I.

Summary
The story starts at the plains of Central Luzon, called Fertile Valley. Lucio Soliman, and his
friend, Camilo David just recently graduated from high school. Lucio is a kind, intelligent, and
well-read young man with an outlook on life that is full of color. Camilo invited his dear
friend Lucio to spend his vacation at their Hacienda, to which Lucio pondered over and
eventually, after a discussion with his friend of what to expect in Merry Town, sought
permission from his father, Benito Soliman. Being as his father is a kind man, he let his son
spend his vacation in Merry Town. Merry Town was just a few hours away from Fertile
Valley, and the bumby and rough road on the way to Merry Town was a reflection of the
poor governance of the Governor who resides in it - Pancho Ismael. He had all the qualities
that make up an awful human being; manipulative, greedy, petty, and selfish. He uses his
power to benefit his own self interests, and he was rumored to have had a mistress during
his days of gallavanting. Within his circle was a man named Oscar Ramirez, who is as foul as
Pancho himself. He came from a wealthy family, and he was educated in Manila until his
youth, and didn't complete secondary training due to his insistent family's urge for him to get
a title.

Upon arriving, Lucio was warmly welcomed into Camilo's home by his family and their
Hacienda's tenants. He was treated kindly and equally by Camilo. In the province was also a
friend of theirs, Juan de la Cruz. He was always traveling and had many mates in the town.
In a nearby barrio, there lived a middle class family- the Garcias. Felipa Garcia was the
middle-aged mother who had a careworn face, and her daughter, Rosa Garcia, was the
queen of the town and widely admired for her beauty and purity, despite being known as
the girl with no father. Even with having that disgrace upon her, it was very clear that she
was a fair maiden. Rosa and Camilo were neighbors, and occassionally, Camilo would bring
Lucio with him to visit his old friend at their house. There, they were acquainted with
Oscar. Later that day, Lucio was plagued with thoughts about Rosa, and so it went on for
days. His confusion and denial only made the feelings of a budding love stronger. One day,
he found himself in a meadow near a stream, and to his surprise, there came Rosa with a
bucket to fetch some water. He nervously talked to her and offered to fetch water for her,
which needed a bit of convincing on his part. He could not help but admire Rosa's beauty,
and so he confessed his love for her which resulted in Rosa being speechless and walking
away from him. The next day, Lucio asked her for her answer, and seemingly, the two
shared their affections. Right there in the meadow, near the stream, they vowed to love
each other until death. The birds were singing and the scent of the flowers made their
atmosphere so happy and overwhelming with love. On the way back to Camilo’s place,
Lucio sang joyfully and full of emotion, and came back to Juan and Camilo talking. The
three discussed about how the minorities are treated unfairly and judgingly.

The end of Lucio's vacation was drawing near, and the meant that he would be saying
goodbye to the love of his life very soon. Rosa was sad with thought of parting with her
lover. The two exchanged sweet words, and reassured each other of their undying love.
They did not want to part ways. Tears came from Rosa, which Lucio had wiped away. He
had promised her that he would come back for her, and she promised him that she would
wait for him as long as it takes. When Lucio returned home, his father noticed that he was
not his usual self, and asked why was that. Lucio confided in his father the feelings of love
and sadness about Rosa, to which his father comforted him that whatever his feelings may
be, he should deal with it like a man. As time passed by, Lucio and Rosa sent each other
letters. Lucio kept busy, he read and wrote, was the president of a society called "The
Rising Generations" which was composed of young adults like himself. Lucio was a man of
conviction, dedication, integrity, and honesty. Many adored him for his qualities, but some
disliked him. Rosa had invited him for Merry Town's Garden Day. Governor Pancho Ismael
had noticed Lucio and disliked him at once, and he and Oscar seem to have prejudice over
Lucio as he and Rosa were together. Oscar was incessant in his pursue of Rosa's attention,
but to his avail, the lady would not give him the time of day. When it was time for Lucio to
leave town again, Rosa gave him a kiss. They shared a momentous first, the first kiss of
their first loves.
It was not long before the trials of love caught up to them. Given that they were in a
long distance relationship, communication was minimal and was reduced to sending letters
every now and then. One day, Lucio received news that Rosa and Oscar were engaged. His
emotions ranged from being confused, jealous, and angry about it. And Lucio confronted
Rosa about it. After asking her many questions, he decided that it was best for them to
stop their affair, but still reassuring her that he will not love any other woman other than
her. Upon hearing the news of the end of their relationship, Oscar quickly turned to Pancho
to tell him that he wanted to marry Rosa, and so it was set that they would do anything to
make that happen. Not long after, Lucio left for Manila, where he studied business and
worked at the same time. It was hard for him, but to him, hard work is the best work. It
satisfied him and it was clear that in everything that he does, he does so efficiently. Rosa
wrote to Lucio, and in those moments of reading what was written, all the misery and
sorrow came back to him. Lucio would come home to visit his father and his friends
sometimes, but only when he had the free time.
Every year in Manila, there was a carnival. It was fun and full of entertainment, and
people from all walks of life would come and enjoy. It was one night, when Lucio was with
his friends, that he saw Rosa. The two of them exchanged words, but Lucio was cold and
reserved towards his former lover. He was about to escort her to the auditorium until her
company showed up. Pancho Ismael, Oscar Ramirez, and his friend Camilo were there too.
They went to the auditorium with their groups, and somehow Lucio and Rosa had a chance
to talk alone. It was the last conversation they would have before the tragic events that
followed in Rosa’s life. It was revealed that Rosa had married Oscar when they went back
home, and to this news, Lucio felt rage and wanted to exact his revenge. In her letter, Rosa
did not know why it had happened, and that the town felt pity towards her, with some
even blaming her. It turns out, that one night, Pancho Ismael and Oscar paid a visit to the
Garcia’s residence. Rosa lay asleep in her bed while Pancho and her mother left her to talk
in private. The governor had plans of marrying Rosa off to Oscar, to which her mother
didn’t approve of at first, but with the cunning manipulation of Pancho, she ultimately
agreed. As they went back to the house, Oscar was nowhere to be found and they heard a
crying Rosa screaming for her mother.
 What had happened to Rosa forced her to marry the man she least liked, as it was to
protect her honor and it was what her mother wanted her to do. It was this decision that
made her life miserable. Gone was the Rosa that was full of life and the queen of the town,
instead, she was depressed and the people of their town pitied her and blamed her for
what happened. She spent her days inside, and only going out alone for the Sunday mass.
After a while, Lucio decided to finally come back home and spend time with his old father,
who passed away not long after he came home. Lucio and Camilo farmed together and
wrote together. They were having a pleasant conversation with Juan de la Cruz one day,
when a man appeared before them and brought bad news. Rosa was sick and dying, and
she had wished to see Lucio one last time. The three traveled to Merry Town, and
witnessed Rosa on her death bed. She told Lucio that she was finally happy as she was
finally going to be in a peaceful place. They both exchanged their love for each other, and
Rosa said that had she kept her promise. Upon death, Rosa looked as if she was peaceful
and smiling, and not at all sick and miserable. Oscar also died from his own hands thirteen
days after Rosa. Lucio had accepted the fact that he was a child of sorrow- his mother, who
died when he was born, with the recent death of his father and his beloved Rosa. He would
visit her grave every year with flowers during the day of her death.

II. Characters
 Lucio Soliman (type: major, round)
Lucio was a kind, intelligent, eloquent, and well-read man with an amazing
physique. He is a round character, which is evidenced by his change of outlook in
life when he had his heart broken. Still, he was a strong man who was dedicated to
serving other people, and making them happy, without thinking about his own
happiness. He is patriotic and hard-working, who had admirable values that made
people admire him and his talents.
 Rosa Garcia (type: major, round)
Rosa was a kind-hearted, charming, and simple girl. She was the queen of Merry
Town, adored by her beauty and grace, but she had the most unfortunate things
happen to her. Her character was round, as in the end, she was no longer cheerful
and lively, but instead, depressed and lonely and longing for the love that she lost.
 Camilo David (type: major, flat)
Camilo was Lucio’s good friend, and they went to school together. He was always a
supportive and protective friend to Lucio, and was a kind and welcoming man all
throughout the story.
 Juan de la Cruz (type: minor, flat)
Juan was depicted as patriotic and always defended his friends. He had strong
opinions about societal issues, and he was not afraid to voice them out. He was
honest and never kept a secret from his friends.
 Pancho Ismael (type: minor, flat)
Pancho is one of the antagonists in this story. He was greedy, manipulative, corrupt,
petty, and he was a fraud. Him being governor was the result of blackmailing
people.
  Oscar Ramirez (type: minor, flat)
Oscar was a selfish and reckless man who was close to the governor and shared the
same foul traits as him.
 Benito Soliman (type: minor, flat)
Benito was Lucio’s loving and supportive father. He was an old man who farmed in
their land and never fails to look out for his son.
 Felipa Garcia (type: minor, flat)
Felipa was the middle-aged mother of Rosa.

III. Point of View

The story is written in a third person point of view, evidenced by the use of pronouns
such as "him", "her", "his, "their", etc. As a reader, it is also noticeable that while reading,
the narrator is just telling me the story and that I wasn’t a character in it.

IV. Setting
For the most part of the story, it was set in some parts of Central Luzon, namely- Fertile
Valley and Merry Town. The period of Lucio and Rosa’s relationship started in the
summertime. When Lucio wanted to better himself elsewhere, it was in Manila, the land of
opportunity. Towards the end, it was in Fertile Valley that Lucio settled down in.

V. Conflict
The main conflict of the story is person versus self. The characters were mostly faced
with decisions that would negatively affect things that are important to them, had they
chosen the other. Rosa was always in a position to choose who to follow; her mother, who
she had a duty to as family, and Lucio, her love. In the end, Lucio told Rosa to follow her
mother as it was the right thing to do. Lucio always chose the happiness of other people
over his.

VI. Plot
It all started in Central Luzon. Fertile Valley was the residence of Lucio Soliman, and he
spent his summer in Merry Town with his good friend Camilo David after they had just
graduated high school. There, Lucio met a girl named Rosa Garcia, who captured his heart.
It was the start of a budding romance, and the two were very much happy with each other.
Before Lucio was to leave, he and Rosa declared their undying love for each other. Oscar
Ramirez, asked Governor Pancho Ismael to have Rosa’s hand, and was persistent in his
efforts to woo her. Lucio heard about rumors that Rosa and Oscar were engaged, and so he
let them be and let Rosa do what she wants, and he went to Manila where he studied and
worked. After a few months, there was a carnival in Manila, where Rosa and Lucio saw
each other and even danced with each other. After some time, Lucio went back home to
care for his father, who unfortunately died. While grieving, he and his friend Camilo went
 into business, and one day he had received news about Rosa close to death. He went to
visit Rosa one last time, and it was said that Rosa still kept her promise. She was miserable
ever since Lucio left, and moments before she passed, she seemed to be the happiest.

VII. Symbolism
The sampaguita, was a symbol of Rosa and Lucio’s love for each other. Like the flower,
love is pure and beautiful. Their relationship was great at the beginning, and like a flower,
there comes a point that it withers away. The protagonists of the story never stopped
loving each other, but fate had been unkind to them as they were always kept apart by
something they are conflicted to disobey. It is proof that no matter how beautiful and
happy something is, it might just be the cause of all the pain and misery that you
experience.

VIII. Themes
“You don’t have love without sacrifice; you can’t have sacrifice without love.”
The story has been consistent in showing that love and sacrifice go together. Lucio had
to sacrifice his own happiness by letting Rosa be with another man, because he thinks that
it is what will make her happy. Rosa had to sacrifice for her mother, who wished for her to
marry Oscar, and so she obeyed her mother which meant that she could never be with
Lucio. Even if it inconvenienced them and made them miserable, they did it for the
happiness of the people they loved, and they accepted it.

“Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us.”
Every man has had their share of sorrow in their life. We all have had to deal with our
sorrows, and we all have different ways of doing that. Whatever methods we use to cope,
it helps us realize that we needed it all along, to appreciate the moments without sorrow,
and to strive to not inflict sorrow upon others as well.

IX. Moral
“Make you decisions on your own, and do not let other people decide for you.”
It has been prevalent in the story that the characters have based their life-changing
decisions to benefit the people around them, leaving very little betterment for themselves.
The story makes us realize that no matter what decision we make, it will make a negative
impact on other people, we just have to choose the decision that is worth it.

X. Refelction
What I got from the story is that the characters don’t think that they owe themselves a
chance to be happy. Lucio and Rosa were very selfless, and it led to a series of unfortunate
events for the both of them. I think that major, long-term, and life-altering decisions, we
should make about us, because being selfish sometimes isn’t such a bad thing.
 I also noticed that in the story, when Oscar raped Maria, other people from the town
even blamed her for it. That is what baffles me so much about our society, because to this
day, victim blaming is still prevalent especially in cases about sexual harassment. Women
should not be blamed by the way they dress, or even what time of the night it was. Men
should be taught how to control their urges and be respectful human beings.
On that note, I didn’t like the story so much because it only showed that the two female
characters in it were weak and whose lives only had meaning when they have men in it.
Considering that it was written so long ago and maybe that was the way back then, still, it
wouldn’t have hurt to have a strong-willed woman in the story.