Hora's Punishment

03:00 - Mga Ulila

***

Malamig ang simoy ng hangin, nasa kalagitnaan na kasi ng Disyembre. Abala ang mga kabahayan sa pagdisenyo ng kani-kanilang mga tahanan. Habang nasa kakahuyan ang batang si Simon para mamulot ng mga sangay ng kahoy. Idedesenyo nila kasi ito sa gagawin nilang parol. Isa-isa niyang pinupulot ang magagandang sangay na pilit niya ipinagkakasya sa maliliit niyang kamay.

Hindi maiwasan ni Simon na tumigil sa kanyang ginagawa sa tuwing naaaninag niya ang mga ilaw ng kabahayan mula sa kakahuyan.

Halos isang minuto rin siyang namangha sa tanawin, saka niya binunot mula sa pagkakaipit sa garter ng kanyang shorts ang maliit niyang plastlayt.

Diretso lang ang tingin ng bata sa daan. Dahil lumalalim na ang gabi sinabi niya sa sarili na, "Huling dalawang patpat na lang." At nagpatuloy ulit siya sa paglalakad. Umalingawngaw ang mga tuyong dahon na natatapakan ng kanyang manipis at itim na tsinelas.

Nasasabik na siyang makita ang mga parol na gawa ng kanyang ama na nakasabit sa mga kabahayan. Tagagawa kasi ng parol ang ama ni Simon tuwing kapaskohan. Habang sa ibang araw naman ay nasa Garywill siya, ang pangalan ng factory ng mga kumot sa Maynila. Kaya tuwing Disyembre ay umuuwi ang kanyang ama para magbakasyon. At dahil hindi nagbabakasyon ang gutom ng kanilang pamilya, naisipan ng kanyang ama na gumawa na lang ng mga parol habang bakasyon.

Patuloy sa paghahanap ng magagandang sanga si Simon. Isa na lang at matatapos na siya rito. Diretso pa rin ang kanyang tingin sa daan nang may makita siya kumpol ng dahon na naaaninag ng plaslayt niya.

"Sino kaya nagtambak ng mga dahon na 'yon,” tanong niya sa sarili, "Kitang puro na tuyong dahon ang nandito. Tinambakan pa."

Nilampasan niya lang ang kumpol ng dahon ngunit nagulat siya nang bigla itong kumaluskos. Nung una ay inakala niya na dahil ito sa hangin o kaya ay may maliit na hayop sa ilalim ng mga dahon. Pero nang inilawan niya ito para makasiguro, agad niyang nakita ang itsura ng madungis at nanginginig na mukha ng isang batang babae.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" alingawngaw ng sigaw ni Simon.

"Tay. Tay! TAY!" Mabilis siyang tumakbo pabalik sa kanilang kubo.

Nagising naman ang batang babae dahil sa sigaw ni Simon. Kinusot niya ang kanyang mga mata saka humikab na pagkahaba-haba. Naging mahimbing ata ang tulog niya sa ilalim ng tuyot na mga dahon. Niyakap niya ang kanyang sarili nang dumaan ang malamig na simoy ng hangin. Napakamot din siya ng tiyan nang bigla itong kumalam.

Maya-maya lang ay narinig niya ang maliliit at malalaking yapak ng paa. Sunod na pumikit ang bata saka agad na itinabon sa liwanag ng plaslayt na nakatutok sa kanya ang sugatan na kanang kamay.

***

HORA

"Ano ba nakakasilaw." Hora said groaning while she was trying to open her eyes against the sun rays that beamed through the window when Yvan rolled up the curtain.

Yvan smirked upon seeing the confused Hora.

"Buti naman nagising pa siya," Yvan mumbled as he unlocked the window knobs.

The warm light woke Hora up from her first dream since she arrived in mortal world. Although she heard Yvan, Hora did not respond, instead she brushed her hair with her hands bewildered to the dream. It was as if she was looking at her mirror except that she was inside there too, actually watching the people. Like an invisible being. It was too vivid to comprehend.

She was curious of what happened next after the mortal saw the girl. But as soon as the flashlight reached the girl's face she was woken up by the light of the sun.

Ipinikit ulit ni Hora ang kanyang mga mata. Umaasa siya na baka makatulog siya ulit at maipagpatuloy ang panaghinip. Pero muli siya napadilat nang kumalam ang kanyang sikmura. She rolled her eyes out of frustration. She hated that mortals are gluttons. They have to eat three times a day to live.

Narinig naman ni Yvan ang pagkalam ng tiyan ni Hora, pero hindi niya ito pinansin. Inutusan lang naman kasi siya ni Ysabelle na gisingin si Hora. At dahil hindi niya gusto ang aura ng dalaga, ayaw niya itong gisingin sa normal na paraan o tawagin man lang ang pangalan nito. Kaya naisip niya na buksan ang bintana para pumasok ang ilaw at magising ito. Gaya lang ng ginagawa ng kanyang Ate Ysabelle sa tuwing late siya kung magising para pumasok sa eskwelahan.

Yvan turned his head when he felt Hora walking behind him, wobbling. Hora was rubbing the edges of her eyes searching for a morning star. He stared at her from head to toe. She wasn't wearing inside slippers and was only wearing a piece of dirty, white, silky gown that she had been wearing for three days since he first met her

Yvan winced in antipathy. “What woman wears a nightgown all day? he thought when Hora had walked pass him. Yvan could not care less about the mysterious woman her sister found in the middle of the night. This was not the first time Ysabelle brought someone at home.

There was a time when she brought the kid of her superior at work. There was also the daughter of the old security guard at school. Or the time when she brought a dog because it kept on following her after she gave it food. Ysabelle, his sister was not only hardworking but she's also kindhearted. Masaya naman si Yvan dahil doon pero sana ay matuto rin itong humindi sa mga pabor ng mga kasama niya at iwasan ang mamigay ng pagkain sa mga asong kalye.

"Oh. Miss Hora. Ba't ka bumaba?" pambungad na tanong ni Ysabelle nang makita si Hora. Dumiretso sa naman ref si Yvan para kumuha ng inumin.

"Ihahatid ko na sana 'tong pagkain mo," wika niya habang inaayos ang bandeha ng pagkain para kay Hora.

"Gutom na 'ko," sagot ni Hora sabay himas ng tiyan niya.

Ngunit natigilan ito nang makita ang dilaw na ilaw na nagmumula sa ref nila Ysabelle.

She quickly walked to the refrigerator and pushed Yvan. Sanhi para mabulunan ang binata.

"What the f*ck!" sigaw niya sa gulat.

Nagmamadali namang inabot ni Ysabelle ang hawak-hawak niyang panyo.

"I'm really sorry," she whispered then swiftly seized Hora's shoulder.

"Ito ba yung ref?" tanong ni Hora na may kinang sa mata.

"A-ah. Opo. Oo. Miss Hora," nagdadalawang-isip niyang sagot dahil sa 'di inaasahang asal ni Hora

"Alam mo ba na isa 'to sa paborito kong taguan ng patay na mortal?" masaya niyang pahayag kay Ysabelle. Nanlaki naman ang mata ni Ysabelle sa narinig. Habang natigilan sa ginagawa niya si Yvan.

"A-ano ‘yon, miss Hora?" ani ni Ysabelle na dahan-dahang humakbang palayo kay Hora.

"Ah. May napanood kasi ako dati. Isang mortal pinatay niya ang sarili niyang asawa saka kinat –" hindi na natapos ni Hora ang sasabihin niya dahil mabilis na sinara ni Yvan ang ref saka kinaladkad siya sa upuan ng mesa.

Ysabelle took a deep breath when she heard Hora's answer. In a second, she thought that bringing the goddess home was the end of them. Baka hindi lang diyosa ang inuwi niya kung hindi ay pati si kamatayan. Agad din naman na bumalik sa realidad ang isip ni Ysabelle nang makitang kinakaladkad ng kanyang kapatid ang diyosa.

"Aray ko!" angal ni Hora dahil sa higpit na pagkakahawak ni Yvan sa braso niya.

“There. You sit and eat. Stop spouting nonsen—"

"Yvan!" sigaw ni Ysabelle. Hindi niya talagang intensyon na sigawan ang kapatid. Ayaw niya lang na may masabi itong ikagagalit ni Hora.

"Halika muna. May sasabihin ako sayo," she calmly told Yvan.

They both left the kitchen and went to the living room. Leaving goddess Hora confused to her meal.

"What's wrong?" Yvan immediately asked his sister, "Who is that woman? She's been staying here for three days." He added.

Ysabelle bit and wet her lips. Obviously, it was to think of a lie as an excuse to her brother. She could not casually tell him that Hora is the goddess of time or whatnot. She would sound delusional.

"It's absolutely fine to me as long as you tell me where they from. Kasi ate, you're not the only one living in this house remember? I'm also here." He complained to her.

"Actually," panimula ni Ysabelle nang makaisip na siya ng palusot, "her parents died in an accident f-four months ago. Tapos wala namang mag-aalaga sa kanya kasi nasa England yung mga kamag-anak nila. Kaya napagdesisyunan ko na why not take her." She explained.

"Seriously. Seriously?" he asked in disbelief.

"And now you'll be her what? Her foster parent?" he continued the interrogation.

"N-no. Of course not. I'll only help her to stand by herself. Just let her live here for a few months, maybe? She's like eig-nineteen, she can surely take care of herself when she gets use to it," Ysabelle explained, telling half-truth and half-lie of Hora's story.

Then she looked up to his tall little brother and made an eye to eye contact, this way he wouldn't think that she was lying.

Hora told her that she had to learn about the mortal or else she could never return to Caelestis. Ysabelle was not sure of the word learn that Hora meant. But she was sure that interaction with different people could help Hora learn about them, the mortals.

Yvan sighed when he heard his sister's reason, he scratched the back of his head and said, "Fine. Just don't let me take care of her. You’ve heard what she said, haven’t you? I think she's one of those creep who watch murder documentaries. And I've never seen a woman who doesn't dressed herself properly! She's been wearing the same clothes for three days. Straight," he complained again, it was an indirect demand to his sister to help the girl to dress herself.

The girls in Yvan's age were mostly self-conscious. They wear flashy clothes and dangling, and went to party overnight. Wearing sleeveless shirts, covered with cropped leather jacket, tight shorts and tall heels. There were some who were the artsy type, who wear their clothes according to their taste. Statement shirt with high waisted jeans and branded fashion sneakers. And the normal girls, as what Yvan would label them. They wear decent tees with normal jeans, or sometimes skirt, and old school sneakers.

That's why Hora reminded Yvan about the dork girls in his class. It's not about the thick spectacles, brown oversized shirt and baggy pants they wear. It's their attitude. Because sometimes they would talk about a complicated book, a serial killer documentary, or they became too curious during laboratory to start pretending to be a nerd scientist, and that he often caught them stealing glances to him. All of these was like Hora, except the latter. Not the latter.

Ysabelle patted his brother's back and gave him a hug.

"Thank you for understanding,” she whispered.

Yvan was flustered. It has been a while since the last time his sister hugged him. Ysabelle was a busy body she worked day in and day out to help their uncle, the owner of Maria Castillo University.

Their mother, the late president of the university, left them under the care of their widowed uncle. However, when Ysabelle started working in the university and get stable income they decided to live separately to their uncle.

Buti na lang at mabait ang mga kamag-anak ng magkapatid. Malapit kasi sa isa't isa ang pamilya ng kanilang ina. Kaya kahit maagang nawala ang kanilang ama ay hindi nagkulang sa aruga at pagmamahal ang dalawa.

"I'll be going now," Yvan said.

"Where? You better not party all night," Ysabelle asked, like a mother warning her little son not to wander at night.

Well, basically, Ysabelle was indeed Yvan's mother and he was really wandering at night. Drinking and partying. These habits began just when he reached the legal age, it was last year. Yvan would come home late, partying with his friends.

"I don't know. They just invited me," he answered and dashed to the front door.

Ysabelle couldn't imagine that her once cute little brother is now a frivolous young man and a party addict. She reckoned that he was perhaps pampered too much by their uncle. She peeped outside the window to check if her brother has left. Sinisigurado na hindi nito maririnig ang magiging usapan nila ng diyosa.