Favored by the Goddess - Stary Writing Academy III

CHAPTER FIVE - The Cursed One

Sinags lived a peaceful life because of the goddess' protection. When someone got sick or injured, they had the bahaghari stones to cure them. However, its power only lasted for a year. The haliya with the goddess' touch must possess it again to re-energize the stone.

For four years, the people of Sinag were left defenseless. The bahaghari stones were worthless. They had nothing to protect them from the disease, injuries, and wrath of nature. Many died of sickness and from the injuries from accidents were left unattended. It was not easy for them to rehabilitate the damages of the typhoons, for example, because many of our tribesmen were not well. 

It was as if the goddess abandoned them. The tribe had no haliya until I was born. 

They treated Bughaw as the cursed one because he was a product of his mother's abandonment that nearly cost the demise of the tribe. Many of the Sinags died and many suffered in the battle with the diseases. 

He was ten when his mother returned to Sinag to visit his grandparents. We used to be close when we were kids because he was the only one who dared to take me outside of my hut and take me on an adventure. He was the only one in our tribe to get an education. 

Until he opposed the mining of bahaghari stone because it would ruin the environment. For the Sinag, they thought he was just jealous and he didn’t want the Sinags to be progressive.

I looked at him from head to foot. He was tall, almost six feet in height. His skin was brown and I knew what his color was all over because I used to see him with fewer clothes in our native Sinag garb. His long hair was neatly tied to his nape. He looked very fit in the white long sleeve polo with a black vest over it and the black pants on his tapered waist. 

 “And why are you wearing the food server’s uniform? Did you get fired from the group who hug trees?” 

Tree hugger. I used to hear Calixto call him that. My husband said that the way of thinking of Bughaw and his group were backward and they didn’t care much about the progress of the tribe. Mining was essential for the world to grow and be more progressive. And the mining of bahaghari stones was the Sinag’s contribution to the world.

He stood up straight. “No. I am still an environmentalist.”

“Is being a wait staff your side gig now?”

“This is the only way I can talk to you,” he said, then looked around with fear in his eyes.

“Why? We are not close.” 

There was bad blood between us after he accused Calixto of unscrupulous things when my husband only wanted to help the tribe. I should be outing him and telling the guards to take him away but for some reason, I couldn’t do that. Even if we don’t see eye-to-eye, deep in my heart, I knew that he was not a bad person and wouldn't harm me. He never did. 

He lowered his voice but it became more grave-sounding. “Sinag is in danger. The people are starting to get sick and the forest is being ruined…”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have time for this, Bughaw. Tell your story to someone who will buy it. You were at the party. You saw that they are sharing the bahaghari stone with the world to help cure more people. My husband is true to his word.”

Calixto told me that the people of Sinag were in good hands. If there was something wrong with the tribe, I am sure he would tell me. Compared to Bughaw who was an outcast and would do anything to get back at us, my husband and the mining company were more trustworthy. 

No, they won’t treat my tribe badly, right?

“Yes, they are sharing the bahaghari stone to the rich and pompous people who can afford it. How about the poor ones? Are they giving those stones for free as you do in Sinag? The poor ones can’t afford it, Hiraya. Is this what the goddess wants?”

“The goddess…. I…” I had no comeback because there was a nagging voice inside me about how my father-in-law treated the wait staff a while ago. He prioritized the rich ones and sold the stone at a high price. “It is expensive to mine the stones, Bughaw. They need to recover the expenses somehow.  And those people have diseases that can’t be cured…”

“I assure you, they have no intention to help out the poor ones. You’ve changed, Hiraya. You’re blinded by the glitzy lights of your life as a rich man’s wife and you have no idea about the plight of your tribesmen?” His teeth gnashed in anger and his hand formed a fist. “So much for being chosen by the goddess.”

I flinched with his insult as if he slapped me. “Of course not. I care a lot about Sinags. I still do what the goddess wants from me...”

“Then you should know that your husband’s family are raking in billions that will only benefit their pockets and will only cure the rich ones, at the expense of Sinag.” I was about to give him a lecture according to my father-in-law’s statement on how business works when he pulled out a phone and played a video. “Watch this.”

I wanted to snob it at first until I saw kids from Sinag as young as eight who were caked with dust and mud. They were carrying a basket full of mining ore of bahaghari stone. When some of them slugged behind, they got hit by the guards with a baton. The children cried but were forced to keep on working. And the elders just looked at them with sadness and fear on their faces. They looked helpless. All they could do was watch because there was nothing they could do against the powerful men.

I took the phone from him and looked at the images intently. “I-Is this real?”