“Yes,” she said, looking at him and then back at the grimoire, “Is there a spell in there that can turn back time?”
Rafa grinned.“I’m sorry, but the grimoire doesn’t have that,” he said, not breaking character.“But I found a recipe to bring back good memories that are long forgotten.It’s the only thing we have left when we lose someone…”
Sal smiled warmly; they both had good memories of their own too.
Rafa stared at Sal.“You’re the only person I see in this room,” he said in a sad tone.“You look beautiful.And you’ve created something beautiful.”
Sal felt warm just being around Rafa.He had that effect on her.He made her feel bigger than she was, even if she was having a terrible day, and when she was out chasing her dreams, he made sure she never wavered and had enough strength to press on.She had given up this loving man.But she had made her choice, and there was nothing to be done.
“Sal?”Theola whispered from behind her.“It’s time for your speech.”
Sal nodded and looked back at Rafa, who smiled back.“Go get ‘em.”
Sal lifted her gown and turned around; she eyed the shut ventanilla overlooking Agoncillo Street and walked toward it.This was where she was going to give her speech.Sal would stand from the Capiz windows and from there would say her speech to the onlooking crowd.From the background, she could hear Theola and Willow ushering everyone out for the speech.Within minutes, she saw the steadily gathering crowd through the crack in the Capiz windows.Strangely, she felt calm.Her shoulders squared, and her chin held high as she poised herself in her beautiful Maria Clara gown.
Just months ago, she faced a smaller audience in Autumn Town, openingThe Art Cards of Nowhereas a nervous mess back then.But now, in the wake of all that she had lost, Sal stood proud.Sal was not physically strong.Nor did she grow up to be the bravest in the room.But today, she didn’t mind cracking a few knuckles and revealing a side of her that had not been fully realized—the kind that would fight for what was hers, that would fumble brilliantly, and that was unwilling to go down without a struggle.She would fight; she was going to win this.
Slowly, she opened the Capiz windows.Light streamed across her face.The warmth of the reckoning sun gradually encapsulated her as she stepped forward for a future she would fight for.
1.Pamaypay is a traditional Filipino handwoven fan, used to cool down during warmer climates.
2..Kakanin is a general term for assorted Filipino rice cakes.
Chapter Forty
Curiosity Killed The Cat
RAFA
TheblazingsunmadeSal glow in her opalescent gown as she stood before them.Her round, dark, soulful eyes, shaded only by her thick lashes, looked forward, and she set her red-painted lips in a soft smile.Rafa could not look away.
“Welcome,” she began, her voice calm and firm.“Thank you for being here.The past two months, I have been the art director of this show, and I’ve struggled with the question: Where does one really belong?I am constantly torn between two worlds.The world from which I come from”—she held up one hand—“and the place where I live and create art,” she said, lifting the other.“I have been straddling the middle of both, trying to gather inspiration, thinking that I cannot possibly enmesh them.But today, I come to you celebrating both.”She clasped her hands together and intertwined her fingers.“Because I believe humans are complex and fascinating beings.We are not just one thing; we are many small, often conflicting details that make us whole.We have the capacity for so much love and expression.It’s possible to cherish both things and allow space for the other, even when the future seems to favor only one.
“Each piece in this art fair celebrates the things that make us Filipino and the things that offer us possibilities if we can see things with a broader view.When Magic Meets Homeis a celebration of two worlds: the magic of the unknown, and the comfort of home.”She paused and looked at Rafa, and then at Harmon.“Please enjoy the festivities, take pictures, and soak it all in.Welcome again.”
A riotous applause followed.Rafa placed a hand on his heart and smiled widely.Sal made eye contact with him, and all he could do was nod and smile.Well done, my love,he thought.Of all the moments in life when he had witnessed Sal, he had never seen her more radiant and stepping into her true self.
After the speech, she disappeared into the house, and everyone went back to their activities.Rafa moved through the crowd and entered the Wedding House, hoping to see her once more and congratulate her.Once he stepped foot in the house and climbed up the grand staircase, he caught sight of Sal; she was laughing and smiling while speaking to Harmon.Rafa paused at the threshold, unable to look away.His mind finally registered that she was laughing and happy with someone else.He tried to move his body forward, but he couldn’t, so instead he turned around and took a deep breath.
I have to let her go, he thought as he descended the grand wooden staircase again, his head down and his heart heavy.After leaving the heritage house, he walked down the road and returned to Tampuhan BnB Café.Unexpectedly, a vibrating sensation in his pocket cut off his train of thought.He cupped his pockets and pulled out the phone to see Auden’s name on the screen.
“Hello?”he said.
“Rafa, I have the provenance documents ready…”
His fists clenched, and he shook his hands with joy.“That’s perfect!”Rafa exclaimed.This was earlier than he expected, but he wasn’t about to complain.
“But there’s something more,” she said, a graveness to her tone.“You need to bring the grimoire back.”
“What?”Rafa asked, breathless from happiness.“Why?Sal’s exhibit literally just launched.”
“I know that, but the grimoire isn’t just a book, Rafa.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think you dug up something you shouldn’t have.”
With that, Rafa’s mind went blank.
