Etched Poem
n the bar section of the house there's a poem etched on the floor which reads:
To Luz my Beloved,
on her 36th Birthday
This house is my gift
Strong as Habagat
Beautiful as Amihan
Lasting as the island
Upon which it is built
The winds and the waves
Will forever whisper
The great love
Which in my heart
I nurture
Accept, then, "Casa Roca"
And pray god in Heaven
That it will last
Till the end of time
-- Jessie M.
Tombstones
There is also another poem on the front platform but it's hard to discern. Talked to some of the fishermen who where also our boatmen and told us that the coupled lived here for a long time. They already have grandchildren who currently own the property since Jessie and Luz death. But most of them are currently outside of the country. There were some animals here before like what the lady said earlier, chickens and goats, but they were stolen. It's not impossible though, even if the place is privately owned, locals could easily come and go as there is no one around living in the place nor is the place barricaded.
I walked on the other side of the island where I found this structure which looks more like a guest house before. And on the edge is a small-church like structure. I approached and found the sound of pounding metal eerie. It was the wind hammering on the roof of the structure. Looking inside, I found Jesse and Luz tombs. It was a mausoleum. Somehow it felt like the couple finally introduced themselves and the last piece of the story unfolded. Jessie died first in 14th of January 1992, after which Luz died 27th of September 1993. I think it's fitting that the couple be buried within the island where their eternal love was represented.
