Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Lightning laced the sky in white fire.

The earth wailed in the painful, joyous sound of a new life.

The ground shuddered, the seas raged.

The churning water parted and from the ocean’s womb, an island of rock and fire was given birth.

-The Legend of Siquijor Island.

In a forest within a barrio in Siquijor, harshly blown by the cold air, a thick fog created by the soft rain blankets two ostensible dead bodies lying in mud and withered leaves. The smaller one, shivering, is securely wrapped by the arms of the second figure.

The forest is as eerie as before. Darkness is slowly approaching, and beyond the rustling of the leaves peeps something fanciful.

It blinked and grew twinkling, synchronizing with the waves of the air. Branches of the trees are breaking from afar. Something is approaching. Gently walking nearer and nearer. But no, no one is around. Leaves and twigs continue to sway and make angry noises as the rain gradually started to fall harder. A moment later, a lightning struck followed by a thunder, which radiated the place for a short period of time revealing the two bodies — as if resurrecting.

The village of Kimba is a small and quiet community in the southernmost part of Siquijor. It would take a 4-hour journey or so before you reach the main city and have a glimpse of the little civilization. But the people of Kimba do not care much about the city. They rather choose the traditional way of living and just care on how they would survive their every day. Some of the families have their own daily source of food. Some raise pigs, chickens, goats, cows, and carabaos; others depend on what the nearby forest of Rymisti could offer.

It is 5:30 in the morning and Paulo is getting ready for another day of hunting in the forest. Despite his beautiful face and above-average IQ, Paulo has never joined a school. He is a genius yet no one is familiar about the gift he possesses. His physique tells that hunting in the forest is his regular routine. Minor wounds and scratches are visible all over his arms and face due to his recent adventure in the forest.

“‘Nay? I’m leaving. I’ll go hunting in the forest.” Paulo called to his nanay.

“Have you worn your jacket? Have a cup of coffee first at least to warm your tummy. It’s cold outside. You don’t want to faint out there, do you?” his mother called back.

Paulo’s mother is a native of the island. At 16, she was forced to live life alone as her mother died because of leukemia. She learned to survive by her feet. Once in a while she sells some coconut byproducts and handcrafts in their local market. Hard work and perseverance provided her a kiosk in the marketplace 2 years later. She managed to grow and maintain the business, with the help of some relatives and neighbors who have treated her as their own, until she met Larry. Her life changed then.

As she sets off one fine day to a nearby town to acquire several items for her business, she met Larry, a fine-looking bloke from Manila who was having a quest in the island in pursuit of his career as a paranormal investigator. Wearing a bulky backpack, a white shirt, and a fashionable pair of shorts, he accidentally bumped into Linda who was scurrying so as to avoid the rush hour.

It was either he or the collision was too strong that she fell to the ground, still clutching her purse.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” he yelled, looking down at her.

“Excuse me?” she said furiously, abruptly rising from her fall. “You, big brute,” she squealed, pointing a finger to his face, “how dare you shout at me? It’s you that’s not watching your way.”

He took a step backward as they were coming face to face. “Me?” he responded, his eyes bulging with sarcasm “you’re the one who knocked my way. Am I too big for you not to see?”

“Are you implying that I’m stupid?” she went tempestuous. He stared at her, and with a smile, he shrugged. “What now? Won’t you even say sorry?”

“Why would I? It’s your fault in the first place. Besides, you’re not even badly injured,” he said conceitedly. “Look, I’ve got so much things to do for now and I don’t want to ruin my vacation just because of this childish conversation. Out of my way, please.”

She was taken aback by the humiliation. Her face and ears were turning scarlet. Blood rushed to her head and her nerves were almost shattering. She forcibly smiled and tried to compose herself so as to avoid creating a fuss. She breathed in deeply and with a thud, she threw a nice big slap right to his perfect tan face and walked away.

“What did you do that for?” aghast, he shouted at her and followed her, his left hand on his face. “Oy!” he shouted when he was close enough, grabbed her arm and she spun to where she stands turning to face him. She gave another slap. Her eyes were flooding with tears. The veil of her tears started to blur her sight and at once, she blinked so as to let the tears fall to her cheeks.

“You have no right to contempt me that way. Who do you think you are?” she said sternly. “You know what you are? You’re a braggart! A stupid braggart! You’re not even handsome to act one!” she lied and turned away from him.

He restrained himself from answering back. He was bowled over by everything she said. He hadn’t expected her to be that affected.

She loathed him so much that each time she remembers him, her day turns out to be a mess. A week later, their paths crossed once again. Unbeknown to Linda, Larry constantly drops by the spot where their catastrophic first meeting happened. Not a single day has passed that he had not patiently waited for her. He is uncertain of the reason of his action, but deep inside he knows that he has to.

His awaited moment has come. There she was, walking steadily and graciously with her floral long skirt and a yellow blouse, clutching her modest green purse. Rustic yet fascinating, that’s what she is.

As he was about to approach her, she halted. She knew her day is about to be ruined so she turned around and walked briskly taking the opposite course.

“Wait, miss!” he shouted as soon as he realized she was changing path, running to keep pace with her steady walking. He held her right elbow but she jerked. “Don’t touch me and please stay away from me!” she screeched, emphasizing each word.

“Hey look, I’m sorry ’bout last time. I did not mean to offend you or anything. I was…” he muttered, “I was just…”

“… being rude. Yeah, that’s the proper word,” she continued. “Is that all you want to say? I’ve got loads of work in store for today so would you please get out of my way?”

“No. You’re not going anywhere until you forgive me.”

“Is that a threat? Do I know you?” she scowled.

“I’m Larry. Larry Arguelles.” he said, smiling and extending his left arm for a hand shake. She stared at his hand with disgust and crossed her arms.

“Are you done? I got to go. Bye,” she said and was about to go but Larry seized her once more.

He held her arms with two hands and spoke, “please, I’m begging you, forgive me. I know this may sound absurd but you ought to know,” he stared at her with begging eyes, still seizing both her arms. She was startled and did nothing but listen. “I don’t know how and why this thing happens to me, but it was never the same until I met you.” he continued. Their faces were now inches away from each other. She slightly bent backward to keep her distance with him. “You keep on flashing on my mind for some unknown reasons. Help me.” His eyes swum in tears as he spoke of the last two words. He loosens up his grip on her arms and that was the beginning of something beautiful for the both of them.

Linda had not slept for several days thinking of him. She has no idea what to do. She has no one to ask. No one to comfort her. No one to give her pieces of advice. In the end, love prevailed. She has forgiven him and the rest was history. They had spend most of their days together getting to know each other and eventually, their relationship bloomed to something special, which made Larry oblivious of the reasons why he was on the island.

Larry visited the forest more often to further his study; hoping to see her again. She has not disappointed him. They would meet more often in the forest, spending their whole day together as if there last.

By some curious chance one bright evening, when Larry and Linda were on their way out the forest, the rain started to fall unexpectedly. They ran until they reached her cottage. It was small but cozy. They were both soaked through so Linda immediately rushed to her trunk to pull out a bath towel for him.

Meanwhile, Larry was sitting and unbuttoning his shirts in the wooden bench that served as the sofa of the living room. When Linda returned to hand the towel to him, she was balled over by what she saw. It was his ostentatious body. Being a barrio girl, Linda is not used to seeing a naked man especially in live action. She was star-struck by what she saw and was still for a couple of seconds. She could not believe what she is seeing. So beautiful, his skin was like alabaster, his calves and thighs are strong and muscular. His chest, his arms… he was like a sculpture of Guillermo Tolentino, he was perfection.

“Linda? The towel… Is that for me?” Larry destructed. “Ah, oh, yes-yes the towel. Oh, here it is.” Linda stammered while hesitatingly stretching her arms to give the towel. She abruptly withdrew her arms as Larry got a hold of the towel. “Thanks. Are you okay? You seem disturbed.” He asked. She quickly turned her back and walked right to the sink rolling her eyes, highfalutin.

“O-of course I’m okay. Do-do you want a cup of coffee?”

“I think you better change first. You’re soaked through and trembling. You’ll catch cold if you don’t change right away.”

“No, I’m fine. I’ll make you a cup of coffee first.”

“Don’t mind me, I’m fine. Go ahead. Dry up first.” he demanded. Linda, unable to reason out, headed quietly to the bathroom to take a bath.

He busied himself in the kitchen preparing something to eat and drink. Though it was his first time inside the house, he didn’t have a hard time locating everything he needed. The house is quite small that you can see the whole structure of the house wherever you stand.

Linda and Larry were now sitting side by side in the bench and drinking their coffee. Both were silent until a thunder clapped loudly and she jolted from her seat unconsciously holding Larry’s arm. Larry, still half-naked, hugged Linda in return, reassuring everything’s alright. When Linda realized that they were skin to skin, she immediately threw her distance from Larry and turned scarlet.

She had no choice but to let him sleep over her cottage. She just couldn’t stand picturing him running under the angry rain. Besides, his temporary domicile in town is far from her house.

Owing to the fact that there is only one bed and the floor is not really inviting for a good night’s sleep, Linda shared the bed with Larry . “Do you really want me to stay naked all night?” he beleaguered.

“Oh, sorry, of course not! Here, take this!” she turned a little bit scarlet. Aghast, Linda replied handing out her father’s old dress. Larry smiled teasingly and dressed his gorgeous body. Why does he need to be sculptured like that? I felt stupid. Linda silently asked herself, surreptitiously throwing a glance at him.

“Are you sleeping or what?” He interjected, still teasing. He was now, with a big smile on his face, lying in her bed. She nervously moved to the bed as if coming closer to a tiger.

“I’m warning you! Any wrong move and you’ll regret you’ve been born.” He chuckled and let out a deafening roar mimicking a tiger. “I’m willing to die.”

“I’m dead serious!” she said, grabbing a pillow from him.

“And so am I.”

“Don’t push your luck.” she annoyingly replied, surreptitiously smiling as she lied down beside him. Larry just smiled broadly as if having a bright idea. She turned her back on him and sensing every detail of his move. Larry lay down facing the ceiling and stayed quiet for a while. Where’s the thunder when you needed it? He smilingly wondered. After a while, a loud crack was released by the heavens as if answering his query. She responsibly faced him and hugged him for life.

“It’s just a thunder. Calm down.” he assured and placed his left hand on her back and tapped.

“Well I’m afraid of thunders. Is it okay to stay in your embrace?” she tenderly managed to ask in a relaxed manner.

“Who am I to refuse?” he answered with a wide grin drawn on his face, tightening his hug.

“I can’t breathe.” he immediately loosened is grip. “I love you, Linds.” he said and she moved her head upward to face him.

“What did you say?”

“I said I love you.” his eyes burned into hers. She felt like she had stopped breathing for a while.

“I love you, too.” she whispered. She means it. She really wants to spend her entire life with him, especially at this moment.

Soon, there was no conversation at all, just the sound of the wind and the rain falling hardly on the roof… their breathing and occasional heaves and other vocal, but no verbal, reactions. He was holding her and kissing her smoothly and she was shuddering against him, feeling his desire for her.

Larry gently took her clothing off and she did the same for him. He started fumbling with her clothes, but she stopped him. “It’s all right,” she whispered. “I’ll take care of it.” She removed her clothes, and faced him with nothing but her underwear. She felt slightly ridiculous as she was so thin and not curvaceous, like any other girls.

He had removed everything but his briefs, moving very quickly, and she struggled for breath at the sight of him. “Larry,” she whispered in wonder. She had once seen his alabaster-like skin, his muscular abs, calves, and thighs.

Now she felt more conscious than ever. What does he see in me? I don’t even fill the size of my bra! I look like an idiot!

Larry kissed her passionately. His lips traveled down her throat and felt his hands behind her. She kissed him softly on the lips then moved down to his throat and onto his chest.

They were under the covers, still unclothed, and Linda wanted it that way. When she woke up in the morning, she found him watching her studiously as though he had been awake for some time. “Good morning,” Linda greeted “have you not slept well?”

“Sort of,” Larry replied. “I was like watching you all night.”

“Why?”

“’Cause I don’t want to miss you.”

“Are you leaving?”

“I need to.”

“You’ll come back. Won’t you?”

“Of course. And when I come back, I’ll marry you and bring you with me to Manila.” Larry kissed Linda on the forehead.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Linda replied with eyes swimming in tears.

***

“‘Nay? Nay!” Paulo called to his nanay, panting. “‘Nay! ‘Nay! Hurry up! Come with me!”

“Wha-what? Where are you taking me? Paulo! Calm down first!” Linda uttered, as she was astonished by Paulo. “’Nay, we should hurry! Someone needs help in the forest.”

“In the forest? Who could that be?” her heart thumping fast. At first, she thought it was Larry. The man who had promised her a good life. But for almost 10 years, he had not returned yet. 10 years of futile waiting… 10 years of raising Paulo alone… 10 years of lonely nights… 10 years of living a poor life. Yes, she was betrayed and forsaken. Everything turned out to be a mess for Linda. Her small business has gone unheeded.

She had grew tired of waiting but today, the fervor in her heart was burning. They hurried to the forest and halted upon reaching the place where two bodies lie unconscious. She felt uneasy being surrounded by the trees because of some indescribable eerie feeling surrounding the place. She stopped dead.

The hair at the back of her neck rose along with the tingling sensation that filled the air. Cold air rose from her heels up to her head. A force was pulling her towards the bodies; it grew stronger and stronger as she fights the urge of getting near. In a matter of seconds, she finds herself unconsciously walking toward the bodies.

“‘Nay? Do you know them?” Paulo asked. At a snail’s pace, she knelt before the bodies and carefully freed the smaller one from the tight clutching of the other humanity. And within seconds, she saw something like a ticking bomb waiting to be detonated.

Advertisement