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
"Huh..visit her? Well, that depends, how's this. Write her a letter and let's see if she replies. All right?" her grandma answered.
So I did, I wrote Rosa and confessed what I felt when I saw her— a foolish boy's admiration. Months flew by and it was time for me to go back to Manila with no reply from Rosa, disappointed and broken hearted I went back to enroll in University of Sto Tomas. I was busy with school but the thought of Rosa's smile remained in my mind. In the middle of the semester, I received two letters, one from grandmother and one unexpected reply.
At last, a letter from her, Rosa. At first I couldn't open the letter, my heart pounded ten times faster. "I can't". I said to myself, as I attempted to open her letter, but my courage prevailed, I opened the letter.
"..Of course we can be friends, it's amazing I also just entered college here in Cebu. Where do you study? Tell me about Manila, I heard there are large buildings there and beautiful places..."
Our letters went back and forth for months, though I usually sent two letters a month...other times three , she only sent one. But that one letter, was a piece of heaven. Her writing style was a little "odd" though I thought, but I didn't mind perhaps it was how the Visayans wrote. We agreed to meet in December 22, of 1962 in Masbate at her home Villa Bayot.
After months of waiting, heartache and the roller coaster ride waiting for her letters. We will finally meet. So I put on my best looking suit, polished my shoes until I could see my reflection.
"Saturday evening, 6pm . Moment of truth" I said, I dashed towards her house from grandma's home flowers at hand, I looked like an idiot
"Where's the wedding pogi?" the lady selling bananacue said jokingly.
My heart was beating like a drum, while walking on Danao street. Every step felt like walking on ice barefoot.
And there I was, standing in front of Villa Bayot's window, waiting for her.
"Good afternoon!" I said. It seemed that no one heard me, so I said it louder
"Good afternoon po!!"" then the caretaker looked out the window "I heard you the first time! This is a window, not a gate!"
"What an angry caretaker" I thought to myself.
So I went to the gate of Villa Bayot and for the first time entered the compound. Up the old stairs I went, feet heavy as logs. And... she was there, my dream girl, Rosa. More beautiful than in my dreams, wearing her filipiñana dress. "You're taller than I imagined." she said as she giggled.
That night, I told her about my life in university. About the old large building in my school, about my classmates and my funny professor, she enjoyed and laughed at all my silly jokes, while I show her the latest dance craze in Manila. Her grandmother Doña Victorina, knitted at her room, door half opened, she occasionally glanced at us and smiled. Time went by like a swift wind, it was already 9 o'çlock.
"Maybe your friend can go home now Rosa, I have chores to do." the caretaker said.
Then the grandmother said "Ay...you, leave them alone, will you?"
Spiteful old man, Doña Victorina didn't even mind, he's just a caretaker!
"But he is right, it is quite late iho." Doña Victorina said.
"Can I see you again?" I asked Rosa.
"Maybe, if you teach me Twist. Tomorrow?" she said.
I felt like I won 10 lotteries while walking on the moon. Yes, I can see her again. Maybe, just maybe, she can be my girlfriend.
I went back to Villa Bayot the next morning but she wasn't there. Though it was very sad, she left a letter that mended my heart.
"I'm sorry, I went back to Aroroy and on my way to Cebu, but I would still like for you to teach me how to dance . Is it possible for you to teach me when we see each other again? I hope you're not mad..."
She wanted to see me again, that's all my young mind could comprehend. Christmas vacation ended and I went back to Manila, I sent her a letter and it was already February when I got an answer. Time wasn't an issue, in the letter she told me that we could see each other in April again, during Holy Week. It has had been almost a year since I first saw her but it felt like two minutes. She also wanted me to bring my portable radio, so we can finally dance.
Night of April 8, 1963 I went to Villa Bayot after again with my radio, I was greeted with her smile that was like the bright moon that lit up the night sky. "Rosa, shall we dance?" I said.
The music on the radio was Moon River, it played to us like magic as we danced by the window of Villa Bayot, while the night sky embraced its beautiful hands around Masbate.
"I love you Rosa" I said.
"I know, I love you too." she whispered.
That night, was the first time I felt love. Her hands was soft and her brown eyes was tender. The song played on and I felt like I have escaped life itself and entered heaven.
"Hey, hey that's enough!" The caretaker said. "What are you doing Rosa, you trying to get me fired?"
"Just dancing." she said.
"Go home boy! Doña Victorina! Your granddaughter!" the caretaker said
Doña Victorina came out of her room and just stared at us.
"What happened?" Doña Victorina said.
"What's wrong with you mister! Her grandmother doesn't even mind, you're just a caretaker!" I said.
"Rosa! Rosa, please send your friend home. Please." the caretaker said.
"Go home, now." Rosa said with sad eyes.
"Can I see you again?" I said.
"I don't know, let's see." she said. She then pushed me "Go home!"
I went home with a heart shattered into a million pieces, "Why? How could she do this to me?"
I told my grandmother about everything that had happened, she told me to give her some time. "When the storm of the heart passes, talk to her." she said
I waited for things to pass and on Good Friday morning, I went Villa Bayot with a rested heart to see Rosa. I wanted to know why she got angry. "Tao po..." I said, but no one answered, so I went to the gate, it was open. "Tao po! Tao po!" but no one answered again. I went up the stairs, through it's wide open door and looked around. But no one was there. I noticed that the room of Doña Victorina was open, I peaked a little and then I heard Rosa's voice from behind me "Hey..." she said.
It's Rosa, all beautiful wearing her favorite filipiñana dress. "Rosa, I'm sorry if I did anything wrong."
"No, no, you didn't do anything. Come with me." Rosa said.
We entered Doña Victorina's room, and inside the room were old family photos on the walls. I went to have a closer look, pictures of children, a Mestizo man, a lady dressed in filipiñana— it was a photo of Rosa, dated February 7, 1898.
"It was in this room where they raped and killed me. My little sister, Victorina, hid under that bed. She was just five." Rosa said from behind me.
I looked at Rosa but what I saw wasn't a ghost, not fear..just sadness and Rosa the lady that I love. My tears gently came to comfort me.
"At that moment, I prayed that God would give me the grace to look after my sister, to watch over her even in my death. So just like waking up from a dream, every Holy Week, I would become alive again to be with her. " Rosa said.
"I don't care if you're a ghost. It doesn't matter." I said.
Rosa smiled and said "I'm sorry for being selfish. Your love is so pure that it gave me life longer than Holy Week. Every time I woke up I read your beautiful letters."
Then the caretaker entered the door "I told you Rosa, you can never tell anyone. That's the deal!"
Rosa looked at him with teary eyes and said "I know."
"Your sister will join you soon, so you won't miss her anymore." the caretaker said.
"No! I'm going to pray to God, to let you stay. Here. Longer. With me!" I said.
"I'm sorry iho but that's just not possible, the living and the dead cannot be with each other. That is the rule." the caretaker said.
The tidal wave of sorrow engulfed my heart, with tears in my eyes, I begged God "Please Lord, give me this one miracle." but God moves in mysterious ways, and there are just some things I cannot change.
"Let me dance with him one last time." Rosa said.
And so we danced, with the wind as our only music. Then Rosa whispered "Live your life." then slowly, she faded away, until I was holding her no more.
As I near the end of my life, I look back in my youth and reflect on how I lived. I sometimes think about Rosa, her beautiful smile, I wonder if I'll meet her in heaven, and once more dance with the lady of Villa Bayot.
Dear reader,
Villa Bayot is a real place situated in Zurbito Street Masbate City, and the Bayot clan is a well respected family in Masbate. I mean no disrespect to Bayots, as this is just a work of fiction and is only meant to entertain. In fact, I admire their lineage spanning back to the 1850s. Villa Bayot has always captured my imagination, it is a silent witness to the events that transpired in Masbate. From the Siege of Masbate in 1898, the American and Japanese occupation, Martial Law to present, it has passed the test of time and is a symbol of Masbate's spirit.
I hope you enjoyed our story.
Dios Mabalos!
-Kim