CHAPTER ONE

"The path to wisdom is not always where one wants to go"

Paulino Antonio Tasa woke up with a start, the sound of the tricycle which woke him up fading as it rattled away.

The midday sun was on his eyes, sunbeam streaming from his open windows. From outside, Paulino could hear the voices of children playing on the streets. Sunday. He remembered what day it was today. Sunday.

But his dream...

He knew he was dreaming before that damnable tricycle passed by. But he couldn't remember the dream completely.

There was an old man. White with age. Holding a walking stick. Then an owl, hooting.

He can remember the silhoutte of a bird of prey flying among the clouds.

And a long corridor lined with people on both sides. He has not seen any of these people in his life, but he was sure that he knew all of them.

The more he tried to remember, the more fuzzy his dream was becoming. He finally let go.

With an effort, he swung his legs off the bed and sat up. The floor was cold on his feet. He resisted the urge to lie down on the bed again. Supporting himself on the table beside his bed, he stood up, stretched and started for the toilet.

It took Paulino almost two hours to get ready. He was meeting Christine later at church. He and Christine had been with the church choir since high school. They were best friends - inseparable, until they had to leave for different colleges.

Six years passed before they ever saw each other again. Paulino had started teaching in the same university he graduated from, while Christine got a job as a call center agent. They met again at church, signing up for the singles choir.

That was almost two years ago. Today, Paulino and Christine are leaders of the church ministry for singles. That is why Paulino is meeting Christine, to discuss the activities planned out for today.

Paulino arrived early at church. The morning mass has just been concluded and the last church goers were making their way out the front door.

The church was quiet now. Everything was still. Candles were burning steadily, with no breeze to bother them. Eery shadows cast by the faux stained glass created patterns on the tiled floor. Paulino sat himself at the very middle of the church.

He was at peace. No worries bothering him at that very moment. He was actually happy. Content, even. Thankful for everything that was happening to his life right now, Paulino knelt.

That was the last thing he remembered doing that day...