chapter 3

Saturday, a nice day to clean Burnham Park. It was also the day for Sherdel to fulfill his grandfather's wish.

All the volunteers and some interested clubs from some selected schools around Baguio were beginning to assemble around the wide grass area at Melvin Jones.

"Nako Bes! Ilang weeks na lang maghihiwalay na tayo!" Grace Joy's friend Sza-sza whinned. They were walking towards the center of the ground then as they talk to each other.

"Ikaw naman ang OA mo," Grace gently slapped Zsa-zsa's back.

"Totoo naman..."she said back.
"Tapos magkaiba pa tayo ng school na papasukan pagmag-ka-college na tayo."

"Ano ka ba naman Zsa? Ganiyan talaga ang buhay Bes. Maghihiwalay lang naman tayo ng papasukang eskwelahan. Tapos puwede pa naman tayong mag-usap sa text o sa facebook. O di naman kaya meet up kung kailan natin gusto," she responded.

"Pero talaga Bes, kinakabahan na talaga ako."

"Syempre talagang kakabahan ka," Grace Joy told her. "Kasi naman bago yung environment ng papasukan mong school tapos iba't ibang klase pa ng tao ang makikilala mo,"she explained." Teka malayo pa naman ang pasukan ah? Bakit napaaga ata 'yang nerbyos mo?" She complained.

"Wala lang kasi wala nang gagawa ng mga assignments ko," Zsa-zsa joked.

Upon hearing what she had said, Grace Joy gently pushed her away.

"Ikaw talaga... 'yan ba ang dahilan kung bakit mo ko kinaibigan ha?" She teased. "Itong babaeng 'to." Then she chased her with the broom stick she was handling.

On the other hand, at the center of the grass area wherein people were gathered...

The two, Sherdel and Gregory, were standing along with the other organizations of the Horizon Reached. They were holding brooms as they quietly sterned at each other. They might be quiet that time but their blood was boiling as they see each other. Moreover, they were beside each other so no one knows what might happen.

"Salamat ah. Kasi nandito ako ngayon kasali sa impyerno mong buhay," Gregory suddenly broke their moment of silence.

Sherdel smirked and chuckled faintly.

"Wow... nagsalita ang taong inosente. Akala mo naman hindi siya ang nagpasimula ng lahat. Sino kaya ang naunang sumuntok sa akin sa mukha?"

"Tsk." Gregory scowled as he slowly shook his head.

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Finally, the people were gathered. The host of the campaign was already at the stage.

"Good morning volunteers!"the host greeted.

"Good morning!" They greeted back.

"By the way, kung sino po ang hindi nakakakilala sa akin, ako po si Governor Louie Tan. Salamat po sa mga volunteers na nandito ngayon na inilaan ang kanilang oras para maglinis at magpulot ng kalat dito sa Burnham Park."

The audiences clapped their hands.

"Handa na ba kayong maglinis?" He asked.

"Yes!"they yelled.

"Kung ganun, tara na!" The governor excitedly announced.

Then, the students disassembled. Each group spread out toward different areas of the park.

                                                                      *****

The campaign was finally over, it was finished within two hours. But before they will be dismissed , the volunteers must gather around the plaza first for further announcements from the governor. After that, the people had spread out.

At the corner of the Burnham Lake, on one among the benches, Grace Joy and Zsa-zsa took a seat.

"Hay! Nakakapagod," Grace Joy complained.

"Oo nga eh," her friend agreed.

They sighed while watching the moving boats at the lake.

"Nauuhaw na ako. Tara bili tayo ng ice cream dyan o coke?" Zsa-zsa asked.

"Kahit ikaw na lang mag-isang bumili. Hindi naman ako na-uuhaw. Tsaka may tubig naman akong dala sa bag ko," she insisted.

"O sige bahala ka. Basta huwag na huwag kang aalis diyan ha? Baka  may aagaw sa puwesto natin," she warned her.

"Oo na. Bilisan mo ah? Grace Joy told her.

"Oo sige. Maghahanap na ako ng nagtitinda." Zsa zsa stood up and she immediately left .

"Bilisan mo ah!" Grace Joy shouted.

After that, Grace Joy took her eyes on the lake. She stared at its water as it sparkled by the sunshine. Slowly she made her lips grin. The lake had suddenly made her memories to flashback. Back to the time she fell into an unknown lake where even her doesn't know. She doesn't even know why was she there, how did she got there or where was she.

The only thing she knows was she got drowned there. As she slowly got deeper and deeper, she suddenly felt that her feet got lighter than usual and she felt her legs were uniting. She couldn't remember more than that but she knows she went unconscious.
She miraculously, found herself on a hospital bed as she woke up. The first person she saw when she opened her eyes was  her mother who was worried sick.

While she was having a terrible flashback, a boy , who happens to be Sherdel suddenly came at the bench where she's sitting. The young stranger sat down at the space beside Grace Joy. He sighed just after he seated. While ignoring the girl beside him, he texted his grandfather. He told him that the community service was done. But when he was about to press the send button, he remembered that he had ran out of load.

"Buwisit. Wala pala akong load,"he was disappointed. He rubbed his hair.

Meanwhile , something small came flying towards Sherdel at high speed. When the thing landed on his back, he yelled in pain. He immediately reached the part which the small thing had striken.

Because of that, Grace Joy got startled. The voice of Sherdel had brought her out of her terrible memory to the real world.

Sherdel looked back down. He saw the object which hurt his back which had settled on the ground. He was surprised to see that it was his locket.

"Pasalamat ka akong nakapulot niyan kung hindi baka tuluyan mo nang mawala  iyan," a boy suddenly appeared in front of him just after he picked up the locket.

"Kuya?" He got surprised.

"Hi sampid!"

"Anong ginagawa mo rito?" He asked.

"Andito ako para bisitahin ka," he answered. "Isa pa, gusto kitang makitang naghihirap."

Grace Joy was silently listening, she could feel the tension and she might expect that it will get terrible.

"Zsa nasan ka na . Gusto ko nang  umalis dito," she nervously spoke with softest of her voice. Then, Sherdel's big brother continued.

"Dapat palagi ka sanang ganyan eh. Dapat  wala ka din sa mansion. Kasi alam mo, dapat andun ka na lang sa nanay mong malandi."

Sherdel got hurt so much after hearing those words. Grace Joy could already see Sherdel's fingers folding. It would be a matter of time before he'll ran out of patience. Instead of talking back, Sherdel kept quiet. He was pretending that he didn't heard such words.

"Pasalamat ka nga tinanggap ka pa ni Lolo. Pero huwag na sana. Wala ka din namang silbi."

Sherdel couldn't hold back his wrath anymore. And so,he stood up and he faced his big brother with  glare.

Meanwhile, the moment broke when Grace Joy's phone suddenly rang. She got startled. The two boys turned their heads to her  as she hurriedly clicked her phone. She got so tensed that her heart was racing , that she might got killed by those two who awkwardly watching her respond the call. She couldn't say a word but to do fake chuckle and she said sorry to them. She turned away from them then she put the phone on her ears. 

"Zsa-zsa! Nasaan ka na. Mas lalong malalagot ako rito kung hindi ka pa babalik dito," she spoke with a soft voice. 

"Ha? Bakit naman? May nangyari ba sa iyo ?" Zsa-zsa asked while she was deciphering why Grace Joy's tone seemed upset.

"Wala pa. Pero baka mamaya oo. Basta bilisan mo para maka-alis na tayo. Kinakabahan na ako rito,"she panicked.

"Um...pasensya na Grace Joy," Zsa-zsa replied.

"Ha? Bakit?"

"Tumawag ako kasi gusto kong sabihin na nauna na ako," Zsa-zsa answered.

"Ano? Pero bakit?"

"Tinawagan kasi ako ng doctor ni Papa. Naatake daw ulit siya sa puso habang nasa trabaho niya. Kung kaya't kailangan ko siyang bisitahin." She explained. 

Instead of being upset to her, Grace Joy felt empathy for her father. "Ganun ba? Kawawa naman 'yung Papa mo." She told her. "Sige. Basta balitaan mo na lang ako tungkol sa Tatay mo." She hung up.

After that, she turned towards the brothers to see how's the situation. But fortunately, she could no longer see the big brother. Grace Joy watched Sherdel sat down once again then he rubbed his palms against his forehead in frustration. When tears came out of his eyes, he grabbed a stone that was laying on the ground and he threw it away to the green water. Luckily, no boats were shot.

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Somewhere in the mountains far away from Baguio...

A woman, who was running fast, being chased by three unknown large wolves. She was panting and tired. But she must force her self not to stop running until she got away from those strange dogs.

Even though she doesn't know which path of the forest will she go, she doesn't care as long as she felt that there will be a nice space for her to hide or at least to slow them down. Until, she halt when a wolf suddenly appeared in front of her which blocked her path. She turned to her right and about to run but the other one appeared. She realized she was cornered. They circled her for a minute. They stopped...and they began to change shape. They turned into three well-shaped men. 

The woman sighed then she grunt.

"Puwede ba takpan ninyo 'yang mga bayag ninyo bago tayo magdrama?" she said in Kankana-ey dialect.

"Isipin mo na lang na may damit kami, okay?" one man said.

"Bumalik ka na sa baryo Daya. Hinahanap ka na ng ama mo,"the other one said.

"Ayoko! Kahit anumang gawin ninyo hindi ako babalik doon. Hayaan niyo akong lumayo sa impyernong lugar na iyon." She yelled angrily.

"Nag-aalala na ang iyong ama sa iyo," her big brother said back.

"Tapos ano? Panunoorin ko kayong nagpapatayan dahil sa isang buwisit na lugar?"

The men didn't respond.

"Kuya, ayoko ng ganitong buhay. Patayan? 'Yung totoo? Nababaliw na si Itay. " 

"Hindi mo alam ang pinagsasabi mo Daya," the brother talked back. " Ipinagkait nila sa atin ang lupaing dapat sa atin. Alam kong alam mo 'yun."

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Sherdel was silent. Letting his tears flow down his face. He's got no reaction at all. He doesn't care if people who passed by seeing him crying on a bench.

Grace Joy  slowly stretched out her arm to reach Sherdel's back. She might not know him but she sympathize him. She really wants to comfort him. She wants to say "Ayos ka lang ba?" but there was a doubt on her mind saying not to talk to strangers. Her hand had almost touched his back but she decided not to.

Before Grace Joy put her arms away from him, he turned his head to her. She widened her eyes in surprise, and so as he. He saw her arms froze an inch near his shoulder. Grace Joy immediately got it away when she came back to her senses.

                                                                   ****

"Hindi torture and sagot sa lahat ng ito Kuya!" She insisted. "Baka hindi mo natatandaan  pinatuloy tayo doon ng mga taong nasa baryong iyon."

"Bakit mo ba sila kinakampihan ha?" He raised his voice. " Hindi mo puwedeng suwayin ang utos ni Itay dahil lang sa asawa mo Daya!"

"At bakit? Matanong ko nga rin...Ano ba ang meron diyan sa isang lupaing iyan upang ang kapalit ay ang mga buhay ng mga ka-tribo ni Windel?"

"Nais mo namang makita si Wendel 'di ba?" He asked. But the lady didn't respond. She gulped as she waits for his big brother to speak again?

"Puwes... umuwi ka na sa ating tahanan."

The woman slightly smiled.

"Pakisabi na lang sa kanya na babalik ako." 

Then, a large wolf suddenly appeared behind the men as it howled. The three got startled then they about faced. The wolf then hit the three with its hard head as it ran towards the woman. It stopped in front of her and the woman hurriedly rode on it and flee.

The men who got knocked down by the wolf's force tried to get up from the ground as quick as they can before Daya got out of their sight.  

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The two were speechless as they stare at each other's face. Sherdel creased his forehead while wondering why was her hand near his shoulder. Grace Joy rotated her head opposite to sherdel's direction and she act like nothing happened. 

Sherdel wiped his tears off with his sleeves and he rotated his head away from Grace Joy. A few moments of silence later, Sherdel stood up. He looked at Grace Joy for one last glimpse, smirking at her, before he finally walked away.  Grace Joy ballooned her cheeks while reflecting what she had done. She blew the wind out then she looked around if the boy was still on sight.

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That night, the moon was full. At the top of Mt. Cabuyao wherein Daya and her friend Danny overlook the wide Baguio City from up there. Daya was staring at the moon. 

"Hindi ka ba kakain?"Danny asked ( in Kankana-ey Language). He was sitting on a rock while chewing a piece of meat that he roasted on the bonfire next to him. 

The woman turned her head to see  him. She smiled, but her eyes were telling him that she's deeply worried. 

"Ano bang niluto mo?" She asked in Kankana-ey dialect.

Danny held his head down then he quietly chuckled. He looked at Daya again. She was slowly walking toward him.

"Nag-aalala ka ba sa kaniya?" Danny suddenly asked. She didn't answer. She sat down beside him. After that, Danny quickly got the plate where he put the meat he roasted on the ground below him and he passed it to her. 

"Adi-yak ammo ya ( hindi ko ba alam)", she finally answered. "Sa tingin ko na mi-miss ko lang si Wendel.  Palagi kong iniisip kung kumusta na ba siya? Kung ayos lang ba siya? Sinasaktan ba siya? o kung pinapakain ba siya ng ama ko?" 

"Huwag kang mag-alala," Danny said with an optimistic voice. "Hindi mo ba alam na strong 'yung kapatid kong iyon?" he said. "Kung kaya't  naniniwala ako na buhay pa iyon."

Daya forced to smile right after what he had said. 

"Kaunti na lang Daya. Ipinapangako ko na maililigtas natin ang asawa mo." He smirked.