Hora's Punishment

It all started with a sin. "Ah! Ma! Patay na si Susi!" little Cheila screamed after seeing her lifeless cat, Susi, laying under the dining table. "Teka lang! I'm coming dear!” her mother, Mrs. Gomez responded from their living room. “What’s wrong? Anong si Su – wh-ooh! Sh-e's... dead," Mrs. Gomez said as soon as her eyes caught her daughter sitting on the kitchen's cold floor.  Pagod siya sa buong araw na paglilinis ng bahay, wala kasi sa araw na ‘yon ang kanilang kasambahay dahil araw ng pahinga nito. Nasa trabaho rin naman ang kanyang asawa. Matagal na niyang gustong baguhin ang disenyo ng kanilang sala kaya naisipan niya na simulan na lang itong gawin mag-isa.  She felt a slight contemptuous sorrow for her daughter. She could not feel more compassionate to little Chiela, because she knew the inconvenience of disposing the cat’s remains and expense of buying a new pet to calm her child. "Mom what happened? Is she sick? Healthy naman siya ah. I even fed her properly," Cheila asked while sniffing and nuzzling her nose wet with both tears and snots. "Maybe she ate spoiled food yesterday," her mother replied by shrugging her shoulders. “Maaa! Kawawa naman si Susi!” she said, tugging the hem of her mother's shirt.  Namatay ang pusa hindi dahil sa katandaan nito o sa sakit. Malusog naman ang pusa dahil araw-araw ito kung bantayan at alagaan ng bata. Susi, a four months old cat, is Cheila's little buddy. Regalo ito ng kanyang lola noong nakaraang dalawang buwan para sa kanyang ika-apat na taong kaarawan. Susi died because it simply ran out of time. At ang tanging mga nilalang na makapagsasabi nito ay ang mga taga Caelestis.  The land of Caelestis, where gods, saints, angels, spirits, and other heavenly bodies lives. They are created to accompany the supreme creator, their father. Eons passed after creating his godly family he made humans to roam the lands he created, which Hora claimed to be failures. "Hora, mahal ko?" tawag ng malambing at malumanay na boses. The owner of the voice slowly walked in to the room where Hora, her daughter, was entertaining herself by watching human beings at the death's door.  She has her floor-length cerulean silk houppelande, embroidered with hues of gold and midnight blue patterns of water strokes on her chest. The tone of the lower part of the cloth appears to fade into white. Blending to the color of the opaque white floor. Her waist-length sleeves showcased her beautiful slender arms designed with golden stitches on the edge and to top it all, is her godly beauty. The god was Casada, the goddess of water, queen of the moon, mother of time, beauty, war, love, death, wisdom and all other gods and goddesses above the earth. Gaya ng tubig, siya ay may kalmadong personalidad. Mapagmahal at madaling magpatawad sa kanyang mga anak. Sandali siyang tumigil sa may pintuan para tingnan ang ginagawa ng anak. "Napakaiyakin naman ng batang ‘to. Pusa lang naman ‘yan, hindi mo ikamamatay ang pagkawala ng Susi mo." Rinig niyang sabi nito. She walked closer to the old lady, who was sitting in front her vanity mirror, gracefully and silently.  "Hora, ano na naman ang iyong ginawa?" tanong niya sa malumanay na paraan.  "Naglalaro ako," Hora answered without looking away to her mirror. Napabuntong-hininga si Casada sa kanyang narinig.  "Hora, ilang ulit ko ng sinasabi sa iyo na huwag mong tratuhing laruan ang mga tao," suway ni Casada kay Hora. Gayunpaman, hindi siya nakaramdam ng galit sa naging asal ng anak. Instead of anger she's more worried for Hora.  "Ina, mga tao lang sila. Wala silang kahit anong kakayanan, mga moratl. Sila ang pinaka walang kwentang nilalang na ginawa ni Ama," she replied with her anile croaking voice. She waved her doddering hand then the scenery in the mirror immediately fade away. She faced her mother and transformed to her usual appearance. Hora as goddess of time bears no age like the other gods, except that she has three appearances. They represent the stages of human life. Her figure is of a girl in her spring day of youth lively and free, a woman in her prime strong and independent and an etiolated old woman oblivious and frail.  "Hora, alam mo naman na nandito tayo para protektahan ang mga tao. Mahalin at alagaan mo sila na para mong sariling mga anak," Casada said while softly patting Hora's smooth hair. Sa lahat ng diyos at diyosa sa Caelestis si Hora lang ang ayaw sa mga tao. Hindi niya lubusang maintindihan kung bakit kailangan nilang bantayan at protektahan ang makasalanang mga nilalang na ito.  " Ina," mahinahon niyang wika, "Hindi ko naman pinatay yung pusa, kusa naman talagang naubos ang oras niya sa mundo. Saka pasensya na kung nasayahan ako sa lungkot ni Chiela," sabi ni Hora saka yumuko at sumimangot. Lumuwag naman ang loob ni Casada nang marinig ang pagsisisi ng anak, pero mabilis din itong nawala dahil sa sunod na sinabi ni Hora, "Pero mauubos mamaya ang oras ng kasambahay nila, nasasabik akong masaksihan ang huling sandali ni Manang Laura!" she clasped her hands and her eyes sparkled, exhilarated to see the old lady's flame evanescing to nil. Casada created her own chair from thin air and she sat beside Hora. "Hora, bakit ayaw mo sa mga tao?" tanong ni Casada.  "Digmaan, inggit, poot, pagnanasa, katamaran, at yung iba mamamatay-tao pa. Lahat ng ‘yan ay iilan lang sa ayaw ko sa mga tao. Sila ay makasalanan, hindi basta-basta natututo, ginagawa nila ng paulit-ulit ang mga mali nila sa buhay. Masyado silang emosyonal, nadadala sila agad ng bugso ng damdamin nila. Puro pagmamahal hindi nag-iisip," Inis na sagot ni Hora. Casada already know that Hora will respond the same way she had been answering every time they talk about her hate towards mortals. Hindi mawala sa isip ni Casada na balang araw ay mapupuno na sa kaiintindi ang asawa niyang tagapaglikha sa inaasal ni Hora. She had known that if the moment will come, she can never do anything to save her child. "Pero Hora ang mga tao a—" "Alam ko, mabait at mapagmahal. Nagsasakripisyo sila at kung ano-ano pa. Natural kasi tao sila, siya ring dahilan kung bakit sila makasalanan. Pasensya na Ina, hindi na magbabago ang isip ko, para sa akin katumbas na ng salitang kasamaan ang mga tao." Umarko ang mga labi ni Casada, nakangiti man siya pero sa kaloob-looban ay lubos ang kanyang pagsisisi sa pagpapabaya niya sa anak. "Naiintindihan ko," she uttered, for the nth time she failed to change Hora's heart.  Agad naman siyang tumayo sa kanyang inuupuan at sinabing, "Hora, sana huwag ito maging sanhi ng iyong pagsisisi at kalungkutan." For Hora, goddess Casada was being the kind and worried mother she had always been, that her annual brooding was the same as a human mother constantly fretting her child to not to talk to strangers for his own protection. But she is not a child nor human, she is a goddess, a considerably old goddess who is as ancient as the universe.  "Ah. Punta tayo kay Manang Laura." Hora thought. She looked closely to Laura checking if her end is near.  She squinted her eyes then said, "May isang oras pa naman siya. Hmm…" While scratching underneath her chin. "Balikan kita mamaya Laura,” she added. She waved her hand again, browsing in the mirror to find another entertainment. She kept on browsing and browsing, waving her hands from left to right then right to left. The mirror would show a rabbit eaten by a wolf, but that won't entertain Hora since it's natural cycle. She would find a man stabbed by a murderer, or someone who had committed suicide. They could entertain Hora, but she had seen those death several times. Her hands stopped waving, and suddenly flicked her index finger. The mirror is now reflecting her own image. "Pakitaan mo ko ng bago. Gusto ko yung bata ulit." Utos niya sa salamin. "Tutal si Manang Laura naman papanoorin ko mamaya," dagdag niya. Nagtila kalmadong tubig ang salamin at maya-maya lang ay nagpakita na ulit ito ng mga imahe kay Hora. "Hey! Give me your lunch box!" sigaw ng isang batang lalaki.  "No! It's mine!" pasigaw na sagot ng mas maliit na batang lalaki habang yakap-yakap ang kanyang bag.  "Ibibigay mo sa’kin ‘yang lunch box mo o gusto mo ng suntok?" pagbabanta nito sa maliit at payat na bata. Pero kahit ganun ay inundayan parin niya ito ng mabigat na suntok. Hora scoffed upon seeing what happened, she reckoned the smaller kid's courage was futile. Sa laki pa naman ng diperensya nila sa pangangatawan alam na agad kung sino sa kanila ang uuwing luhaan. Sa huli ay nawalan ng baon ang maliit na batang lalaki, umuwi siyang gutom at sugatan sa pisngi. Naisip ni Hora kung bakit pa sinubukang lumaban ng bata kahit na alam naman nitong masasaktan lang siya. For Hora human lost their reasons every time they have an important thing to protect and sometimes it drives them crazy. For her it was the root of evil.  She leapt through another time. It was when the bully had grown up as a teenager. She wanted to know how an unpleasant kid's future would become. Gusto ni Hora na parusahan ang bata, ngunit wala siyang kakayanan na gawin ito kaya ikasasaya niya kung mabilis na matatapos ang oras ng bata. She was only disappointed when the kid grew up healthy and good looking. Even a goddess like her knows the benefit one could have if they bear good looks than others. "Yvan! Good luck!" a woman shouted. The people in the mirror seemed to in an art expedition. There were several humans in the middle of the room surrounded by the audience. Dala-dala ng binata ang kanyang sketch pad at lapis, kabado siyang umupo sa gilid ng upuan. Maya maya lang ay dumagundong ang buzzer sa loob ng silid bilang hudyat na sila ay magsimula na.  Yvan, the former bully, started to draw. Hora snapped her fingers to skip time. In the end, Yvan did not win the contest. His upset figure extremely pleased Hora's soul. She thought that he deserved to lose and was not good enough to whatever thing he's trying to do in the contest. Human held different competitions, they are hungry to prove that one is better than the other and those who are gifted with talent will only be the one who could bring home the beacon. Despite numbers of mistakes and failures or defeats they still try again until they become exhausted and broken-hearted claiming that one day their hard work would pay-off. For Hora those qualities are what's exasperating about humans. They never realized that everything was predetermined. She was about to change the images when a low voice called her, "Hora." The voice echoed in the room. Hora quickly shot her mirror looking up the translucent ceiling and stand up from her seat. As if the voice is an automatic switch that indicates her entertainment is over. "Ama?" sagot ng diyosa. "Halika,” tipid na sagot ng kanyang ama. Dali-daling inayos ni Hora ang kanyang sarili. Pinlantsa niya ang kanyang palda gamit ang kanyang palad. Tinali ang nakalugay na buhok, at agad na sinarado ang kanyang salamin saka mabilis na tumungo sa silid ng kanyang ama. Pagbukas ng matayog na pinto ng silid ng dakilang diyos ay mapapansin agad ang lawak nito. Inside her father's chamber are mirrors to human world, like Hora's vanity mirror but taller and wider. The chamber looks infinite due to its transparent floor and ceiling. It is bright and warm in the daylight, while dark and cold in the night. In the middle of the chamber is the father god's seat, King Osferion. Where he sits day and night observing his creation. On his right is Queen Casada, unlike him, she prefers to create her own seat and walk outside the chamber to mingle with her children and heavenly bodies. Osferion is wearing his ankle-length, maroon, houppelande with intricate embroidered patterns of the cosmos. He has floor-length, cream white and thick cloak with maroon and gold lines on the edge of the cloth. "Ano po 'yon, Ama?" pabungad na tanong ni Hora. Marahan siyang naglakad papalapit sa trono ng ama. Napatigil siya sa gitna ng kanyang paglalakad nang mahagilap niya si Manang Laura sa isa sa mga salamin sa loob ng kuwarto. Namatay si Manang Laura dahil sa heat stroke, nasa kalagitnaan siya ng kanyang pamamalengke nang bigla siyang atakihin. Hora unconsciously lift one side of her lips upon witnessing the heat attack. Osferion coughed when he noticed Hora's behavior. Napansin naman ito agad ni Hora at mabilis na inangat ang magkabilang gilid ng kanyang puting palda na sutla saka nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. "Hora, ano ang pinagkakaabalahan mo ngayon?" tanong ni Osferion kahit hindi pa man nakakalapit si Hora sa trono. "Nanonood lang naman po sa mga pangyayari sa baba," sagot ni Hora, mas binilisan pa niya ang paglalakad. Muli namang nagtanong si Osferion nang makalapit na siya ng tuluyan. "Narinig ko na ayaw mo parin sa mga tao."  Ngumiti si Hora at napatingin sa sahig sabay hawi ng mga kamay papuntang likod niya bago sumagot sa sarkastikong tono, "Gaya parin ng nakagawian, Ama.” Alam ng diyosa na batid ng ama ang kanyang pagkasuklam sa mga tao. Osferion placed his chin on top of his knuckles. "Bakit mo lubos na kinamumuhian ang mga tao?" he asked. "Ama, hindi mo na kailangan pa na itanong ‘yan," mabilis na sagot ni Hora. "Tinawag niyo po ba ako rito para pagsabihan ulit tungkol sa mga tao?" dagdag niya.  "Hora, nais ko man na pagsabihan ka ulit alam ko na hinding-hindi magbabago ang tingin mo sa kanila."  Hora chuckled. It is the first time Osferion conceded to an argument. Tumayo ang kanyang ama sa trono at naglakad pababa ng hagdan.  "Hora, bilang nakatatanda kong anak nais ko sana na maging halimbawa ka sa iyong mga kapatid na diyos at diyosa. Subalit, paano mo ito magagawa kung ang pangunahing tungkulin mo bilang diyosa ay hindi mo kayang magampanan?" Puno ng lungkot na salita ni Osferion sa kanyang anak. When Osferion created the world, he wasn't pleased to the melancholic darkness of the universe. It was pitch black coat of nothing, so he resulted to adorn it with stars, and planets. Among them is the sun and moon, when he found the Earth sandwiched between the light and dark, he decided to make it the home of the life he created. But he doesn't want them to live eternal, he doesn't want them to feel lonely like he did before he created his wife, the goddess of moon, Casada. That's why he created their first child, the goddess of time, Hora. Napangiti si Osferion nang maalala ang mga panahon na kinatutuwa pa ni Hora ang bawat tao na isinilang sa mundo. "Ama?" pagtawag atensyon ni Hora sa ama na tila sandaling nawala sa kanya ang atensyon. "Hora, hwag mo sana na isipin na kinamumuhian kita. Ang nais ko lang ay maituwid ang iyong kamalian," sagot nito sa seryosong tono. "Oo naman, Ama. Ilang beses na natin it—" "Hora." Osferion interrupted to what Hora was about to say. "Ipapatapon kita sa mundo ng mga mortal,” he firmly announced to Hora.  Nagulantang ang diyosa sa narinin niya. "Ama! Bakit? Alam mo na ayaw ko sa mga tao!" "Oo, alam ko. ‘Yan ang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit ko ‘to gagawin. Nais kong matuto ka na mamuhay gaya nila upang malaman mo kung bakit sila dapat mahalin." He then raised his left hand, shoulder level, and quickly snapped his fingers. Hora was about to protest when a light came in and everything became too radiant that she could not see the throne's seat. The room remained bright as white for a little while, until it stopped but she was no longer in her father-god's chamber. She was in the place where she could only see inside her mirror before.