Athena’s P.O.V.
“There you are!” I felt happy and relieved when I saw the gold flag. It was still hanging there, the same way how we left it this morning—as if never been touched. I carefully stepped on the large root, hugged the tree and slowly took the flag from the tree’s branch.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Ang hina naman ng mga Junior students na ‘yon! Hindi nila ito nakita? Masyado ba silang maliit para hindi man lang mapansin itong gold flag? Eh nakasabit lang naman ito sa isang sanga.
Slowly going back to the ground with scattered leaves, I found myself sweating profusely. At first, I wasn’t able to realize that organizing the Annual Camp could be all this tiring. As I checked myself, some beautiful and white amor secos* were already attached to my shoes and pants, so I had to fix myself first before I decided to go back to the camp.
When I reached the corner of my self-made trail, nalito na ako kung kakanan ba ako o kakaliwa. I lost track of pebbles na inilalagay ko sa bawat daang nililikuan ko. In the end, I decided to take the way on the left and just continued to walk.
I glanced at my wristwatch and found that it had already been an hour and yet, I couldn’t find my way out. I always ended being on the same spot. I realized that I always came back to this old tree where I got the gold flag for umpteenth time already. I took a different route and yet, the same thing happened to me. I started getting nervous and deep inside, panic began to eat me. I was eager to do something but I knew that I couldn’t do anything.
Oh my God, am I lost?
I tried another route pero mukhang napunta naman ako sa mas masukal pang parte ng gubat. I wasn’t get easily scared but I must admit, takot ako sa ahas! Sino bang hindi? I became even more nervous when darkness started to spread across the whole place. I stopped myself from imagining things because it would only do me no good, and only God knew how I would be able to survive in this kind of situation.
Wala akong dalang flashlight kaya umasa na lang ako sa ilaw na nagmumula sa cell phone ko. Nakakainis pa na wala man lang signal dito. I tried myself to reach everywhere. I even jumped and climbed from some small tree branches hoping to have even just one bar of signal but to no avail.
Wait! Sabi ni Ate Paula… kapag naliligaw ka raw ay kailangan mo lang baliktarin ang damit mo and you will soon find your way back.
I wandered my eyes to check the surroundings. I guessed, there was no harm in trying. There was no one here other than me so nobody would see me taking off my clothes. Then, I started reversing my blouse and pants.
I was already done reversing my clothes and continued on my mission to get back but still, I didn’t see any signs that I was close to the camp. And with the turn of events, napalitan na ng takot ‘yong kaba na nararamdaman ko lang kanina, nang magsimula pang umulan.
I wasn’t expecting that the rain would be this heavy. Basang-basa na ako pero wala pa rin akong nasisilungan. Nanginginig akong napayakap sa aking sarili. Nangangatog na rin ‘yong mga tuhod ko sa tindi ng lamig. I was clearly trembling in fear. Some people would already get a traumatic experience just by staying here. Pero iniisip ko na lang na mas nakakatakot pa nga ang lahat nang naranasan ko kay Daddy.
“Tulong!” Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili kong sumigaw nang mamatay na ang cell phone ko. It was waterproofed but its battery already went dead. I knew it was impossible, but I was still hoping that someone could actually hear me.
Sobrang lakas ng kulog, sobrang dilim pa ng paligid at ‘yong isipin na wala man lang katao-tao sa lugar kung nasaan ako ngayon ay nakapagpadulot lalo sa akin ng mas matinding takot.
Relax, Athena! You can survive here. You have to survive kahit mag-isa ka lang!
I couldn’t help but imagine that something scary would suddenly appear right in front of me. I couldn’t help but think that the sound of the crickets were already converted into howling of some hovering beasts. In the end, I erased them all in my mind and just prayed—the thing that I avoided to do when Mom died.
Lord, please help me survive this. Sana po ay may makakita sa akin…
“God is great, Helena. Trust me, there is a reason for everything. You may not know it now but eventually… you will.”
I suddenly remembered the person who made me go back to what I was certainly doing before. He made me realize that I should let go and let God take over.
Ano kayang ginagawa niya ngayon? Nag-aalala kaya siya sa’kin dahil hindi pa rin ako nakakabalik sa camp?
I must admit that with all the negative things that happened to me, I should give up the fight and let myself die now. Mommy and Helena were all gone. Si Daddy naman ay hindi pa rin ako matanggap… pinagawan na nga ako ng lapida kahit ako’y buhay pa. In fact, I didn’t have any reasons to live anymore but when I thought of Cristoff, gusto kong lumaban. Gusto kong mabuhay at ma-enjoy pa ang mga sandaling kasama ko siya.
Nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad nang sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon ay sumabit ang isa kong paa sa tingin ko’y nakausling ugat ng malaking puno. Nadapa ako at naramdaman kong nagkaroon ako ng kaunting hiwa at galos sa braso. Nahulog din ang eyeglasses ko pero hindi ko na ‘yon pinagtuunan pa ng atensyon. I could see clearly even without my fake eyeglasses on.
Pinakiramdaman ko ang paligid dahil parang may narinig akong kakaiba. Guni-guni ko lang ba na may tumawag sa akin ng Helena? Na may naghahanap sa akin, pumipito at isinisigaw ang pekeng pangalan ko?
“Ouch!” I tried to stand up but I couldn’t do it. I knew, I got sprain on my left foot. Still not giving up, I decided to crawl kahit alam kong maputik nang may narinig ulit akong sigaw na tila papalapit na sa kinaroroonan ko.
“Helena!” It was a male voice.
I wasn’t only imagining things. I knew it was real, that someone was actually looking for me… that like me who did not give up on myself, someone also took the risk and did not give up to search for me in this kind of dangerous forest.
But is that Cristoff? It was too late for me to realize that it could really be him.
He searched for me? But why did he do that? Hindi ba niya naisip na delikado sa lugar na ito? Pa’no kung siya naman ang mapahamak?
“Helena!” He screamed again followed by a repeating sound of a whistle.
Sa pangalawang sigaw ay napagtanto kong si Cristoff nga talaga ang nagmamay-ari ng boses na iyon. Doon na ako nabuhayan ng loob.
“Cristoff, dito! Nandito ako!” puno ng pag-asang sigaw ko pabalik. Gusto kong maiyak kasi alam kong hindi na ako mag-iisa.
Lord, thank You po for answering my prayer. Sana ay makita niya ako!
After a few minutes, naramdaman kong may mga hakbang na ang paunti-unting lumalapit sa pwesto ko—hanggang sa tuluyan ko na ngang makita si Cristoff.
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Amor seco* (Spanish term for dry love) is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
Alchornea glandulosa—a tree species of the Acalyphoideae.
Bidens pilosa—an annual herb species in the family Asteraceae.
Chrysopogon aciculatus—a grass species.