Approach of an Otherworldly Person

Yoronea still clearly remembers what happened, and how it happened. Of course, how could she forget something that caused her to have internal wounds? A wound that, even though many years have passed, she still can feel how it stings. - It was only natural for an elementary student, for a kid like me, to wander somewhere with friends. How exciting it is, not knowing where those little feet of yours will bring you, and the important thing is to have someone to be with; not to be alone. But the moment you all have to go home and start saying your goodbyes to each other, you will feel a sudden surge of loneliness, especially for a kid who longed to be part of a group of kids your age, but only to see yourself being left out. Not minding anymore that I am all by myself, on my way home I still couldn't help but slow down as I walked. It was as if there was something heavy on my shoulder, or I was pulling something heavier than me. The moment I arrived at our house, only silent chaos welcomed me. I saw my grandmother crying, and it caused all the people inside the house to stress. A kid like me wouldn’t fully understand what is happening. Still, they tried their best to tell me what happened in a way that my young mind would understand. At that very moment, I finally realized how cruel the world can be. Despite knowing how kind and hardworking my uncle was, my young mind still couldn’t grasp why it needed to happen to him, from all of the people, why him. I was told that while Uncle was on his way home from studying at a vocational school, there was someone outside who was looking forward to his arrival to finally execute the setup made for him. Uncle was getting ready to get that decent job he'd been studying hard for, even though the pay was only enough to feed himself and his daughter. When there was a random guy who asked him if he had a minute, my uncle was a friendly person. He approached the random guy while his guard was down and without thinking that there could be malicious intent behind that person. And at the exact moment that he’s in front of the guy. A private vehicle stopped exactly behind him, enough to force him inside. Uncle was surprised, dumbstruck, like all of the energy in his system had left him with nothing left to even fight back. The guy who talked to him said that they have the authority; they are the authority. Left with no choice but to surrender himself without knowing what was happening. Although, he has no right to know either. There are also witnesses who think that it was like a kidnapping and they’re also saying something, that is; an uncle was forced. But being just some merely normal citizens in this town. We don’t have the power to speak for ourselves or meddle. That will only lead to unknowingly meeting our own end. They took him to a police station and the authorities immediately conducted a body search without showing a search warrant. Of course, no one said anything again, because we didn’t have the power. At that very moment of searching, everyone knows what will happen next. And so, the authorities finally said it; they had found a sum of illegal drugs in my uncle’s belongings and sentenced him to possession of illegal drugs. He’s now facing the penalty of imprisonment for four (4) years. Uncle will be behind bars for years because of something he didn’t have and is not even aware of. Grandmother tried to talk it out with the authorities because it was a huge mistake on the authorities' part, but in a world that we currently live in, without money or fame, you’re powerless. Even against the law that supposedly protects the innocent. Grandmother was told that if we wanted our uncle to be taken out of jail, we needed to bail him out with a fine ranging from ten thousand to fifty thousand. At that moment, they deliberately forced us to admit defeat, because they knew we didn’t have that kind of money. And so, grandmother's choice left now was to cry for her innocent son, who's now behind bars in just the nick of time. I was only left dumbfounded after the entire story, but there’s only one thing that I could think of, and that it was unfair, so unfair. I can’t even understand my feelings. It was something like being betrayed by someone or something that you haven’t seen before, but you already put your faith in. It shattered all the trust and admiration I have for that kind of profession into pieces, tiny pieces, till the wind blew it all away. They left me with a big scar, a scar that even I didn’t know when would be healed. But if I felt like this, how about my aunts and other uncles? They were with my uncle when he was being guided behind bars. The entire house was silent, but it reeked of a disappointed atmosphere, their faces showing visible confusion and sadness. Uncle is really a great guy. Even as a kid, I would not tire of saying that he was not a bad person. You can always ask him for something without him expecting anything in return, and he has a child. A girl younger than me. I don’t have any idea what she’s thinking right now, but she might be really sad. She always clings to her father. They’re basically inseparable. I don’t know what to say; adults don't even know how to say anything. It was clearly a mess. - ‘That wasn’t even the end.’ Yoronea mumbled, recalling something more infuriating, and felt the surge of emotions within. It was a memory that made her lose hope for society. Proving that there’s not even a ray of hope left for the powerless people. The moment Yoronea finally realizes that everyone is a monster of their own. “They just simply devour who’s beyond them. Every lowly being is nothing but just an object for their own growth, a mere prey.” Those memories will be forever engraved on Yoronea’s brain and she even swears to bring them to her deathbed. And if she is ever given a chance to do something for the people who caused all of this, Yoronea will gladly accept it, no matter what the consequences may be. She’s ready to risk everything. They may think that the deed and damage have already been done, but they certainly forgot the price they needed to pay. They will do the same thing repeatedly, as long as they have the power, the position, and the authority; justice will be forever out of reach for the powerless people. “Yoronea, are you done with what you’re doing?” She immediately tilts her head from where the voice came from, leading to her father’s direction near her room door. Yoronea unknowingly gazes at him for a second before answering with a nod. Yoronea was lost again in her thoughts, remembering how her father used to be in the past, a hardworking and dependable father. ‘Being a little kid who was really close to my father, I was really what you call a Daddy’s Girl, but now, I can’t even look at him in the eye.’ Yoronea can’t stop thinking about how she will charge the person who pushed her father into his current state right now, and the person who instilled trauma, making the situation worse. Every one of them will never forget who they are. Because she still clearly remembers what really happened. -