Why The Night Queen Blooms At Night

I would like to thank Bebop3 for the pertinent suggestions that helped me in the telling of this story.

*All the characters in this tale are over 18 years of age.*

----------

Once upon a time in the old city of Maynilad, there lived a rich young man named Raul. Born an only child to a wealthy but elderly couple, Raul grew up not wanting for anything: toys, clothes, pets, and as he grew older -- friends.

Raul certainly was the most popular bachelor in town. And his popularity more than doubled when at the age of twenty-two, he inherited his parents' wealth.

Raul began to throw the most lavish parties in the old city, and the young folk came to partake of the excellent food and even more excellent wine that he laid out. These events would last all night and well into the morning. In truth, many of his guests could be seen leaving Raul's mansion, happily drunk, well after sunrise.

Unfortunately, the young man's friends were not the sort to tidy up after themselves and they always left the house in shambles. And Raul, too, was not one to clean up, so the house was indeed more than a little dirty... it was downright filthy.

After several weeks of picking up the litter, and putting everything back in its place, day after day, Raul's servants had had enough and left. This, however, did not stop Raul and his many friends from their merriment; they simply moved the festivities from Raul's house to the city's most expensive tavernas -- eating, drinking and gambling the night away.

One day, the lawyer of Raul's late father, came calling. It seemed that there was a codicil in his parents' will that had been overlooked.

Raul could not quite believe what he heard.

"Can you say that again, Senor Reyes?" the young man said to the old lawyer.

Senor Reyes cleared his throat.

"Twenty-four," the old man cleared his throat again, "you must marry before you turn twenty-four, otherwise everything you have inherited will be turned over to charity."

"But why twenty-four?" Raul asked.

Senor Reyes looked at the document he was holding.

"It seems that your father met and married your mother when he turned twenty-four and he was hoping that by the time you reached that age, you, too, would be ready to settle down."

Alright then, Raul thought, he was sure that there was more than one young lady amongst his many acquaintances who would not mind spending the rest of her life, not to mention his money, with him.

"There is one other thing," the lawyer said, "a clause your mother added," he looked at the untidy salon where Raul had received him, "your future wife must be able to keep the house in order, the way your late mother did."

And with that, Senor Reyes handed the sheet of paper to Raul and left.

----------

The weeks turned into months, and still Raul had neither servants... nor a bride to be. He could not hire anyone because word had spread of the utter disarray his house was in and without any hired help, no proper young lady was willing to accept his proposal.

Then one morning, two months before his twenty-fourth birthday, Raul was awakened by someone knocking at the front door. A young girl stood at the entrance.

"Good morning, sir," she said softly, looking down at Raul's slippered feet, "I heard that you were hiring servants. I've come to apply. I can dust and clean, launder and iron, and I can give you references if you have need of them."

"I won't, you know," he answered gently, "but what I need is to see your face. Can you look at me?"

The young girl looked up at Raul. He was pleasantly surprised for she had small, almost dainty features. Her long dark hair was gathered at the back, not by jewelled combs which Raul's lady friends fancied, but by a very plain white band. Her dress, though old, was clean, but the hands that clutched the long skirt or saya that she wore, were indeed work roughened.

"Can you tell me your name?" Raul said.

"My name is Dama, sir."

"Well, then, Dama," he said, smiling, "if you can add cooking to the list of your accomplishments, you are hired."

Dama smiled in turn, and nodded.

As the days went by, Raul realized that he could do far worse than marry Dama. She cooked savory meals (his friends began to comment on how he had gained weight in the past weeks) and laundered and ironed his clothes to perfection. And now that she had restored order to his house, two more servants had come to offer their services. Besides all that, she had a gentle manner which he found both pleasing and soothing.

Thus, one night, when Dama was gathering up the dinner plates, the young man asked her to come out into the garden with him.

"I want to thank you, Dama, for making my house livable again. I have come to rely on you so much that I cannot imagine how I managed without you before, or how I will in future should you leave. What I mean, Dama, is... will you agree to be my wife?"

The young girl knew why Raul had asked for her hand. She had heard him and his friends talk about his parents' will; but she had given Raul her heart the moment he had gently asked her to look up at him that very first day they met.

"Yes," she answered softly.

----------

To everyone's surprise, the marriage seemed to work! Raul no longer spent nights at the city's tavernas. He seemed quite content to stay at home with his young wife.

And when he found out that Dama had grown up in an orphanage, Raul set out to ensure that the foundlings in the very same hospicio would always have adequate food and clothing; this, of course, made him very popular with the nuns who ran the orphanage and countless prayers and benedictions were prayed for his, and his wife's, continued safety... and prosperity!

Dama, in turn, made sure that her husband would have no reason to complain. She took great pains to ensure that his every need, material and physical, was met.

All was fine, but, sadly, it did not last.

----------

After what Dama felt was a very short first year of marriage, Raul went back to the carefree life he had led as a bachelor. He spent more time at the city's tavernas than he did at home, gambling and drinking the night away with his friends.

Raul was still a loving and kind husband and always managed to return to her in the morning, but Dama began to fear that soon, he would no longer come home to her at all.

One night, after her husband left, she went out to the garden where he had proposed a year ago.

It was a clear evening and the moon shone brightly. She looked down on the wedding ring that adorned her finger and her tears started to fall. She would do anything to keep Raul by her side.

"Mga amang dakila," she whispered to the great spirits of the sky, "please help me. Show me how to keep my husband from never leaving me again."

The next morning, Raul came home just after sunrise. He walked quietly to the garden where he knew Dama would be waiting for him, her dainty features lighting up with a smile when he walked in... but she was not there.

He headed to the kitchen where he found the servants preparing breakfast. No, they said, they had not seen the senora since dinner the previous night.

With fear slowly rising up in him, Raul ran up the stairs to the room they shared as husband and wife. Everything was in order, but Dama was nowhere to be found.

Raul searched for his wife for weeks but never found her. He came home each evening, hoping that she would be there to greet him with a gentle smile, but the house was empty.

Then one night, his heart heavy with shame and despair, he went out to the garden where he had asked Dama to marry him. He walked to the very spot where the shy young maiden had said 'yes' and his eyes began to tear.

"Oh, my sweet and beloved one," he whispered, "I was a callous fool for I did not know how much I loved you until I lost you. If you can no longer return to me, then at least send me a sign that you are safe and that you have forgiven me; my body, my heart and my soul are all troubled and will never have solace till then."

He fell to the ground, sobbing, his whole being wishing for the ease only Dama could give.

When Raul awoke the next morning, he found that he had spent the night in the garden. He sat up and lifted his hand to clear his eyes, when he noticed that he was clutching a small bouquet of tiny white flowers. He looked about and there beside him, was a small bush dotted with the same delicate blossoms.

He got to his feet and turned to enter the house, when Ambo, the gardener came round the corner.

"Good morning, Senor Raul," the gardener said, "I see you have picked the flowers from the mystery bush," he added, pointing to the small bouquet in Raul's hand and then to the bush.

"Why is it a mystery?"

"It seemed to have just sprung overnight. I don't recall planting any seeds or seedlings where that bush is now.

"I see," Raul said, "wh -- when did you first notice it was there?"

The gardener looked down at his feet and did not answer right away.

"I... I only noticed it the morning after the senora disappeared, senor," Ambo said slowly, "it's also a mystery because, as pretty as they are, the flowers have no perfume."

Raul lifted the bouquet to his nose and inhaled. The gardener was right, they had no fragrance at all.

"My wife may have planted it without telling us, so it must be taken care of, Ambo," he said gently and entered the house.

That night as Raul returned home, after a day again spent searching for Dama, the young man felt drawn to the garden and the mystery bush.

As he stepped out, he was welcomed by a most wonderful fragrance, a bouquet both strong and subtle, shy yet gently enticing, that one only wanted more of it.

He walked to where the perfume came from -- and it came from the mystery bush!

He knelt beside it, savoring its scent and felt such peace, such ease and comfort, that he knew it was his beloved Dama sending him the sign he so desperately craved.

Many years passed but Raul never again spent one night away from his home. Instead, he spent each one in the garden where he had proposed, waiting for nightfall, so he could breathe in the fragrance that brought him such solace.

And just before he died, Raul asked that he be buried beside the mystery bush.

To this day, the bush only releases its fragrance at night and we still call it by the name that Raul gave it... his Dama de Noche -- his Queen of the Night.