SOULFUL

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Danielle de Barbarac was the beloved daughter of her widowed father Auguste. He shared with her his love for books and new ideas. He remarried and brought home the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent with her two daughters Marguerite and Jacqueline. The old man died shortly after leaving Danielle in the care of the baroness who envied her and treated her as a servant.

Ten years later, while Danielle was picking apples in the orchard, she saw a man stealing his father’s horse. Outraged, she hit the man with apples and was embarrassed and scared when she recognized him as Henry, the Crown Prince of France, who escaped from the castle because he did not approve of his father’s idea of marrying him to the princess of Spain. The prince gave Danielle several pieces of gold as payment for her silence. Danielle decided to use the gold to pay for the freedom of Maurice, an old and faithful servant who was sold to the Crown to pay taxes.

Meanwhile, the prince came across Leonardo da Vinci on the latter’s way to the castle. The old man was being robbed by gypsies and Henry took pains to save his beloved painting which, for the great artist, was a matter of life and death. The painting turned out to be the Mona Lisa. Upon discovery of whom he saved, Henry came back to the castle with the old man.

Despite Gustave, Danielle’s best friend’s, discouraging words, the young woman dressed as a noble and went to the king’s castle to rescue Maurice. As soon as she saw him, she demanded for his release. Her demands, however, was met with rudeness from the jailer. Fortunately, Prince Henry, was passing by. He admonished the jailer for being rude. Danielle started to plead for Maurice’s case and spoke in favor of the servants quoting lines from her father’s book, Utopia. Henry was astounded and ordered Maurice’s immediate release. As Danielle was preparing to leave, Henry asked for her name. Since pretending to be a noble was punishable by law, Danielle said her name to be Comtesse Nicole de Lancret, the name of her dead mother.

When Danielle came home, the other servants were overjoyed to see Maurice with her. The baroness, however, was mad at Danielle for not telling them about the prince’s having stolen the horses. Meanwhile, King Francis made a compromise with Henry. The prince was supposed to find his bride himself in a few days so that the announcement can be made at the ball in honor of Leonardo da Vinci.

After gathering honey from the hive, Danielle was surprised to see the baroness and Marguerite holding Daniell’s mother’s old dress and glass slippers. The scheming women told her they were thinking of taking her to the upcoming ball. Danielle was touched, but Jacqueline, who knew that Marguerite planned of wearing the dress herself, stormed out of the room.

While the Prince was talking with da Vinci, Danielle decided to wash herself in the river. As she was floating leisurely, she laid eyes on a man who appeared to be walking on water using a strange-looking footwear. Danielle screamed and in surprise, the old man fell on the water. Henry heard the scream and came to the rescue but was sincerely surprised to see da Vinci being helped by the comtesse. Before he could learn more about her, however, the lady had to run away.

As Gustave and Danielle were flying, what will be known later as kite, Henry came and asked for da Vinci since he believed the thing on the air was the old man’s flying contraption. While Danielle was hiding in the hay, Gustave told the prince that the flying contraption belonged to the Comtesse de Lancret and told him where to find her. Henry left immediately.

When Henry came, Danielle dressed, in one of her mother’s dresses again, came just in time to meet him. They went to a library of an old monastery. On their way back, the carriage broke and Danielle dared the prince to walk. When they got lost, Danielle climbed up the tree to find the prince’s carriage. When Danielle was about to come down, Henry was surrounded by the same group of gypsies who attacked da Vinci. She came down and saved both of them. It was late when he took her home. Meanwhile, the baroness and Marguerite, successfully schemed to be invited at the castle to dine with the queen.

When Danielle came home the following day, she got mad to see the the baroness and Marguerite hovering over her mother’s things again. Danielle would not allow Marguerite to use her mother’s things and punched her when the latter reminded her that her mother was already dead. Danielle chased Marguerite who found Danielle’s father’s book and threatened to put it to the fire. The baroness asked Danielle to choose between her mother’s slippers and her father’s book. Danielle gave her back the slippers but Marguerite still put the book into the fire. Danielle was heartbroken.

Late in the afternoon, Danielle came to her meeting with the prince to tell him the truth about herself but she did not have a chance. Meanwhile, the baroness and Marguerite were dining with the queen. They learned about Danielle’s pretending to be the Comtesse de Lancret.

Back home, the scheming women could not find the dress and the slippers and demanded Danielle to give them back but she would not. They locked her up so she could not attend the ball. In the king’s castle, Henry was told that the Comtesse de Lancret was already engaged to be married to someone else.

That night, Gustave asked da Vinci to help them free Danielle so she could tell the prince the truth about herself. Da Vinci made her a pair of wings to match her mother’s dress and the glass slippers. As the king was about to announce Henry’s engagement, Danielle came and the announcement was interrupted. When Danielle tried to tell him who she really was, Henry, again, did not give her a chance. The baroness, then, ripped one of her wings off and told everybody that she was a servant girl. Henry was outraged for being lied to and Danielle ran home.

The following day, the baroness sold Danielle to a rude nobleman. Henry was getting married to the Spanish princess who kept on weeping the whole time. Before the ceremony started, Henry pulled up her veil and told her he understood how he felt and walked out of the wedding.

He went to find Danielle and learned that he was sold. He set out to rescue her but found that she already rescued herself. He apologized to her and she explained that she just dressed as a noble to save a man’s life. Henry asked for her hand in marriage.

While dining at home, the baroness and Marguerite were summoned by the king. They dressed up in style but was horrified to learn that they were being shipped to the Americas for lying to the queen unless someone would speak for them.

Danielle came and spoke. The people bowed to her and only then did Marguerite learn that Danielle was already Henry’s wife. Danielle requested to bestow to the two women the same courtesy they bestowed on her. Baroness de Ghent and was stripped of her title and, together with her daughter Marguerite, was sentenced to work as servants.

Last weekend, I took some time to watch movies that I will feature here in Soulful and in my other blog, the Earth and I. I had to watch two films a week, a romantic film that I feature here and another movie with social relevance that I feature in Earth. So, I have to spend at least four hours watching those films.

I honestly don’t mind watching. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the things I enjoy. What I mind, however, is watching a romantic film while sitting on my sofa which feels as if it won’t last the day. Well, I guess, or more appropriately, I know, I need to have my living set re-upholstered and with p kaufmann fabric, I can imagine how magnificent my living room would be after the job is done.

Val* was raised by his widowed mother. With only the pension they received since his father died in the line of duty and his mother’s small income as a laundry woman, Val was able to finish college. His success was more his mother’s than his.

Val has only one brother and no sister, so, his mother was happy when Val finally brought home the girl he intended to marry. The girl appeared to be extremely quiet and unapproachable, but Val’s mother took at is shyness brought about by being new to the family.

Several months after they married, however, Val’s wife showed signs of impoliteness. She tended to answer her husband and her mother-in-law in disrespectful manner. She started throwing things when she gets irritated and mumbling insults directed at her mother-in-law.

Finally, Val’s mother had enough, she approached her daughter-in-law and asked her what her problem was. The girl yelled at her and enumerated the things she disliked about her husband’s mother. It appeared she didn’t like being told how to do things properly, she got offended when her mother-in-law did not drink the coffee she made (which she just left on the table) and she felt bad because her mother-in-law was not talking with her much.

Val’s mother justified her actions. Afterwards, she apologized for offending her daughter-in-law in any way and finally, offered her hand for a new start. The girl snubbed the offered hand, instead, yelled that she would never ever learn to love and respect her mother-in-law.

I felt sorry for Val who happened to be my distant relative. I wish that someday, somehow, things will work out for him..

*not real name

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Joy Mc Nally is a high spirited stockbroker who has always been trying to be perfect for her fiance, Mason. Jack Fuller is an irresponsible carpenter working for his father’s company.

On Mason’s birthday, Joy threw a surprise party for him but ended up heartbroken when Mason broke their engagement. Meanwhile, Jack was fired by his father for slacking on the job. Joy, together with her best friend Tipper and Jack, together with best friend Hater, went to Vegas for a lift of spirit. However, they were given the same hotel room and complained to the Front Desk. The two parties were given upgraded rooms and various discount coupons which doubled the fun.

They went out as foursome and enjoyed the night that when Joy woke up the following morning, she was horrified to see a wedding ring on her finger. She was married to Jack. They tried to talk about it but ended up in a heated argument. As Joy walked away, Jack put the quarter she gave him to the slot machine and won the jackpot amounting to $3,000,000. Since they were married, Joy believed she a share of the winnings.

They flew back in New York and filed for a divorce. The judge, however, gave them six months to work out their marriage. If they still wanted to divorce, then the winnings will be divided between them. But, if they do not attempt to work things out, the money will be tied up in litigation. A marriage counselor was assigned to monitor their progress.

They lived together as husband and wife but made life miserable for each other. Joy was disgusted to find that Jack’s apartment was impossibly untidy and took some time to clean up. Jack peed on the dishes when Joy did not let him come inside the restroom. On their first session with the counselor, they pretended to be doing their best but the counselor saw through them.

They continued getting on each other’s nerves. Jack poured Joy’s popcorn inside his pants. When Joy was trying to teach Jack how to use the toilet seat, Jack took it out. Later, Jack also took out the bathroom door. With help from friends, they plotted against each other. Jack drugged Joy’s morning shake and Joy planted girls so that Jack would appear to be cheating on her.

In the midst of the noisy party, they came across each other and had a chance to be alone. They argued heatedly and Joy unintentionally told Jack how she tried to be perfect for Mason and that she was still trying. Joy, dismayed with herself, took the ring, from Mason, off her finger and put it down.

On their meeting with the counselor, the counselor found their bickering a small improvement to work out their marriage. Then, they still continued to plot against each other. Jack tried to make it appear that Joy had him beaten. Joy received a call that the session was re-scheduled.

Then, one day, Jack came home to find Joy happily chatting with his parents. To get even, Jack took Joy’s engagement ring and went to search for Mason to give back the ring. He wanted to make it appear that Joy wanted to get back to Mason. During a family gathering, Joy found out that Jack has a soft spot for children and she seemed to be impressed. On the same gathering, Joy was surprised to meet Mason but refused his invitation.

With regards to her job promotion, Joy asked Jack to come with her in her job retreat. She was surprised but happy when he actually showed up. What more, Joy’s boss took a liking to Jack’s being funny, that Jack even won Best Team Spirit award. During the games, Joy and Jack proved to be a good team. On the night of the party, they danced and had fun.

The day the judge was about to give the decision in court, Mason approached Joy and expressed his desire to have her back. He gave her the engagement ring. Joy realized that Jack set her up to be back with Mason and she was hurt. In court, Jack’s party agreed to share the winnings with Joy, but Joy advised her lawyer that she did not want anything from Jack. She gave back the engagement ring and walked away.

Joy refused the promotion and quit her job. Meanwhile, Jack’s parents berated him for letting Joy go. Jack went to Tipper and asked for Joy. He learned that Joy resigned and was nowhere to be found. He also learned that Joy was happy with her and that he was the first person Joy can be herself with. But even Tipper did not know where she was but said that Joy was very sad.

That gave Jack a hint that Joy went to the only place she feels happy to be, the beach. He went out in search of her and found her on the beach. He told her he wanted her back and seriously proposed marriage. Joy happily agreed.

I was checking my Facebook account and was thrilled when I saw some pictures. They were those of my old friends who have been living in Canada for a few years now. What thrilled me was seeing them as a musical band. The band members call themselves Simply Akustik. They were my former friends in high school and some of them were my co-members in the church choir. I feel so glad to know that they are still singing.

I know they are doing it more for fun than for money, still, I feel so proud that they were able to make their way to the music business. Though I’m not sure if they are using Jackson guitars, I’m pretty certain that they are making beautiful music as they used to do.

My children and I have been in the province for almost a week now. Though I didn’t see the people that I came here to see, I still felt so glad to see one familiar face. It was that of a former suitor which eventually became a friend.

He looks nice and pretty much the same. Except for the obvious bulge in his tummy, he still has the looks of the young boy I danced with twenty two years ago. What more, he seems equally glad to see me. That’s one good thing about hometowns, it will always feel home

One of the sweetest things that I received from a suitor when I was young was a necklace with a wooden cross pendant. I found it sweet because it was something personal. The person who gave it to me knew that I was a member of the church choir and a cross pendant was a manifestation of my faith.

When I grew older, I received a Bead Bracelet and what I felt when I received the necklace came back to me. I found it not only very pretty but also very sweet, and though the giver and I fell apart, we remained friends and in exchange of the bracelet, I cut his name out of felt paper. He kept it in his wallet until the day he got married.

When I was a freshman in college, I had a bunch of friends who were very accommodating I could sleep in three different boarding houses each week if I chose to. But there is really no place like home so I still preferred to sleep in my own bed, the upper deck of my sister’s bed. I didn’t get used to waking up unable to remember whose house I stayed the night in.

One time, I spent the night with some friends in another friend’s house. We were chatting and playing cards while a shot of gin was moving about. We were so noisy we didn’t notice the brewing argument between the couple next door until their voices were loud enough for the entire boarding house to hear. We kept quiet and were finally able to hear what was going on.

Later than night, I wished I didn’t listen at all.

They were arguing heatedly. We tried to ignore it as we all knew it was a domestic problem and none of our business. Then, the guy started cursing and the girl started screaming. Then, we heard it. The guy was hitting the girl. We froze. Nobody could move. Most of us were of minor age and whatever was happening next door was new to us. For me, it was.. unthinkable.

Then the sounds grew louder. This time, the guy was kicking the girl. I started to shake violently. I guess I was so scared and that I wanted to do something to stop what was happening but was powerless to do so. Luckily, somebody arrived, probably a police officer or a barangay tanod, I could no longer remember. All I cared about was that it was finished.

How one person could inflict that much pain to another remained a mystery to me until now..

When my husband came home from abroad last year, I noticed how developed his body had been. While he was there, he already told me that he was working out and spending some time in the gym to improve his body and I guess all his hard works paid off.

I wonder how difficult it had been for him because I know not every one has the required self-discipline and determination for a consistent work out and that some people prefer testosterone boosters to achieve their desired body. Well, I guess anybody can choose any way that suits him. It is, however, advisable to check testoripped reviews before coming up with a decision.

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Sgt. Paul Sutton is a war hero who came home to his wife, Betty, after the war. Though their marriage had been hasty, Paul had plans for them and he wrote them to her in his letters, some of which, he learned, were not read. The following day, Paul set off to sell chocolates, like he used to do before the war, to Sacramento.

On the train to Sacramento, he came across Victoria Aragon, a Mexican-American graduate student and daughter of a vineyard owner. They bumped into each other and fell causing their tickets to get mixed up. When they got back on their feet, Victoria seemed to feel sick and threw up on Paul’s uniform. Before reaching Sacramento, Paul alighted the train and got on a bus where he saw Victoria again and she learned of the mixed up tickets. Two men got on the bus and started to talk maliciously with Victoria. Paul tried to reason with the men but one of them tried to punch him. Paul ended up being thrown out of the bus along with them.

Paul started to walk and was surprised to see Victoria on the street. When he asked what she was doing there, she told him she was already in her destination. Then Victoria started to cry and expressed her fear to come home. She was afraid to face her father because she was pregnant, and her professor, the father of her child, broke up with her. She was scared to face the wrath of her father when he learn she was pregnant without a husband.

Paul volunteered himself. He offered to be introduced as a husband to Victoria and leave the following day. When they agreed with the plan, Paul got toy rings from his chocolates and put one on Victoria’s finger and another one on his own. When they continued walking, they heard gun shots. As a soldier who could not let go of the memories of the war, Paul knocked Victoria down and tried to shield her. He learned later that it was Alberto Aragon, Victoria’s father, who did the shooting.

Alberto was outraged when he learned that his daughter brought home a husband. The entire family, including Pedro, Victoria’s grandfather, however, was happy to see Paul and welcomed him when he was introduced. During dinner, each of the members of the family asked Paul about himself. The dinner ended up with Alberto’s insulting Paul and Paul’s leaving the dinner table.

Marie, Victoria’s mother, talk with Alberto and expected him to be polite with their son-in-law. So, when Victoria was already in bed and Paul was on the floor ready to go to sleep, Alberto knocked on the door to wish them good night. To avoid suspicion, Paul slept beside Victoria.

Paul dreamed about the war. Victoria woke him up just when he was screaming her name in his dream. Then, they heard the bell rang which signified ‘frost.’ The grapes which are about to be harvested were covered with frost that might spoil them. In order to melt the frost and save the grapes, they were supposed to circulate heat by swaying wing-like fans in each hand near the fires installed in strategic places.

The following  day, Paul prepared to leave but was stopped by Pedro who took a liking to his chocolates. Pedro showed him the ‘root’ of the fist grape he started with and asked him to stay for the harvest. Paul stayed and met Pedro III, who called himself Peter, Victoria’s younger brother. Paul helped harvest some grapes. He joined Victoria in crushing the grapes to be made into wine. They ended up kissing each other in the room. Paul refrained himself and decided to sleep in the couch which Alberto found suspicious.

As Paul was about to go, Pedro stopped him again and invited him for a drink. They got drunk and Pedro taught him a song so he can serenade Victoria. Just as Paul was leaving, Victoria lit her lamp so Paul decided to stay.

The following day, the wine festival was held as a sign of gratitude for a good harvest. It was presided by the priest who was also a friend of the Aragon’s. Victoria talked with Paul and they said their last good byes. However, Alberto came and introduced Paul to the priest, then took it upon himself to announce Victoria and Paul’s wedding and invited everyone.

Victoria decided to tell her father the truth. Paul gave her the medal he earned from the war for ‘Courage under fire.’ Then, he left and went back to his wife, Betty. He learned that Betty just read the rest of his letters and realized they were not good for each other. She filed for an annulment and told him that they can still be friends. As they were talking, Paul learned that there was a man with her in the house.

Paul left and happily went back to the Aragons. He saw the drunk Alberto and apologized for deceiving him then formally asked for Victoria’s hand in marriage. They argued and Alberto tried to hit him with a lamp which fell and put aflame the dried vines of a grape. Paul tried to put off the fire but even with Victoria’s help, the fire spread quickly and burned the entire vineyard. As the fire was raging, Peter’s clothes caught fire. Paul saved him but the vineyard was lost.

In the morning, the Aragons were gathered and sadly assessed the damage. Paul remembered the ‘root’ of the first grapes which Pedro showed him. He went there and pulled it out. He brought it to Alberto to see if it can still be used to start anew.

Alberto found that it was still good and can be used to start their new vineyard and their new life, but this time with Paul as Victoria’s husband.