Favored by the Goddess - Stary Writing Academy III

CHAPTER SIX - Trouble in Sinag

Hiraya

It was like a TV drama that I usually watch, only it was my own people on the screen. My head swelled with disbelief as I watched my people were treated cruelly, only the video was secretly shot. 

Bughaw’s eyes darkened with seething anger. “Yes. And it is illegal, too. The children of Sinag are forced to work in the mines. This is child labor. When I questioned them about it, they said that they are asking the children to work to help with the building of the stone.”

“C-Calixto didn’t mention that the children must work. They should be playing in the wild or attending school as promised.” My knees turned into jelly. help on the back of the metal chair and slowly sat. It was surreal. The children were trained young to be independent and menial tasks don’t faze them. It was different if their young bodies were forced to work for tasks that were meant for adults. “W-Why are the elders not protesting? They should be protecting the children. My father is the leader of the tribe. He must speak up.”

Righteous and brave, my father, Amang Sinaya won’t allow this kind of abuse to our people, especially to the young kids.

“Those guards have guns. The weapons of the tribe were no match for them. They fired on Tandang Elyong when he tried to protect his grandson from the beating.”

I covered my mouth with my palm and shook my head. No! Tandang Elyong was the elder of the tribe and a respected one at that. Why would the guards of the mine act harshly on him? He was an old man. “I-Is he still alive?”

His shoulder drooped and his eyes became teary because Tandang Elyong was good to him. “He didn’t make it.”

My body was numb all over. A member of their tribe died from a gunshot. That injury can be healed. “The bahaghari stone…. Why didn’t he use  the bahaghari stone..” I made sure that the people of Sinag were still protected from sickness. “For every bahaghari stone that I bless, I am assured that our people will have their own share.”

I had not been home for three years but there were a lot of bahaghari stones created into crafts and jewelry by the mining company. As long as there’s a bahaghari stone,  the people of Sinag would be healed and protected. 

“Our people are forbidden to use it. Even your father had no power in Sinag anymore.”

I touched my throbbing temple. “W-Why didn’t my father tell me about it?” 

My people were dying. They were being enslaved and I was having a grand life away from them. I felt my heart break into pieces. 

“They have no means to contact you. They don’t have a cell phone and they don’t have your number. Your father is afraid that they will also hurt you if he tells you about it. I am his only chance. I can't trust the authorities to check on this. I just took a risk to see you now and inform you what's happening Sinag,” explained Bughaw.

I breathed deeply. “I-I will inform my husband and my father-in-law about it. Calixto loves Sinag. He won’t allow my people to suffer like this. Maybe they don’t know how the mines were run. Maybe it was the idea of the ones who were running the mines in the field.”

“They know it, Hiraya. They are keeping it from you.”  His voice was firm then he pressed his lips together. “I know how the big companies work. They don’t care about the people or environment as long as they earn money from it. This is nothing new.”

“My husband’s family are good people.” 

“Then you should see what these good people did to Sinag.” He smirked and showed me another video. “This is what Sinag looks like now.”

My whole soul was shattered as I watched the next scenes. It was like an apocalypse film. The forest was denuded and the plants were dying. Her lovely mountains were green no more. The land looked dead and desolate.

“They had to cut down trees to give way to the house. They also take away the farm produce and the livestock from the people instead of getting their own supplies. They are cruel. Before it was easy to hunt animals but because of deforestation, the Sinags have to go further from the tribe to look for food.”

The video played on. This time, the people looked frail and some were even coughing. It was a far cry from the healthy and cheerful as they were one with nature.  There were a few of them who had severe burns on their skin.

“Why are the people sick and what happened to their skin?” I asked.

“The environment was not good anymore as an adverse effect of mining. Many got sick and you already know that they can’t use the bahaghari stones.” All I did was nod. He showed the farm area that was once green but it was now covered with mud with an unusual color. “And just last week, the protective barrier of mining tailings gave way. They didn’t observe proper protocol and the toxic from the mines flooded the field. It happened in the morning and they were the ones in the field. They had nothing to eat as well because the fields are contaminated. It would take a long time to recover. It could be ten years or more.”

My eyes widened. “Ten years?”

“It takes a long time for nature to recover when it is abused. The mine tailings are dangerous for the water, the land, and humans. Sinag and its people are dying, Hiraya. You have to help.”

I gulped some air but I felt like I was drowning even if I was not in water. It was not true. The goddess won’t allow it to her people. They were fine. Calixto assured me of that. “What if this is all fabricated just like in the movies?”

Bughaw laughed bitterly but his eyes were teary as if he was frustrated by her demeanor. He waved his hand in dismissal. “Do you think I have time to edit those videos and risk my life just to inform you about it? When was the last time you went home to Sinag to check on them? Or maybe you don’t care about them at all because, hey, you have a cozy life like a princess.”

I clenched my hand. “Don’t judge me. I care about them.”

I felt guilty that I got to travel a lot and enjoy these luxuries while my people were suffering. I never asked to have the life of a princess. I could live a simple life. 

He had no idea how much I begged my husband to take me back to Sinag. If Bughaw only knew how much I missed home.

“You care?” He gave an extremely sarcastic laugh and lightly ran his fingers over his own hair. “I find that so hard to believe. I told you that mining is not good for the tribe. That it will not bring any good to the people and the land. You never listened.”