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The weeks after we learned the full story of 1907 were heavy but strangely peaceful. For the first time, there were no more secrets between us. Mommy Brenda, Papa Franz, Bernadeth, and I sat together almost every night, talking about what the original curse book truly meant and what we needed to do next.
Bernadeth, even at ten years old, refused to be afraid. She would hold the old book carefully and say the same thing almost every evening.
Bernadeth:
Kuya, hindi tayo pwedeng matakot. Kung takot tayo, mananalo ‘yung sumpa. Kailangan nating harapin ito. she said with quiet determination.
Josh:
Tama ka, Bebe. Pero hindi tayo magmamadali. Kailangan nating unawain muna ang lahat. I replied, placing my hand on her shoulder.
Papa Franz and Mommy Brenda were quiet most of the time. I could see the weight of the past still resting on their shoulders — the loss of Daddy Rich, the death of Mama Myra, the years of separation, and the fear that the curse might still touch the next generation. But I also saw something new in their eyes: hope.
One evening, as the four of us sat in the living room with the old book between us, Papa Franz spoke first.
Franz:
Ngayon alam na natin ang buong kwento. Ang libro na ito ay hindi lang sumpa. Ito rin ang susi para tuluyan itong maputol. Hindi natin ito gagawin nang mag-isa. Tayo ang pamilya. Sama-sama nating haharapin ito. he said firmly.
Mommy Brenda nodded and held Bernadeth’s hand. I looked at my little sister and felt a strange mix of pride and protectiveness. She was still so young, yet she carried a courage that many adults never find.
That night, as I rode the Love Bus alone for a quiet moment of reflection, I thought about everything that had brought us here. From the paired seats where Mommy Brenda and Daddy Rich first met, to the hospital, to Qatar, to the burning of the duplicate book, and now to this old original book that Lola Luisa had protected for so long.
The cycle that began in 1907 was finally being faced by the next generation. Not with fear, but with understanding. Not alone, but as a family. → adventure story starts in Book 5 - Live soon!
Some curses are not broken in a single night. They are broken slowly, by truth, by courage, and by the decision of a family to stop running from the past. Tonight, we stopped running. And for the first time, I truly believe that the cycle that began in 1907 can finally end with us.
— Josh
Updated August 30, 2026 from original written date August 13, 2020.
