When Back In Time

"WHO ARE----" but before Esperanza could continue what she's about to say, the lady replied.

"Hi, dead soul. My name is Lidagat. Welcome to Sulad. And I am here as your tour guide. Come, let's go inside the hotel," Lidagat said.

"What... What hotel?" Esperanza looked behind the lady and saw nothing but flowers and a path lit by torches. She saw no hotel at all. But what's is more surprising was this lady.

The lady was a beautiful one with prominent eyes, refined nose and thin lips tinted with red. She has dark eyelashes. She wore along dress made of water, and her long hair was made of waves. On her head were crowned shells of different sorts.

'Whoa,' Esperanza expressed.

The lady named Lidagat smiled and, pulling her watery dress, she started walking. Esperanza was in tow.

The two followed the path. Fireflies were dancing and swaying on the air. Above, Esperanza could see stars clearly.

It was her first time to see a clear sky with these much stars decorated on it. And here, the moon was larger than the moon she ever saw before.

"Hey, lady, where are we going?" the dead Esperanza asked.

"Don't you realize that I have a name?"

"Lidagat?" Esperanza addressed the lady, "Where are we going?"

"Should I repeat myself again?" Lidagat said playfully, "We are going to the hotel where you will stay. There, you will meet other souls and don't worry, you will have a fun time hanging with them."

"Hotel? But I don't see one."

Lidagat turned towards her and beamed. She raised her hand and slammed it on the bell. Esperanza was surprised as she didn't notice that there was a bell there nor a counter behind Lidagat.

An old man came out behind the counter and uttered," Name? "

For a few seconds, there was silence. Lidagat and the old man looked at Esperanza with curious eyes. The latter was taken aback. "What?"

Lidagat turned towards the man and said, "Esperanza. Esperanza Valdez."

"Esperanza Valdez," he repeated, "Hmm, let's see. Hmm... Ah! There. Born on March 03, 2002. That's odd. Hmm... Died on September 10, 1892. And now, that is weird."

"She's a time traveler," Lidagat explained, "She's from the future and time traveled then died here in the past."

"Oh."

"Yes."

"It is sad that she died on such a young age---- 18 right?" he asked.

"17," Esperanza informed.

The old man looked at her while cl.i.c.k.i.n.g his tongue, shaking his head, "Poor thing." He bent down and when he got up he gave Lidagat the key, "Room V number 500, floor 2200."

"Thanks, Manuel," Lidagat said.

When she and Esperanza turned their backs on the old man, Esperanza asked, "I'm curious. How did you two know how to speak in English? You shouldn't know that language, even Maguayen shouldn't know that language too."

"No. We don't know that language," Lidagat replied.

"So?"

"We spoke in Bisaya language, not in English. But you hear us talking in English. And you speak in that kind of medium and we hear you speaking in Bisaya. There's a magic here in Sulad that bends all that language barriers in order for all of us understand each other. "

"It's kinda... I kinda don't understand," Esperanza scratched her head.

"Don't force yourself. You'll understand that later since you're going to stay here for a long time.... I mean forever. So you've got a lot of time."

"Forever?" Esperanza mumbled in fear and melancholy. She was too young to die.... And here she is... Dead... A dead soul....

When she looked in front of her, she noticed a big trunk. She followed the trunk and looked up to see how big the tree is. But she couldn't see the end of the trunk, the tree was too big.

Lidagat pushed something on the tree and a door opened.

Esperanza was shocked.

The lady went inside and ushered Esperanza to get in.

Still bewildered, inside Esperanza noticed a lot of buttons and numbers om the floor. She asked, "What did he mean by Room V number 500, floor 2200?"

"You'll find out," Lidagat said and pushed one button. The elevator ascended. It now moved sideways to the left. Esperanza found herself kissing the wall because of the sudden change of pace. Lidagat stood still on her ground.

The elevator now moves upward, veer to the right, then backward, move up and then forward. Halt.

The door opened and Esperanza stumbled outside the elevator.

"Well that was fun," Lidagat commented.

'Fun?' Esperanza scrutinized, 'Where's the fun there?'

When Esperanza looked up, her mouth gaped as she was inside a huge, spacious hall made of marbles, woods and bricks, and golds, a lot of golds. There are red velvet couches on the side, a big fountain in the middle with a woman holding a conch shell which was spewing water on it.

The woman statue looked familiar.

"That's you," Esperanza pointed out.

"Huh? Uh. Yes," Lidagat scratched her head, "That's me. I insisted to mama that she shouldn't put a statue of me in every atrium but she always insisted on it. Such a stubborn mother."

"Wait. Mother? You mean?"

"The ferrywoman back then who led you here in Sulad is my mother, Maguayen."

"So," Esperanza started, "that means your a goddess?"

"Um. Not anymore. I was once a deity of the sea too, like my mother. But I soon died because of a heartbreak. That's why I'm here. My mother who loves me dearly, abandoned her duty as the goddess of the sea and accompanied me here. Thus she became the goddess of Underworld, ferrying the dead souls here, managing the hotel for the dead souls. "

'That weird,' Esperanza thought, 'I' ve never thought an underworld would look like this. I imagined it dark and cold, not like this. And a hotel? That never crossed my mind.'

"Mind you, it's pretty quiet here. You see it's nap time for the dead souls," Lidagat informed.

'What?' Esperanza thought, 'Does a dead person took a nap, when in fact they are already dead?'

They crossed the tiled atrium. Plants were decorated accordingly.

"You know, " Lidagat looked at Esperanza, "You are different from the other dead souls I tour guided."

"Why is that so?"

"You didn't w.h.i.n.e after knowing you are dead."

Esperanza stopped. Of course, she could id she wants to, but she could not. What can a 'complain' do in this situation she is in? Even if she w.h.i.n.es it does not matter because after all she's dead. And that is all that matters.

She wanted to live... But she's dead now.

Lidagat sighed, putting her hands on her h.i.p.s, "The hotel will be busy again."

Esperanza looked at her with questioning eyes. But Lidagat ignored it and continued touring her around.

When they get to the bar section, Esperanza asked, "Why the hotel will be busy?"

"The war is here," Lidagat said and sighed, "It will be busy bee here soon."

"War?"

"After Bangun Bangun disappeared, Saragnayan manipulated the humankind to battle on each other. *Sigh* That evil god, when will he stop? Didn't he know that it really is hard to tend to dead souls when it is not their time yet?"

Lidagat continued in frustration, "I wish that someone could stop him."

"I heard he is invulnerable," the dead soul said.

"Oh yes. Indeed he is. He is the strongest among the divine realm. No one could defeat him. He has no flaws, no weak spot. He has the strength of infinite power and he is handsome. But of course, you wouldn't want to know that."

Esperanza looked at her.

Lidagat continued, "No gods could defeat him. He is truly invulnerable."

"Really?"

"But almost."

"Almost?" Esperanza asked.

Lidagat showed Esperanza the library, a no ordinary library that stocked millions of books. 'Now, why there are such books as these here in the realm of the dead?' Esperanza thought in a query.

"When you say almost, what do you mean by that?" Esperanza asked Lidagat.

"Well----"

"My lady, there are some changes," the old man from the counter below at the entrance suddenly appeared.

"Changes?" Lidagat said and approached him. She looked at Esperanza and threw her the key, "The tour ends here. Your room is V number 500. That is not far. Just follow that corridor there and turn right. At the end of the path, you will see your room. Nice meeting you Esperanza Valdez. Have fun with your forever stay here in Sulad."

She started but instantly stop, "Oh, before I forgot. There's an amus.e.m.e.nt park here, if you want you can visit it."