The Mats by Francisco Arellano For the Angeles family, Mr. Angeles's homecoming from his periodic inspection trips was always an occasion for celebration. But this homecoming-from a trip to the south-was fated to be more memorable than any of the others. He had written from Mariveles: "I have just met a marvelous matweaver-a real artist-and I shall have a surprise for I asked him to weave a sleeping mat for every one of the family. He is using many different colors and for each mat pleased. I know you will be. I can hardly wait to show them to you." Nana Emilia read the letter that morning, and again and again every time she had a chance to leave the kitchen. n the evening when all the children were home from school she asked her oldest son, Jose, to read it at the dinner able. The children became very much excited about the mats and talked about them until late into the night. This she wrote her husband when she labored over a reply to him. For days after that, mats continued to be the chief topic of conversation among the children. Finally, from Lopez, Mr. Angeles wrote again: "I am taking the Bicol Express tomorrow. I have the mats with me, and they are beautiful. God willing, I shall be home to join you at dinner." The letter was read aloud during the noon meal. Talk about the mats flared up again like wildfire. "I like the feel of mats," Antonio, the third child, said. "I like the smell of new mats." "Oh, but these mats are different," interposed Susanna, the fifth child. "They have our names woven into them, nd in our ascribed colors, too." The children knew what they were talking about: they knew just what a decorative mat was like; it was not ything new or strange in their experience. That was why they were so excited about the matter. They had such a at in the house, one they seldom used, a mat older than any one of them. This mat had been given to Nana Emilia by her mother when she and Mr. Angeles were married, and it had en with them ever since. It had served on the wedding night and had not since been used except on special casions. It was a very beautiful mat, not really meant to be ordinarily used. It had green leaf borders, and a lot of antic red roses woven into it. In the middle, running the whole length of the mat, was the lettering: Emilia y Jaime cuerdo. The letters were in gold. Nana Emilia always kept that mat in her trunk. When any one of the family was taken ill, the mat was brought and the patient slept on it, had it all to himself. Every one of the children had some time in their lives slept on it; a few had slept on it more than once.
