Kwentong Kolehiyo

Shooting Star

A day after my Lolo died, I rummaged through his stuff. I had so little sleep that I could not make sense why I did but I kept searching and searching until I came across a dusty leather bound journal. One that I remember he always read from when I asked him to tell me stories when I was little. I opened it, and found quaint little symbols and a dedication that read: " To G.M. "
Then flipped through the pages and realized that the journal was my Lolo's, and the stories he read to me were real accounts of his life.
I reached the end of the journal, and there was an unfinished entry, written in red ink and blotched by what seemed to me, teardrops. It read:

" Saturday, 18th October

I sat here all day thinking about what I could have possibly done to scare you away, my love. There are no words, no words at all to describe how I feel right now. All I know is that this pain is the worst kind of pain, and if ever I make it through, I will never be the same man again. Tell me, have you forgotten all the promises we made? I promised to marry you, and so I shall, but alas, now that you're gone, how can I? "

I was amused at how my Lolo wrote. In my mind I knew it was my Lola he was writing for. They loved each other very much, and I didn't think that they would have such misunderstandings like these over the years.

My Lola came in and asked if I was okay. I nodded, and held the journal close to me. She looked at it with a wide gaze, and paused for a moment before shedding a tear.

"They're together now", she uttered faintly.

"Who is, Lola?"

"Your Lolo, and Cassandra, his first love."

I was filled with curiosity. Lolo always told me that Lola was his first love. So then, who is this Cassandra?

"That journal is all about Cassandra, my dear child. Your Lolo loved her so much. I should know, I am his best friend. I was there through it all. Cassandra was ahead of our time. She was very strange, so very strange. Your Lolo has an appetite for strange, that is why he was so drawn to her. They became a couple for so long that your Lolo was already planning to propose marriage to her. One night, she suddenly disappeared. Just gone, with no goodbyes. Gonzalo vowed that he will be with that shooting star again. Days before your Lolo died, he had recurring dreams of Cassandra, asking him to come with her. We talked about it. He told me that he refused to come with her. He has been miserable all these years, so I let him go. I gave him my blessing, and one night, he just stopped breathing."

Ch
AMV College of Accountancy