Title: How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife by Manuel E. Arguilla

(Adapted for Grade 7 Students using Cultural and Educational Adaptation Methods)

My older brother Leon was coming home from the city, and he was bringing someone very special, his wife Maria. She had never been to our hometown before. She grew up in the city, while we lived in a quiet, simple village surrounded by fields and hills.

Father said he wanted to see for himself if Maria could live the kind of life we had here: peaceful, simple, and close to nature.

I waited for them near the road with our carabao, Labang. When the tricycle stopped, Maria stepped down gently. She was tall and graceful, and she smiled at me as she said, “You must be Baldo.” I nodded. She reached out and lightly touched my shoulder. She smelled sweet, like fresh flowers in the morning.

Then she looked at Labang, our strong and loyal carabao. I told her, “You can touch his forehead if you want.” At first she hesitated, looking at his long horns, but then she gently scratched Labang’s forehead. He stayed still, chewing his food peacefully.

Leon placed their bags on the grass and paid the driver. He stood beside her, and I heard her say, “Yes, Noel.” That surprised me because I had never heard anyone call him by that name. Then I realized it was just “Leon” spelled backward. Somehow, it sounded soft and sweet coming from her.

Leon pointed toward the hills. “There’s Nagrebcan,” he told her. She looked out at the open fields, then turned to him and asked quietly, “You really love this place, don’t you?” He just smiled.

We hitched Labang to the cart, and Maria climbed up carefully in her dress and heels. The three of us rode together as the sun began to set behind the hills. The wind blew through Maria’s hair. She looked peaceful, even as we passed through rough and dusty roads.

Instead of taking the main road, I led Labang through a dry riverbed. Leon asked me sharply why I took that path. “Father told me to,” I answered. Leon laughed, realizing Father was testing Maria to see how she would react to a different, unfamiliar path. Would she complain? Would she get scared?

But Maria was calm. She looked up at the sky and said, “Look, Noel. There’s our star.” Her eyes sparkled. They began to sing together, a song called “Sky Sown with Stars.” Their voices blended in the cool night air.

As we neared our house, Maria looked around and whispered, “It’s so wide here.” Leon smiled. “Do you miss the city?” he asked. “Yes,” she said, “but I’m glad it’s not here. This place is peaceful.”

Soon, we reached home. Mother was waiting at the kitchen door. She smiled, though I could tell she was nervous too. Leon helped Maria down from the cart and asked, “Where is Father?”

“He’s in his room,” Mother said. “His leg is hurting again.”

I went to take care of Labang, but soon Father called for me. When I entered his room, he was sitting by the window, quietly smoking. He asked me, “Was she afraid of Labang?”

I remembered Maria’s soft touch and steady smile. “No, Father. She was not afraid.”

“What did Leon sing?”

I answered, “Sky Sown with Stars. And Maria sang with him.”

Father nodded slowly. The room was quiet, filled with stars shining through the window.

Later, Leon and Maria came in. I looked at her again, tall, gentle, and still. And as I walked out, the scent of flowers followed me in the cool night air.