The Lady Of Villa Bayot

My name is not important, I'm a 77-year-old retired accountant living a quiet life with my wife here in Makati. I am blessed with 4 children and 8 beautiful grandchildren. Needles to say, I am in the twilight of my life and have nothing to ask for. But let me tell you a story, a story I have never told anyone— a secret I kept for 60 years. It's a story of love that began at the closing of the second world war.

I was born on October 8, 1945 in Masbate, Masbate. I was one of the first post war babies in the island. My father, was an engineer who served as a guerilla under the command of the legendary Commander Dimen. After the war, my father worked in Masbate Capitol in the Treasury Office, life was difficult in Masbate, we lived with my grandparents in one of the old houses in Danao street, until I was 7 years old. In 1952, my father received an offer at a power company here in Manila, so he took his family with him and lived in Pasig. It took 10 years before me and siblings went back to Masbate, it was the summer vacation of 1962 just before I entered college that I was able to return to my hometown.

It was April, and me and my two older sisters were excited to join the Holy Week procession, dressed in our nice clothes, we eagerly participated in the event. So we walked the streets of Masbate, reminiscing the time of our childhood. As we were strolling, holding our candle among the multitude of devotees, my sister Anastasha dropped her handkerchief, so I said  "I'll get it." when I looked up, I saw a girl, probably my age looking out the window of an old house in Zurbito street. I stared at her and thought to myself "What a beautiful lady." a mestiza wearing a filipiñana dress, with brown eyes and brown hair, I thought she was Mama Marry for a second. I stared at her and she saw me captivated by her beauty, then she gave the most beautiful smile. Time stood still as I lingered at her smile, I could stand there forever and watch her for eternity.

 "Hey..come on , let's go" Ate Anastasha said.

The next day, I told my grandmother about what happened. She said the mansion was Villa Bayot, the old lady's name is Doña Victorina, and the girl was most probably one the great grandchildren of Don Bayot, a rich mestizo whose wealth span back to the Spanish times.  Eager to see the girl again and know her name, I went back to Villa Bayot the next day. Like a stalker, I watched her window waiting for her, under the shade of a tree, I waited for hours. Until finally, I got too tired of waiting and went to the gate of Villa Bayot. I "Tao po... tao po..." and then a middle aged man came out.

"Who is it?" he said.

"Uhm... good afternoon, I- I-I saw a girl about my age yesterday, does she live her?"

"Ha? No girl lives here." he said.

"Well I saw a girl here yesterday, I swear she was looking out the window" I said.

"Oh...iho, I have a lot of chores to do, no one lives here like that. Why don't you go home?" the man said.

"Who's that?" an old lady said. She descended from the stairs, to get a closer look at me.

"Good afternoon ma'am, I saw a girl here yesterday, she's about my age and she was looking outside the window." I was desperate, judge me. But to my surprise this is the answer of the old lady.

She laughed and said "Ah.. Rosa, so you're the boy, she's telling me about." 

"Rosa! Her name."  I thought. My heart was pumping with butterflies and all I could say was "I hope so." the old lady laughed some more.

"She's my granddaughter. She went home to Aroroy. She studies in Cebu, she just came here for a vacation."  she said.

I wanted to go to Aroroy that very moment, wherever that was. Near, far— didn't matter. "Uhm.. so, is it all right, if I visit her?" I said