can also be a difficult life because you are always in the publics eye for scrutiny and mobbed for autographs and pictures. Your family might be well-known and looked up to but they also become targets for gossip and jealousy.

Standing by the Bibles definition of love, it is perfect. Though in worldly perspective, love is a complicated emotion that ranges from admiration to obsession. Its temperament can be sweet and mellow at first then demanding and domineering next. It is a driving force that can make one do great good things like withstanding odds and also crazy things like being blinded of a ones or the loved ones faults to the point of ignoring whether this fault hurts self or others.

Stella for Stars is a story of a gay couple, Paco, a university professor, and Dorian, a beauty pageant candidate before. One day, upon their doorstep, they found a box with a baby in it. They adopted her and called her Stella. Dorian is depicted as the caring motherly figure to Stella. They are seen to be constantly in each others company. He yearns for an ideal family as he is insecure of Pacos love. To him, the child is a secure bind to their relationship. Their attachment deepens that Stella is wary of all other people except for Dorian. When Stella arrived, there was amiss in their neighborhood but Dorian does not want to delve into the issue even if he has suspicions on Stellas real form after seeing her feed on animals blood, a stray cat and childrens organs. A time came when Paco was left alone with the infant and when Dorian returned, he found Stella eating the insides of Paco. He does not get angry but sits beside her and strokes her back. After awhile, he smiles, stands up, pours gasoline all over their home and burns it down. The next day, when their neighbors looked over the ashes of the house, in a darkened corner, yellow eyes still watch. Was it selfish of Dorian for not turning over Stella to the authorities? Maybe, however, let us consider that all he wanted was Pacos love and a family with him. He was given Stella. Plus, the fact that their relationship as gays is not openly accepted in society is more of a cause for keeping the small happiness he has finally found even if he knew that it was wrong.

Kulog tells of a friendship that blossomed between a Capri named Kulog and a little girl, Angela, who moved into their town. A Capri is believed to be a creature that is very tall and lives on trees. Before Angela and her family came, Kulogs neighbors were very noisy and he doesnt like loud sounds so he takes their things and plays pranks on them. When they got fed up and left, Kulog was pleasantly surprised to find that the new family living beside his tree was quiet people. He liked Angela and befriended her. Their neighbors became alarmed as they observed the little girl talking and playing to an invisible friend. So they cut off the tree. When

Kulogs house got destroyed, he left the place. In childrens eyes, they do not have any reason to mistrust anyone who wants to befriend them but I guess it is adult instinct to be cautious of people especially those different from their own as they are taught by experience that no one can really be trusted in this life. At present, we are raised in the notion that there are only two people in this world, those who fool others and those that get fooled. So you must be clever in dealing out your resources, feelings and finances alike.

Fade to Nothing is about Felicia who is implied in the story to have Bolemia disorder and her best friend, David, who loves her very much. Felicia is a promiscuous girl and does not want commitments to any guy. She engages in one night stands and has two affairs with Robert and Owen. She does not care about Davids feelings. The disorder makes Felicia think that she is too fat, even when she is not, so she skips on meals and has extreme diets. David feels like her knight in shining armor whenever he is beside her as she vomits her food. It is only when Jason opens Davids eyes to the truth that all of his efforts are not actually helping Felicia to be healthier but rather to die as he encourages her to vomit her food. In love, we become blinded to the blatant truth before us. We refuse to see that our actions are already hurting, choking, and demanding as long as we are with the one we love.

These characters and their situations are still encountered in the present. We lose our loved ones and the pain forces us to choose whether to give in or continue living. Some are unable to let go of the people they loved and look for the embodiment of their memories. Our tendency to seek happiness, acceptance, and prosperity make us strive hard in this world. Reality speaking, people in the higher ranks of society uses all of their power and authority to attain and maintain the luxuries they are afforded to their position while some of the poor resort to terrible means like robbing, cheating and murdering for meager survival. Our understanding of the love emotion defines our corresponding actions towards the people we give it to. Indeed, even when we know that it is the wrong choice we still do it for the simple reason that we want to be happy and we want to stay together with the one we love.

In this life, we are taught that when we fall in love, never give your 100% but keep some for yourself so that when your partner changes his/her mind about you, you will not totally lose it but have something to lean back on.

Waking the Dead and other horror stories does not incite fear by means of scary characterization or suspenseful plots but rather it produces an enlightening sense of wonder on real issues that evolve on losing a loved one, the crazy things we do for love and the imagined deeds we would do at times when we are seized with our raging desires. It is a matter of standing by ones principles and doing what is right always.