Archanghel: Tale of the Universe

Chapter 32

“I’m telling you, that kid was possessed!” Those words can be heard all over town.

Liza had gone back home. She dropped out of school because she was having a hard time keeping up with others. Her parents also couldn't keep up with the school fees, thus the decision to send her back home. Now, when she learned that I had already given birth, she went to Lola Isma’s house to take a look at us.

I left Josiah in the bedroom for a brief moment to drink some water. When I came back, Liza was already standing outside the window. His jaws dropped and his eyes were as wide as a saucer. And thus, the screaming started.

“I saw it! You have to believe me. I clearly saw it! That child, he was a demon. He has powers!” She frantically screamed.

She was now making a huge fuss and everyone had gathered in front of Lola Isma’s house. When it looked like no one believed Liza, she went to Janus and held his hand.

“Believe me, Cleo. That child is possessed or he was a demon. That is the only explanation why he had some sort of powers.” Liza insisted.

Janus looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. Liza looked a little bit shaken and she was getting crazy as every minute passed. Irritation bloomed in my heart. How can she say that to a child? Whatever she saw, it was rude to call a child a demon. Especially if both parents are present. She was being disrespectful.

Liza’s mother held her by the elbow and pulled her to her side. She was getting embarrassed about what her daughter was doing. She looked at Lola Isma, Xandriel, and Janus with an apologetic smile. The urge to shout at her daughter was strong but not strong enough to disregard that there were many spectacles around them.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what happened to her. I’m really sorry.” She bowed down slightly to show sincerity and embarrassment. Lola Isma could only nod so the matter would be finished. When Liza and her mother went back to their house, everyone who was circling them started to scatter to go about their day or go back to their homes. The three of us were left in the front yard.

We watched everyone as they dispersed and a looming feeling crawled to my body. Josiah was in my arms all this time. He was silent as if he was also listening to what was unfolding before him. He had his eyes open but because it had just been weeks since his birth, he still couldn’t see things. But his eyes were focusing on something. I held Josiah’s small hand when he tried to reach something midair.

“Janus, I'm scared.”

That is all that I said. I can’t talk back to Liza earlier because I know that she was telling the truth. I saw it too; Josiah reached his hand in the air and a thin thread-like light flowed out of his finger and danced gently in the wind. I had thought that it was just the Archangels giving blessings to our son, but it had to come from the other direction. But Josiah released that light.

Janus put his arms around me and hugged me. He squeezed my shoulder gently to reassure me. A moment later, Josiah cried, making us break the hug. We both went inside the house and Janus asked for Josiah. He said it would be his turn to look after him. I quietly obliged and watched them enter our room.

+++

(1 year after)

Josiah was now a year old. We were attending a mass near the church when he suddenly ran off to somewhere. I tried to follow him but then I lost sight of him. I called for Janus and Lola Isma to ask for help and then we both scouted the area.

“Did you find him?” I asked Janus when we met in front of the church as we talked about it.

“No. You?” I shook my head.

Janus and I waited for Lola Isma to come back from the nearest food stall we had been to earlier. There was no good news when she came back. Dread and worry ate my heart as I thought of what would happen to Josiah and where he could be.

“Josiah! Where are you, dear?” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Janus and I reached the forest-like part at the back of the church. We were just taking our chances. Janus was also shouting for Josiah’s name as he was holding my hand tightly. Where are you, Josiah?

“Son! Where are you? You’re making me worry.” Distress was evident in my voice.

Janus and I reached the middle of the forest. We are surrounded by tall trees. Occasionally, birds fly here and there. I can also see some mosses and some grasses. This place felt creepy for some reason, but the urge to look for Josiah was strong above all else.

“Josiah!”

I was alarmed when Janus called out somewhere. He ran towards it and I quickly followed him. I hadn’t seen Josiah but Janus’ reaction alarmed me. We passed a few trees before we saw it, a dove. It fluttered its wings to take off. The light complimented its white feathers. And just below it, Josiah stood watching the bird fly away. Janus and I sped up to where he was standing. I hugged him tightly, afraid that he would disappear right in front of my eyes.

“Oh, God! Josiah.”

Relief flowed through my body but the slight tremor was still there. My knees almost buckled when I saw him standing there. How did he get here? God knows how scared I was. Scared that I might have never seen my son. I felt Josiah return my hug. After a moment, I looked at him. I scanned my eyes to look for some injuries and scars. And I found none.

“You’re not just a bird.” I heard Janus’ voice behind me.

When I looked up, I saw him staring at the dove who had come back and was flying in the air just above Janus’ head.

I picked up Josiah and carried him in my arms. I stood up and went closer to Janus. He was looking at the dove intently as if he was examining it. So, I looked too. I don’t see anything unusual, aside from its feather, which was unusually white. I don’t see how Janus knew that it was not an ordinary bird.

“Is that a guardian angel?” I asked.

Janus shook his head, “No, it was not a Guardian. It was a holy spirit.” He said that made me confused.

“Holy Spirit? That one of the holy three?” Janus answered me with a nod that sprouted a question in me.

Why is the Holy Spirit in this place?

Josiah pointed to the dove and I looked at him. He was smiling cheerfully and excitedly. He was reaching for the dove and because I was out of it, I almost stumbled when he moved. Luckily, Janus was quick to react.

“Nanay, fwend. Dove. Fwend.” Josiah said.

Janus and I looked at each other. We both didn’t have any idea what was going on and both of us were in confusion and worried. The dove suddenly flew away, leaving some of his feathers on the ground and a strong gush of wind on our faces. Josiah happily fetched the fallen feather and waved it playfully.

“I think we should go back first, Xandriel,” Janus said.

He slid his arms around my waist and led us out of the forest. We just followed the track that we took earlier. But it was still a mystery to me how we still didn’t get lost. All I saw around me was trees and greenery. Maybe because Janus can remember things better than me, or because we were walking in a straight direction, that’s why it was easy to find our way back. Lola Isma was waiting for us at the back door of the church.

“Josiah, thank goodness!” She exclaimed when she saw us near her.

She gets Josiah from my arms and hugs him. “Where did you go? We were so worried about you!” Lola Isma looked at us.

“We should go home first. I think everyone needs some rest,” is all that Janus said.

It made Lola Isma confused and she looked like she had a lot of questions to ask, but she just nodded. We walked home in silence. We were occasionally greeted by people we passed by and we would greet them back with a smile. Aside from that, none of us said anything to each other.

We had a more pressing matter at hand. When we reached the house, Lola Isma gave Josiah to me as she needed to change clothes to cook some food. I let Janus change his clothes first while I looked after Josiah. I can’t let him out of my sight yet.

“Baby, can you answer mommy?” I gently asked Josiah as I smoothed down his hair. He looked at me while waiting for my following question. “Why did you go to that place?”

“Nanay, fwend. Dove fwend.” He repeated what he had said earlier.

Josiah could already speak but his words were slurred and short. After all, he was still one year old. Just one year old. But his fate was already sealed. I may have forgotten, or I choose to forget, the reason for his existence. Why he’s here. I still can’t accept that someday, a day will come when he needs to do something for the universe. He was expected to do something because he was special.

“Josiah, darling, always remember this, okay? You are not abnormal or possessed or whatever people would call you. You are special and that makes you different from everyone else,” I said. Josiah only stared at me as he didn’t understand any word that I said to him.

“I’ll look after him, Xandriel. You should get changed.” Janus said when he got out of our room.

I looked up at him. The corner of my eyes was brimming with tears. I can’t help feeling nervous, worried, and scared. What happened earlier was a reminder of what was ahead for Josiah. I still felt that I couldn’t just let it happen and accept everything.

“Janus, I'm scared,” I confessed.