My Siren's whisper

Siren’s home “In the vastness of the ocean, there exists in the middle of Paseyl Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean is the home of Taurache. They are the guardians of the sea and they are not so pleasing to look at. They resemble a human’s physical appearance but hate humans. They were discovered through diving in the….” “Ana!”, and that scream stopped my attention on the radio. “Would you mind finishing your laundry and stop facing that old damn forsaken radio!”, scolds my sister Selinyani. She was pretty awesome at doing the household chores, and also by shouting at me. “Yuhhh, I'm going!”, I shouted back as I headed towards our lawn where my unfinished laundry is soaked with soap in the basin. “See you there, Lucky One! I am aiming for you on this!” The last words I heard from the radio before I turned it off. Why would anyone dive that trench just to prove fables? “See you there, Stupid Ones!”, I mimicked. I usually listen to the radio every free time, also known as the “No chores Day/Time” and also read the books Tata Amin gave us. These things just take me to a new world I haven’t stomped off my feet before (silly, it’s because it just stays in my imagination). My sister Selinyani and I lived on a remote island here in Susanagi. We don’t know our parents; we are just raised by a man that is not related to us at all and he is called Tata Amin. Selinyani told me that she was only 6 years old and I was 1 year old when Tata Amin just didn’t go home. No one knows where he went. Not even our neighbors. And those who were closest to him on our island chose not to speak about his disappearance at all. We live with a few neighbors who just own a house and a boat. We get our goods on a nearby island, which has to be traveled 3 hours or more depending on the sea’s current, just to get there. We don’t own cellphones as we don’t have even a penny to have one. “Solana, are you sure you don’t want to go to school?”. Here we go again with that rehabilitation center. Selinyani asked me as she gave me my spoon. It’s dinner time with my favorite milkfish. “You go to school, Ani. How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want to?”, I irritably drink my water. “I just wanted you to have a better future... than settling down to this”. She looked around our four-corner home. Our house doesn’t exceed 100 square meters, but it is pretty big for the two of us. It has two bedrooms. And the whole house is made of wood and its window is made of large scales of enormous fishes. My neighbor said that our house is the oldest building that exists here in Susanagi. “What’s wrong with Cabo? She’s still the prettiest now.” I assured her. Cabo is the name of our house. It is named after Tata Amin’s son but we didn’t have a chance to get to know him. I have just told you that our house is named “Cabo”. “Look, you can have better than this.” Silenyani convinced me, ignoring what I have said. I know she’s terrified that I might end up like her. Selinyani was so caught up with the idea of having the life she reads in the newspaper Uncle Danny gives to us every morning. There, written the modern styled building and girls wearing the most extravagant outfit. I know she wants to live up that dream but she was jailed here in Susanagi to raise me. But… “Ani, I am so sorry to disappoint you, but you can not convince me. This is my life now, Ani. This is our life. We’ll bring the best out of it right? ...together, right?” Selinyani is the best sister and guardian. She selfishly dedicates herself to me and to our wellness. But I can not give her the thing she expected me to gain. And that is education. I am now in my 19th year and for me it is too late to enter the hall. I learned to read and write on my own and by the help of the radio and the newspaper. What is there to study? What life will it give me if I haven’t chosen it in the first place? We are still living with just fish and corn. “Yeah right, Ana. I will respect your choice.” Ani sighed, not wanting to make the discussion long, since she knows very well that I will always decline her suggestion. “Ani, can you do the dishes for me? Uncle Beno said I would be coming with him to Tailon River.” I stood up in a hurry and changed my clothes.  Tailon river is located inside the Susanagi and it is fresh water having no sea water mixed in it even at high tide. I remember I would go help him harvest his milkfish and would deliver it to the nearby island. Of course, my commission is a fish, so why not? Ani got alerted and came back to life from staring at nowhere. “Sure! Sure, bring home the biggest one!” she exclaimed. Selinyani the silly. I rode my bicycle off to the Tailon river and along the way I noticed how the waves seemed very angry about how they landed on the mangroves. It’s like wanting to devour the whole island by how it behaves. I’ve seen this scenario many times but I am surprised how it rose this big, even when the calendar said that today’s hour is low tide. I suddenly pull off my bicycle’s brake when there’s a fish braking my way into the big waves. Did I see it right? A fish jumping on land? Like wanting to escape the big ocean. What a creep! I can’t believe what I saw. But I managed to continue maneuvering my bike. When I arrived at Tailon River, I saw Uncle Beno with his son Niko and their two neighbors. I waved at them and they waved back when they noticed I had arrived. As I approached them, the incident that happened earlier wouldn’t disappear in my mind. It’s as if something is running after that silly fish. “Niko, can I talk to you for a second?” I innocently asked him and planned to report what I had seen because it kept bugging into my head. “Yo, sure Ana. What is it?”. A little confused, Niko came after me as we headed to the mango tree near the river. Niko’s my best friend. Ever since we were young, we have been the ones who accompanied each other. We have the same vibes and like the same things. “NIKO! I can’t believe what I just saw when I was heading here!” I almost shouted in his face. I feel excited, nervous and at the same time, the thing just drove me crazy. Niko got perplexed, “Tell it already, Ana”. “I saw a fish walking, and crossed my way.” I seriously said to him. And that leaves Niko went silent for almost a minute. I flinch when Niko laughs hard. Damn this guy! He’s laughing hard and almost loses his sanity while making gestures when he laughs! “Niko, I am not kidding!” I tried convincing him but he just continues laughing like I am a crazy woman not waking up in her dreams. “Yes, you are hahaha.” Niko said to me while he couldn’t stop laughing. I got frustrated with his manner and was about to leave him. He pulled me and made a serious face. But I can see in his eyes that he’s just stopping to laugh again. “Look, Ana. Yes, what you experienced was crazy. And I understand you because I, too, sleepwalk! Oh no, I mean cycling while sleeping Hahaha!” When will this monkey be serious in life? I just nodded. Not wanting to make a fuss about it, thinking maybe I had just overreacted. “Solana, Niko, time to go!” shouted uncle Beno. We headed into the middle of the Tailon River. The river is so calm that it amazingly suppresses the aggressive ocean today. “What’s with the ocean today?” I breathily uttered . Uncle Beno looked at me and smiled while they were pulling off the net from the river. “It’s called regression and it means another island is forming” “Wow, so it happens normally? But the calendar says it’s low tide today.” Uncle became serious. “Yeah, that’s what our discussion was all about before we arrived here. The moon seemed to enter the earth last night. It suddenly became so big and red” His knitted brows made me worry. He seemed to be curious about it too. “Nahh! Solana is just dreaming, Pa. She saw a fish walking today!” Niko laughs and Uncle Beno only smiles. “I hate you” I mouthed towards Niko.