??????

By; grade 11 Leo [group1]

“Search every nook and cranny!”, “This way!”, “Esmeralda Dela Cruz?”. Esmeralda is an
illegitimate child of Artemio Ricarte the general of the Philippine army year of 1910. Though she lived
with her father the servants laughed at her for having such a shameful origin, and her family always
treated her like a bug, Those days ended with the war, by the hand of a single man—the man who was
said to be cruel enough even to kill a baby. The enemy of my father, David Rowan. He took an army to
conquer all rebelling all cities of this country. Esmeralda’s father grabbed her by the hand and called her
name for the first time, “even a little bug like you, has a role to play now, you must stay and protect the
mansion”. She was left knowing she was being used as bait. They threw me away, She snapped out and
thought of running away quickly by herself to survive but she was too late because the army was already
outside of her room. She broke down in tears and suddenly remembered her mother’s words before she
died. “When the grim reaper comes for you, act proudly, and look at him in the eye without fear.” The
soldiers barged in and took her outside the mansion, where she saw her family’s dead bodies. “Child of
the Ricarte family,” she slowly looks up with terror in her eyes. “I admire your courage for not running
away so I shall kill you myself.” He swung his sword aiming for her neck, and Esmeralda looked him in the
eye unconsciously biting her lips to bleed. There were so many things she wish to do like getting married,
being loved and just wanting a happy life. As her tears fall with the blood from her lips touching the
ground it glowed and formed a pattern that went into David, after a few moments he fell to his knees
saying “My lady, Please forgive me for my rudeness.” He reached out for her hand and asked her to
marry her with a very loving smile that could melt a thousand lady. Esmeralda’s eyes widen the soldiers
cannot believe their eyes and ears. A year later, Esmeralda knocks in David’s office. When she came in he
was like a different person his frowning face quickly changed into a ray of sunshine calling her honey “My
little birdie!”. His friend and business partner were all terrified of how a bipolar person he is with his wife
and to them.

Esmeralda is still wondering on how all this happened so quickly. She tried to fit in as a wife with
a very wealthy man like David, she tried to buy every dress and jewelries that she sees in the market.
Going to every party she can and gatherings of high profile personalities in the country. She does not feel
like herself doing these things, she’d rather go to a quiet bookstore reading all day After that tiring party
she went to the market and she met a fortune teller. The lady let her choose 3 cards and the first card
shows death, the second is destiny , Esmeralda was waiting for the lady to reveal the third card but just
the lady smiled saying “ the magic is still in progress” the lady left.