ENCANTADORA (PART 1)

 It was a loud crashing sound the deafen the whole walls of Duquesa’s residence that pique the ears once more of their neighbors who are itching that morning to spun another tale and rumors in one single fabrication just to passed time.

 All pause for a while swiping their phones as they focus on the voice of Arnold Duquesa in complete rage as violent sound intermingles: this time it was the sound of shattering.

 

“I told you, don’t buy any more of these goddamned plants! But what did you do? Tell me what did you, Emma?” The neighbor expects a slapping sound after the fuming question just like what they saw in those tear-jerking telenovelas after the handsome hulk found out that his girlfriend is enjoying a steamy night with his supposedly loyal best friend.

 

However, Arnold and Emma’s heated argument doesn’t concern any third party. Or at least a human third party.

 

“M-Maria is getting lonely. She needs more friends, Arnold. I don’t want her to get lonely.” Emma's response was that of a child trying to reason out with his parents who are now wielding the good old slipper ready to smack him if he says something more.

 

“Oh great! It’s Maria again! Your talking plant isn’t it? Your goddamn talking plant just asked you to spend our weekly budget to buy more of his friends!” The sarcasm in Arnold’s voice barely contains his wrath that he wants to pour now. H wanted to explode after finding out that their 250 pesos budget for their one week of groceries just blow out of the window as Emma bought once more secretly another batch of expensive succulent.

 

The hard-earned 250 pesos was converted into something that is not even edible all thanks to this Maria, an encantadora plant which is the first plant ever bought by Emma that triggers her addiction to buying plants until they cramped house soon become a miniature jungle with all sorts of greeneries. It would be better if they can be cooked but they are nothing but decorations; aesthetics that can not fill their stomach nor even their always agape pockets.

 

 

Emma has been diagnosed with schizophrenia which is caused by not just one but five miscarriages. For almost a decade of doing their best complying with medical practices and even go for such extreme like practicing Kama Sutra techniques, they still fail to make a child; a miracle that they’ve been praying so hard and even willing to give up their properties to try any sorts of unorthodox methods to make Emma fertile and yet it seems god forget to include on his plan their baby.

 

And instead, he made Emma insane. Such irony when you plead for a miracle but fate gave you a curse instead.

 

At first, it was bearable for Arnold to deal with Emma’s episodes. He can endure those times she starts talking to herself, stare blankly on their wall, or even those nightly hallucinations that also kept him wide awake even in unholy hours of the morning.

 

But it becomes a mess when Emma brings in their home an encantadora plant he baptized by the name Maria. Everything went hell afterward as his wife becomes a compulsive buyer of plants from the cheapest down to the most expensive that cost a huge set down on their budget; something that Arnold is barely maintaining with his work as a call center agent.

 

The reason why Emma went to the point that she steals from Arnold just to buy an assortment of flora and shrubs is that Maria told her to do so.

 

“For god sake Emma…for god sake please…don’t do this.”  Arnold wanted to pour on his wrath. The urge to hurt Emma lingers actually in his mind just to satiate his pent-up frustrations and stress that tears him apart while at the same he is trying to keep his relationship with Emma all in one piece; an act that he doesn’t how long can he do.

 

 

“I am sorry Arnold…I am really sorry. It was just that Maria made me do it..and I will do anything for her. I will because I love her.” Emma’s eyes are now a waterfall of warm tears as she kneels right in front of his husband and begs.

 

It was a painful view to Arnold that his beloved wife is getting farther and farther away from the borderline of sanity and he can’t do anything but to understand her condition at the expense of shouldering the agony all alone for their family.

 

“When was the last time she told me that she loves me?” Arnold asks himself as he clenching his fist while glaring at the red, yellow, and violet blossoms of the encantadora; such jovial colors that seem to mock him. As if the plant is telling him that Emma’s heart belongs to her now.

 

Before his anger is fueled further by jealousy, Arnold decides to leave their home for now and go somewhere where there is no plant. Not a single flower nor any leafy shrubs.

 

He left their home with Emma tightly clutching the pot where Maria is planted; cradling it to her arms as if it was her child. Perhaps ifs that plant has a mouth, she probably let it suck on her teats right now.

 

He left with such a painful image burned right in his mind as he closes their door with a tear suddenly tracing his cheeks like a crack on his mask that hides how broken he was like those pots he destroyed in front of Emma.