The Infinity Bracelet

“Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.” -Anton LaVey, The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth How on earth did she do it? Either it’s a pure coincidence or the world has gone crazy for a little while. Tala was sitting in the classroom remembering the unbelievable scene that happened during the Physical Education class. It happened on a sweltering hot Thursday afternoon. The third-year high school class was having a practical exam on volleyball in the gym. Sweat was dripping off the foreheads of the students down their shirts. They felt that their skins were sticky and they weren’t smelling like roses at the moment. Before the game, the male teacher said, “Alright, class! I will be grading this match. Whatever team wins gets a higher grade.” He looked at his students, his face was serious just like his tone of voice. “I’m counting on you to do your best. Play as if your lives depend on it!” The teacher grinned. His name was Mr. Edgar and he has been teaching for 15 years. He was 35 years old, muscular and 5’10. He looked 10 years younger than his age due to his healthy lifestyle. He ate lots of greens and moderate lean meat. He loved to exercise. He worked out a lot in gym and did a lot of sports such as power-lifting, martial arts, and swimming. Actually, he even had his own gym and coached in weight lifting and many types of martial arts and gave advice on nutrition. The man was a beast. Tala’s and Alice’s teams were chosen as the first batch of the class to play. They were known for this day as the Blue and White teams because of the T-shirts they were wearing. Tala’s team was the Blue team; Alice’s team was the White team. Their classmates cheered them on. The players did their best. They showed off their strengths and skills not only to intimidate their opponents but also to have good grades since this was their final exam for the 2nd quarter. Each team made remarkable offenses and defenses. Their aces, kills, digs and rallies were impressive in every set. They were like warriors fighting one another. Their main weapon was the ball. The students were not professional players, but they did everything to show a good game and to impress the teacher. Blue team was leading White team. But something extraordinary happened during the final set. Tala spiked the strongest spike they’ve ever seen. When she jumped in the air and attacked the ball, it bounced beyond the boundary line, to the furthest left corner behind White team! Everyone was shocked, including her. In fact, they were all gaping. Her classmates said things like: “What the hell did just happen?” “The fun has just begun!” “I didn’t expect that from a girl.” “Shut up! Girls can do everything boys do.” “That’s… impossible!” “Wow, she is very strong!” She didn’t know where she got that strength. She may be the strongest of the team, but she never spiked like that. She couldn’t believe that she did it. Only a strong and muscular player could do it. She wasn’t strong enough to achieve that spike but she did. It was surreal. Her teammate Lana praised her. “That was an incredible spike!” “Yeah, but the ball was out,” said Tala. She frowned. She was frustrated. The game grew intense. A fierce rally ensued. Suddenly in the eyes of Mr. Edgar, his students became sensational athletes. White team soared above Blue team. Amanda had 15 blocks, George tossed 24 points, Tamara earned 19 points including 9 spikes, Alice had 23 digs and 25 kills, and Allen had 12 assists and 22 points. White team won by the scores of 18-25, 25-24, 25-22, 25-17. But the whole class was talking about Tala’s spike. After the PE class, the students went to their respective comfort rooms and changed into their regular uniforms. Tala’s female classmates raved about the spectacular spike. They were amazed and still thought she was a great player even though the spike didn’t help to increase her team’s score. If it were a spike contest, she might win. But it wasn’t a spike contest. It was just a typical high school volleyball game. It’s frustrating that she lost control of the ball because she was too excited to hit it. Still, they asked her: How did you do that? Where did you get your strength? She didn’t know the answer to these questions and she was shocked by the blunder she made and she hated it. So, she just kept her mouth shut. What the hell! Do they want to learn how to lose control of the ball so they have an opportunity to lose a game, she thought. She was surprised because almost everyone, including her teammates, loved that spike. Her teammates should hate it. But then it was unusual to see it. Some of her classmates criticized it, though. They told her it was great but next time she should control her excitement and strength so she wouldn’t commit such mistake. Their comment made her feel worse. “Hi, Tala.” Claudine said, “Your spike was amazing! How did you do it?” Claudine was a petite girl with brown eyes. “I don’t know.” Tala said honestly as she shrugged. “I just did what any spiker would do. I’m just surprised that the ball went to the furthest side of the court.” “We really are surprised, as well.” Claudine said. “You’re like Super Girl,” She smiled. “Please, don’t feel bad just because your team lost. You’re still one of the best players and I think Mr. Edgar will give you a high grade.” Tala returned the smile. Tala Dela Rosa was one of the most popular girls in Saint Anne College. She’s beautiful, smart, talented and athletic. Her classmates, schoolmates and teachers adored her. At a young age of fifteen, she achieved a lot. She was kind of happy with her achievements and the way her teachers and classmates treated her. They were very nice and friendly to her. Teachers praised her, boys offered to treat her to lunch which she politely declined, and girls befriended her so they’d be popular too. Even her jealous plastic haters hanged out with her. Practically, the whole academy worshipped her feet. She was a celebrity in the school. Despite all this, she was never truly happy with her life. That was because she never had a chance to share her achievements with her parents. They died when she was three years old. Her grandmother Agatha told her then that her father was killed in a car accident. *** When Tala had turned five years old – she learned how to talk at that age – she asked what happened to her mother. But her grandmother didn’t reveal anything. She only told her in an enraged tone, “Your mama was the ugliest and vilest creature on Earth,” which made Tala both confused and sad. Why does Nana hate my mother so much? What did she do to make Nana so angry? Tala asked this question a thousand times silently. She knew she wouldn’t get an answer from her grandmother. She also noticed that her Nana always made the sign of the cross when the former mentioned her mother. When she asked for her parents’ photographs, her grandmother only gave her father’s photograph. Although she loved her Nana, he didn’t believe what she said. Her mother may have done awful things when she was still alive – she didn’t know what those awful things were – but surely, she was not the ugliest and vilest creature on Earth. Mothers are God’s most beautiful gifts. That’s what she learned from the Bible. So little Tala drew her mother. In her drawing, her mother looked a lot like her, only with a straight nose. She wasn’t fond of her own upturned nose. It’s not like she despised it. She was fairly pleased with the way she looked. But if she could choose the shape of her nose, she’d prefer a straight one. She even made a painting: a portrait of her mother and her father. It looked cute even though it was not perfectly done. It looked like something a little girl like her could do. When she was done, she touched the portrait of her parents and closed her eyes… She was talking to her parents about her day in school, about how everybody in it loved her, and her recent achievements. She received honors, trophies and medals every year. Her parents loved listening to her talk and were immensely proud of her. “I always do my best so you’ll always be happy for me,” she proudly said to them. Her parents embraced her and showered her with kisses. Then they had trips in wonderful places. They visited parks and admired the surroundings. They went to beaches and played games in white sands and swam in clear blue seas. They laughed, laughed and laughed… She opened her eyes and stared at the lonely space of her bedroom. The furniture and decorations reminded Tala that daydreaming was over. Everything went back to normal. Everything was sad again. Her parents seemed like the stars in the night sky she would never be able to reach. She would repeat the scene or create a new scene in her mind, but no matter how many times she would do it, her parents would never be with her because they were forever gone. Seven years passed, her love for both her parents grew and her skill in painting enhanced. She made exquisite portraits of her parents. The maids showed their admiration when they saw her portraits. Their oohs and ahhs echoed in her bedroom where she usually drew or painted. On the other hand, Nana Agatha merely shook her head when she saw the portraits of Tala’s mother. Her opinion of her daughter-in-law never changed. For her, Tala’s mother was still very ugly and vile. Nana Agatha believed this until her death. Nana Agatha had died in her sleep. She was sixty-five; Tala was twelve. The bereaved granddaughter had cried hard. She had felt as if a part of herself had died, too. Her Nana, the person who had raised her and showered her with love, had departed from this world and entered Heaven. Although she should be happy because her grandma was finally in a better place, Tala’s heart had been filled with deep sorrow. *** Tala stopped thinking about the spike. She focused on her classes until they were finished. She was walking down the hallway; a red handbag was on her arm. While she was walking, a bunch of students watched her as if she were a model on a catwalk; they stared at her admiring her natural beauty in awe. She was so beautiful that she put every girl in the campus to shame. Her girlfriends approached her. Some of them were her friends since grade school and some she just met. “Hey, Tala!” A high-pitched girly voice yelled. Tala turned around. It was her blonde-haired friend Amy. Amy was with their other friend named Cristine. Cristine had brunette hair. “Do you want to go shopping with us at Univers?” said Amy. “I heard they have rad new clothes and accessories! We can hang out at Starbucks after shopping.” Amy was excited. Cristine was all smiles, secretly hoping that Tala would say yes. “That would be great!” replied Tala. “But I have to look after my cousin.” “Sorry, I’ll just make it up to you next time,” she added. Amy and Cristine frowned. “Oh, that’s okay,” said Amy. She forced a smile. “Bye, Tala.” Cristine waved. “Bye, sis.” Amy said. “Sis” was her term of endearment to Tala. “Bye girls,” Tala said. “Have fun!” They kissed one another’s cheeks. They exited the hallway. Amy and Cristine went to a nearby mall where Univers was located, while Tala went home excited to be with her family. As soon as she got home, she hugged her family.