Klay's misadventures inside the world of Noli Me Tangere continue. Despite her poor attempt in speaking the "language of Despacito", the Maria Clara calls for Madre Escucha, a convent nun. Klay screams at the sight of yet another strange-clothed woman entering the room speaking in Spanish and Old Tagalog. Madre Escucha points out how she doesn't look like any of the other colegialas or female students and inspects her weird T-shirt and pajamas, much to Klay's chagrin.
Klay's odd manner of speaking (in Taglish as well as informal Tagalog) ticks off both women, and Madre Escucha scolds her off for disrespecting a pious lady like Maria Clara, who is the daughter of the important figure Don Kapitan Tiago. Initially in disbelief and amazement at the same time, Klay assumes that she is being pranked into a Noli Me Tangere play - "Noli yarn? (Is this Noli?)" and jokingly asks for Crisostomo Ibarra, Maria Clara's betrothed. However, Maria Clara takes note of this, and asks Klay how she knows her fiance.
Maria Clara's seriousness catches Klay off guard, so she apologizes for the disturbance and leaves the room with Madre Escucha following behind. Klay shyly says sorry for wearing nightwear when Escucha asks her what type of clothing article she is wearing. She asks where they are - Beaterio Street, Intramuros - and points out that they are near Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, her university. Madre Escucha asks her how she would be able to go home, and she asks to borrow for her cellphone to call for a taxi... words that haven't existed yet in that century. Because of her eccentric language and her manner of speaking Taglish, Escucha barely understands her at all. Still thinking that she is being pranked, Klay asks Madre Escucha to cut off her antics and praises her "good acting" before leaving to find a taxi on her own. Nearby on a balcony, Maria Clara and Klay have a brief stare off until she leaves with an awkward smile.
Walking on the main street, Klay receives multiple stares for her odd clothes. As she continues to walk, she notes the calesa, guardia civils, and vintage houses. Reaching a church square, she asks directions from a passerby to "PLM". However, the passerby doesn't understand what Pee-El-Em nor a pamantasan/universidad is, saying that it was the first time she has heard such names. She gives her a freshly printed newspaper and Klay looks at the date - 11 de Mayo 1884.
Once again, she assumes that this is part of the prank and starts to walk away until two noblemen approach her, thinking that she is a mujer libre, or a prostitute. The passerby attempts to shoo them away, only to be called a lowly woman. Suddenly, Klay remembers Prof. Torres' words. Overwhelmed by the interaction, the sounds of the bell, and everything around her, she faints to the ground with the passerby approaching her while calling for help.
When she wakes up, she finds herself in baro't saya back in Maria Clara's room... and her undergarments missing. In another room, Maria Clara asks Madre Escucha what Klay was using as a tapar pecho or chest cover, which, unbeknownst to the people of their era, was a bra. Madre Escucha also points out the strange piece of cloth that she found Klay wearing around her "lower womanly parts".
Together with other colegialas, the two return to Klay after hearing that she has awoken. Maria Clara apologizes for taking her tapar pecho, but this time, it is Klay's turn to react to their strange language. She asks them if they haven't heard of bras or underwear, to which they apologize as well for not being able to understand her.
Klay asks how she ended up in Maria Clara's room and Madre Escucha replies that she must thank her mistress for asking her to search for her, and dress her up more decent than her thin nightwear. Maria Clara, calling Klay a mestiza de Sangley, asks her how she feels, but she only requests help to go home, asking her to be dropped off at F.B. Harrison Street. One of the colegialas, Victoria, point out that the name sounds English, but Madre Escucha simply dismisses it, saying that English names had never been street names in the country.
Klay wonders if she truly is in Noli Me Tangere, which the others also overhear the name. She explains to them that Maria Clara, her father, her fiance, even Padre Damaso, are characters from the novel. Madre Escucha horrifyingly comments that she has gone mad. However, she retorts by saying that she knows everything that will happen in the novel until the third chapter, which means that she is aware of a grand gathering in the house. Victoria, also shocked, mutters to Escucha that she has lost her senses.
In the present, Narsing and Elias continue to search for Klay. A woman who overhears them tells Narsing that Klay may have become a runaway after their disagreement, but she dismisses the idea.
We quickly go back to 1884. Maria Clara agrees that there is indeed a grand gathering soon, but Madre Escucha says that this is no surprise that a mujer like Klay knows, because the expected honored guests are of from upper classes. Klay then explains that there is a commotion bound to happen between Padre Damaso, Maria Clara's "grandfather", and Crisostomo Ibarra. Damaso, insulted by being served chicken neck and wing parts in his tinola, vents his anger out on Ibarra, who had arrived from abroad and compared the state of the Philippines in poverty to other countries. Ibarra didn't seem to mind his thorny words, amusingly reminding the priest of the times when he regularly visited his father for lunch and supper. This ticked off Damaso and assumed that Ibarra was calling him a glutton.
Klay's story ends there as she had only read that part of the story before waking up in Noli. She tells Maria Clara that if it becomes true, then it is also the beginning to her fiancé's demise. Again, Escucha points out the insanity of her story. Maria Clara tells her that she believes the story and asks Klay to stay in the room and leaves with the nun and the colegialas. Klay grows suspicious. Outside, Maria admits to the others that she thinks that Klay is a crazed woman and needs hospital psiquiátrico. Klay overhears this and recognizes the Spanish words - Maria Clara is sending her to a psychiatric ward.
Back again in the present, Stacy informs Narsing that Klay has not attended any classes and assumes that she was sick. Narsing knows that she isn't the type to leave after a disagreement, but her worrying almost kills her. Stacy volunteers to keep searching for her, while Narsing prays that wherever she is, she hopes that she is not in danger.
When the beaterio workers come to take Klay away, they find that she has fled. With nowhere to go, Klay wanders everywhere until she sees a public gathering in the church square. She notices the same passerby who helped her earlier being forced to have her hair cut in front of the crowd... by the Padre Damaso. Padre Damaso ruthlessly reminds her that this is happens to "doves who fly too low" and orders the guards to whip her.
Klay helplessly watches and asks some of the members in the crowd to help her, but to no avail. The gruesome sight pains her, reminding her of her abused mother. She silently prays, telling the heavens that whatever happens, happens, and approaches to stop the whipping. Suddenly, a hand grabs her away. To Klay's surprise, it was Prof. Torres, looking the same as ever, in Noli Me Tangere just like her.
End of Episode 2.
Images courtesy of GMA Drama. No copyright infringement intended.
Recap Notes:
- Maria Clara mistakes Klay for a mestiza de Sangley, or a Chinese woman. This will have a significance in the next episode.
- I was torn on whether to keep the Spanish and Tagalog translations or translate them to English, but some of the words actually hold meaning when left untranslated, especially with the pacing of the story. As such, I'll instead put the untranslated word and add the closest English meaning in beside it. When the word is repeated later on, the original word will instead be retained. This format will be carried on to later episode recaps.
