Martines by Anna Felicia Sanchez (Contextual Analysis by Kate Borlasa)

Summary

Anna Felicia Sanchez’ short horror story starts with an opening anecdote of Richard Servacio’s father telling a myth of a secret to immortality that “kept the land from drying, from crumbling under the weather of a world that had lost its way along its own axis. With this knowledge, the rest of the land could be saved from drowning in the color of blood, there would be no need for the shadows of things long gone… there would be life…” and so the story continues with Richard and his cousin, Totoy, driving a “grimy” owner-type jeep on the way to an isolated forest – which was once a village – in the jungles of Batangas. Richard, who was a 25-year-old corporate speech trainer suffering from a quarter-life crisis – after being told a “lousy” motivational speaker by his boss for the fifth time. Because of this, he hoped to seek comfort of the countryside view of Batangas and after Totoy promised him that Martinés – their destination – would change his life forever. But rather the trip seemed to have worsened his emotional state by the bumpy ride and the nuisance of his cousin’s company. The awful journey had put him to sleep in which he dreams of a myth where a mysterious stranger in his father’s once infertile village appeared. The stranger blessed the lands with bountiful nature that fulfilled the village. Because of the miracles brought by the stranger, the villagers begged her to stay but she could not for she has other villages to visit. So instead, she made them sign a contract with a condition of remembering so that the village would continue to flourish. The head of the village worried that what if they could not remember? The stranger then answered that their offspring should be told… and if they forget, then “they shall be reminded.” The stranger dispersed into a thousand birds and flew down the edge of the village where grew a young acacia tree. Richard was awakened when his cousin parked the jeep. He accompanied Totoy to catch a live monitor lizard to offer to Martinés. He was distracted with the appearance of a black bird with a crest on its head. Totoy rather continued telling Richard a trivia about him being the oldest in their generation next to Tata Onsing – their great grandfather – who was dying.

The next scene reveals the sequel to Richard’s dream where the leader of the village died. The villagers turned to the oldest of the youngest of the members of his family who could remember that must take the ancestor’s place as keeper of the burden of remembering. The village lived in abundance until one day, the last person who could remember died. Everyone came to forget until no one could take up the burden. When they could not fulfill the contract, tragedy began to torment the village so strong that the waters colored the rocks with blood. The stranger returned and bestowed her final gift. She called to one of the black birds in the acacia, snipped its tongue and declared that this is how they shall be reminded. If the contract is broken once again, the stranger promised to come back to drain the land.

The mystery unfolds as Richard and Totoy draw deeper into the forest. As they wander along the forest, Totoy keeps stating that Richard doesn’t know anything. Richard’s perplexity about the place and his family history alters as he comes to realize the disturbing darkness of the forest when they approached a large acacia tree where dwell the thousand black birds. Totoy explains that these birds are called “Martinés”. When they are young, people can teach them to speak by snipping their tongues bit by bit. The details of the place and the myth – the red rocks, the acacia tree, the martinés, “the oldest of the youngest must take up the burden”, “memory is a fragile thing” unlocked the horrifying mystery of his destiny. Richard was about to run away when Totoy hit him with a steel knocking him unconscious. Later, he wakes up in the darkness with his arms and feet bounded. He asked Totoy for light and then he saw the remains of the lizard fed by the martinés and Tata Onsing, moaning in pain, welcoming his death.

Totoy left the place leaving Richard behind. The bird fed on his knees making him cry in pain causing him to open his mouth and the bird snipped his tongue. The martinés bent to his ear and spoke of the secret memory.

Interpretation

Socio-cultural context:

1.  Filipino folklore and superstitions: In the Filipino folklore, engkantos are the closest creatures similar to the stranger in the forest. Like the stranger in the story, engkantos are nature spirits known for their either extreme malignant effects, or an overwhelming influence of luck. According to myths and folklore, engkantos serve as spirit guardian of certain places, specially the forests. Sometimes they dwell on these places, such are large and eminent trees like the acacia and the balete which serve as a portal to another dimension. The engkantos tend to curse humans who dare disturb the place where they guard or dwell.

In Sanchez’ character, the stranger blessed the barren land with the abundance of nature that brought a bountiful living to the villagers – in which engkantos do the same – bringing certain people an influence of luck. The village however suffered from a great catastrophe when none of the villagers could satisfy the contract. Sometimes engkantos such as nuno sa punso (also known as elves), give conditions to be fulfilled when a certain favor is done in order for the luck to keep functioning.

2.  Practicing of tradition: The importance of the Servacio clan to the village led to Richard’s fate. His clan was one of the families to ever dwell in the village that had received the blessing and the contract of the stranger. Therefore, the Servacio clan are the one who should continue the tradition which was passed from many generations.

This tradition of remembering has been very important to the Servacio clan. That’s why the long disconnected Richard had to be reminded of his past and his destiny. Richard cherished his urban life for too long making him neglect his hometown and its values causing him to no longer remember his family’s task to preserve and redeem the secret to immortality. When he knew of his fault, he attempted escape in horror. He knew he had to satisfy the contract in gore which to him was a punishment for not remembering. In the stranger’s final gift, she stated that once the contract is broken once again, she will drain the land after their demise which means that the whole clan may suffer from another disaster if no one of them would take up the burden. Richard, being the oldest of the newest generation has the obligation to fulfill the contract in order to save his family from another tragedy.

3.   Love for one’s culture: The burden of remembering is very symbolic to the love for one’s culture. Culture is important to the life of every Filipinos as this influences their views, values, language, and other aspects that shapes their perspective making them unique from other ethnic groups. The story relates to preserving the culture of the Filipinos which gives life and color to the land of the Philippines. The new generations of Filipinos are always reminded by the elders to value their culture and preserve it. Just like Richard who turned his back from his hometown and its values. Without Totoy, he would not have remembered his family’s values that will lead to the stranger perishing all the boon of nature she has bestowed.

The language medium used in the story is rather ironic for it talks about valuing one’s culture but instead, the story was told using another country’s language. Nowadays, Filipinos are more fascinated with the English language than the Filipino language. Richard had seemed to embrace the language of another country which gets him annoyed of hearing Totoy’s English. But Totoy is an example of a patriotic Filipino who values his own culture and language before others. Totoy was more familiar of the values of his hometown than of Richard who has forgotten and neglected all things.

If all the Filipinos have come to forget about their culture and the values of the Philippines, the land will be lost. It is because of this land that we have been molded into Filipinos. Our culture and our hometown demands to be remembered for us to stay connected with its environment. We serve as the keeper of our own village and keep it known thus is the secret to immortality.

4. Alien to one’s own hometown and values: The issue that the protagonist, Richard faces is that he is an alien or not familiar with his own hometown and its values. The purpose of Totoy is to remind Richard of his destiny because for too long, he has neglected his own place for he was too proud with the attitude in the urban and his success as a fluent English speaker. His hometown in Batangas was not at all important to him for he was too blinded with the success he dreams of. Because of too much pride, Richard found himself lost and came back to his hometown to seek comfort.

Some Filipinos are like Richard. One of the major problems that every Filipino faces is their colonial mentality. They think of their own Filipino culture as it is inferior which causes them to be ashamed of their own country. And because of dreaming for too much success, some Filipinos prefer to live and work aboard to escape the social issues of their own country such as poverty and the political issues. They prefer to serve other people from another country instead of helping their fellow Filipinos.

Edit:
FAQs
1. Who are the characters in the story?

Main Characters:
Richard Servacio (Protagonist)
Totoy (Richard's cousin)

Other Characters:
Tata Onsing (The oldest of Richard and Totoy's generation)
Martinés (the black bird in the story)
The Stranger of the village

2. What does Martinés symbolize?

Martinés is either the black bird or the place in Batangas where Richard and Toto had traveled to in this story. But in the context of the story's title, we are referring to the black bird which seems to be the stranger's messenger that sends the oldest of the youngest generation to snip their tongue in order to remember. Technically, Martinés does not symbolize death. 

Martinés symbolizes the remembering of the forgotten memory. The black bird is sent to restore the memory of Richard prior to fulfilling the contract with the stranger.

3. Why is the story entitled Martinés?

The black bird had become the face of the story as it is the one which had awakened the harsh reality in Richard Servacio's fate. Martinés is the symbolism in the story that those who are unfamiliar with one's own culture will be punished by the loss of their ancient identity and history.

4. What lesson can we learn from this story?

Sanchez wants to teach us the importance of culture as part of our identity. It is a bitter truth that as time evolves, the fruitfulness of our culture which had taught us values, traditions, and gave us identity is slowly being neglected and forgotten by the younger generation. The loss of memory and practice leads to the demise of one's culture.

The moral is to love one's culture by practicing what it had taught and sharing it to the next bearer of the generation's identity.