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We followed the note’s instructions and found a duplicate curse book hidden in an old family chest at Brenda’s ancestral home. The leather cover was faded, the pages brittle. On page 33 was the full text of the curse and its counter-spell.
The weeks after we found the duplicate book written by Lola Luisa were filled with quiet determination. We knew it was not the original, but burning it gave us the freedom we needed. One peaceful evening in late 2016, Brenda and I went to the backyard with the duplicate book, the envelope, and the Susi poem.
We built a small fire. One by one, we placed the pages into the flames. As the last piece burned, a gentle breeze blew through the yard, as if something heavy had been lifted. Brenda looked at me with tears in her eyes but a peaceful smile.
Tapos na ‘yung duplicate, she whispered. Ngayon pwede na tayong magsimula nang walang takot.
The weeks after we burned the duplicate curse book were filled with a quiet kind of peace we had not known for years. The heavy feeling that had always lingered in our home slowly lifted. Brenda and I spent more time together, talking about the future instead of the past. Josh was happy seeing us closer. The Love Bus rides became joyful again — just the three of us, laughing and making plans.
One peaceful evening, after we had burned what we believed was the curse book, Brenda told me she was pregnant. It happened after we destroyed that book — after the immediate curse was broken. We both knew this child was conceived in freedom, not in fear. We decided to name her Bernadeth — a name that felt like a new beginning after all the pain.
Months later, in the cozy living room of our home one bright morning, the warm sunlight streamed through the windows. Brenda sat comfortably on the sofa, her hand gently resting on her slightly rounded belly. I sat beside her, my arm around her shoulders. Josh, now eight years old, leaned his head gently against Brenda’s belly, listening with a big smile on his face.
Papa Franz, naririnig ko siya! Si Bernadeth, gumagalaw siya! Josh whispered excitedly.
Brenda laughed softly, her eyes shining with joy. I looked at them both and felt a deep sense of peace I had never known before. After all the pain, the separation, the curses, and the long waits, we were finally here — together, whole, and full of hope for the future.
Some stories are written in pain and curses. Ours began with jealousy and death in 1907. But it did not end there. We burned the duplicate book that Lola Luisa hand written. It was enough to break the immediate curse and allow us to move forward. Brenda became pregnant with Bernadeth after that burning.
For the first time, we felt truly free.
Yet deep down, I sensed that the real, complete book — the original one written by Ricardo — might still be out there. But for now, we had peace. → story to be continued in Book 4 Live on August 5, 2026.
The Love Bus had carried us through many journeys. But this moment, in the quiet morning light with my family safe and growing, was the most beautiful destination of all. And for the first time in many years, it carries lighter hearts and brighter hopes. We are no longer prisoners of the past. We are finally free to write our own future.
Updated July 21, 2026 from original post date November 23, 2011.
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