The neighboring one-horse towns of Atu and Akuh were enemies. The town officials of each town declared that everybody must not get along with anybody in their enemy’s town. The townspeople obeyed with sad hearts because many of them were friends though their town officials were enemies and had declared a cold war. They complied to avoid violence and death.

But the beautiful princess of Atu and the handsome prince of Akuh were lovers before the war and were still when the cold war was declared. And so they continued their secret meetings until one day they were caught.

They were castigated until they bled to death. With all the wounds, the lovers’ lives were ended. And then one day, the mound were the princess lay, transformed into a pretty shape which was her face, her arms and her body. A plant grew producing an adhesive sap. They named the plant Atu-leh which meant Atu’s Beautiful.

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When asked about what makes him a stroke survivor, he would always tell that it is his wife, and the taste of brandy. It was an advise from his cousin doctor that taught him to drink brandy. He was told it was safe to drink. No beers, or whiskey, only brandy.

When made to choose between his wife and a bottle of brandy. It was the latter. It is his fountain of youth. He must have believed it so that he had never had a stroke after five times before he learned drinking brandy.

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She was one of the many pretty, innocent, young girls in a remote place of a province in this ill-fated nation. She was one of those who imagine coming to Manila, the most popular dream destination of little girls like her. The stories about this place make little girls like her desire to visit, stay and make their fortune in it. The stories even haunt their dreams that become frequent as days go by. The stories make the place called Manila a fantasy land or a magic place where everything could be possible.

So it was the stories that forced her to work the possibility of leaving her home and come to Manila. She searched for the lady who was allegedly been giving little girls the opportunity to work in Manila and earn lots of money. After a few weeks, she was already talking to the lady who had promised her almost the nicest things she dreamed of.

Off they went to Manila with several other girls her age. They were instructed to put a little make up so that they would look older than their age. The lady told them the jobs that they will be referred to need girls aged eighteen and above. All of them are underage.

It was a long journey but for her it did not matter at all. Her focus was on her dream of coming to Manila, the place full of bright lights and bright promises and future. After almost two days, they reached their destination. All of the girls, including her, were amazed to discover that the talk about the bright lights is true. It was almost midnight when they reached their destination but there are still many bright lights and people come and go as if they do not rest and sleep.

They were led to a room on the second floor. The lady left them there and locked the door.

She is among the many beautiful, delicate roses in a jungle called Manila, wilted and wasted away by her false hope and dreams. She is a rose in Manila, desired because of the beauty, lusted because of her innocence, and craved for because of her youth. 

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