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The old photo of the twin sisters Luisa and Cecilia stayed with us every day. We knew we had to act. One weekend, we left Josh with a trusted neighbor and returned to Baclaran. The church was crowded as usual. After asking around for hours, an old man named Mang Poldo recognized us immediately. When we asked for Herminia, he shook his head sadly.
Mang Poldo:
Namatay na siya ilang buwan na ang nakalipas.
Mang Poldo continued...
Pero bago siya pumanaw, may iniwan siya sa akin. Sabi niya, kapag dumating kayo, ibigay ko raw sa inyo.
Brenda carefully handed him the photo.
Brenda:
Tatay, kilala niyo ba sila? Si Lola Luisa at si Lola Cecilia, kambal sila.
Mang Poldo stared at the photo for a long time, his eyes widened when he saw it. Then he nodded slowly.
Mang Poldo:
Ah naalala ko na… kambal siya ni Madam Cecilia iyong amo ko kila Don Ricardo. Si Luisa ang nagtago ng libro. Si Cecilia naman… siya ‘yung nasa gitna ng lahat. Mahal na mahal niya si Enrico. Si Ricardo ang sumira sa lahat. Sumama kayo sa bahay at may ibibigay ako sa inyo.
His words sent a chill down my spine. The connection was becoming clearer. The old woman in Baclaran years ago had mistaken Brenda for Cecilia because of the strong resemblance to her twin sister Luisa. backread ››
SA KABIHASNAN
Mang Poldo handed us a small envelope. Inside was a copy of the Susi poem and a note pointing to where the real book was hidden. Brenda read the poem aloud with a shaky voice. The words felt like they were speaking directly to us.
Brenda:
(Binuklat ang nakatuping papel at binasa)
sa sandaling aco i iuong mabasa
magdasal ca sa Diyos Ama
na tulungan cang hanapin an pajina
cun saan duon naca talâ
an sumpa at caniang pangontra
ito i isang kuaderno
na naglalaman ng panulat co
sa pajina tatlumpu't tatlo
basajin at tupdin an bilin co
an susi ng capangiarijan
i nagmumula sa caalaman
lauacan an icipan
at casagutan i macacamtan
Franz:
So dapat mahanap natin ang libro o diary na may page 33 para mabasa natin ang sumpa at pangontra.
Mang Poldo looked at us with deep sadness.
Mang Poldo:
Ang sumpa ay nagsimula noong 1907,
Mang Poldo continued.
Si Luisa ang Lola mo Brenda ang nagtago ng tunay na libro, ayon kay nanay Herminia, kinuha nya ito kay Ricardo at ibinigay kay Luisa. Siya ang guardian. Ang kuaderno na may pahina 33. Sunugin ninyo ito nang lubusan. Doon lang mabubura ang sumpa.
We left Baclaran that day with the poem and a renewed sense of purpose. On the Love Bus ride home, Brenda leaned her head on my shoulder.
Franz, natatakot ako, she whispered. Pero mas natatakot ako na hindi natin subukan. Para kay Josh. Para sa future natin.
I kissed her forehead.
Tayo ang magtatapos nito.
Outside Brenda’s home, before we went our separate ways and I headed home, we read the Susi poem one last time under the dim streetlight. The words felt heavier now, as if they carried the weight of generations waiting to be freed. → story concludes in Chapter 8 Live on July 21!
The past is louder now with the Susi Poem echoing in our hearts. We were finally ready to face it. The search for the real Curse Book had truly begun.
Updated July 17, 2026 from original post date October 21, 2011.
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