Christdell D.

Ragay
AB Political Science- IV
Literature 21- F

DEAD STARS

He was once a very passionate lover. Alfredo used to be so in love with his fiancee,
Esperanza. But through the test of time, he couldn’t keep the fire burning. We can see that he had
a genuine love for Esperanza through his father and sister’s conversation:
“Papa, do you remember how much in love he was?”
“In love? With whom?”
“With Esperanza of course. He has not had another love affair that I know of,” she said
with good-natured contempt. “What I mean is that in the beginning he was enthusiastic –
flowers, serenades, notes and things like that.”
He was not oblivious. Albeit, he tried to justify himself in his line:
“One tries to be fair – according to his lights – but it is hard. One would like to be fair to
one’s self first.”
He was aware of his doings while entertaining his guilty pleasure. We can say that he realized the
cause of his change through this line:
“Why would men so mismanage their lives? Greed, he thought, was what ruined so many.
Greed – the desire to crowd into a moment all the enjoyment it will hold, to squeeze from the
hour all the emotions it will yield. Men commit themselves when but half-meaning to do so,
sacrificing possible future fullness of ecstasy to the craving for immediate excitement. . .”
In a society’s perspective, we may describe him as a cheater and generally, a bad, unfaithful
lover. But in a closer look, he was someone who chose his mind over heart. He sacrificed his
temporal happiness or what he believes as “love.” Looking at the brighter side, he then realized
that loss was not his and that love can be illusive.
“. . . So all these years – since when? – he had seen the light of dead stars, long
extinguished, yet seemingly still in their appointed places in the heavens.”