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The next few days after Bernadeth saw the old photo album, her curiosity only grew stronger. At five going on six, she had this unstoppable way of asking questions that made it hard for me to dodge them. Every afternoon after school, she would climb onto my lap or follow me around the house asking more questions. I tried my best to answer her without revealing too much, but it was getting harder.
One Saturday morning, while I was doing my homework at the dining table, Bernadeth climbed onto the chair beside me, holding her favorite notebook where she drew pictures.
Kuya Josh, pwede ba tanong ulit? she said in her sweet voice.
Sige, Bebe. Ano na naman ‘yan? I smiled and put down my pen.
She opened her notebook and showed me a drawing of a man and a woman.
Sino ‘to? Bakit parang si Mommy at si Daddy Franz pero parang iba ‘yung damit? Parang ang tanda na nila.
Bebe, matagal na ‘yang picture. ‘Yung lola ni Mommy ‘yan. Si Lola Luisa. I looked at the drawing.
Her eyes widened.
Lola Luisa? Bakit hindi ko siya nakikita? Nasaan siya? Bakit sad siya sa picture?
I took a deep breath.
Lola Luisa passed away a long time ago, before you and I were born. Mahirap ‘yung buhay niya noon. Maraming problema sa pamilya.
Bernadeth tilted her head, not satisfied.
Anong problema, Kuya? May sumpa ba talaga? Narinig ko kasi si Mommy at si Daddy Franz nag-uusap tungkol sa curse at 1907. Ano ‘yun? Bakit natatakot sila?
Bebe, some stories are complicated. Bata ka pa para malaman lahat. Pero promise, kapag mas matanda ka na, ikukwento ko sa’yo lahat. I pulled her closer and hugged her.
She pouted but hugged me back.
Kuya, gusto ko rin malaman. Kasi parang ang lungkot niyo minsan. Gusto ko happy lang tayo palagi.
Her words hit me hard. At only five years old, she was already sensing the sadness that lingered in our family.
That evening, when Mommy and Papa Franz came home, Bernadeth ran to them and asked the same questions. Mommy gave me a worried look while Papa Franz tried to change the subject by playing with her.
Later that night, while Mommy was putting Bernadeth to sleep, Papa Franz sat with me outside.
Josh, napapansin namin ni Mommy mo na ang dami nang tanong ni Bernadeth. Okay ka lang ba sagutin siya? he asked gently.
Okay naman po. Pero ang hirap po kapag ang dami niyang tanong tungkol sa nakaraan. Hindi ko alam hanggang saan ko siya dapat sabihan. I nodded.
Papa Franz placed a hand on my shoulder.
Sabihin mo lang ‘yung kaya niyang intindihin. Huwag mo siyang takutin. Balang araw, kapag handa na siya, sasabihin natin sa kanya lahat.
As I lay in bed that night, I thought about how much our family had been through. The Love Bus, the losses, the dreams about 1907, and now my little sister starting to ask the same questions I once had. There were still so many questions without answers. → story continues in Chapter 3 Live on August 13!
Some truths are like seeds buried deep in the ground. They stay hidden until someone — sometimes a curious little sister — starts digging. And when they finally come out, they can either heal us… or change everything we thought we knew.
— Josh
Updated August 8, 2026 from original post date July 21, 2020.
