El Filibusterismo (El Fili) – Chapter 37
Chapter Title: The Mystery
Setting: Orenda house, Santa Cruz
Characters:
- Tinay Orenda
- Isagani
- Chichoy
- Momoy
- Sensia Orenda
- Capitana Loleng
- Domingo / Capitan Toringoy
- Senor Pasta
- Don Timoteo Pelaez (mentioned)
- Paulita Gomez (mentioned)
- Juanito Pelaez (mentioned)
- Chinaman Quiroga (mentioned)
- Macaraig (mentioned)
- Office Clerk (mentioned)
- Simoun (mentioned)
- Tia Tentay (mentioned)
- Padre Florentino (mentioned)
Plot:
The Orenda family and Isagani discuss the bomb incident.
Chapter Summary:
The rumors of the bomb reach the public. Friends and family are in the Orenda house talking about it. Tinay is playing sungka while everyone discusses the incident. Isagani usually plays with Tinay Orenda but this time he is busy listening to Chichoy.
Chichoy tells everyone that he delivered earrings to Don Timoteo Pelaez as a gift for the wedding couple. He saw them demolishing the kiosk which served as a dining room, and they found gunpowder under the floor, table, seats and roof. Capitana Loleng asks who put the gunpowder there. Momoy is pale as he had been to the wedding and was sitting near the kiosk. He says no one knows.
Senor Pasta says there could have not have been more than one person, and that it was probably an enemy of Don Timoteo Pelaez or a rival of Juanito Pelaez. Everyone looks at Isagani, who smiles. Capitana Loleng tells him to hide or else he will be accused. Chichoy said only Don Timoteo Pelaez and Simoun had been in charge of the house. Isagani just smiles. Capitan Toringoy says all of Anloague street would be gone if the bomb had exploded.
Capitana Loleng says the people who owe them debts would be gone as they were all at the wedding, and that they own property near there. Chichoy says that he met his friend (office clerk) who said it was Simoun responsible. Other people suggested that it was the friars, Chinaman Quiroga, a student, Macaraig or Isagani. Capitan Toringoy looks at Isagani.
Everyone doesn’t want to believe it is Simoun as Simoun used to sell them gems and once complimented the Orenda girls before. Sensia Orenda says but Simoun was at the fiesta. Momoy says he remembers Simoun leaving when they were going to eat. Simoun was going to get his wedding gift. They guess that Simoun made himself Don Timoteo Pelaez’s partner so he could try to kill all the Spaniards.
Sensia Orenda says Tia Tentay once called Simoun the devil. Capitan Toringoy removes his ring that Simoun gave him. They realize that everything makes sense, and explains why Simoun is so rich, and why his house smelled like sulfur. Binday Orenda says she saw blue flames at Simoun’s house.
They realize that the lamp was meant to be explode. They wonder if the thief is one of the “Black Hand”. Momoy says no one knows if the thief was a Spaniard, Chinese or Indio.
Isagani says that if the thief had known what was going to happen, he wouldn’t have taken the lamp and that he would never want to be in the thief’s place. He soon leaves to stay permanently with his uncle (Padre Florentino)
Trivia:
- It is mentioned that the Orenda family has a talking parrot.
Quotes:
Isagani: It is always wicked to take what does not belong to you. If that thief had known what it was all about and had been able to reflect, surely he would not have done it! For nothing in this world would I wish to be in his place!
