Love Star

Chapter 1

Love Star

A novel by Patrick Louie Ilagan

(Chapter 1 – When Andrew Met Anne)

There are a hundred billion stars in the sky. Close your eyes, and wish for that one bright star – your soulmate, your one true love. Who knows, the universe might send it to you, at the most unexpected place, and at the most unexpected situation.

Tandang-tanda ni Andrew ang laging sinasabi ng kanyang ama nung bata pa siya. Sabi nito, sa dimami-rami daw ng mga stars sa kalawakan, ay may makikita kang isang big star. Among all the stars, ito ang pinakamalaki at makaka-catch ng attention mo.

Love Star ang tawag dito – the brightest of all stars. Mag wish ka lang daw dito at mahahanap mo na ang taong para sa ‘yo.

Hindi man siya naniniwala sa sinasabi ng kanyang ama, ay may konting curiosity pa din ito.

Siya si Andrew Garcia. He is 23 years old, fair-skinned, round-eyed, stands 5’6” in height, with a slim-fit body built. Often tagged as a good-looking, boy next door, may inhibitions pa din siya sa kanyang sarili.

Gustuhin man niyang mag-artista ay hindi pwede dahil hindi rin naman daw siya magiging leading man dahil sa kanyang height. Gwapo nga, pero hindi kasing tangkad nina Dingdong Dantes, Richard Gutierrez at John Lloyd Cruz.

But he is not a frustrated actor. May isang bagay na mas gusto niyang gawin. Ito ay ang pagiging film director. He is dreaming that someday, mahihilera din ang pangalan niya kina Steven Spielberg, James Cameron at Lino Brocka.

Right now, he’s doing short films featuring his friends, at pino-post niya lang ito sa YouTube, hoping na mapansin ang kanyang mga gawa. Pero may mas malaki siyang balak. He wants to join a major film festival kung saan maaari siyang ma-recognize ng mga batikang direktor at malalaking film producers. Tamang oras at budget na lang ang hinihintay niya.

Kung lovelife naman ang pag-uusapan, ay perfect zero ito kung maituturing. No girlfriend since birth ba naman itong si Andrew.

He still lives with his parents, by the way. He lives in a large and spacey house in a quiet village in Rizal. Their house is on top of a hill, kaya kitang-kita ang buong Metro Manila sa terrace ng kwarto ng binata.

The night is still young at hindi pa makatulog si Andrew. He went out of his terrace at napatingin siya sa taas. He gazed into a sea of stars in the sky. Ilang saglit lang at may isang star na kumuha ng atensyon niya. It was the brightest star of them all.

“Ito na yata yung sinasabing Love Star.” namamanghang sabi ni Andrew.

It was his first time to see the star. Hindi niya alam kung bakit hindi siya mapakali at bigla na lang niyang naisipang mag-wish dito.

“Love Star, wish I may, wish I might… hope I could find my true love… my Miss Right!” malakas na pag-chant ni Andrew habang diretsong nakatingin sa star.

With his fingers crossed, he decided to close the windows and go back to bed.

**********************

That same night, sa isang malaking ballroom sa Shangri-La Hotel sa Makati, ay may ginaganap na press conference para sa nalalapit na pagtatapos ng isang primetime TV series, ang My Girl, My Sweetheart, kung saan isa sa mga bida ay ang drama actress na si Anne Laurel.

Anne is a 23 year-old, fair-skinned drama actress. She stands 5’4” in height, and has a sexy figure. She looks like a doll sa sobrang puti at kinis ng kanyang kutis. She can be very sweet, but she can also be very feisty.