Nostalgic Deception #1: Above The Waves

Kabanata 9

Hestia's POV

I can't remember how we ended up that little talk but the next thing I know was we're already preparing for roaring storm.

"Batten down the hatches!" I heard Caspian's command.

Mabilis na kumilos ang lahat at pumuwesto sa kaniya-kaniyang posisyon. Some men were tying down everything that might probably roll over the ship which might lead to disruption of it's balance. Other men were putting the stuffs away to put them on their safest place where no one could get hurt.

I shifted my eyes towards the rope at the center where men tried to tie down the wooden rum case. It seems like they were having a hard time tying it when the sea began to uproar wilder. Pagilid-gilid na ang barko dahil sa kabilaang paghampas ng dagat dito mula sa kanan at sunod naman sa kaliwa.

Sea felt so mad!

I almost dropped my heart when the ship almost sanked sideways when the wave crushed it so hard. Napalunok na lang ako at hinigpitan ang pagkakahawak sa hagdanan na kinakatayuan ko. Mula dito ay tanaw na tanaw ko ang galit na kalangitan pati ang dagat.

How can an art become this aggressive?

Halos bumaliktad ang sikmura ko dahil sa pag-alon ng dagat na tumatangay sa bapor namin. I sighed before running towards the men who were still having a hard time tying down the wooden rum cages.

"Blimey!" Gulat na sambit ng isa sa mga nagtatali ng cage nang mapansin ako.

"Push the cages!" Utos ko sa mga nasa unahan ng poste.

Kahit nagtataka ay sumunod pa rin sila. I took that as an advantage to pull the cages together.

"I will hold on this post, tie down the cages once I pull them tight." I said in between finding the right angle to pull them.

Isang maling bitaw ko lang sa mga ito ay gugulong lahat ng ito at kakalat ang mga rum sa sahig. Magiging mahirap iyon para sa lahat na kumilos kung mababasa ng husto ang deck.

"Pull them at once, Hestia!" Rinig kong sigaw ni Hulyano mula sa taas na ipinupwesto ang direksyon ng flag para sa hangin.

"Heave ho!" I yelled, sumabay silang lahat sa pagsigaw ko nito. "Tie it now!" I signalled.

They began to tie it down kahit kahihirapan sila sa pagbalanse dulot ng pagbagsak ng bapor mula sa magkabilang gilid.

Next thing I did was to help in ship-shaping. I was about to heave a sigh in success when I found the big waves wildly rushing towards our direction. I lifted my gaze to see Caspian's track, he was on the steering wheel while holding a tool for lookout by his right hand. His jaw moved aggressively when he began to prepare himself for another command. He looked towards me, I nodded at him when I saw a hint of concern on his eyes. I gave him a small smile which he gave me back.

"Turn the ship on the other direction!"

"Bring a spring upon e'r!"

Sabay kaming nagbigay ng hudyat. I was not shocked when he gave a command, he is the captain so he would precisely do that. He was the one shocked with my sudden command, he might not have expected that.

That's what I've thought.

I was wrong. I looked up again to his track, there I found him looking at me with amusement. He was not shocked at all, he was instead proud of me. His eyes were telling me so.

Everyone began to chant as they worked on the captain's command. I almost cussed when the ship slowly turned the direction but the sea roars wilder than minutes ago. Isa na lang! Isang pag-alon na lang ay hahampas na sa buong bapor ang dagat. Pigil-hiningang pinanood ko lamang iyon hanggang sa tuluyang maitapat sa broadside ang bapor kasabay ng pagbagsak ng alon sa karagatan. Doon lang ako nakahinga ng maluwag.

The Captain was great!

I bit my lower lip when the chants began to create louder noise after the waves crushed the sea itself wildly. Galit na galit talaga ang karagatan at ang panahon. The ship began to move peacefully towards the direction it faces. Nanatili akong tahimik at pinagmamasdan ang kalangitan.

Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit kanina lang ay napakaganda ng panahon ngunit tila gusto na nito ngayong sumira ng isla. Funny to think how seasons change that immediately. Sobrang dilim ng kalangitan at wala kahit isang bituin na matatanaw kasabay ng pagkidlat na sinasamahan pa ng malakas na kulog.

I found the men looking at me as soon as I turned down my gaze at them. They were smiling at me as if I did something great to make them proud. Napangiti na lang din ako sa kanila bago ako tumayo. I went straight to Caspian's room when I felt my head aching in pain.

"I-i'm a-afraid,"

"Hold on, baby,"

"M-Mommy, you did it very well, You took away my fear. T-Thank You M-mommy. P-Please go D-daddy's waiting for you,"

My chest began to sting while my head was aching ruthlessly. Was it really just a dream? Why does it feel so real? Am I really that person? Will it really happen? No...

Have it already happened?

It left pain in my chest. Pakiramdam ko ay naubusan ako ng hangin sa sistema at wala akong ibang maramdaman kundi ang pangamba.

Mabilis akong nagtungo sa loob ng silid ni Caspian. Halos kalkalin ko na lahat ng drawer niya para lang makahanap ng gamot o kahit anong painkiller. I found water on his table that I immediately took and drink on. Pinagpatuloy ko ang paghahanap ng gamot nang biglang may nalaglag na papel mula sa pinakasulok na bahagi ng drawer. I took it right away, planning to put it back to the cabinet when a familiar figure caught my eyes from the picture. Sunod-sunod na tumulo ang mga luha ko nang makilala iyon.

Kamukhang-kamukha ko ang babae mula sa litrato habang may hawak na bata.

I eventually felt suffocated, hindi ko na rin maramdaman ang sarili kong katawan. I was about to collapse and give into darkness when I found myself on Caspian's arms. Punong-puno ng pag-aalala at pangamba ang mga mata niyang nakatitig sakin. Tears began to fall from my eyes again as the questions flashed on my mind.

"Who really am I, Caspian?" I whispered before darkness swallowed me completely.