Arnie and Arnel P. were twin brothers from Antique, Philippines, born into an above-average family that owned agricultural lands and thrived in agribusiness. In the late 1980s, due to political and economic instability, their ageing parents decided to sell the family property, dividing the proceeds equally between the two brothers. Although the twins were inseparable throughout their youth, their lives took dramatically different directions after this turning point—one embracing life, the other, though alive, living as if dead.
Arnie, the more ambitious and goal-driven of the two, immigrated to Canada in the early 1990s, determined to build a better life. Like many Filipino immigrants, he faced the harsh realities of starting anew in a foreign land. With a young family and few resources, he endured menial jobs to make ends meet while his wife cared for their children. Despite these challenges, Arnie’s drive never faltered. He saved what he could, enrolled in a part-time accounting course, and eventually earned his degree, transforming himself into a certified accountant, a beacon of success amidst adversity.
Meanwhile, Arnel, the more carefree and less ambitious of the two, squandered much of his inheritance. He drifted through life, eventually becoming estranged from his wife and children. With their parents long deceased, Arnel found himself alone and desperate. His situation was tragic—not physically dead, but emotionally and spiritually lifeless, lost in a world where he saw no future. In his despair, Arnel reached out to Arnie, now flourishing in Canada. In 2019, Arnie invited his brother to visit, hoping to show him the opportunities available to those willing to work hard and persevere. At this point, Arnie was a division head at an export-import firm in Vancouver, a testament to his determination and resilience.
Arnel was deeply moved by his brother’s transformation and realized how different his life could have been if he had chosen a similar path. Yet before Arnel could act on this newfound resolve, tragedy struck. In 2020, Arnie became one of the many victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was cruelly ironic—Arnie, who had risen so high, who had lived fully, was now dead, while Arnel, who had lived as if dead for so long, remained. Arnie’s death was not just a personal loss; it was a stark reminder of life’s fragility and the fleeting nature of success.
In Arnie’s passing, there is a profound lesson for the living. Though he is gone, his legacy lives on, inspiring those he left behind. His life serves as a testament to the idea that even in death, one’s influence can resonate through the lives of others. The living must carry forward the dreams of those who have passed, ensuring that their work, their dedication, and their values do not die with them. In this way, the dead live on—not in body, but in the lives they’ve touched, the hearts they’ve inspired, and the lessons they’ve imparted.
For Arnel, Arnie’s death should be a turning point. His brother’s memory offers him a chance for rebirth, to shed the weight of the purposeless existence he has carried for so long. Though physically alive, Arnel now realizes that he had been living as if dead—without ambition, without drive. But it is not too late. Just as Arnie’s legacy continues to inspire others, Arnel has the power to revive his own life, to emerge from the shadows of spiritual death and truly live again.
Ultimately, the story of Arnie and Arnel is one of contrast between those who are alive in every sense and those who merely exist. It is a call for the living to truly live—to embrace their potential, to honor the legacies of those who have passed, and to ensure that death, though inevitable, need not mark the end of one’s impact on the world. (Contact: jblarano@gmail.com)
by Joe Larano Jr.