Episode 11 - The one with the buyer

Episode 11 – The one with the Buyer

Aired in the UAE on 28^th February, 2012

Nelson arrives with Sharina and Benjie in that awkward position.  He calls for Sharina which startles her causing her and Benjie to bump each other’s head.  They laugh and quickly aright themselves.  Nelson explains the door was open so he let himself in.  “Bukas ang pinto kaya pumasok na lang ako eh.  OK lang?”

Nelson sees Benjie for the first time and asks who he is, “Sino siya?”  Sharina introduces her new sculptor.  “Si Benjie, ang bagong manlililok.”

Nelson and Sharina watch Benjie work.  Nelson is doubtful about Benjie and asks is Sharina is certain he is indeed a sculptor.  Sharina says he is highly recommended by Mang Tino, her former head sculptor and just because one doesn’t look like a sculptor doesn’t mean one isn’t a good one.

Nelson still is doubtful and comments that Benjie looks like he doesn’t know what he is doing.  Sharina tells him to give the guys a chance.  It is afterall, only his first day at work.

He changes the subject asking for Sharina a favor.  He wants to gift a religious statue for his mom, an image of Mama Mary.  Sharina tells him to just show her a design he likes and they’ll try to make one like so.

Rico gives Lizette the stolen i-phone and she asks for the box.   She wants to be sure it’s brand new and comments that it looks stolen, “mukhang nakaw.”  But Rico reminded her of their deal, that she’ll be his girlfriend if her gives her a new i-phone.  Lizette says she’ll think about it as the condition was a brand new i-phone not one that looks like it’s just be stolen from someone.  Rico acquiesces and Lizette shoos him away, “umalis ka na!” 

Sharila is making phone calls to other places that can perhaps provide her with a replica of the stolen image of the Sto. Rosario.  However due to being pressed for time, she is not successful.  [Obviously di naman makakagawa yung workshops agad-agad.  Kelangan made to order yan.  Di naman yan cellphone na nabibili sa mall no!  Sharina naman eh!]

Benjie asks her, “may problema ba?” sensing the young lady is worried about something. 

Sharina shares her recent experience , about the robbery and how the image got stolen.  She laments how people no longer have any respect, stealing even holy images for money. “Sobra nga ang mga magnanakaw na yon.  Kahit santo, pinapatos nila.  Di na sila natakot sa Diyos.”

Gimo is on the phone to a buyer of the stolen image.  He tells the buyer it is ready and to ready the payment as well. “Nandito na ang santo mo.  Nung isang araw ka pa hinihintay.  O, ihanda mo nay unh pera.  Bukas magkita tayo.”  He sets a meeting with the buyer the next day and happy at the prospect of getting a lot of money. He tells this to the image, “Uulaning ako ng biyaya bukas!”  He leaves the statue in the room, switches off the light and locks the door.

Benjie sneaks through a window.  He drops to the ground and when sure that he is alone, stands up and looks around.  He sees the image and recalls Sharina’s comment how people no longer show any respect for holy things.  Then, a phone rings.

Meanwhile Gimo who is lying on his bed in another room hears the phone ringing.  It’s his phone.  He gets up and returns to the room.  Benjie hides just as Gimo enters the door and grabs his phone.  He tries to answer but the caller had already hung up.  He looks around, feeling something amiss.  He stares at the saint’s image and asks if it is staring at him, “Tinititingnan mo ba ako?”  He thinks it creepy and is thankful he’ll be able to get rid of it tomorrow. “Buti na lang mawawala ka na bukas.”  He switches off the light and locks the door as he leaves.

Benjie now in darkness waits and makes sure Gimo is not coming back.  He grabs the image and leaves.

Sharina is sweeping their patio when Elsa, Ginella and the priest arrive.  Father asks Sharina about the image.  He wants to know whether what Elsa and Ginella let slip is true, “Totoo ba?”

Elsa butts in, washing her hands off any wrongs, “Pasensiya ka na Sharina, akala ko kasi, alam na ni Father.”  Pretending that perhaps Sharina had already told the priest about the robbery.

Sharina now is caught and has no other recourse but to admit it, appealing for the priest’s patience and forgiveness.  “Pasensiya na po, di no sinasadya.” 

But this upsets the priest saying that in all this time they’ve been sending statues to Lily for any repair work, she had taken care of them and had not lost a single one.  He calls Sharina irresponsible and asks what’s to happen of the procession scheduled the following day.  Sharina really has nothing but suddenly Benjie arrives with the stolen image.   “Eto ba ang hinahanap nyo?”

Sharina exclaims, “Ang birhen ng Sto. Rosario, pero papaanong napunta sa iyo ito?  Asking Benjie how he got it.  Benjie shrugs saying he just found it.  “Nakita ko lang.”

Elsa ang Ginella smirk at their foiled plans while father is overcome with joy, claiming it to be the original and what a miracle to have found it just in the nick of time. 

Sharina looks at Benjie, impressed.

Lizette and Emie are about to eat.  Emie sees the new cellphone that Lizette has and asks where it came from and how she came by with such an expensive phone.  Lizette tells her elder sister that it was given to her by Rico.  Emie asks her why Rico is giving her such expensive things.  “Boyfriend mo ba siya?”  Lizette denies it telling her that Rico is not really her type and changes the subject to Emie and Benjie, whether her sister has seen her boyfriend already.

But Emie says she has not seen Benjie since she slapped him.  Lizette asks if maybe Benjie is seeing another woman?  To this Emie declares he just go ahead and try, showing she is ready to go into battle to fight for her man.

Sharina asks Benjie again how he came by with the statue to which the young man’s answers is nothing but a shrug.

Elsa and Ginella both upset about their evil scheme backfiring on them.  Elsa still couldn’t understand how the image got returned when it had already been stolen.  Ginella couldn’t explain it herself but suspects the new sculptor had a hand in it. 

Benjie tells Sharina to forget about the events that led to the loss and the finding of the image.  Just be thankful that it has been returned to which Sharina agrees, “tama ka.”

Ginella tells her mother that there is something strange about Benjie.  She points out to Elsa that he looks exactly like the one in Lily’s portrait.  She coyly says, “There’s something strange about that guy, aside from the fact that he’s cute.”  [Aba, aba, type ni forever applicant si Arben!]

Gimo is with the buyer who asks for the saint’s statue.  Gimo goes to the room but there is not image there.  He asks Rico and baddie friend who are at Gimo’s place where they’ve hidden it but both deny any knowledge of its loss.  Gimo tries to ask buyer to wait a while.

Father thanks Sharina for finding the statue.  It seems all is forgiven and Sharina kept asking for the priest to forgive.  She promises to take better care of the images sent to her for maintenance from now on. 

Gimo demands that Rico and baddie friend produce the image but they can’t.  Baddie friend asks Gimo that maybe he forgot to lock the door and someone got in to steal it.

Gimo is adamant he locked the door and thinks the whole thing is crazy.  How can they, robbers get robbed?  “Magnanakaw tayo tapos ninakawan tayo?”

Father tells Sharina that church images like the Sto. Rosario are important to the devotees.  It gives the people hope especially in hard times, to continue to pray and hope.  Sharina agrees and asks leave of the priest so she can make her own prayer of thanks for the finding of the statue.

The buyer is not impatient and since Gimo cannot give him the statue, leaves.  Gimo is now very angry and thinks about who could have stolen the statue from him.

Sharina is in church praying, asking for justice for Junic’s death, hope for her and her sister and patience and hope to find ‘the one’.  “Pag-asa na mahanap ang dapat para sa akin.”

Lizette at school shows off her i-phone.  Her friends see it and one said that when hers comes from the US, they’ll all have iphones.  One comments why Lizette’s sticker is like it belongs to a boy.  Like it’s a man’s phone but she says she likes it that way.  One of her friends’ brother arrives, it’s the same guy Rico and baddie friend took the phone from and as soon as he saw his phone, he knew it was his.  Lizette is found out not only buying a stolen phone but buying a second-hand one which is a big no-no to the elites in her school.  She returns the phone and her  so-called friends leave her burning in embarrassment.

Sharina and Monica talk about the lead the police had shared with the latter.  Monica says the police found that the gunman had a tattoo at the back.  Benjie seems to have the same tattoo but fortunately for him, he covers it before the sisters see it on his back.

Monica asks how the lost image returned.  Sharina cannot really explain it and says Benjie just found it.  Monica is sad, saying that  the image is better off having returned and wishes Junic too can return.  “But pa santo, bumabalik.  Sana si Junic din.”

Suddenly Lucy arrives telling Monica she’s found a way for her friend to talk to Junic.  Monica drops everything and goes with Lucy.

Sharina tells Benjie about her sister’s grief.  How Junic got shot leaving Monica, just when they were about to get married.  She asks is Junic’s soul is still around.  Benjie tells her about the black and white sundos and how some spirits, unable to let go of loved one, stay behind. 

Sharina is curious about Benjie’s version of the sundo.  She says it sounds like stories old ladies tell when she was little. 

An image is ready to be delivered Sharina wanting to carry it with Benjie wanting to help accidentally touch one another’s hands.  Desa sees the exchange and smiles.

Rico is at home searching.  Lola Inday asks what he is looking for and he asks if they’ve seen the statue.  Lola Inday thinks Rico is on drugs and asks what he is on.  Rico denies it and keep looking.

Meanwhile, Lizette arrives and slaps Rico in the face screaming, “I hate you!” and leaves.

Desa aks Sharina what’s new.  Sharina explains her and Benjie’s activities and Desa is just curious why Sharina had to accompany Benjie deliver the statues when she never had done before.  She reasons, “Para siguradong na-deliver talaga.”  To which Desa’s reply is a meaningful smile.

Sharina is looking for one particular image, “ang santo ng San Jose” that had already been loaded onto a truck where Benjie is busy arranging.  She tries to climb the truck and Benjie insists on helping her.  While she kept declining his help, he keeps insisting it and resulted in both of them falling onto the truck again inches away from one another.  [Santo ng San Jose Sixto Gonzales Dantes III? Hehehehe Dingdong is Jose, FYI.]

Sharina pretends to be angry, “Sabi ko na kasi sa iyo na ako na eh!”

Baddie friend and Gimo are walking still plagued by how the image got lost.  Gimo suspects there’s a traitor in their group.  Baddie friend sees Benjie and calls his name.  Gimo agrees.  But baddie friend says no and points to Benjie.  They see him with Sharina.    Gimo puts the pieces of the puzzle together.

Abangan:  Emie fights Sharina.  “Sinasabi ko na nga ba may babae ka eh!”

Episode 10 – The One with all the Chiseling

Episode 10 – The One with all the Chiseling

Aired in the UAE on 27^th February 2012

So finally Arben and Sharina come face to face.  Sharina recognizes Arben, “Ikaw,” you.  Arben is cluesless, “Ako?”   “Yes, you,” insists Sharina.  She tells him he’s the guy in the picture save for the long hair and well, Arben now sports some facial hair.

Arben still does not even recognize Sharina.  She doubts herself, thinks of another reason for him being there and who he is.  Maybe he’s the new sculptor Mang Tino recommends?  “Ano nga pala pangalan mo?” Sharina asks him his name.

“Benjie,” he replies with a smile. 

“Ako si Sharina.” She shakes his hand and smiles back.  Then she asks one more question, “Ah Benjie, may gusto pa sana akong itanong sa iyo.  May pagkakataon ban a nandun ka, nandoon din ako, sa isang lugar.  Yung sa may bangin sa Baguio?”  If there was a time that he was in the same place she too was, like that ravine in Baguio.

“Baguio?” Benjie doesn’t even seem to know what, much less where, that is.  “Wala akong maalala.” Benjie doesn’t recall anything.

Sharina pushes, “Sigurado ka?” wanting to be certain. 

Benjie is certain, “wala kasi ako maalala.”  He has never seen her before.

Rico and Baddie friend follow the man with the new i-phone.  Baddie friend comes up to him and asks for a light.  He pretends to have some trouble with it, thereby getting much more attention from the man.  Rico gets his chance to nick the cellphone from the guy’s pocket.  They leave as the guy goes over to his parked car.  When he feels for his phone, it is no longer there.  He looks around looking for the man who just asked for a light, baddie friend and calls to him who by now is running away with Rico. “Hoy mga magnanakaw!  Cellphone ko ibalik nyo!”  He shouts at them to return his cell phone but they are already on their way.

Sharina shows Benjie the workshop.  Sharina asks again. “Sigurado ka ba na hindi pa tayo nagkikita.”  Whether Benjie is certain that they have never met before.    Benjie is silent, seem to think but shakes his head.  Disappointed, Sharina tells him she’ll be inside  and to just call her if he needs anything.  Benjie picks a mallet and looks at it.

At the Police Station, Junic’s parents and Monica are shown the CCTV footage of a gunman shooting at Junic.  The man has some markings on his shoulder blades almost up the back of his neck.  Monica tells Junic’s mom that at that time, she was talking to Junic [Dapat kse kung di kausap si Junic on duty, baka nakapag-handa pa sha at di sha napatay, kaya kasalanan mo rin Monica!]

The Police tells them that at that moment, people in their department are doing some recreations of the tattoo to see what it could be which could help them identity who the gunman is. 

Arben curiously looks and touches things in the workshop.  He removes his black leather jacket and we can see that he seems to have the same tattoo as the shooter in the CCTV footage. [But we know it wasn’t Arben who shot Junic, not even the bad Benjie, because it was Gimo, right?  So is Gimo a fallen angel too?]

Sharina looks at Arlan’s portrait and says to herself, “Parang kamukha talaga.  Mahaba lang ang buhok.”  She covers part of Arlan’s long hair in the picture, “Kailangan gupitan.”  Then exclaims again, “Kamukha talaga!”  Telling herself that Arlan and Benjie look alike, save for Arlan’s long hair.  If cut, it is one and the same face, indeed.

Arben gets a chisel.  “Sabi nya manlililok ako.  Baka naman kilala nya ako.”  Referring to Sharina who called him a sculptor and thinking that maybe Sharina does know him to be one.  He starts hammering a piece of the stand.  “Baka naman, manlililok nga ako.”  Thinking that maybe he is indeed a sculptor.  After a few attempts he claims, “Madali lang pala.”  He thinks it’s easy to do.  He chisels an arm and cuts if off.  In his panic, he hides it under some sawdusts and finds another statue to mutilate whilst pretending to be busy at work.  [Oh dear.  Arben acts a bit of a doofoos here.  Problem is, while it is supposed to be funny and light, he comes off as totally stupid!  I prefer him as the silent Arlan.]

Junic’s parents and Monica walk home hopeful that they find more information about the tattooed gunman soon and bring him to justice.  Junic’s mom asks how Monica is coping and she admits it’s not getting any easier coping with their loss.  Until now, she tells them she misses Junic so much. 

Junic’s father blames himself for his son’s death.  He shares that Junic had wanted to be an engineer but they didn’t have money to send him to college.  Instead he ended up working as a security guard which cost him his life.  “Kaya kasalanan ko kung bakit siya namatay.”  The father felt his failure to send Junic to school pushed him to his early death.

Monica visits Junic’s tomb and tells him about the lead from the police.  She tells him as time passes, it does not get easier as some people say it will.  In fact she just misses him more. “Ba’t ganoon?  Sabi nila, habang tumatagal nawawala ang sakit pero sa akin, habang tumataggal mas lalo kita name-miss.”  She continues lamenting about how Junic had been the one person she would go to for her own problems and now without him, who will that person be?  Junic is watching Monica and tells her, “Kaya mo yan Monica.  Nandito ako.”  He tries to give her strength and comfort, assuring her he is just there for her like before, as always but she doesn’t hear.

Monica leaves and Junic calls after her, “Monica!” But of course she doesn’t hear him.  Junic looks up and sees his sundo who asks him whether he is ready to leave yet.  “Gusto mo na ba umalis?”  But Junic tells him not yet, he isn’t ready yet.  Then asks who he is, “Teka, sino ka ba talaga?”  The sundo tells him what he is and even introduces himself, “Ako si Mikal.” 

Junic asks what Mikal is going to do if he, Junic, isn’t ready to leave yet.  Mikal the sundo tells Junic that sundos cannot force the dead to leave if they don’t want to, save for those “itim na sundo” ,the black fiery smoke that takes the baddies at the time of their deaths, who take the dead instantly down to hell.  Junic deduces so if the black sundo takes the baddies to hell, he is going to heaven?  The sundo replies, maybe.  [Well I guess there is the purgatory and heaven to consider if you get a white sundo.  Still a lot better than the black one!]

Mikal tells Junic he’s coming back for him when he is ready and leaves despite Junic calling on him to stay.

Sharina looks at Arlan’s picture then looks at Benjie.  Benjie pretends to be busy and maybe he does not see the lurking Sharina but Desa arrives and asks her friend whether she has any plans to show up at the food shop where she is still an employee and Sharina shushes her.  Desa asks what she is doing and Sharina shows her Arlan’s photo and then points to Benjie.  Desa marvels at the resemblance. 

Sharina wonders about the man she saw who saved her from getting raped and the man she saw and saved her in the bus accident who looks like Arlan’s photo and now Benjie, their new sculptor who also looks like the man she saw and Arlan. 

Desa wonders, “Merong bang tatlong lalaking ganyan ang hitsura?” whether it is possible to have three different men look so much alike.  [Baka triplets! Hehehehe]

Sharina tells her loyal friend, “alam mo, nililito mo ako,  that Desa is only confusing her more.

Desa teases her friend, “isa lang ang sigurado ko, type mo yung manlililok mo.”  She tells Sharina that for sure, Sharina fancies her new sculptor.  Sharina chides her, “Ano ba, huwag ka maingay.”  Don’t speak so loud but smiles at the thought.

Elsa finally sees her daughter and asks Ginella where she’s been as she’d been waiting for her to come all this time.  Ginella tells her mother that she was in another interview that seems to have the same conclusion, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

Elsa assures her daughter that if her plan works, Ginella will definitely have a job.  She plans to tell the parish priest that the real image of Sto. Rosario had been stolen and when that is revealed, Sharina’s shop will lose credibility.  It will lose customers, go bankrupt and close down.  Then they will re-open the workshop into a beauty parlor that Elsa will manage with Ginella as her assistant.

Arben still hard at pretending to be a sculptor.  Sharina gives him water with ice.  He gulps them with a smile, telling her he really likes cold water.  “Sarap, ang lamig!”  Sharina laughs at how he seems to be drinking water for the first time and asks him if he wants some more.  “Gusto mo pa ba?”

She tries to smell him and asks if he’s using some kind of perfume but Arben denies this. “Pabango?  Wala, wala akong pabango.”

Sharina tries to get to know more about him, asking him if he’s from around here as she remembers Mang Tino telling her he’s from the province.  “May pamilya ka dito?”  Sharina wants to know if he has family in Manila.  Arben enumerates his newfound family members, Lola Inday, Pepay and Rico.  Sharina comments that he seems close to his family and she’s happy that he does have family in Manila.  Arben agrees, “Oo, mababait sila,” saying that his family are good.

She asks if he’d been a sculptor for quite a while now and he admits he is new to this. “Bagong, bago pa lang.”  Very, very new to sculpting.  [Yeah, more like a few hours new, actually.]

Father is instructing some workers in the church to prepare and replace the replica with the real image for the procession.  Elsa and Ginella are there in the pretense of hearing mass when actually they want to tell the priest about the real image being stolen from Sharina’s, what used to be Lily’s workshop.

Elsa begins by pretending to admire the replica, saying how it looked so much like the real one.  Ginella seconds the statement but adds, “Sayang lang nawala.”  Revealing their intent.  Father asks what they’re exactly saying and Elsa pretends not to know and instead asks whether Sharina hasn’t told the priest anything yet,”Di pa ba nasasabi ni Sharina sa inyo?”

Sharina asks Benjie is he’d like some more water but sees something protruding out of his pocket.  It looks like a hand of one of the images.  She asks him what it is and it falls to the ground.  As Sharina stoops down to examine it, the panicked Benjie trips on a chisel and tumbles over falling on his back.  His and Sharina’s face as inches away from one another.  Both seem to recall a previous experience with their faces this close together. 

ABANGAN -  Father confronts Sharina about the stolen statue.  Arben recalls who he really is, “Ako si Arlan, isa akong sugo.”

   

Episode 9 – The one with the butterfly

Episode 9 – The one with the butterfly

Aired in the UAE on 24^th February 2012

So Emie works as a massage therapist in a spa for men when her customer asks her for a “happy ending” leading one to discern that this is one of those kinds of massage parlours, the rather shady, seedy kind.  Emie refuses telling her customer that she’s off duty and leaves with a really disappointed dirty old man crying for her, “sandali lang!”

Monica is talking with Sharina about the robbery the night before and although she doesn’t agree with their aunt, somehow the idea of closing the workshop is something that she’d also want if it meant that they will be safe from future break-ins due to priceless relics being brought to be fixed in the workshop, that are getting robbed all the time.  She wondered how the robbers had found out that the real image was in the shop and not at church as everyone believes. 

Sharina is still adamant to keep the workshop going.  She made a promise to Lily and it’s not really that all the statues in there are worth any fortune, most are made of wood. 

Monica is simply worried that what happened to Junic could happen to her sister.  But Sharina assure her that is isn’t going yet as she still had her little sister to look after, “Di pa ki kukunin, kailangan mo pa ako.” Monica says it seems Sharina had had near-death experiences of her own of late but had somehow found a way to keep alive, perhaps with some help from above, “Malakas ka kay Lord.”

Sharina sees Monica taking out some photos and asks what she’s doing with them.  Monica says they’re pictures of Junic.  She puts one, still in a frame under her pillow.  She said that most people believed that if you want to dream about someone, you only need to put a photo of them under your pillow and you will have them visit you in your dreams.  Monica so badly wants to see Junic, “Gusto ko siya makita, kahit sa panaginip lang,” even if only in her dreams.

Arlan now Benjie (Arben) recalls what happened the night before.  He sees the girl and when she fell after Gimo hitting her, he seems to remember to have seen her before.

As he was thinking Emie sneaks into a small window to Arben’s bedroom and starts to hug and kiss him but he pushes her away.  This angers Emie as this isn’t the first time Arben had done this, like he doesn’t want her anymore. “ano ba problema mo?  Nung isang araw ka pa ah!  Tinatanggihan mo ko?  Parang hindi ikaw ang Benjieng kilala ko!” Emie shouts at him like he’s no longer the Benjie she knew, having refused her when in a flashback we see how Benjie wants Emie so badly.

Emie suspects Benjie of having another woman.  “Siguro may babae ka no? Sino?” She asks who but Arben remains quiet and threatens that if she found he’d been cheating on her, she’d really cut him. “Huwag na huwag kang papahuli at puputulan talaga kita!” [Lorena Bobbit sure set a trend!]

Emie walks out through the bedroom door and enters the common room where Lola Inday, Rico and even Pepay had been listening all along.  Everyone pretends to be doing something else with Rico pretending to be swatting cockroaches.  Emie looks at them and wordlessly leaves.

Rico and Arben are eating.  Rico reproaches his older brother for angering Emie, “Ikaw naman kasi kuya, alam mo naman na masama magalit si Ate Emie.”

But Arben is immune to concerns for Emie and only thinks of the woman from the night before, wondering how she is.  “Kumusta na kaya yung babae dun sa kagabi?”  Rico gives up knowing that his kuya had fallen and hard for that girl, “May tama ka.”

Emie is still seething and she’s home with her teenaged sister [played by Ynna Assistio] who is still in school uniform.  She’s swearing that if she does catch Benjie having an affair, she will really let him have it.  The sister asks her why does she continue to agonize over one guy when there’s lots of men out there.  But Emie says she’s in love with Benjie and her sister doesn’t get it because she’s never been in love yet. 

Back with the brothers, Arben tells Rico that he wants to go see the girl.  Just to make sure that she’s OK.  But Rico tells him it’s a bad idea to return to the scene of the crime.  “Baka mahuli ka.  Gusto mo ba makulong?”  He tells Arben that it’s dangerous and he could get caught.

Emies sister promises her that when she does choose one to fall for, she’s not choosing another poor man like them.  Emie agrees, after all this was the reason she was sending her sister to a good school so she can catch bigger fishes.  “Aba dapat lang at hindi ako nagpapakahirap sa ginagawa ko para matulad ka lang sa akin.” She didn’t want her sister to end up like her. [Oh how noble of Emie. ]

Sharina accompanied by Desa goes to the church to tell the parish priest that they had lost the image.  Before entering, they see the float that will carry the image being decorated by the women with flowers.  She asked one of the ladies if there ever was a time when the image of the Sto. Rosario did not accompany the procession and the lady couldn’t imagine such a thing as it has never happened before.  She added the people would be greatly disappointed and distressed if their patron saint wasn’t in the procession.  This leaves Sharina with a bigger burden to bear realizing the importance of said image.

Arben is actually near the church as Sharina and Desa were at the same time.  Had the two girls not been busy with their cellphones, Sahrina would have seen Arlan, with shorter hair.  But before Arlan too could look Sharina’s way, he gets distracted by baddie friend, asking him what he is doing there.  He invites Arben to the cockfight (sabong)  indicating that it’s one of Arben’s favorite gambling vices but to his surprise, Arben declines.  “Nag-iba ka na talaga.”  He left Arben to himself.

Sharina is now talking to the priest but before she could tell him her problem, he goes on about how thankful he is for Sharina taking on the work on the image as Lily had done in the past.  He is happy that she kept the workshop open and is confident that her work in the image would be as splendid as Lily’s.  At this, Sharina can no longer bear to tell the truth, not strong enough to break the good priest’s heart and maybe his confidence in her as well.  She keeps the loss of the image a secret and leaves with the same burden she had before, but maybe now a lot more heavier to bear after what the lady and the priest had shared to her.

Junic touches the head of the sleeping Monica telling her that he’d been with her all night and kept watch over her, “Kung alam mo lang, nandito ako palagi.”  Monica wakes with a start, perhaps feeling his presence?  But she takes Junic’s photo from under her pillow and said in a dismayed manner that this practice, it doesn’t seem to work as well.  “Ginagawa ko naman lahat para mapanaginipan ka pero hindi pa rin kita mapanaginipan.”

Junic assures her that everything is alright.  That he will always be beside her.  “Buong gabi kitang binabantayan.  Di ako umaalis sa tabi mo.”  Still Monica is distraught and cries, missing Junic so much.

Rico in a pedicab (a bicycle with a sidecar) calls out to Lizette.  It’s Emie’s younger sister and it seems Rico has a liking for her like Benjie likes Emie.  He offers to pick her up later but Lizette refuses to go with him as he is so cheap.  She shoos him away fearing her friends will see her talking to him.  But Rico tells her that he, despite being poor is better looking that her friends, “Mas gwapo naman ako sa mga kaibigan mo.” 

Lizette agrees she’s handsome but he is terribly poor and she can’t give him what she wants.  When Rico asks her, she says she wants a cell phone.  But not just any cellphone but an iphone.  Rico asks her when he is able to give her an iphone, would she be his girl to which she agrees.  “Sasaguting kita kapag binigyan mo ako ng iphone.”  Rico assures her that he’ll see her later with the phone and she’ll be his sweetheart. 

Sharina stops her aunt Elsa from cleaning telling her she’ll do it herself and that her aunt should go and rest.  Monica comes and asks her where she’s been all morning and why she left the house early.  Sharina tells her of her visit to the church and her talk with the priest.    Elsa remains to hear the rest of the story when Sharina decides she’ll tell father the truth and use whatever money she has to pay for the lost image.  Elsa was quick to voice out her objections telling admonishing this stupidity of her niece, “tanga ka ba?” 

Sharina explains she feels responsible as the image got robbed while it was under her care.  As if this wasn’t enough troubles, Mang Tino, Lily’s main sculptor tells Sharina he is leaving.  He’d been wanting to open a workshop of his own for years and wants to do it now.  Sharina begs him to reconsider, but the old man is keen to start a business of his own yet assures Sharina that the new sculptor who is arriving, the one he recommended is going to do a splendid job.  Sharina has no choice but to concede.

At this new turn of events, Elsa pushes for the closure of the shop.  “Gawin na lang nating parlor” and even proposes to manage it, “ako magpapatakbo”, to which Monica intervenes that now Elsa true plans are coming to the surface, “So lumabas din ang totoo.”  Monica knows their aunt likes the parlor.  But Elsa continues to convince Sharina that instead of giving all that money to the church, use it to start a new business. 

Monica snaps at their aunt, reminding Sharina at the same time that it’s her money and she can do whatever she wants with it.  Elsa tells Sharina to talk to Monica, who has seem to have forgotten her manners.  “Kausapin mo ang kapatip mo, nawawalan na ng paggalang” and leaves.

Monica asks Sharina why she lets their aunt talk to her like that?  She insists that it is time she voices out her opinions and tell them what she really wants.  Afterall she owns the house and should be the one calling the shots.  Sharina tells her passionate younger sister to calm down and not let anger get the better of reason.  She reminds her what happened to their father who died when both he and the woman couldn’t resolve their problems without anger. [di naman galit si pudra that time ah, aaccident lang talaga…]

Lizette is with her friends all seemingly rich kids with the latest gadgets.  They ask her who it was she had been talking to earlier and she dismisses Rico as just a stranger asking for directions.  She acts like she’s one of them, a rich kid as well and craves for an expensive coffee.  As one of her friends calls her driver, they see that she’s got the latest iphone making Lizette all the more envious.

Arben is at Sharina’s house.  The gates are closed and he stands by the wall looking very much like a stalker.  How does he enter and see the girl?

Inside in the gardens, Monica is walking in deep thought and comes upon a butterfly.  One of the most common beliefs of people is that when someone dies, and you see a butterfly, it’s the spirit of the one who just died.  So Monica talks to the butterfly asking it whether it is Junic’s spirit.  What she doesn’t know is that Junic’s spirit is right beside her, looking at the same butterfly.  “Junic, ikaw ba itong papru-paro?  Binabantayan mo ba ako?”  

Junic replies to an unhearing Monica that it’s not him.  “Hindi ako yang paru-paro pero lagi kitang binabantayan Monica.”  Although he is always watching over her.

Junic’s mother arrives and knocks at the gate calling for Monica.  Monica opens it and the older woman tells her she’s going to the police station.  They have some lead on Junic’s killers and Monica tells her she’s going with him.  They leave at once, leaving the gate ajar.  It’s Arben’s chance and he goes in.

Rico and baddie friend [sorry, still didn’t catch his name!] are walking in a mall.  Rico tells him about Lizette’s conditions for him to be her boyfriend.  Baddie friend now realizes why they are in the mall, so that Rico can buy Lizette an iphone.  But Rico corrects him.  They’re not buying one, they are going to steal one.  Looking around, Rico sees another young man fiddling with his iphone.  He points the man to baddie friend saying, “Bingo!”

Arben is inside Sharina’s house and he is in the workshop.  He looks at the statues, fingers one of the sculpting tools, puts it down, walks a few steps and looks at another statue.  He realizes what he’d just done was wrong, entering another’s house without permission is wrong.  “Parang mali yata yung ginawa kong pagpasok dito”  But he reasons with his conscience that he just wants to see the girl and make sure she’s alright. “Gusto ko malaman kung ayos ang lagay niya.”   But he hears some footsteps coming and dives underneath a long table.

It’s Sharina still with her problem, finding the stolen image.  “Anong gagawing ko?  Saan ko hahanapin?”  Where will she start looking for the lost image?  She looks at all the saints in the workshop and starts calling on them, “San Jose, San Martin, Sto Nino, Mama Mary…tulungan nyo ako, sana makita ko na yung santo.” 

She sees the statue of Saint Anthony, patron of lost things and calls for his help, “San Antonio, dib a kayo ang hinihingian ng tulog ng mga nawawala?  Tulungan nyo ako.”

Sharina stops, she sniffs.  She smells something different in the workshop.  “Amoy matamis, amoy bulaklak.”  She tries to look around for the source of the smell.  She sniffs, “amoy cake?” and looks under the table.  She feels something brush her leg and screams!  Suddenly, Arben stands up with a start and they’re standing face to face.  They have finally found each other!

Abangan – Elsa and Ginella, evil wicked bitches that they are tell father the truth of the lost image of Sto. Rosario.

Episode 8 – The One with the Spirit of the Glass

Episode 8 – The One with the Spirit of the Glass

Aired 23^rd February in the UAE

Rico looks on the drunk Arlan slumped on the floor and asks his Lola Inday if maybe his older brother is possessed by some spirit. “Di kaya sinapian na ito?”

Lola Inday, holding Arben’s head from falling tells her other grandson, “Buti pa iupo na natin” to help her put Arben aright on the chair.  Rico helps her grandmother and wanted to go on watching his funny show on TV but she had gone on ahead leaving him with Arben, holding his head from falling back on the floor.

Pepay is talking to her spirit friend, Gino regarding the man in their home that looks like her kuya but is not really her kuya.  Some of her playmates catch her talking to what seemed like air and called her crackers, “Sira ulo.”  Pepay denies this but her friends start calling her Pepay the crazy one, “Si Pepay sira ulo” over and over again.

Elsa sees Sharina doing some accounting for the statue business.  She asks her niece in a condescending manner whether Sharina understands what she’s doing.  Sharina good naturedly answered her aunt that indeed she does, having gotten instructions from Lily before as well as from the fact that she did take a secretarial course to help her manage the books and her small business.  Elsa asked whether Sharina had proceeded with transferring the name of the house to hers from Lily’s and the young woman admitted she hasn’t gotten to it.  Elsa volunteers to do it, so long as Sharina gives her money for bus fares.  Sharina seemed happy at this gesture of her aunt. [If I was Sharina and I knew how scheming my aunt can be for her own gain, I’d be much more careful in my dealings with her!  It’s like Sharina is such a gullible person when she grew up suffering the pains under her tyrant of an aunt.]

Elsa keeps on making conversation asking about Nelson and how his courting her is coming along.  Sharina claims they are just friends.  Elsa suggests if that is the case then Sharina should introduce Nelson to Ginella so that when Nelson and Ginella do get to marry, Ginella will be secured as Nelson is quite a catch being moneyed as well as good-looking.

Still Elsa keeps on about how hard life is for her and her daughter and how she had welcomed the sisters in their home that many years ago, prompting Sharina to ask whether there is anything more Elsa wants.  The truth comes out at last, she needs money to attend a dance at the plaza.  Elsa says she can’t go as she doesn’t have any money to buy clothes for the dance.  Sharina offers her what cash she’s got saved from the workshop and this makes Elsa so happy.  She thanks her niece and goes away.  Desa who just arrived saw the whole set-up scenario and is obviously against the kindness Sharina is showing her aunt.

As Elsa passes Desa with cash in her hand, Desa gives a disapproving look and goes towards her friend who seems in deep thought about her just-concluded conversation with her aunt. 

Meanwhile Arben is awake with a major hangover as Lola Inday gives him coffee.  The older woman tells him it was like his first time drinking when he should be more used to it by now. 

Baddie friend arrives and sees food, he immediately takes part without any invitation asking whether it’s true that Benjie got drunk. “Balita ko nalasing ka daw?”

Back in Sharina’s workshop, Desa tells her to stop being so gullible to their aunt.  Elsa and Ginella are living off her now and she lets them get away with whatever their like.   Desa goes on to point out Ginella being a graduate but still unemployed, indicating that while she, Sharina had not gotten any support from their aunt, but who is not the one feeding them all, earning all the money.

Sharina goes back to the “utang na loob” the debt of gratitude that one must pay for the kindness given them.  Desa reminded her that after all she’s done, she’s more than paid for it, “Kung sa tagal na tiniis mo, matagal ka na bayad, may interes pa!”

Sharina defends her aunt sharing that she offered to do the paperwork to transfer the house title to her name from Lily’s.  Desa is doubtful and warns her friend to be careful, commenting that at the way Sharina is acting, she’s more saintly than all the images of the saints there in the workshop.  Having said this, Desa decides to go home. [Hay buti pa si Desa, hindi tatanga-tanga! Go girl, pagsabihan mo yan si Sharina, over bait parang wala nang bait!]

Sharina stops her friend, asking her that if she sees Monica, to tell her to go home as it is getting late.  Moreover, she is really worried about how her grieving sister had been acting lately.  Desa understands and promises to tell Monica to go home if she does see her.

Gimo arrives at Rico’s and Arben’s home angry that baddie friend, instead of hurrying the brothers up decided to eat with them instead.  “Sabi ko tawagin mo sila hindi makikain ka!”

As they leave, Lola Inday and Pepay at the old woman’s instructions turn their plates around. “Ikot natin ang plato.  Malayo sana sila sa disgrasya.” [It is custom in the Philippines that if you are eating and a family member leaves before the meal is finished to turn the plates round to ensure the family members do not meet any unfortunate accident.]

The baddies stake out Sharina’s home.  Gimo tells everyone to get ready and passes out guns to everyone.  There’s four of them: Gimo, Rico, baddie friend and Arben.  Arben asks why they need guns and Gimo replies that it’s only in case of an emergency.  Better have something than nothing.

Elsa asks Sharina if she’s locked the main gate already and the young woman nods, yes.  However she is worried about Monica who had not returned home yet.  It’s about ten o’clock at night based on the wall clock.  Elsa assures her Monica is alright and will go home and that Sharina should not worry, besides, Monica has her own set of keys.  Still Sharina can’t help but worry about her sister.

Monica is at Lucy’s house [Yey finally learned Bes’ name in the show.]  Monica asks what they’re supposed to be doing when Lucy gets a box like and Ouija board.  Lucy tells her friend that is Monica really wants to speak to Junic’s spirit then they can do so by playing spirit of the glass.

Sharina wishes their mother was with her.  She knows that their mom would know what to do with Monica to comfort her for her loss and maybe help Sharina cope with her many problems.  She is looking at the angel figurine and remains hopeful though that someday she will be reunited with their mother.    She goes to bed and before sleeping, she says goodnight to Arlan’s portrait.

Outside the baddies see the last light switched off blanketing the whole house in darkness.  Gimo says everyone must not be asleep, “Patay na mga ilaw, tulog na ang mga yon.  Tara.”  Signalling for them to move, they get out of the jeep and one by one wore their masks only Arben wore his like a cap instead of fulling covering his face.  Rico had to adjust his brother’s mask so that it’s covered his whole face.  They all climb up the gate and jump to the other side – inside Sharina’s premises.

Monica and Lucy ready the board and put their fingers onto the pointer.  Monica asks whether Junic’s spirit is there.  Junic’s spirit is indeed there and he’s happy to get a chance to talk to Monica.  He tries to put his hand onto the pointer.

The baddies go towards the workshop but Arben trips on a potted plant and it falls making some noise to the ground.  The pot is broken but the baddies decide to keep on but Gimo despite his mask looks really pissed off at Benjie’s clumsiness.

They break the chains that secures the door of the workshop and enter seeking the real image of the Sto. Rosario.  They find it but Benjie steps in telling them what they are doing is not right.  They should not be taking what doesn’t belong to them.  Gimo pushes him aside but the clumsy Arben falls hitting some statues and make a big noise that awakens Sharina.

The baddies hurry up and carry the image out.  Sharina sees them and asks who they are before realizing after a few second later that they are robbers, stealing the image of the Sto. Rosario.  Gimo hits Sharina hard on the face rendering her unconscious.  [Sharina dear nakita mo na nga na naka-mask, siguro no need to ask sino sila di vah?  Buti na lang narealize mo na magnanakaw sila.] 

As she falls, Arben asks what Gino has done, hurting a helpless girl.  He feels sorry for her. “Anong ginawa nyo sa kanya?  Kawawa naman siya.”  Arben kneels down to Sharina but his brother pulls him back up urging him to flee with them and quickly.

In their jeep the baddies make their escape but Arben wants to go back and help the unconscious girl.  No one heeds his pleas and they drive off, successful in their plan to steal off the priceless statue.

Back in the spirit of the glass session, Junic finds out that as a spirit he cannot touch the glass at all therefore communicating with Monica is not possible.  Monica keeps asking and calling Junic’s name but of course nothing happens.  Getting impatient and frustrated she suggests to Lucy that they stop what they’re doing and she’d better get home.  Lucy, ever the positive tells her friend that at least they now know that ‘spirit of the glass’ is only a myth.  “At least alam na nating na di totoo.”  Monica goes home, Lucy deciding to walk her out and leaving the similarly angry and frustrated Junic alone. 

In his anger he tries to kick the board off hitting the glass and make it turn over!  He calls off to Monica that he made it move but no one heard him.   [OK so it will work with only really angry spirits, which would maybe make one think twice before playing with such a toy!]

In the baddies’ safehouse Gimo punches Benjie for his many mistakes during their operations.  Benjie or Arlan (ergo Arben!) is shocked at this.  Gimo still wants to punish Arben but the other guys stops him.  Arben defends himself telling Gimo he shouldn’t have hurt the girl.  But Gimo is adamant, they almost got caught because of Arben’s many blunders. “muntik na tayo napahamak, matitiklo tayo!”

Rico decides to go home with his kuya.  Baddie friend also tells the others that he’s got somewhere to go. 

Monica arrives home, she open the gate and closes it after her.  She sees the fallen pot and gets curious.  She goes towards the workshop and sees her sister there.  She runs and tries to wake Sharina who luckily wakes up as Monica asks her what happened.    

Sharina relays that she was already asleep when she heard some noise.  She went down to see what it was, perhaps maybe even hoping it was her sister but only say the masked me instead.  They stole the image of the Sto. Rosario.  Inside the workshop, Sharina gets a serious headache.  [Well major major headache nga itong pagkawala ng Sto. Rosario image!]

Baddie friend catches up with the brothers Rico and Arben.  He apologizes with them for how Gimo reacted. “Pasensiyahan nyo na si Gimo.  Ganun talaga paminsan-minsan, may topak.”  Rico sides with Gimo admitting that Benjie’s actions tonight were really bad and almost bungled up the operation.  He thinks Gimo has a point.  Arben insists they shouldn’t have hurt the girl.  Baddie friend reminds Arben that had he been careful and not make up all those ruckus, the girl wouldn’t have awoken and found them out.  She would have been safely fast asleep!  So it was really Arben’s fault.

Elsa is upset having woken up when Monica discovered Sharina and that they’ve been robbed.  She and Ginella are with the sisters.  Not one of them even worried about Sharina.  Their main concern was of their own safety. [Kapalmuks naman talaga!] 

Elsa drives home her argument to close the workshop and put up a parlor or store instead.  Monica argues that whether parlor, workshop or store, they are still targets for robbers. “Parlor?  Niloloob pa rin yon!”

Ginella cuts in that her mom isn’t speaking to Monica.  [Monica should have given her a slapping right there and then!]  And dismisses everyone going back to her room stating that she has an interview early the next day.

Monica scoffs at Ginella going to all those interviews when no one is even hiring her. “Pa-interview nang pa-interview, wala namang tumatanggap sa kanya.”

Arben still wants to return to the place of the crime as he want’s to make sure if the girl is OK.  Baddie friend and Rico now suspect Arben likes the girl, “Babae, type mo?”

Monica and Sharina are alone in the kitchen and the younger sister is thankful that all Sharina got was a huge bump on her head.  “Maswerte ka pa rin at bukol lang ang napala mo.  Buti na lang bukol lang.”  Refering perhaps to how Junic got more than a bump…he got a fatal bullet wound.  At least, Sharina is still alive.  Monica is also thankful that perhaps she still has her sister.

Abangan ang muling pagkikita ni Sharina at Arlan now Benjie.

Episode 7 – The one with all the drinking sessions

Episode 7 – The one with all the drinking sessions

Aired in the UAE, 22^nd February 2012

It’s night time at Sharina’s home.  She looks at the pictures of her family atop the piano that Lily used to teach her music with.  She talks to her father, telling him how she’s worried about her sister Monica.  “Masyado na syang naapektuhan sa mga nangyari kay Junic.”  But as she promised her father, while she lives, she will take care of her sister. “Poprotektahan ko siya.  Di ko hahayaang may mangyaring masama sa kanya.”

In their bedroom she covers the sleeping Monica with a blanket.  She tells her sister not to worry about anything.  “Nandito si ate.”  Junic sees how Sharina really loves her sister and says so. “Mahal na mahal mo talaga si Monica, Sharina.”

In Arben’s house, their grandmother, Lola Inday arrives drunk.  She asks where the boys have been and is upset that she doesn’t know Benjie almost died last night.  She only heard it from their neighbors. “Lola ako, wala akong alam.”  She tells Benjie she wants to see his wounds. [So we call Arlan turned Benjie to Arben as before, we loosely move from these names, using Benjie if the scenes are more Benjie-like for examples the flashbacks with the real Benjie and Arben or Arlan when it’s the new one, after the bridge fall].

Rico tells their grandmother how she can possibly know when she spends all her day at the gambling den.

Arben is shy on showing his wounds but Lola Inday assures him she’s his grandmother and she has seen it all before.  No need for  such inhibitions.  Rico suggests for Arben to show Lola his back.  Lola Inday sees how large the wounds are.  “Naku ang laki ng sugat!”  Pero di ka mamamaay, kasi masamang damo ka.  Mana ka sa akin.”  She kids her eldest grandson that he is not going to die for isn’t there a saying that only the good die young?  In Benjie’s case, he’s bad to the bone, taking after her. 

But Arben asks her who she is, “Sino ho kayo?” This makes her stop and asks, “Di mo ako kilala?” almost upset at Benjie not recognizing her.  Rico explains that Benjie suffers from amnesia.    Their grandmother picks a huge vase and hits Arben’s head with it asking if he now recalls who she is, “O ano, kilala mo na ako?” [hahahah, this made me almost fall of my chair laughing, I love Nova Villa who plays Lola Inday here and her quirky character.]  Still Arben shakes his head, no.

It is breakfast time and Ginella and Elsa are already seated while Sharina serves the food.  [Anoveh, teh kaw na may-ari ng balaysung, ikaw pa rin ang chimini-a-a? kalurkey!]  She admits to her aunt that she’s worried about Monica.  Ginella agress, “Baka nga nababalikw na yon.” Suspecting Monica is going insane.  Instead of any helpful advice, Elsa adds more insult to injury saying how they all have tendencies of going gaga for their men.  She makes examples beginning from their mom “Naloko sa unang noyfriend nya at iniwan ang tatay nyo.  Ikaw, nababaliw sa lalaki sa picture at si Monica, nababaliw sa patay nyang nobyo.”  [May point naman si Elsa dito, pero di naman timely ang comment, pero what do you expect, typical antagonistic witch lang talaga sha]

Sharina got offended and told aunt, “Huway nyo naman sana idamay si inay sa usapan.”

But Ginella blurts that what her mom said was just the truth and that Monica’s boyfriend, Junic isn’t even that cute! [Hala multuhin ka ni Junic!  Wish!]

Monica overhears how Ginella is insensitively going on about Junic, how he’s not even rich and that Monica should be happy they didn’t end up together.  This really angered Monica who’s just about had it to her eyeballs from the bitching or her cousin and the taunting of their aunt so she lunges for Ginella and starts slapping her and pulling her hair.  In an instant, Sharina and Elsa pull the two girls apart, Elsa taking Ginella away from the sisters. 

Sharina tries to calm Monica down but she demands her sister, “Bakit ako ang pinagsasabihan mo, bakit hindi sila?” Upset that even when Ginella was way below the belt, Sharina is still asking her to understand their cousin.

In Ginella’s room, Elsa reminds her of their situation.  Ginella retorts she was only saying the truth.  Elsa tells her to stop saying bad things about the dead for they may come back and haunt her, reminding her that until 9 days have passed, the spirits of the departed still walk the land of the living.  Ginella starts to feel really scared.

Rico overheards their grandmother singing as she is taking a bath.  He see her sundress hanging and grabs it.  He finds the pocket and takes out the money.  He is counting them when Lola Inday comes out and sees her grandson trying to pocket  her money and gets upset at him.  She twists his ear and pulls him inside the house lambasting him for not respecting her, their own grandmother and having the gall to steal from her.

In the house, she tells Rico to lie on his stomach, “Dapa!” An old fashioned way of disciplining is making kids lie and spanking their bottoms with a stick or slippers.  Rico protests that he is already a grown man and should be subjected to such punishments but their feisty grandmother shouts and orders him to get ready for some serious ass-whipping.  Arben comes down and asks what was going on.  Lola Inday tells him how Rico tried to steal from her, their own grandmother.  She complains to the older grandson, whether this is how low their lives have succumbed to, stealing from your own.

Arben tells Rico he shouldn’t have done that…stealing.  “Di mo dapat ginagawa yon.  Masama magnakaw.”  But Rico only laughs at the irony of it all for Arben and his means oflivelihood is stealing.  Arben also laughs along.  Rico reminds Arben that he was in fact his teacher in the art of stealing. “Baka nakakalimutan mo, ikaw ang nagturo sa akin magnakaw.”

Flashback to Benjie giving Rico tips on selecting a target.  He should pick women who carry many bags and have kids as such women won’t be able to run and chase after them.   “MAbagal tumakbo”   He goes over to talk to the woman, distracting her attention as Rico comes from behind unseen and takes the woman’s wallet from her bag. 

In another operation, Benjie hands what appears to be a computer bag to Rico who walks a but further and hands it to their baddie friend.  A man rushes out inquiring if anyone has seen his laptop. 

Still another crime, breaking and entering this time with the guys in masks and trying to pick a lock of a house.  Benjie lets Rico do it, advising his to wait for the click.

Back to the present, Rico repeats, “Ikaw nagturo sa aking lahat nun kuya.” 

Lola Inday admits she is not a hypocrite.  She’s not telling them to stop stealing, only have some boundaries.  You should not steal from family, much less your own grandmother. “Lola nyo pa rin ako.” Insisting on some level of respect for her being their grandmother.

Rico walks away to avoid any more rebukes as Lola Inday tells Arben to sort his brother out.  “Tingnan mo ugali ng kapatid mo?”

Arben couldn’t believe Rico’s stories so he asks their grandma, “Magnanakaw po ba talaga ako?”

Lola Inday is still not believing the amnesia excuse as she confirms, “Di mo naaalala?”  She’s still angry with Rico’s actions and throws that to Arben with a nasty suggestion, “Ba’t di mo iuntog yang ulo mo jan sa pader!”

As Lola Inday walks aways, Arben tries to gently knock his head against the stairs.  Pepal comes in and sees the stranger who looks like her kuya Benjie in this silly position.  She warns him not to come any closer, “Huwag kang lalapit, di kita kakilala.” Giving Arben the cross warding sign.

Arlan is fascinated at how the child can see through him and know him.  “KIlala mo ba talaga ako? Kilala mo ba kung sino ako?”  He tries to get closer but the elusive Pepay ducks and runs away.

At Sharina’s home, she visits the sculpture and figurine/ statue workshop finding the overseer Mang Tino working on a particular piece.  She reminds him to rush the image of the Sto. Rosario in time for the coming procession.  Mang Tino says it will be the next one he attends to as soon as he finishes the current one he is working on.  Sharina asks about the new-hire, an additional sculptor and the man tells her the new employee is on his way.

Ginella admits that she is really scared of all the images.  It give the house an peculiar feeling.  Elsa suggests that they should just close the workshop and convert the space to a grocery store or a beauty parlor and make more money from the new business.  But Sharina is resolute in keeping the statues and the workers, “Pamana ni Nay Lily.” as it was a legacy from Lily.  Elsa insists it’s OK, she won’t know. She’s already dead and stops herself, realizing she could make matters worse. 

There’s a knock on the gate and Sharina opens it, it’s Nelson, come for a visit.  Ginella smiles sweetly at Nelson [Aha, type pala ni Ginella rhymes with tsinelas hehehe si Nelson!]

Lola Inday is drinking in the local market with Moymoy Palaboy [sorry don’t know their characters names yet] and is already a bit tipsy.  Pepay comes to tell her that her Kuya Benjie is not really Kuya Benjie.  Lola Inday is puzzled by this, asking the little girl that if it’s not Bejie, then who is he?  Pepay claims it was his friend, Gino who said it.  This is easily dismissed by Lola Inday who couldn’t really accept the claims of an imaginary friend, despite her druken state.  She advises her granddaughter to go and play with real kids for a change.  Pepay runs, need no prompting as soon as she heard the word play.

Arben arrives and Lola Inday calls him to join her, saying that this particular drink is his favorite.  He takes a shot, a long shot, and seems to like it, tasting alcohol for the first time. 

Ginella brings refreshments but only for Nelson telling Sharina that if she wants, she can make her own juice [how rude!] but Sharina quickly got even by telling Ginella that she and Nelson need to talk.  [Buti nga pahiya ka Ginella! Bleh]

Sharina tells Nelson that he should be here.  It wouldn’t please his parents if they knew he was still seeing her.  He replied that hurtful words may have been spoken in anger, “Nabigla lang sila sa mga sinabi nila dahil sa nangyari sa akin.”  Still Sharina tells him that they are better off as friends to which the young man agress and indicates that he understands that Sharina is not ready for a relationship and there is nothing wrong with friendship, for now.   Sharina thanks him and smiles.

Lola Inday and Arben are clearly drunk now as they discuss what Pepay had revealed to Lola Inday.  The question now is, whether Benjie is really Benjie or whether he is not.  [Usapang lasing ito!]  Arben tries to agree, “Yun nga ang di ko maintindihan, wala akong maalaala. “ 

The old woman wants Benjie to be honest and admit to her who he really is.  Arlan is about tell tell her who he is when he passes out, too drunk to continue.  “Hindi ako si Benjie.  Ako si….”

At their home, Rico is laughing at a funny show on TV when Lola Inday arrives and a couple of men carrying Benjie  bring him to lie on the sofa. 

Rico comments that they look quite drunk and asked how mayn did Benjie drink.  Lola Inday recalls it was only two shots.  Rico couldn’t believe how different his brother is from his old self. 

Flashback to a drinking session with Gimo their friends, Rico, Benjie and even Lola Inday.  Everyone is in a stupor, some like Rico already asleep from all the alcohol imbibing.  Gimo walks home, walking into huge water containers and walking with an unmistakable drunken swagger.  Only Benjie and Lola Inday are left standing as they toast another shot.  This is the limit break for Lola Inday who slumps onto the table.  Benjie, drunk but still able to take it shakes his head, saying “walang kwenta” referring to how worthless his drinking buddies all are, getting drunk already.

Rico observes, “Nag-iba na talaga si Kuya Benjie, La.  Kamukha nya pero hindi sya kung kumilos eh.”

ABANGAN:  Spirit of the Glass and the robbery!  [Kala ko pa man din, tonight na nila luloobin ang bahay ni Sharina.]

Episode 6 – The one with Junic and Monica’s Dialogue

Episode 6 – The one with Junic and Monica’s Dialogue

Aired in the UAE, 21^st February 2012

It seems to Rico and friend that Benjie who is really Arlan [let’s call him Arben to differentiate from bad Benjie], has amnesia as he can’t remember anything.  At first the didn’t believe Arben with baddie friend even thinking it’s one of Arben’s gimmicks, “Tol, anong gimik na naman ito?”

But Arben doesn’t even know what a gimmick is.  Baddie friend asks Arben to stop, even tries to shake Arben’s head to put it right.  But Rico asks his older brother if he remembers anything at all and Arben doesn’t , leading to both baddie friend and Rico to believe that Arben is indeed not faking what both mistakenly called anesia…it’s amnesia. 

Baddie friend dismisses Arben’s lack of any memory saying that he’ll surely regain everything back by tomorrow.  Assuring both brothers that Arben has uncanny ability to spring back from a bad turn.  “Babalik din yan, ikaw pa, haling ang kaluluwa mo!  Mababaliw ako sa inyo.”

 Rico asks his kuya if he’s ready to go home.  He goes on ahead and turns to look at his brother and gives him a weird look like he’s looking at a stranger. [Well he really is a stranger and he’s not really your brother anymore, Rico]

On the way home, they pass by neighbors who inquired about Arben’s injuries and what happened to him.  Rumours spread quickly and some whispered what had happened the night before.  Many know about Benjie’s shady dealings and illegal activities but everyone just looks as both Rico and Arben pass through the maze of houses, squatters all.  Arben even nods at a few neighbors, giving them a small, timid, smile which probably appears weird to them as the real Benjie would probably walk with a smirk or a toughie frown on his face.

They finally reach their home.  Arben looks around, taking everything in as all this is new to him.  A dog comes out and starts barking at Arben.  Rico says, “Eto na pala ang aso mo. Dagul, bakit mo tinatahulan si kuya?”   He wonders why the dog, apparently Benjie’s pet is barking at him like a stranger.  Rico holds the dog as Arben enters the house.

Rico calls on their grandmother but no one answers.  He reckons she’s out playing bingo. “Lola, nandito na kami.  Siguro nasa binggohan na naman.”

Then he calls to Pepay but after no one answers, he reckons she’s probably out, “naglalakwatsa na naman.”  He motions Arben to rest on the bed.

Arben looks around and smiles.  Everything is seen for the first time.

Pepay is a little girl of maybe ten years old?  She’s out playing Chinese garter with her friends.  However when it was her turn, she accuses one of the girls holding the garter of cheating.  Pepay claims her friend, an imaginary one, saw the other girl lift the garter.  To this the girls refuse to play with her anymore for being a weirdo.  Pepay is left, but not alone.  She does have a friend.  An unseen spirit of a little boy about her age in bright blue shirt. 

Back at their home, Rico hands in the roll of cash to Arben who asked what it was.  Rico explains, “yung parte mo.” It is Benjie’s cut from their ATM robbery the night before.  Arben comments that what they did was stealing. “Di ba masama yon?” Arben asks that stealing is bad.   Rico states a fact, that stealing is their job.  Arben stops and seems surprised.

Pepay is finally home and comes to sit beside Rico.  She sees Arben and immediately knows he is not their brother Benjie but someone else. “Di naman si kuya yan.”  Rico tells Pepay that it is indeed their brother as Arben tries to stare into Pepay’s face and smile making him look scary-weird.  Pepay insists it’s not their brother Benjie and runs aways.

Rico asks Arben to dismiss Pepay’s outburst. “Natipos kasi nung dalawang taon kaya naapektuhan ang utak.”  He adds that Pepay often talks to imaginary friends that nobody else sees.

Suddenly Arben’s smile changes into a wince, feeling some pain.  Rico gets worried and sees Arben touch his stomach, “masakit” says the fallen angel.  Rico immediately gets it – it’s another form of pain: hunger.  He volunteers to go out and get some food for them.  Arben tries to relax on the bed but looks very uncomfortable in his position.  He can’t seem to get past the pillow and fully lie down, opting to pose like an awkward Cleopatra instead.

Rico is back with rice and bopis and they are about to eat.  Arben stares at the things on the table, not knowing what to do with them.  Rico takes rice and some bopis and starts eating.  Arlan observes and tries to follow what Rico is doing.  Arlan takes a mouthful of food for the first time in his existence and finds it good.  “Sarap!”  He smiles.

Rico comments. “Sabi mo sawa ka na sa bopis pero ito na lang natira.”  Benjie it seems doesn’t like to eat bopis anymore but here he is enjoying it.  Rico had no choice anyway as that was the only hot food on offer from the local food stall.

Arben starts to take bigger and bigger mouthfuls of the food and found It difficult to swallow them.  He chokes on a mouthful and Rico gives him a glass of water.  He looks at what Rico does with his glass and follows suit tasting water for the very first time as well.  He feels relieved and please to find how cool it is.   He drains the glass, bottoms up when it starts to rain.  Arlan hears the rain fall and gets up.  He walks out Rico at his heels worried about how strange his brother is acting after his accident.

Arlan feels rain and gets wet, again for the first time.  He likes how the pattering rain falls on his skin.  He laughs, saying how good it feels, “sarap! Sarap!”

Rico asks his brother to come inside and stop acting like a child but Arben pays him no heed.  Then comes a lady in a red dress and a red umbrella [Katrina Halili it is!]  She screams at the man she thinks to be Benjie, “Hoy Benjie, kagabi pa ko antay nang antay sa iyo ah.”  Rico explains how Benjie had a near scrape and she goes towards Arben, drops the umbrella and gives him a kiss.

Arlan recalls his kiss with Sharina and like reflex, pushes Katrina away [ I still don’t know her name.]  “Bakit mo ako tinulak?”

Arlan asks who she is, “Sino ka?”  Which upsets her.  She picks her umbrella and gives Arlan a loud slap on the face and storms away.  Arlan touches his cheek, feeling the slap – for the first time!  But soon forgets it, dismissing the slap and the girl, as he is more fascinated with the falling rain.   Rico seeing all this reminds Arben to get inside lest he gets sick, “Pasok na, magkasakit ka pa nyan eh.”  But Arlan is heedless, playing in the rain and dancing in the puddles.

The gang of baddies are in a church.  They walk in a clump Gimo at the lead while Arlan walks a bit behind taking in the sight.  He sees sculptured images of saints, Christ on the cross, Mary and that of an archangel. 

Baddie friend asks what they are doing there of all places. “Anong ginagawa natin sa loob ng simbahan?  Baka masunog tayo dito!” 

Gimo stops at a particular sculpture of the Sto. Nino [not sure!] and tells the boys that it’s just a copy.  The original was sent away for some maintenance work.  He tasks Rico and Arben to find out  where it was taken.

Sharina is at home and is inspecting the sculpture business Lily had left her.  Some men were working on the statues and as she passes, she gives them a nod and a smile.

In her bedroom, Sharina stares [again! This is getting boring!] again at Arlan’s portrait.  She asks the drawing, when she will see him again.  She fears that their’s will be a relationship like Lily’s.  She looks out the window and sees Arben who also sees her.  But Arben is startled and tries to hurriedly walk away.  Sharina screams for him to wait, “Sandali!”

Sharina runs out of the gate to the streets looking around for any sign of Arlan but he’s no longer there.

Arben is now in the car with the gang and Gimo asked him if he got seen lurking round the house by the lady.  Arben admits he’s not sure.

Meanwhile Sharina is still out on the streets hoping to catch Arlan but she’s getting desperate as minutes pass by.  “Nasaan ka?  Bakit di ka na nagpakita uli? Sino ka?   Bakit mo ba ako niloloko ng ganito? Sino ka?

Sharina finally returns inside the house.  She admits that her eyes could be playing tricks on her. “Namamalik-mata lang ba ako?”  She questions her actions of late, “Bakit ganoon?  Pakiramdam ko nakita ko siya.  Kahit saan nakikita ko siya.  Nababaliw na nga ata ako eh!”  admitting to the possibility that she may just be going insane, claiming that Arlan has plagued her mind even in her dreams, “Pati sa panaginip nakikita kita.”

Sharina sees Monica inspecting her white dress, the one she was supposed to wear on her wedding, the one she will no longer wear now that Junic is gone.  She tells her sister that in fact, it was Junic who chose the dress and that she even tried it on for him to see.  She realizes this could be the reason why Junic died and it is believed to be back luck for the groom to see his bride in her wedding dress prior to their wedding day and starts blaming herself.  “Ate, dapat ba di ko sinukat?  Malas daw yon dib a?  Kasalanan ko!”

Sharina denies that Monica had any fault in Junic’s death.  Monica cries sharing her grief with her sister.  She tells Sharina how she misses Junic so much.  How she will no longer see, talk or hug him ever.  She tells her sister how she almost couldn’t breathe under such pain and she couldn’t bear it any longer.  “Di ako makahinga.  Ang sakit sakit.  Di ko na kaya, di ko na talaga kaya.”

But Sharina comforts her and assures her that she can bear all this and that she is with her.  “Kailangan mo kayanin.  Kaya mo!  Nandito ako sa likod mo.  Kailangan mo maging matatag.”

But Monica refuses to be strong, she laments all the lost plans, the future that will no longer be now that there is not more Junic beside her.  “Ayaw ko.  Gusto ko si Junic nasa tabi ko.  Madami kaming pangarap.”  She tells Sharina that once married, they intend on buying their own house, starting a family, having kids.  “Yun lang naman ang gusto ko.”  All Monica wants is having her own family.  Sadly it was not meant to be.

Junic sees the sisters.  He tries to tell Monica that he’s there for her.  The sisters are oblivious.

[I like this sad but effective scene between Junic and Monica]

Monica still grieving talks to Junic.  She must feel his presence and their questions and answers seem to match.

Monica talking to Junic’s photograph.  “Bakit mo ko iniwan?”  Junic replies, “Hindi kita iniwan.”

Monica, “Bakit kung kalian ikakasal na tayo at saka ka nawala?”  Junic, “ayaw ko namang mawala.”

Monica tells him that she loved no other man but him.  Junic says he knows and that he too loved no other but her.

Monica, “Una pa lang kitang nakilala, alam ko na ikaw na ang lalaking pakakasalan ko.”

Junic, “Kahit nung una sabi mo masungit ako?”

Monica smiles, continues on, “kahit ang sungit-sungit mo.”

Junic, “kunwari lang yon, ang totoo crush nga kita.”

Monica, “Alam ko naman na type mo talaga ako dati pa kaya nung sinabi mo na gusto mo akong

                ligawan, sinagot na kaagad kita, kasi baka magbago pa ang isip mo.”

Junic, “di magbabago ang isip ko.”

Monica goes back to being miserable, “Ang daya-daya mo.  Sabi mo di mo ko iiwan.  Nangako ka.”

Junic, “sorry, di ko alam na ganito ang mangyayari, sorry.”

Monica, “nakakatakot mag-isap.  Isama mo na lang ako sa iyo.”

Junic, “dito lang ako, di kita iiwan Monica.”

In the car with the baddies, Arben admits the lady who owns the sculpture/ceramics factory looks familiar.  The guys think maybe she had been one of Benjie’s long string of girlfriends. “Baka naging babae mo na dati yon.”

Rico reminds Arben he’s got a steady girlfriend, the lady in red. “Baka magalit si Ate Emie” [so Emie pala ang name ni Katrina]

Gimo tells the boys to get ready, they will rob the house tomorrow. “Humanda kayo, bukas titirahin natin ang bahay.”

Arlan gets a flashback when Rico tells him that their job is stealing. 

ABANGAN – Baddies loot Sharina’s home.  

Episode 5 – The One with the Baddies

Episode 5 – The One with the Baddies

Aired in the UAE on 20^th February

Up in Sundo castle, sundo-leader shows Arlan the man he was intended to collect.  But since he didn’t do his job, the man didn’t die and instead victimized someone else.  [OK wait, so sundo fetch both good and bad? Don’t baddies get collected by scary black smoke from below ground? Loophole!]

Arlan is punished to become mortal.  He pleads for another chance, “Patawad din a mauuulit.”

Back in the mortal world, Junic lies unconscious and Monica is still on the other line asking, “Anong nangyayari, Junic?” but no reply is coming from the other end.    The baddies, three men in black shirts, jeans and black masks tie an ATM to a pick-up and lets the vehicle pull the machine dislodging it from its station.  Someone shouts, “Benjie dali!” Hurrying Benjie up who we’ll soon see is Arlan’s look-alike save for their hair.

Junic regains consciousness and sees the robbers in the pick-up.  He gets his gun and aims at them but he doesn’t see one more baddie behind him, pointing another gun.  The baddie shoots and Junic falls.  Monica, hearing the shot screams Junic’s name.

Police come and the baddies make a run for it.  In the confusion, the guy named Benjie is left behind.

Back in sundo castle, sundo-leader tells Arlan he is punished to be a mortal.  He will feel everything a mortal feels and experience: “gutom, sakit, pait at higit sa lahat, kamatayan.” Hunger, illness, scorn and most of all death. [Yeah but will feel good things too like love, joy, humour and many more!]

As Junic lies dying, he calls for his one love, Monica.

Sundo-leader also adds that as he will be living a mortal life, his final destiny, whether heaven or hell will depend on how he lived his life.  He can go to hell.  At this Arlan shakes his head.  “Hindi. Ayoko.”  He doesn’t want to go to hell. [Of course, who else does?]

The man called Benjie is pursued by the police.  He runs towards the bridge and tries to jump but gets a barrage of bullets from the police firing at him.  He falls to the murky waters and as the impact of the water hits, he is unmasked revealing the face of Arlan.  He seems dead.

Sharina is doing her favorite pastime, talking ang staring at Arlan’s portrait. 

Benjie pulls himself out of the river and touches his torso.  He is surprised about his near escape, “Ligtas ako!” He feels for where the gun wounds should have been but finds none.  Another surprise is the fact that he just out of the water and yet his clothes are dry.  He stops and realizes that he is dead.  He sees his body floating in the river.   Having lived a life riddled with crimes, the scary black smoke appears from the ground to collect him.  He asks what’s going on and who are the voices calling for him.

The smoke reply with a really eerie multi-voice, “Kami ang sundo mo.”  We are your sundo.

Benjie asks, “Anong sundo.”

They voice explains, “Ang magdadala sa iyo sa impyerno.”

Benjie struggles…screams as the smoke pulls him beneath the ground.

Arlan falls from heaven screaming and thrashing as he struggles.  He falls into the floating mortal remains of Benjie.  Benjie, now really Arlan swims to the surface. [Amber says parang Pilyang Kerubin lang ang drama ni Arlan.  Hay naku, my daughter is a true blue Kapuso!]

Sharina asks the same question of the portrait. “Sino ka ba talaga?”  She wonders why the man shows himself one time then disappears the next, “Papakita ka tapos mawawala. “  She asks why he is bothering her thoughts, “Bakit mo ginugulo ang isip ko?”

Benjie pulls himself off the waters and sees his bloodied hands and many gunshot wounds.  He recalls sundo-leaders words about feeling pain and everything that a mortal feels.  He is no longer immortal.

The errant truck with its loot now safely tucked at the back arrives at a home with a young man anxiously waiting for their return.  His name is Rico [Alden Richards plays Rico].  He asks for his elder brother, his kuya.  But Gimo [played by Paolo Contis] tells him Benjie decided to stay behind.  Rico gets angry, “Kala ko ba walang iwanan?” But Gimo corrects him, it was Benjie’s decision to stay.  “Nagpaiwan.  Nagpapaka-bayani” acting like the hero as ever. 

Rico leaves set on looking for his brother. “Hahanapin ko kuya ko.”

Monica is worried about the gunshot and tells her sister this.  Sharina asks Monica what happened and Monica explains she was talking to Junic and heard a gunshot, “Kausap ko siya sa telepono.  Tapos may putukan.  Tapos din a sumasagot.”  Both sisters decided to go and find out what happened to Junic.

There’s a huge crowd at the ATM/Bank where police have cordoned off the place.  Monica and Sharina find their way to the front and talk to the policeman.  Monica tells the police that her boyfriend is a security guard there. “Nobyo kop o ang gwardya dito”  The police blurts out, “Yung nabaril?” whether Monica was referring to the guard who got shot. 

Monica gets more alarmed and ask which hospital the guard was taken.

In the ambulance, Junic is bleeding badly, his white guard’s uniform now mostly red.  He struggles to stay alive as some medic tell him to hang on as they are almost at the hospital. [Mukhang bading ang sundo ni Junic!]

Rico arrives at the crime scene and sees the mob.  He overhears some people talking about a man who was being chased by the police and jumped off the bridge to the river.   He knows it’s his brother and goes off to find him somewhere near the said bridge.

Junic is finally in the hospital and some medic and a doctor is by his bed.  Sharina and Monica reach the hospital on a tricycle.  The doctor says, “Wala na to” referring that Junic is gone.  Junic is dead.  Monica and Sharina reach the counter and asks for the security guard.  The nurses hesitate but point them to a curtained bed.  Monica cries, goes to Junic. “Mahal?  Junic?  Nandito na ko.”  Telling her love that she is there.

She’s in denial, saying that she going to call a doctor.  The doctor tells her that Junic died in the ambulance and was already dead on arrival at the hospital.  Monica cannot accept this and picks a fight with the doctor.   She is in too much pain.

She talks to Junic again as she hugs him, “Junic kayak o lahat pero huwag lang ito.”  She tells Sharina that Junic is going to be OK, she’ll call the doctor and demands for one asking why no one seems to be doing anything. “Anong nangyayari?  Tumawag kayo ng doctor!  Ate, sabihin mo buhay ang asawa ko!” [Teka dib a engaged to be married pa lang kayo Monica?  Bakit bigla mo naging asawa si Junic eh di pa naman kayo kasal?]

Sharina tries to comfort her totally distressed and anguished sister.

Rico calls out for his kuya by the bridge.  He sees him, bloody and badly wounded.  He also sees a group of policemen continuing their search.  He tries to move Benjie but is too heavy so he pushes him off the ledge onto the lower part of the bridge where he covers the body and himself with some cloth.  Just then, one of the baddies arrive and gets a larger cover motioning for Rico to keep quiet.  The police pass by them but did not see them.    After the police had gone, both men carry Benjie back to their safehouse.

At the morgue, Monica continues to talk to Junic, asking him why he left her.  “Bakit mo ko iniwan?  Di ba sabi mo di mo ko iiwan?  Mag-isa na lang ako ngayon.  Junic naman eh.”  She cries some more.  Sharina comes to her and embraces her.  [Naku OA ka Monica, paano ka mag-isa eh anjan naman ang even mabait mong ate Sharina, haller?!] 

Junic’s spirit sees the sisters and how unhappy Monica is.  Sundo reminds Junic it’s time to go, “Halika na, oras na.”  But Junic isn’t ready to leave just yet. “Hindi ko pa siya kayang iwanan.” 

Monica hugs Junics remains telling him how much she loves him.  “Mahal na mahal kita.”  To her sister she says, “Ate iniwan na ako ni Junic, ate” that Junic has left her.    Sharina tries to console her grieving sister with a hug.

Benjie is not on the sofa as Rico watches over his brother anxious for the doctor to come.  The doctor comes and immediately asks for his pay.  He knows he’s dealing with malefactors and scoundrels and wants to get paid before he does anything.  One of the baddies assures him he will get paid, just attend to the injured man first.  Rico thanks the baddie for getting the doctor.  It’s the same guy who helped him carry Benjie from the bridge.  Baddie explains he owes Benjie a lot, for the many times Benjie saved him from close shaves. “Pababayaan ko ba kuya mo?  Eh ilang beses na akong niligtas ng gagong yan!”  The doctor asks for hot water and towels, quickly as the baddies go and follow his orders.

It’s Junic’s wake [Held at Monica and Sharina’s home?  Bakit wala ba silang sariling bahay?!]  Bes motions to Monica who sees Junic’s parents arriving.  She goes to them and escorts them to Junic’s coffin.  His mother cries, “Anak, Junic.” She wails harder when Monica tries to console her, “Nay tama na po.”

She turns to Monica asking her about their wedding, “Paano na ang kasal nyo ng anak ko?  Mahal na mahal ko siya, alam mo na mahal na mahal ko siya.” The grief of a mother for losing her child is inconsolable as Monica finds out.  She lets her ex-future mother-in-law grieve as she assures her that she is still there for her, “Andito pa naman ho ako.”  Junic’s spirit is behind Monica, unseen by mortal eyes but visible to us viewing audience.

The baddies divvy up their loot as Gino hands Benjie take to her younger brother.  Rico gives thanks and reminds Gimo that he wants to join them in their next operations.  They gang disperse leaving only Rico and the other baddie.  Benjie is up and healing.  The other baddie tells him he’s like a cat with many lives.  “O gising na ang bida!  Parang may sa pusa ka talaga Benjie, ikaw na!” 

Rico asks Benjie is he wants to go home, “Kuya, gusto mo na bang umuwi?”

But Benjie doesn’t recognize them and asks Rico, “Sino ka?  Ano ang tawag mo sa akin?”

Of course he is Arlan, so he doesn’t really know anything!

ABANGAN:  Benjie tasked by Gimo to go find source of the statues which is now owned by Sharina.  So are they to meet face to mortal face this time?  Hope so!