I always thought that life has a fairytale ending. A story starts with “Once upon a time,” and ends with a “happily ever after.”
My full name is Liwanag Del Mundo, very native as it sounds and like what people says about me; I'm a true Filipina in character and looks. Imang said I had the face of an ethnic princess and Apo said I had conservative characteristics of a native. I had grown with my grandparents alone. Imang, my grandmother and Apo, my grandfather told me that my parents died in an accident when I was a baby.
I used to read books when I was little and my favorite story was that of Belle, "Beauty and the Beast."
Being a child made me live with fantasy and dreams. I had remembered once when Imang said that every girl is a princess and every princess has a prince charming that she had to wait and look for. Like every girl I also believed in that idea and had wished that someday I'll meet my prince and we can live happily ever after.
“But you have to be very careful,” Imang warned. “There are lots of witches, step mother and sisters outside, they might hurt you.”
I said to myself, who can be those witches, step mother and sisters? Imang just gave me a smile and handed me the new books she bought downtown.
That night I had wished on the brightest star, I wished someday I can meet my prince and have the most wonderful magical dream of history.
***
Years passed and I have been much focused on studying. I had become one of the top students in class but instead of being so happy and contented, I became emptier as days passed by. I know a lot of young girls and boys at my age will be the happiest if they'll have my grades on their report cards and like Apo said I have everything that a student will dream of having.
More years passed and my feelings became worst even more when I'm seeing the girls who were once enjoying lunch with me but now having dates with different boys in school. I don't want to join them since I don't have a date, I'd rather be alone than to be a tag along. Nobody seems to show interest on me. I haven't been asked to go out on a date by anybody even once in my life. I also haven't gotten any boyfriend since birth, sad to say but I haven't experienced to feel loved although I fell in love once with a childhood friend whom I had dreamt of being with me for the rest of my life.
***
I still remember clearly the scent of the white lily he gave me during the last day that I have seen him. It was the end of summer and he needs to go back to Manila with his parents so he could finish school. We promised to meet each other after graduation and that was 10 years from that time we made the promise. I said to myself 10 years is not too long and when that time comes I have to be the best woman for him.
We exchanged letters once a week but after one year I haven't receive any letters from him anymore but I still continued sending him letters thinking that he was just busy in school. For unknown reason he never sent me a letter from then on. I don't want to think that he have forgotten our promise so I tried to send him letters consistently once a week for 6 years of hoping that in this way he'll be reminded of our promise. I just stopped sending him letters when I got to study in college.
On the 8th year of waiting I had told by Minda, our common friend, that Roly has a girlfriend in Manila and they have been together for 4 years.
“Inay said that the girl was from a wealthy family and she's very beautiful, no wonder Roly will choose her,” said Minda while looking at the mirror, “I knew it! Boys are just like that, they're after the money and the looks. Roly wasn't different from them, a player,” she continued.
In my thoughts I don't want to believe her, it's just a hunch, there's no big deal. After a few days neighbors were already talking about it. Some of them even said that they have seen Roly with the girl in Manila when they visited a relative there. After a few weeks someone from them even showed a picture of Roly with a beautiful girl on a restaurant. They say this was the girl whom Roly will marry. That night I haven't gotten any sleep as I shed most of my tears crying for the love of my life.
