When Back In Time

"YOU DON'T belong in this era. If I let you stay here for a long time---- heaven knows what you'll do. After all, you did plead for my help, didn't you? Of course, whoever god would turn their backs on their subject, right? " the god of Time and Cosmos, Bangun Bangun, said.

Esperanza opened her eyes. She was laying on her bed. Sitting up, she held her wristwatch and reminisced what happen the day yesterday.

A god came to visit her. He introduced himself as Bangun Bangun, a Visayan god of Time and Cosmos. Why he's here in Luzon? He was only traveling, that's what he said. And this wristwatch wrapped around Esperanza's wrist was his.

She remembered he told her that he could help her go back to her era, the 21st century, the year 2019.

Before he left, he told her, "Meet me outside this small town. Pack your things and be there at nightfall."

'Pack my things?' Esperanza thought. She looked around the bedroom she did not own. She particularly did not have any kinds of stuff she possessed, only the wristwatch on her wrist.

'Meet him outside... Nightfall... Pack my stuff?' she asked herself. Then this meant, she's going to leave Clara.

Realizing this she felt sad. Clara was already left by her husband and now Esperanza is going to leave her. That's so cruel. Surely, Clara would be sad.

But...

Esperanza shook her head. No----- she must not hesitate. She doesn't belong in this era after all.

When she went outside and down to the sala (living room) Clara was there standing.

Clara walked towards her, sighing, "Salamat sa Diyos nagkamalay na ang iyong kaibigan." (Thank God, your friend is finally awake."

Clara continued, "Iyong sugat niya, hindi iyon galing sa tama ng kutsilyo kundi sa baril. Maraming salamat sa Diyos, kahit hindi ako eksperto sa medisina, natanggal ko ang bala. Pero hindi pa iyon sapat. Kinakailangan niya pa rin magpatingin sa mga doktor. " (His wound, he wasn't wounded by a knife but shot by a gun. Thank God, even though I'm not an expert in medicine, I successfully remove the bullet on his arm. But this is not enough.  He needs to see a doctor.)

"Hindi na kailangan ate Clara. Maraming salamat sa tulong mo," Esperanza said. (No need for that Clara. Thank you for your help)

"Esperanza," Clara started, "Hindi ko ugaling manghimasok sa buhay ng ibang tao. Pero natatakot ako------hindi sa kanya kundi sa iyo. Ang kaibigan mo, mukhang nadawit siya sa matinding gulo. Ayaw kong madawit at mapahamak ka Esperanza nang dahil sa kaibigan mo." (Esperanza, it's not my personality to b.u.t.t in someone's business. But I'm afraid---- not from him but for you. Your friend, he seems like he gets himself involve in a big fight. I don't want you to be involved and be harmed because of your friend, Esperanza.

Esperanza didn't tell Clara the truth about the young man. The young man was not her friend but the one who hit her in the Plaza and who was a jail escapee.

Esperanza became more and more guilty of what she's about to do.

Clara was more than kind to her. Clara had been helping her from the very beginning. Esperanza did not want to break Clara's heart.

But Esperanza must not hesitate..... She does not belong in the year 1892.....

Nightfall came, Esperanza walked the quiet street of this small town. Everyone was on their bed, fast asleep except Esperanza, who was trudging her way towards the entree of the town. Until now, she did not know the name of this small town. But she's leaving, she had no time to care about it.

She was still hesitant about her decision and very sad to leave Clara alone in that house.

'Shut it, Esperanza,' she thought to herself, 'You want to go back home right? For once in your life, don't think about other people who you just met, instead think about yourself first. "

But she could not do it. She could not shut down the thought of guilt and sadness.

Her heart was filled with melancholy as she was finally getting herself towards the entrance.

A young boy, who was wearing a Barong Tagalog, meet her.

"Human, you came," the young boy said.

Esperanza looked at him, perplexed, "Are you referring to me kid? Who are you? And why you can speak in English?"

"Stupid as ever, eh?" he said. He rolled his eyes and hit his staff on the ground thrice. Afterward, the young man turned into an old man. It was Bangun Bangun, the god of Time and Cosmos.

"How can you do that?" Esperanza asked in bewilderment.

"I am the god of time. Of course, I could turn myself to young or old anytime I want." Bangun Bangun cleared his throat, "I believe that is not what really you want to ask me."

"How can I... go back to my time?" she asked.

"Well, as what I've said before you're here because you have been constantly tapping the time, distorting the timeline. And to be honest, I could not do anything for you-------"

"-------Wait you just told me yesterday that you were going to help me-----"

"------shut your mouth. I'm not finished yet. As I was saying, I could not do anything for you until you prove yourself that you're worthy to have another chance. "

'Worthy?'

"What do you mean?" Esperanza asked.

"I'll give you tasks. Now listen well, because I'm not going to repeat myself over and over again."

"But," Esperanza started, "You are the god of Time, you can repeat yourself over and over again."

Bangun Bangun looked at her, coldly, "Are you trying to make fun of me human?"

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, I will give you tasks. Your first task is to find a certain person in this era."

Esperanza asked, "What? I'm going to find someone in this era? I don't even know people here except Clara."

"Would you just listen first before you open your mouth? This certain person, you know him very well. You've known him for so long ever since you were a child."

'I know him? Ever since I was a child? What?' Esperanza thought.

"You've known his past very well, or rather his history. In fact, he is not just famous in this era but also in your era," Bangun Bangun continued. Esperanza frowned in confusion. "The hero from Calamba. The author of the two famous controversial novels in this era. That should ring a bell to you? The writer of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. He is Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, or also know as------"

Esperanza continued, "Jose Rizal, Philippine's national hero. "

Bangun Bangun said, "I want you to find him. Yesterday was July 17, 1892, do you know what happened yesterday?"

"What happened yesterday? You came and introduced yourself to me. Then you told me I broke the timeline------"

"Okay stop, stop! That's not what I meant. Why I even ask you? July 17, 1892, was the day that Jose Rizal was about to be deported and be exiled in Dapitan. He was supposed to board the ship towards Dapitan but suddenly he disappeared without a trace."

"Isn't him escaping and not being an exiled was a good thing? I mean, he could help the people in this era to revolt," Esperanza said.

"When will you start to think? If he escapes, his future will change, the future of the Philippines will change. Didn't you know, the moment he dies in Bagumbayan as a martyr, he awakens the sleeping souls of the Filipinos. This triggers the eruption of the unification of Filipinos to get away from the clutches of the Spaniards. Without him, history will change, the future will change. And you do not want to know what lies ahead in the future because Jose Rizal was nowhere to be found right now. "

"I---is that really bad? "

"That's why you need to find him. He needs to follow his destiny. He needs to follow what was already written on his history," Bangun Bangun said. "The second task is, you need to find the other clock."

"The other clock?" Esperanza asked.

"Your wristwatch is not the only clock I owned. I actually owned two. I accidentally drop that one you are wearing in the year 2019, which you have it right now. As of the other one, I remember it went missing in this era while I was time traveling."

"Wait----- you can actually control time right. Why make these wristwatches if you, yourself, could manipulate time per se?" she asked.

"That's the mistake I made. I------ I actually wanted to have my own accessories. Then I choose to have these wristwatches as my accessories. And I was not satisfied with that. Thus I put an enchantment, giving it power the same to mine. That's why you can travel from any time you want."

"As for your second tasks," he continued, "I want you to find the person who is currently using the other watch. He, who uses the watch, must be the one who helps Jose Rizal to escape. Because Rizal's life was already written in history, no one would dare to change his history no other than the one who knows Rizal's history, someone who already went to the future and learned Rizal's past, someone who has the watch. "

"So------ where should I find him?"

"That's why I give you that task, to prove your worth. If you complete the task, you can go back to your time using the other watch. If you fail, then be trapped in this era, bawling in despair. Do you want that to happen?" he asked. Esperanza shook her head promptly.

"Then good luck human. The future of the Philippines is on your hands right now. Find Jose Rizal and the user of the other watch, to stop more distortion in the timeline," Bangun Bangun said. He raised his hand and pointed to his left, "Follow this direction and soon you'll meet your guide for this quest."

Esperanza started walking.

"Godspeed, Esperanza Valdez," Bangun Bangun said. Esperanza looked behind and saw Bangun Bangun was no longer an old man but a young boy.

As she followed the path, she soon met her guide. Afterward, they set off to there journey, to the first quest of finding Jose Rizal.