M E M O R I E S:Life and Time of
Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses on History & The
People’s Struggle for Freedom
Chapter – A Palm Reader Told Me a Truth. - I Will
Not Marry a Girl from Panay & May Not Finish my College Studies
When we were young,
from Elementary to College, we have always our crushes. The strange feelings, when
we were young, We always try to develop sweet relationship with girls. And we often times feel in loved. Love was great. . An itching of the heart that we cannot scratch. These were
always sweet and beautiful
feelings that young boys and girls experienced.
The first love. The second love, And succeeding loves young boy and girls met on the way. These left memories that remained fresh in our minds.
We often felt in love. But those were fleeting moments. It was for several months. Then the feelings
fades. But there were times, when we
were young, that love came grew. It continued to grow and still grow. And seem never to fade.
I got a girl friend when I quit 1st
Year High School, in Carles.,Iloilo. We were close to each other. I visited her at her
sister’s home in the next village. She
was lovely. We just talked. And being with each other, just talking and looking
at each other, brings joy. I think we loved each other. But during our
times, our culture allows us to just touched each others hand. This were our young ways of life. We were allowed to just teach the fingers and
hands of our beloved.
I told my young girlfriend, "I will go and continue my
studies. When I came back, we will get married". She told me: "She said, she will continue her studies." She did not say, she will wait for me. She also finished First Year high. I went to
First Year high school. We did not met for nearly a year. When, I came back, I learned she was already married. That's life when we were young.
When I was 2nd Year high, I met another girl. She was First Year high. We were
very close to each other. We always find
time to talk. We share some of our life’s dreams. We talked whenever, we have
small time left for us together. In the school library, we find a place, were can stay, with our book and pretend we were studying. But we just set and look at each other. We were still young but we have already dreams. Dreams for the future. She was an orphan. I am a
working student. But things change. She was brought to Manila by her brothers
and sisters.She will continue her
studies in Manila. And we never met
again.
When I was 2nd Year
college at Central Philippine University, a woman, still young, about 35 years old, slim
and lovely, came to our boarding house. She told us, she's a Palm Reader. She
can read the future by reading the palms of our hands. You
knew what were Palm readers? They were women, older women, who can read one’s
future by reading the prints and linings
on the palms of most adolescents girls and
boys. We were told they learned
this special gifts and skills from the older
generations of palm readers. We were
boarding in the home of Miss Carmelina Catedral, a Provincial Missionary
of the Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches. That was about 8:00 PM. Five of
us boarders were around, 3 girls and two boys, including myself. It was great and fun to learn something of our future.
We were all setting
on the bench. The woman looked at each of our palms. She said she will just
read our futures through our palms.
There maybe some changes in the future. For palm lines and marks, sometimes changed. But, she said, there were lines
of our palms that remained permanent. And so, our future. But, she said, palm readings were only games. A
game, that often times turned true.
Yes, we will play a game. For who could ever see the future by just reading the lines on the person’s
palm? Despite these, we love to
hear something of our future from a
woman, who have the wisdom and
skills to read our future.
The woman looked at each of our palms, 5 of us.
She tried to massage our palms and fingers. I looked at her, and I could sensed an
intensity on her eyes. Her eyes
seemed focused on something, beyond the palms. After she had looked
closely on each
of our palms, she softly told us us, what she read of each of our future. She told the future of
every one, present that time.
The reactions of the girls were excitement. They
responded happily when their future reveals some great and wonderful news. But
there were times she told some not so good news. And girls feel a bit sad. And bit worried. But we remembered, what the woman said at the
start. It
was only a game.
Then, it was my
turn. I gave her my palm. First my right palm. Then my left palm.She looked at
each of my palm. She looked at it several times. She looked closely on my palms, with her minds seem in deep
concentrations. It was quite a
serious look. She asked me if I have a
girl friend here in Panay Island. She
looked at me trying to study my reaction. I said, "I am trying to court a lady
here". She looked at me. Then she said, “You
will not marry this girl, You will never
marry a girl from Iloilo. You will not marry a girl from this Island.” Since, I was starting to court one of the
ladies attending our Palm Reading Session, we just laughed as I squezzed her hands.
Then, the woman
took some numbers in her bag. She will try numerology on me. She asked
me to pick 3 folded papers that were pre-numbered. Then, she looked at me. She told me. I am quite bright and studious student. But
it seemed, I will not finished the course
I am taking in college. I will
not get a degree. But she told me, with persistence, I will finish my studies
and will be able to get a good job. But
I will not make much money in my course and work.
She told me, I will
be happy and satisfied with my work. She told me
also, " I will have opportunity to go and visit some cities in other parts
of the world." Then the woman said. It
is only a game. it was
just a game. In all these, your works,
decisions and actions will still bring your
future. I gave her my “sanag”. A
kind of small voluntary amount, P0.50
centavos that time. After that game, the
woman left. She never returned for palm sessions again. And I
never seen nor met her again.
But I
remembered her words. " I will not finish my college studies. But with persistence,
I may finish my studies and will make a good job. But I will not make much
money in my course and work. I will be happy and satisfied with my work." He
told me that I may go and visit some other cities of the world. The
last phrase, seemed impossible.
That was the first and
last time, a palm reader had looked at my
palms and read my future.
I thought and
reflected on that encounter with a Palm Reader, some 65 years ago. She made a prediction of my life that seemed, true. She said, then, It was only
a game. A game that have some power to
become true.
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