The Portrait Room
Casa Alvize de Arrastia
Poblacion
San Angel
4:14 pm
Inauguración de Compaña el Nuevo Sueño, 18 de Noviembre 1887
Sñr Rafael Alvize, Dña Consuelo Alvize, Dn Astolfo Alvize, Dn Felizardo de Arrastia, Dña Isabel de Arrastia,
Sñr Segismundo de Arrastia.
Drake: Migz, look at this.
Migz moves closer to Drake's right and leans forward.
Migz: No way...
Drake: This is the face I see in my dreams.
Drake points to the person on the right end of the photo.
Migz: At siya...
Migz points to the person on the left end of the photo.
They turn their heads and look each other in the eyes.
Drake snaps out of Migz's gaze and takes out his mobile phone from his pants pocket.
He unlocks it and swipes to access the camera.
He taps on the screen to adjust the phone camera's focus.
He taps the round capture button.
Doña Mirza: What are you boys looking at?
She asks them the soonest she enters the door of the Portrait Room.
Migz: Abu... Do you know anything about this photo?
Migz ask his Abuela Mirza as she approaches them. Drake is a bit surprised at Migz's crisp use of English; like the usual gruff way he speaks in provincial Tagalog just switched off.
Doña Mirza: Which photo? There are so many?
She asks back.
Drake: This one po.
He points to the framed photo.
Doña Mirza: Ohhh...
Doña Mirza suddenly becomes silent.
She moves her gaze from Drake to Migz.
She gathers her thoughts before answering.
Doña Mirza: This was taken during the opening of Compaña el Nuevo Sueño. One of the first and industrialized oil extraction factories in the country. It's also one of the rarest photos of our ancestors. Siya ang ninuno nating lahat ng may dugong de Arrastia ngayon, Miguel, si Segismundo de Arrastia.
Drake: Would you happen to know anything about them po?
Drake asks.
Doña Mirza: Them?
Doña Mirza's expression grows curious.
Drake: Him...
Drake points to Segismundo de Arrastia in the photo.
Drake: And him...
Drake then moves his finger to point at Rafael Alvize in the photo.
Doña Mirza stares intently at Drake. She raises her left hand and reaches for his face. As her fingers touch his cheeks, she tilts her head to the right to gaze into his eyes.
Doña Mirza: You remind me so much of Matthew.
She says softly.
Migz: Matthew?
She sighs. Withdraws her hand from Drake's face and smiles at herself as a bittersweet memory stirs.
Doña Mirza: That is another story for another time.
BINABASA MO ANG
The Coño Boy 6: Ten Lifetimes With You
RomanceThey say that we are reincarnated with the same set of souls that we have spent our previous lives with, and that we fall in love with the same person in this life and the next. This is the story of two souls and the journey of their love through t...
