MARINELA
She was a seductive goddess and the sight of her filled me with a longing so primitive and compelling- I simply had to possess her! Before I realized what I was doing, I was already in deep water cavorting with a complete stranger . M A R I N E L A (Kadios and the Mermaid) At the wake of my mother’s cousin in Valladolid, Negros Occidental, I was told this enchanting tale by Tito Robin over cups of steaming salabat (ginger tea) and crunchy galletas ( a local biscuit popularly served during wakes in rural areas) in an effort to keep me from falling asleep. It is a story of how a handsome barrio swain fell in love with a sea siren and decided to join her in her world below the sea. Tito Robin narrates: Lolo Kalaw was the most sought after person in this seaside community. People didn’t seem to mind that he was already blind in one eye and hard of hearing because of advanced age. At 89, his mental faculties remained as sharp and as clear as that of a man o