The Truth Berries

XXV

       Miguel was seated at the porch of his father’s house, sipping his second cup of brewed rice coffee when the mute woman came from the town proper. She was struggling with her heavy basket filled with rice, meat and spices. Miguel rushed to help her at the bottom of the wrecked stairs.

       Did you sleep well?

       He never studied sign language but he learned and understood every word the woman tried to say with her two hands.

       “Yes I did. I haven’t sleep well for quite some time.”

       The woman gave him a thumbs-up.

       I’m sorry about the current state of the house. I really tried but I can’t take care of it as good as before. You know, old age starting to creep up.

      Miguel kindly smiled at her.

       “It still looks good. If I were left to take care of such place all alone, you probably won’t see it standing anymore.”

       The woman smiled shyly.

       I had some help occasionally. When it comes to stuffs I can’t handle myself, I always call Bernie to do it for me.

       “But how do you pay him?”

       Oh, don’t you worry about that. I keep some of the money I get from selling bananas and other root crops. I got a lot of that here.

       “Yeah, I can see that. I’m sorry for letting you take all the burden for so many years when you’re all by yourself.”

       Don’t mind me. Come, we have a lot of catching up to do. You can talk about everything as I prepare our dinner. I bet you miss my stewed veggies with chicken soup.

       Miguel carried her basket to the house before he went back to his seat and his coffee. Then he noticed that Inday kept looking at him as she emptied her basket.

       “What’s wrong, Inday?”

       She hesitated for a full minute.

       I heard about Nadia. I’m so sorry.

       Miguel bit his lip. Then he nodded silently.

       “I didn’t do it, Inday. I never can.”

       She gave him a motherly look then she took his hands.

        I know you didn’t. You weren’t raised to be that kind of man.

        Miguel kept his head bowed down and his tears fell silently. A couple of them made its way to his half-empty cup of coffee. She patted his right shoulder before leaving him with his coffee. She went inside the house to start preparing their dinner. The light was just starting to fade when he heard the first cicada sing its rhythmic song. It did not take long for the singular bug to grow into hundreds and their grinding orchestra pierced the silence of the looming darkness. Inday went out of the house with a dried coconut husk smoking furiously. The dried fibers of the husk crackled and popped from the fire inside it. Tiny embers of fire flew dangerously out of it, only to disappear after a few seconds. Within a minute, the surrounding of the house was covered with the smoke. Miguel’s eyes grew more watery and he coughed slightly. The mute woman laughed.

       For the mosquitoes. They are quite a nuisance at these hours.

       The stew was ready by the time he finished his coffee. The woman peered out and summoned him inside. They feasted on their special dinner and Miguel had two servings of rice. When they were done, the woman stood up to clean the plates but he asked her to remain seated for a short while.

       “I dreamed about Nadia a little while ago.”

        He stopped but the woman urged him to go on.

       “In my dream, she looked so beautiful and . . . happy. She said she wanted me to keep on living and to move on. I asked her how but she just smiled and touched my cheeks. I asked her who did that to her but she told me to let things as they are.”

       The woman just listened to him. She kept on rubbing her hands but she seemed to be lost at words at that moment.

       “But you know I can’t let that happen. I can’t let that man wander freely on the streets, right?”

      She nodded.

       “Then she cried softly as she hugged me and she slowly turned away. I grabbed her hands, it still felt warm and soft against mine, but she shook her head and asked me to let her go. I begged her to stay, Inday, and I was on my knees, but she said she had to go. I was crying like a child, was holding on to her like I was holding for my own dear life, but my hands went through hers suddenly. It was like she just turned into thin air, but she didn’t. She was still there in front of me. I tried to run after her as she slowly drifted away, but no matter how hard I tried, the farther she drifted. Until finally, she disappeared into thin white smoke. But her last words echoed in my dream and I still find it hard to believe she was already gone now.”

       Time heals all kinds of wounds, Mikoy.

       “Yes, but old wounds shall only give birth to newer ones as long he is still out there.”

       There are some things that are beyond our own decisions. Thus, no matter what we do in our power to avoid or prevent it, all of it would be for naught at the end. All is according to the plan of the Greater Entity.

        “I know that. But why me? Why Nadia and I? I have done nothing but try to keep all the bad men to where they should belong. Nadia did not do them any harm either. So was it some random plan of that damn Greater Entity?”

        You know I can’t answer that.

       Miguel found himself blaming the wrong person so he apologized to her. She wiped a tear on her cheek and told her to be strong. Miguel went out and sat on the chair outside. He took out his pack of cigarettes and lit one, gradually blowing out the smoke into the ceiling. Then he called Inday and asked if she happened to have a piece of paper and a pen. The woman came out with both of it and she asked him what he intended to do with it.

       “I’m making a list of the things I will need in my new operation. Can you try to get all of them for me tomorrow?”

       I will do my best, Sir.

       She followed it with a mock salute and that made them both laugh. It eased the tension in the air for quite some time before his face turned stonily serious again.

       So what’s the plan now?

       Miguel straightened up and looked at her dead serious.

       “I’m going to give them my own brand of justice. The kind of justice that this system cannot give to Nadia and me. They might kill me, but I’m making sure not until I kill his true murderer.”