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    • Home
    • Resume
    • Giving Back
    • Brown Skin
    • Music and Lyrics
    • Ginang Filipinas 2025
    • Rhythm Of Dance
    • My Fitness Journey
    • Frustrated Model
    • Tech Writing Samples
    • Talk to Me
  • Home
  • Resume
  • Giving Back
  • Brown Skin
  • Music and Lyrics
  • Ginang Filipinas 2025
  • Rhythm Of Dance
  • My Fitness Journey
  • Frustrated Model
  • Tech Writing Samples
  • Talk to Me

BROWN SKIN

A Novel by May Ledesma

Brown Skin is a fictional drama rooted in the grit of real events and the whispered stories of real people. It explores the social and moral issues that define our modern lives – religion and public education, the trauma of sexual abuse and the consequences of abortion, the complexities of immigration, domestic violence, and the quiet battles with cancer and political divide.


At its heart, this is the story of Mariana Paloma Lorenzo. A Filipina fueled by ambition and the pursuit of true love, Mariana leaves the Philippines for the United States to build a dream. Her journey is one of resilience and cultural assimilation, a search for bliss that often feels just out of reach.


More than a story of immigration, Brown Skin is an ode to the Filipina diaspora. It celebrates the rich, often painful tapestry of experiences that shape who we are – far from home, but never far from heart.


Above all, Brown Skin serves as the literal and metaphorical canvas of Mariana’s journey. It is the one constant through every trial – the skin that felt the sun of the Philippines, the skin that bore the bruises of betrayal, and the skin that eventually learned to glow with the radiance of self-love and survival. Mariana’s brown skin is not just her identity; it is her testament. It is the parchment upon which her history is written, proving that though the world may try to break the woman, the spirit carried within that skin remains unyielding, beautiful, and finally, home.

The Structure

 The narrative follows the structure of the Pentateuch, mirroring the first five books of the Bible to symbolize the phases of Mariana’s evolution:

  • Covenant narrates the birth of her identity in the Philippines – a time of dreams and the spark of love that prompted her to leave her homeland.
  • Wilderness captures her departure, a liberation that leads to the wilderness of the unknown, where the quest for a "promised land" is met with the hardships of migration.
  • Sanctuary reflects her adaptation to American culture, where she must learn new social norms and establish her own codes of conduct to create a sanctuary in a foreign land.
  • Reckoning explores her growth within the U.S. community, recounting the milestones, the years, and the challenges that shaped her adulthood.
  • Witness is the time of reflection – a reaffirmation of values and the passing of wisdom to her child. It is her legacy, recounting the journey from the pain of oppression to the joy of deliverance.

Jump to the Prologue

The world is founded on naught but lies...

Deception... Denial... Delusion...



To my love,

My life,

My everything,

My Nicholas


 


Prologue

shattered once 

died twice 

the world is founded 

on naught but lies… 

broken vows 

broken dreams 

a life not fair 

and full of schemes… 

walking without knowing 

giving without taking 

trusting and believing, 

loving…. then … dying…



🖤💔🖤💔🖤💔🖤💔🖤💔🖤💔🖤



August 12, 2011, 11:27 PM 


I stopped crying as soon as I saw his face.


I could not believe he had a smile on his handsome, white face. I was more astonished when I saw him threw his head and laughed at a joke that he comfortably shared with the officer who was obviously more friendly than the one I have. 


What was he laughing about?


As far as I’m concerned, I saw nothing funny in our situation. As far as I know, my situation was not a joke. No, it was not funny at all. He caught my eyes and the merriment on his face died. Then came the cold and emotionless stare. The same look he gave me when the officers dragged me to their patrol car about an hour ago. 


Did I really love this man?


I felt sick in my stomach, I thought I was going to throw up. I stumbled to the wall to steady myself. Then I heard my guy in blue saying, “Are you okay, Miss?” I wasn’t really sure if he was blind or just plain stupid to ask me such a dumb question. I would bet my last dollar on the latter. 


Did I look like I was okay?


I imagined I must look ghastly. My hair was disheveled, my nose was red, my eyes looked like they’re about to fall, my lips were cracked. I have contusions on my neck and wrists and a concussion on my head. I wasn’t wearing anything to protect my feet and I was walking around in handcuffs, crying myself to death; pleading, begging these heartless bastards to give me back my son; and that is just the physical picture, I didn’t even know where to begin with the mental and emotional ones. 


And he asked if I was okay?


I stared at the officer in disbelief and said nothing. I didn’t think I could have mustered intelligible phrases at the moment as my throat won’t allow me anyway. However, my stare may have had some effect on him as he looked away looking embarrassed.  Another officer came and asked me to follow him to my second patrol car ride for the night. What a treat! He is taking me somewhere for the night because I don’t have $650 in cold cash to bail myself out. The thought of being in a jail cell sent shivers to my spine, I felt myself panicking. I could feel the tears on my cheeks and the lump on my throat. I couldn’t believe this is happening to me. 


Step out of the vehicle and move towards that door.


The emotionless officer authoritatively spat his words out, taking me back to the present predicament. I felt numb and unable to move. The officer impatiently grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the vehicle. He then gave me a little push, so I would start walking, which I did, slowly and painfully with my bare feet. The officer decided to get the “most heartless” award of the night and dragged me towards the door, muttering that he didn’t have all night to deal with me. I made it inside the Honolulu Police Department and then everything went like a blur. I remember signing a document for my personal belongings, not like I have a lot – just a wallet and a phone. I was then handed a heavy roll of unpleasantly smelling and grimy looking mattress. I must have looked confused and stupid, not knowing what to do with the roll. The lady officer, not trusting my perplexed face, thinking all along that I am just one of those rubbish, lawless criminals who is a threat to the society, gave me a look that was meant to tell me “move along”, without moving her lips. 


Move where exactly?


I think I am going to faint. My head is spinning. I am going to faint. I heard some screaming and felt some hands on my back as the last flicker of light vanished from my sight. The last thing I saw was my son’s teary face as he was screaming for Mommy. 


Please… I beg you… give me back my son. 

Brown Skin's Voice (Blog)

My life, my experiences, my world as an immigrant in this great country... all rolled into one voice.


Copyright © 2026 May Ledesma - All Rights Reserved.

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