Anastasia’s POV

do you believe in reincarnation?

Well, ako? Hindi ako naniniwala… hindi ako naniniwala noon.

Third person’s POV

Habang nakaupo si Ana sa upuan nya, biglang dumating ang kanilang teacher.

Teacher: Good Morning class!

Students: Good Morning Ma’am

Teacher: So, as you all already know, naka leave ang advisory teacher nyo since malapit na
due nang-panganganak nya. So, ang aming nahanap na sub ng teacher nyo ay a student
teacher from, decelis academy.

May pumasok na lalaki sa room

Nathaniel: Good morning class, I am Nathaniel Hidalgo your sub teacher…

a flash of memories passing through Ana's mind, a student that is in front of the class, biglang
sumakit ang ulo ni Ana, napadaing sya sa sakit.

Teacher: Okay ka lang ba Ana?

Ana: ah opo ma’am, pasensya sumakit lang po bigla yung ulo ko.

Teacher: masakit ulo mo? Pumunta ka muna kaya sa clinic.

Ana: ah wag na po, okay lang po talaga ako.

Nabaling ang tingin ni Ana sa student teacher, shockingly nakatingin din pala ito sa kanya.
Ana's head began to pound again at the instant their gazes locked, with a flash of memories
passing through her mind, a man that was smiling.
what the hell is happening?

As the school bell rings, agad na inayos ni Ana ang mga gamit nya. Nung paalis na sana sya sa
room, nang biglang may tumawag sa kanya.

: Tasia…

Nang narinig ni Anastasia iyon, a man calling her Tasia in a loving tone flashed through her
head. Throb, her head is throbbing again. Kaya napahawak si Ana sa ulo nya.

Nathaniel: Ms. Castillo, are you okay?

Ana: Ah sir, pasensya po, opo okay lang po ako.

Nathaniel: Hmm… pauwi ka na ba?

Ana: Opo.

Nathaniel: great, pasuyo sana ako, pwede mo bang i-daan to sa principal’s office? Kung okay
lang sana sayo.

Ana: ah opo, sige po.

Nathaniel: Thank you, Ms. Castillo.

Ana: walang ano man po sir, sige na po una na po ako.

Nathaniel: okay…

Tumalikod na si Ana at nag lakad na paalis

Nathaniel: ah Ms. Castillo

Huminto sa paglalakad si Ana, at lumingon.

Nathaniel: Ingat ka.

Beat. Biglang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ni Ana, hindi alam ni Ana bakit pero somehow those
words are familiar, her heart screams for longingness. Ana shakes her head.

Nababaliw na ata ako.

-----

Sa ilalim ng puno nang manga, may dalawang studyante na masayang naghahabulan. Nang
mapagod ang dalawa, napagdesisyonan nilang umupo sa telang nilatag nila.

Boy: maaari mo bang iabot ang iyong kanang kamay saglit?

Girl: hmm? Ano na naman pakulo mo?

Boy: may ibibigay lang ako sayo.

Girl: …

Boy: dali na kasi.

Girl: *giggles* ito na nga, ano ba kasi iyan?

Kinapa ng lalaki ang kanyang bulsa at may kinuha ito. A pair of bracelets

Boy: Habang papunta ako dito, may nakita akong lalaking nagbebenta ng pulseras.
Nagandahan ako, kaya binili ko. Mumurahin nga lang…

Girl: napakaganda, ngunit bakit dalawa?

Boy: …

Girl: yie HAHHAHAH

Boy: naneto talaga ih

Girl: HAAHAHAH sige na, suot mo na yung akin para masuot ko na rin ang iyo.

With that, they wore each other’s bracelets.

Pagkatapos ay naisipan nilang iguhit ang kanilang initials sa puno. T <3 E

Ana woke up with tears in her eyes. Hindi maintindihan ni Ana ang nangyayari, sino ang mga
iyon? Why is she dreaming of them? Most importantly, bakit ang bigat ng damdamin nya? She
can't help but cry because the emotion is so intense.

Ana: ano ba tong nangyayari? Gulong gulo nako.

Anastasia’s POV

After I composed myself, napagdesisyonan ko na bumaba na para kumain. Nung papunta nako
sa kusina, napahinto ako sa altar ng bahay namin. Nakalagay sa altar ang imahe ng
namamahingang kapatid ni Lola. Mag kahalintulad kami ng pangalan ng kapatid ni Lola, sya ay
si Anastasia Dela Cruz, habang ako naman ay si Anastasia Castillo. I even tried to ask my
parents why did they named me after Lola’s sister, unexpectedly, hindi raw sila yung nag
pangalan sakin, kundi si Lola. Siguro nakita agad ni Lola na hawig kami nang mukha ng kapatid
nya, kahit kakalabas ko palang sa tyan ni mama. Habang minamasdan ko ang imahe ng kapatid
ni lola, may nakita akong bracelet sa tabi ng picture frame.

Kinuha ko ito at pinagmasdan. Nakakapagtaka, hindi ba’t ito rin yung bracelet sa panaginip ko?

Lola: apo

Ana: ay--- nu ba yan lola, nanggugulat!

Lola: hahaha, bat ba kasi tulala ka jan sa altar?

Ana: lola, kay Lola po ba to?

Lola: oo apo, sa kanya yan, bigay ng nagging kasintahan nya.

Ana: may nagging jowa si lola?

Lola: oo naman hahaha. Yun nga lang, hindi sila nagkatuluyan.

Ana: bakit po?

Lola: Mayaman kasi tayo, ngunit yung kasintahan ni Ate hindi.

Ana: star-crossed lovers?

Lola: *chuckles* you can put it that way.

Lola: Sobrang against sa relasyon nila parents namin, they did everything to separate ate and
her lover. Of course, lumaban naman sila. Sadyang, sobrang sakit na siguro kaya hindi na nila
nailaban ang isa’t-isa. On that moment, they maybe realized that, breaking up is the only way to
stop the suffering they are currently in. Kaya, wala silang choice kundi maghiwalay. Mahal na
mahal ni ate kasintahan nya, kaya nung naghiwalay sila hindi na sya nag takhang pumasok pa
ulit sa relasyon. Palagi nya ring suot yang purselas na yan, hanggang sa binawian sya ng
buhay.

Silence filled in the room.

Lola: kung gusto mo, you can take it.

Ana: okay lang po ba?

Lola: of course, apo. Kamukhang-kamukha mo naman si ate ih.

Ana: okay po.

Agad naman sinuot ni Ana ang bracelet.

Lola: apo, naniniwala ka ba sa reincarnation?

Napaisip si Ana sa sinabi ng Lola nya, why would she ask her that? Kaya walang
pagdadalawang isip sumagot si Ana ng, “Hindi po”

Lola: I see, oh sya pumunta ka na sa kusina at kumain.

Third Person's POV

Hindi parin matanggal sa isip ni Ana ang panaginip nya. Kaya, habang nakaupo sya sa silid
alaran nila ay binabalikan nya ang mga scenario sa panaginip nya.
Ana: Sino kaya sila no? why do I have this feeling na I know them, very well. Tas yung puno… it
looks familiar, parang puno dito sa scho—

When realization hits Ana, napatayo sya sa upuan nya. Oh my gosh, what if? So, to fulfill Ana’s
curiosity, she went to the mango tree that is located inside their school.

The moment she arrived, another strike of memories flash in her mind. A girl, leaning to a man’s
shoulder. They looked in love. But of course, just like other memories that went to Ana’s head,
their faces are unclear. Napahawak sya sa ulo nya dahil sa sakit.

Ana: tanginang magjowa to literal na sakit sa ulo, sino ba tong mga to perwisyo amp.

Lumapit si Ana, sa puno. Pero hindi niya inaasahan na may ibang tao pala nandoon aside sa
kanya. She saw a man standing in front of the tree. It was Nathaniel, the student teacher. May
hinahaplos ito sa puno. Na curious siya sa ginagawa ng binata, kaya nilapitan niya ito.

Ana: Sir Hidalgo.

Nathaniel: Oh, Ms. Castillo. What are you doing here?

Ana: Napadaan lang po (she lied).

Nathaniel: Hmmm I see.

Ana was about to ask Nathaniel bakit niya hinahaplos ang puno, ngunit nung tumingin siya sa
kamay nito. May nakita siyang hindi niya inaasahan. It was a bracelet, but the bracelet looks
exactly like in her dream. Just like what she is wearing right now.
Napansin ng binata na nakatitig ang dalagita sa kamay niya, sa purselas. Kaya agad niyang
binaba kamay niya.

Napansin ito ni Ana, but instead of asking Nathaniel about it, natulala siya sa nakita nya sa
puno. it was the love carving that she was looking for.

it seems like tama ako. So those aren’t just dreams but memories? Pero kanino?

Ana suddenly remembers the scene where she was about to go home when someone calls her
Tasia.

Ana: Kay Tasia?

Pang. Another pang went straight to Ana’s head. A flood of memories where a man calling her
Tasia repeatedly, with a care in his tone. Napahawak uli si Ana sa ulo nya, at napapakit.

Nathaniel: Ms. Castillo, okay ka lang ba?

Ana jolted, and faced the student teacher.

Ana: ahh.

Nathaniel: okay ka lang ba? Masakit na naman ulo mo?

Ana: ah opo sir, okay lang po ako. Kaya ko naman po yung sakit.

Nathaniel: may gamut ka ba jan?

Ana: … wala po.

Kinuha ni Nathaniel wallet nya sa bulsa nya at binuksan ito. As Nathaniel, open his wallet,
something fell into it. Nakita iyon ni Ana, kaya pinulot nya. Nang mapulot ito ni Ana, nagulat si
Ana dahil litrato pala ito, picture ng babae at lalaki, but what surprises Ana the most are the
faces of the people in the picture. The people in the picture look like her… and Nathaniel. With
that, an extreme pain strike on Ana’s head. She screams out of pain.

Nathaniel: Ms. Castillo? Ms. Castillo!

As Ana fought the pain in her head, a flood of memories came to her mind. The faces were
finally clear. It’s the people in the picture. The memories that Ana sees in the past few days,
went back but with their clear faces. The scenario where the boy introduces himself to the class.

Teacher: class we have a transferee student, lika dito iho.

The boy went inside.

Teacher: mind you introduce yourself?

Ethan: Ahh, hello, my name is Ethan Soriano.

Teacher: upo ka sa tabi ni Ms. Dela Cruz. Tasia kindly raise your hand para malaman nya sino
ka.

Tinaas naman ni Tasia kamay nya.

The mango tree scene, and scene where pinakilala ni Tasia si Ethan sa parents nya.

Tasia’s mom: Tasia, hiwalayan mo yan.

Tasia: No.

Tasia stood up and grab the hand of her boyfriend and walk away from the house. When they
were finally outside, “Sorry,” Tasia said sadly. Nung narinig naman ni Ethan sinabi ni Tasia, he
grabbed Tasia’s hand and said, “It’s okay, lalaban tayo okay?”

“walang bibitaw?”

“walang bibitaw”
Afternoon in the mango tree, there are two people fighting.

Tasia: ano?

Ethan: maghiwalay na tayo.

Tasia can’t believe what she is hearing right now.

Tasia: hah, kala ko ba lalaban tayo? Kala ko ba walang bibitaw? Bakit… bakit ka
nakikipaghiwalay ngayon?

Ethan remained silent.

Tasia: so ano tatahimik ka nalang jan? pagod ka na? pagod ka na sakin? Satin? Kaya
nakikipaghiwalay ka na kasi hindi mo na ko mahal?

Ethan: Tasia, mahal kita. Alam mo yun.

Tasia: hindi eh, hindi mo ko mahal. Kung mahal mo ko, ba’t ang dali-dali lang sayo
makipaghiwalay? Siguro, hindi mo talaga ako minaha---

Ethan: don’t you ever doubt my love for you, Tasia.

Tasia went silent.

Ethan: may ibang tao nang nadadamay sa relasyon natin Tasia. My parents just lost their job.
Tingin mo kaninong gawa yon?

Tasia remained silent. She knows that it’s her family's doing. Ethan’s parents are working in a
company where her parents have shares. The tears that she’s been holding, finally went out.

Ethan: kala mo madali lang sakin makipaghiwalay sayo? Tasia, mahal na mahal kita. Pero
nadadamay na pamilya ko sa relasyon natin. I love you, but circumstances don’t want me to be
with you.

Tasia can’t stop crying.

Ethan: aalis kami.

Tasia looks up.

Tasia: kailan?

Ethan: Bukas.

Tasia burst out.

Tasia: bakit… bakit nangyayari sa’tin to? Wala naman tayong ginawang masama ah? Nag
mahal lang naman tayo. Masama na bang magmahal ngayon? Bakit ganito?

Ethan went closer to Tasia, and hug her. After a few minutes, Tasia finally calmed down.

Tasia: on our next lifetime, love. I will wait for you, promise me that you will find me.

Ethan: of course, love, I will find you. And when our path cross again, I promise we will continue
the story we haven’t finished.

Tasia: you better.

I’ll be waiting for you, in our next lifetime. perhaps, then, we will get this whole thing right.

Nathaniel: Ms. Castillo, sobrang sakit ba? Should I bring you to the clinic?

Ana looked up, with teary eyes.

Nathaniel: Ms. Castillo? Okay ka na ba?

Ana remained silent. Naiiyak, Ethan keeps his promise.

Nathaniel: I think you’re still not, tara punta tayo sa clini—

Ana: Ethan.

Nathaniel went completely still. Nathaniel stares Ana in the eyes, and their gazes meet.
Nathaniel smiled.
Nathaniel: Finally, I found you, Tasia.

The end.