It All Started With A Dream
           
                                        By :  TSURTIDOGNI
                                                030908
                                                SUNDAY


Manuel !  Wake Up ! Listen To Me !
Strong words that gives an order to Manuel."Yes, Pappy?" Manuel replied.Get your land
in Bohol.You can send your daughter to the most expensive school in the world.Get your land in Bohol ! Claim it right away ! " Another strong words that made Manuel perspired.

'HMMMM,HMMMMM" Manuel's wife was awaken of Manuel's sobbing sound while sleeping."Honey! Wake up ! You have another dream ! "
His wife was shaking the body of her husband. He arosed from his sleep sweating.
"This is the third time that Pappy gave me orders in my dreams.I still could
see his blue polo shirt, his curly hair and his very sad eyes.He wanted me to go to Bohol and claim my share of land in the island."
"Come on, honey get ready.We have to take our early breakfast.Your sister is inviting us for lunch.We will discuss your dreams with your sister later."
Manuel's father died of a heart attack when Manuel's daughter was still one year old.
Now his only child is twenty years old.She is now in her third year at the law school.

The night before Manuel's father died.
"Naomi you have a big land in the island of Bohol.You and your husband must claim
your share."
"Pappy, I am only an extension to your family, I have no right to claim it , your are the
one that must claim it, not me." Naomi continued,"I'm so tired Pappy, good night !"
"No, I still need to talk to you.Claim the land in Bohol it is not for you but for your daughter,  for my first grandchild."His father-in-law insisted .
"Okay, Pappy, see you tomorrow !" she yawned and she went upstairs to the room that
her husband and her one-year-old daughter sleeps.

Naomi woke up very early in the morning.Seeing her father-in-law sitting in the stairs drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper.She was about to wake up her husband,
when his father-in-law was clasping his chest and fell down rolling down to the lowest
stair.A heart attack.He died instantly.The whole family was devastated.

"I could have listened more of what he wanted to tell me, but I was so tired." Naomi told
her husband, her mother-in-law and her brother-in-law at the wake.


At Manuel's Sister's House

The fiesta celebration was going on.Ana the older sister of Manuel was attending to her guests when Naomi and Manuel arrived.
"Where's Kath?" Ana was asking for their daughter."She will be here for dinner.Her classes will be whole day.She will come with her cousins."
The couple joined the sumptous lunch when an old man wearing a native hat and a cane
arrived.
"Happy Fiesta" the old man greeted them.
"I am your Grandpa Andres,  I live in Bohol Island, I come here to celebrate this feast of Sr.San Roque the Patron Saint and also to ask you a question that bothers my mind for so many years."
"Come In ! Join Us !"Ana invited the old man.
"I am so sorry but I cannot remember you.
The last time I was with the island I was maybe eight years old, my younger brother
Manuel was six and Kit was five.Our youngest Bernard was two years old."
The old man started eating.He seemed very hungry.He continued eating and sip the straw from the Coca-Cola softdrink before he answered.
Oh, I knew you father very well and I met all of you when you were young children.I can never forget your faces even until now that you have families of your own."
Ana called his brother Manuel, Kit, and Nard."Meet Grandpa Andres, from Bohol, anyone of you remembers him?"
Manuel replied, " I remember him very well.His long nose and his mole below his chin.
He was the cowboy assigned to me by Pappy.Pappy and Mommy told me he is a
third cousin of our grandmother but younger than our grandmother.He taught me how
to ride a horse and how to hold a shotgun when he went hunting with Pappy, I can never
forget you !"
Naomi the wife of Manuel  was listening to the conversation, in her thoughts:
"A oldman, a relative from Bohol, Manuel has been dreaming about Bohol and Manuel
described me vividly what the island looked-like."
The guests started to leave after taking their lunch.The old man stayed and was surrounded by Ana, Manuel, Kit, Nard, and Naomi.The children of Ana were at the
swing singing songs.
The old man made a quick glimpse to the people that surrounded him.
" Okay, I am here to tell you that you have a land in the island.It belongs to your father."
Manuel and Naomi were looking at each other.Ana answered the old man.
"How come it is only now that you inform us ? After all these years ?"
A questioning tone of Ana's voice.Manuel interrupted,
"Grandpa, did you dream of my father ?"
"Yes, three times already, and he never wanted me to die, without telling you about this
land.Actually it is two thousand eight hundred hectares that the father of your father
owned.A very big land indeed,  only some of it were taken by the government."
"What? That vast of land ? How come we are so poor ?" Kit joined the conversation.
"2,800 hectares, is this a kind of a joke?" Ana with widened eyes still cannot believe
what she just heard.
Manuel told the old man."It has been a lot of struggles for all of us how to survive in this
world, here comes a news that makes us wonder, we will go to the island the soonest
time as soon as we have the budget to travel.I don't think we can do it this week, our money is needed for the school tuition."
Ana said"That is also the same with me.I have six children that need school tuition fees
this month i do not think I can spare for traveling expenses to the island."
"Thank you very much for coming and for the good  news Grandpa Andres"
Days passed, weeks and then three months passed.Manuel's telephone rang.
"Alvarez residence, good afternoon" Manuel politely answered the ringing.
"May I speak with Manuel Alvarez ?" on the other line , a young man's voice.
"Speaking !"
"This is Jeffrey, Good Afternoon Sir. I am the great grandson of Andres Rosas from
the island of Bohol Sir."
"Yes, Jeffrey, what can I do for you ?"
"My Papa Berto wanted me to see you but I still have classes.I got your phone number
in the telephone directory."
"That is very good of you that you reached and you contacted me, I was about to pick up my daughter in school"
"Grandpa Andres died in his sleep last night Sir, and the day before he died he told my
Papa to inform you and your siblings when he dies."
"What ?" Manuel caught by surprise."Jeffrey , I am sorry about Grandpa Andres, I will
see my sister and my brothers tonight and possibly we will go to Bohol tomorrow.
Thank you for calling. " "You are welcome Sir ."
There was a family meeting.Manuel and Naomi, Ana and Toshio, Kit, Nard and his wife Ivo. The children were busy with their homeworks.

2nd chapter
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SAN MIGUEL, BOHOL