When Back In Time

"THE SHIP is gone," the old woman said dolefully to Esperanza.

Esperanza looked at the seashore and saw the debris from the ship floating on the ocean.

A while ago, Esperanza desperately looked for Pepe. She was surprised to see shattered woods and metals were scattered on the shoreline and on the sea.

She looked at the calmed sea and remembered the storm. She shuddered at the thought that a god could do such calamity if they're infuriated.

Then, afterward, she found this old woman.

The old woman told Esperanza that the ship was hit on a huge rock and afterward sunk under the ocean. Few survive the incident.

When Esperanza looked around, many unfamiliar faces of people survived. They were soaking wet, shuddering and crying for their loss but none of them is Pepe.

Residents in the island, Cebu, came to aid the survivors. They brought food, water, and clothes for the people in need.

Esperanza looked at the sea. Some did survive. While some did not. Her thoughts drifted to Pepe. Did he make it?

No! Esperanza shook her head. She must not deem such worst case scenario. 'What are you thinking? Of course, he survives,' she told herself.

But deep down, she's afraid for Pepe. She's afraid that he might not survive the storm or he might be dead because of her. 'Is this what Bangun Bangun told me before? That I will cause his tragedy?'

She shook again these thoughts of hers.

No! He will definitely survive. Besides, Bangun Bangun said that she will soon meet him and she believed that.

She set out to find him.

She did not know where to start or where to go to find him in this foreign soil.

The island called Cebu was a beauty as she looked around. It had a lot of beautiful trees, flowers, stones houses, and churches. Cebu was not only a beauty but also a thriving city. Esperanza remembered the history of Cebu in her History class. The island was said to be flourished in fishing and the center of trading. Many neighboring nations such as China, Malaysia, Japan, India, Burma and other civilizations in Asia came and trade here. In the present, Cebu remains to be the center of commerce.

It's also rich in history in the Spanish Colonial Period. As long ago, a Portuguese explorer named Ferdinand Magellan and his fleet of sh.i.p.s under the flag of Spain arrived here. He was welcomed by the native chieftain of Cebu named Rajah Humabon. Seven days after his arrival, on April 14, 1521, the Cebu's chieftain and about 400 of his subject were baptized into Christianity and pledged their alliance to Spain.

As Magellan planned to claim the whole Philippines, a brave chieftain from the neighboring island resisted.

Lapu Lapu, the well-known brave hero from Mactan in the history of the Philippines, refused to bend the knee to Spain.  He led his thousand warriors to fight against Magellan and his 100 soldiers, which was known to be the Battle of Mactan.

Magellan and his men were killed. But despite this, the colonization of Spain in the Philippines and a lot of humiliation, rebellion, and bloodshed continued for 333 years.

Cutting off Esperanza's thoughts, she continued her search for Pepe.

She's getting tired. She had spent her time roaming around, meeting strangers but still could not find him. Now her legs were giving up. She fell on the ground in exhaustion. She didn't realize she was already inside a forest.

'Where is he?' she asked herself.

She heard a twig was snapped behind her. When she turned her head, she saw not far from where she sat, a four-legged wild pig with two sharp canines ready to snag her.

It stared at Esperanza for a long time. It took a step.

Esperanza felt that she's in grave danger. She did not know what to do but to scream as the wild pig ran towards her.

She had no time to stand up and escape as the boar approached.

'Oh no!' she thought to herself.

Someone shouted which halted the wild pig from attacking Esperanza. A lady appeared and approached the boar. She c.a.r.e.s.sed its back and spoke to it in the language Esperanza could not understand. Eventually, the creature fled away.

The lady was extremely beautiful. Esperanza could not point out any flaws in the lady. The lady looked so perfect from head to toe. She had a morena skin, long black-lush tresses fell down to her waist, seductive eyes, long dark eyelashes and red-blood plush lips. She wore a beautiful white A-line dress with bell sleeves.

This surprised Esperanza as the beautiful lady wore a different dress, not like the dress Esperanza and the others wore in this era.

The beautiful lady lifted her seductive eyes towards Esperanza. The latter jumped in surprised. The lady radiated beauty per se.

This beautiful lady made Esperanza envied her.

The lady spoke to Esperanza but the latter was first mesmerized the way she talked to her with her beautiful and soft voice. But then, Esperanza shook her head as she recognized that she did not understand every single word the lady said. The lady spoke using a different language, the local language in this island.

Esperanza said, "H-hindi kita naiintindihan." (I don't understand you)

The lady was surprised and started talking in Tagalog. The lady introduced herself as Yawa. She also said that the wild pig didn't mean to harm her and apologized if it scares her.

Yawa asked Esperanza what she's doing here in the forest and looking so worked up.

Esperanza told Yawa her tale. The latter sat beside Esperanza and both of them talked.

Esperanza told what happened to her a while ago. She's a survivor from the ship that recently sunk in the ocean near this island. She was looking for her friend named Pepe. She could not find him and she's worried that Pepe might not survive the predicament and sunk along with the ship under the sea.

Yawa said, "Pareho din tayo ng tadhana." (We have the same fate)

Yawa shared her life. Yawa was a beautiful married woman.

Esperanza was shocked to learn that this young looking lady was already a married woman. 'She doesn't look like a wife to me,' she thought to herself.

Yawa said that her husband was polar to her. People told her that her husband was a sharp contrast to her. But she did not care about whatever they said. She genuinely loved her husband and wanted to be by his side forever. But something happened.

Tears began to flow on Yawa's beautiful cheeks.

One day, his husband came home acting weirdly. And the next day he disappeared. It's been weeks since her husband went missing. She could not find him anywhere. She's so melancholic and lonely to his sudden disappearance. She's still waiting for his husband's return.

Yawa wept wholeheartedly.

Esperanza tried to calm down the beautiful wife. She remembered Clara, the one whom she first encountered and who sheltered her.

Just like Yawa, Clara's husband also went missing for two years. Clara still, sadly but patiently, waited for her husband's arrival.

She wondered, 'how is Clara doing today? Does she still wait for her husband? Is she also looking me or not? I hope she's okay. I am very sorry that I left her without telling her. I am sorry if I broke her heart by leaving her.'

Yawa wiped her tears and uttered, "Pareho tayo ng tadhana. Pareho nating hinahanap and hinihintay ang pagbabalik ng mga taong minamahal natin." (We have the same destiny. We both seek and wait for our lovers to come back)

This fl.u.s.tered Esperanza. She defended herself that Pepe was not someone to her but only a friend.

Yawa looked at Esperanza's eyes. She smiled and said that she could see the truth through her heart. She added Esperanza's eyes said it all. Her defense could not hide her worries for the boy.

Esperanza told Yawa that she's babbling nonsense. She didn't see Pepe more than as a friend.

Yawa beamed, "Hinalikan mo na s'ya." (You kissed him)

This widened Esperanza's eyes.

Yawa teased Esperanza that she's a naughty girl, she did an extreme thing of breaking the code of 'conservative woman' in this era.

Esperanza looked away. It looked to her that Yawa was enjoying this gist. She did not know how Yawa learned what happened and could not even tell a lie to Yawa to cover herself. Why she couldn't do it? Why? This totally surprised Esperanza.

Yawa offered Esperanza to stay at her house today as the night was about to fall.

By the next day, Esperanza said her farewell to the fair-lady. Both went outside Yawa's house.

Yawa grabbed Esperanza's hand and smiled. She said, "Sana mahanap mo na siya." (I wish you'll find him) She then grabbed and embraced her.

Then, she whispered something ominous.

Yawa said she could feel something will happen in Esperanza's journey. She added that Esperanza must beware to the people and their deceits. "Beware of trusting people. Beware to the man who's dexterous in deceiving people."

Esperanza was taken aback. She was not shocked by what ominous stuff Yawa told her. She was surprised to hear Yawa speaking in English. Before she questioned her, Yawa then promptly disappeared.

Her house also dissolved into a mist.