Huling Pahina

My friend was going home from Laguna to Manila and was traversing a stretch of road na madilim, then it happened, tumirik bigla yung kotse for no apparent reason. He checked the gas gauge, half filled naman, no other engine malfunction sa gauges… basta the car just "died" on him.

Nearby was this Acacia Tree so he decided na mag-jingle muna, then he heard a deep voice behind him saying: "psssttt!, halika dito". There he saw this very old man. Medyo natakot at nagulat siya, kasi nanlilisik yung mga mata, mahaba ang buhok… mukhang ermitanyo. Tinawag siya and he saw the old man was carrying a book. At first hesitant, pero there was this force urging him to come over.

When he came over, the old man handed him the book, para lang siyang pocket book, but colored black. The old man then told him that he has to pay for it, Php700 daw. Thinking that he still needs money to have his car fixed, siyempre ayaw niyang tanggapin yung book. Pero nanlisik lalo yung mata nung matanda at pinilit siyang bayaran yung book. Dahil sa takot, binayaran din niya yung libro. After paying for it, sabi sa kanya na huwag na huwag niyang titignan yung last page ng libro, kung hindi ay magsisisi s’ya.

He wanted to ask for directions, but the old man started walking towards the darker part of the fields, and biglang nawala. Luckily may bus na dumaan and he asked to be brought down sa bayan. There he looked for a place to spend the night, para balikan yung car niya the next day.

In his room, he couldn't sleep, and remembered the book he bought for Php700, kaya kinuha niya ito at binasa. It was about the supernatural and engkantos. He has read a chapter na rin and was feeling sleepy, so tinabi niya sa side table. Then he remembered yung sinabi nung matanda about the last page. He was undecided at the same time… natatakot dun sa warning nung matanda about opening the last page. So he gathered enough courage to open it to the last page, opened his eyes and got the shock of his life...

National Book Store... P49.75