by Prince Thomas I. Siñel

Ganin-Byana chose the white heart among the deck of cards as she always attended the campaign rallies of Pitu—dubbed as The King of Hearts. Soon, like a personal rule that must be followed, Pitu hadn’t been attending royal interviews and debates. 

Ganin-Byana wanted to deny the truth of his white heart. She wanted to fight for Pitu, but she realized that white didn’t mean purity of his intentions nor his competence. White, for her—as clear as the clouds—was his void promises meant to be shattered, words made of thorny flowers, and naked truths clothed with lies. As months passed, Ganin-Byana saw Pitu as nothing but an unidentifiable card that didn’t have any heart nor color.

Ganin-Byana decided to look for another color of the heart. Like a card master, she looked into Daliw. His yellow heart was deeply spiritual in his answers, like marigolds and their unpleasant sweetness on a Sunday mass. However, Ganin-Byana didn’t think that being good was good enough in ruling the lands and seas. Her feminine eyes dove into Palu’s red heart, but they ached and closed: it was blood of machismo that his heart pumped. In one of the royal debates, Bawhug’s blue heart radiated excellence and wit. Unfortunately, Ganin-Byana was scared of the ghost of his corruption trial in the face of commoners during the past decade. 

With a diamond of achievements, a spade of competence, and a club of morality, Mayangguik was the only aspiring queen among aspiring jacks and kings. Mayangguik’s color of heart was the true color of gamers like Ganin-Byana. Finally, Ganin-Byana picked that glooming heart of brown tint in this card game where hearts determined the outcome for all gamers. 

(Illustration by Jazmine Merry Veluya/FEU Advocate)