Chapter 28: A Creation of the Heart
(Erik's POV)
The morning in Plaridel opened peacefully, with people flocking early to the market and the scent of fresh fish already palpable in the air.
For six days, Georgia and I had been living together under one roof, our daily routine of selling goods often filled with conversation and laughter.
However, as I arranged the baskets of tuna and vegetables, I couldn't help but think deeply, still dwelling on the moments I had spoken with Hiyas the previous night regarding my conflict with Hustisya.
The weight of my mission pressed on my chest like a stone, and I longed for answers, for guidance, for anything that would illuminate the path I was treading.
Before we started selling again, I excused myself from Georgia and went to the back of the church, the only place where Hiyas and I could speak privately.
There, I found her sitting under a massive acacia tree, her long hair caressed by the wind. She held a book, her eyes fixed on its pages as if nothing else mattered.
"Hiyas, we need to talk," I said, my voice edged with frustration. "Last night, Hustisya and I faced each other. I tried to stop her, but she only grew angry at my interference. She almost killed the Spaniards! I want to stop her, but I don't want her to resent me. What do you think I should do?"
Hiyas remained silent, her fingers delicately turning a page, her tranquil indifference slicing through my patience like a blade.
"Hiyas, please, listen to me!" I shouted, raising my voice, desperate to get her attention. "Why do you seem so unconcerned about what is happening? You commanded me to save Hustisya and stop her from killing the Spaniards, but you're not helping me! I'm struggling here!"
She still offered no response, her gaze unwavering from the book in her hands. Her inaction frustrated me further, and I couldn't hold back.
"What are you reading, anyway? It seems more important than what I'm telling you!" I declared, my tone heavy with mockery and annoyance.
Finally, she lifted her head and stared into my eyes, the calm depth of her gaze chillingly cold, like ice.
"This book was given to me by Laguna. Its title is The Sorrow of the Flower," she replied, holding the book as if it were a precious treasure. Her voice was soft, yet it carried a weight I couldn't understand.
I was puzzled by the title. "The Sorrow of the Flower? What's so great about that book? What is it even about? Flowers?" I asked, my tone a mix of confusion and impatience.
Hiyas explained gently and calmly. "This story is about people who love each other despite their past wounds, wounds carved by time and tragedy. Laguna gave it to me so I could understand human feelings."
"I have slept for many centuries, Erik, and have lost awareness of the world's events. The truth is, people did not exist before I slept, so I do not know how to interact with you or if I should even value you. I cannot grasp the importance of things outside of my own life," she explained.
"However, I believe I must first learn about the human heart to fully understand them and help you with your missions."
I couldn't see how a book could solve our crisis or how it would help her assist me. "If you want to learn about people, I'm right here to help! But first, tell me how to stop Hustisya! Hiyas, you chose me to be a hero, so you must help me!" I pleaded.
"You don't know how hard this is for me, and I feel like I'm fighting this mission alone!" I added.
Hiyas sighed, but her expression remained unchanged. "What I am doing now is part of my assistance," she stated, speaking with confidence in her plans, though to me, she wasn't being helpful, and I wasn't convinced she was even trying.
"If you don't trust my plan, then tell me—what must I do to make Hustisya stop killing?" she asked.
Her question startled me, and I fell silent for a moment to consider if there was any way to stop Hustisya. I had no idea; truthfully, nothing could stop Hustisya except preventing her from fighting any further. A fight to the death.
Hiyas spoke again, her voice serious and profound. "She is ready to die for what she believes in, so if you cannot stop her before things worsen, Erik, Hustisya might die in the end." She closed the book and stood up.
She came closer to me until our foreheads touched, her eyes gazing into mine as if looking into my soul.
"The people need someone to heal their wounded hearts. Not all battles require you to use force or weapons to win."
Before I could answer, she handed me a necklace made of an unusual stone, which sparkled vividly in the sunlight as if alive.
"Go out with your female friend and eat somewhere after you finish selling," she instructed, her voice cold yet conveying her seriousness.
Confusion flooded my mind. "Huh? Why do I need to eat out with Georgia? And what is this necklace for?" I asked, holding the pendant.
She tapped my head with a thin stick, her voice laced with irritation but also a hint of care.
"Just listen! I know you're overwhelmed by your problems. So, I am ordering you to have fun and spend your earnings to relax."
"That necklace, keep it safe and give it to your friend after your outing. Just think of it as a thank you gift because she's helping you, so it's right that you give her something in return," Hiyas added.
Before I could ask anything more, Georgia suddenly arrived, her voice full of vigor and excitement.
"Erik! The trike is outside; we can start loading the goods now!" she exclaimed, her eyes gleaming as she looked at the baskets of fish.
"Look at all this blue marlin! These will sell for a high price, for sure! But are you certain we can sell them? These fish are expensive!"
I smiled to reassure her. "Yes, just like before. We will sell them, and the important thing is that we'll have good earnings today," I replied, though my mind remained focused on my conversation with Hiyas.
We quickly loaded the fish onto the trike, carefully arranging the baskets to prevent damage. As we prepared, I noticed Georgia's smile; her energy was a ray of sunshine that brightened my morning. Despite the weight of my mission, her presence offered a unique comfort.
After a few hours, we reached the markets in another part of Plaridel. People eagerly bought our goods, our fish quickly selling out due to their quality and price.
I didn't know if we were doing the right thing, but we sold the fish cheaper than those inside the market, so it wasn't surprising that they were gone quickly.
"We sold everything so fast!" Georgia said, her voice bubbling with joy. "But Erik, we didn't save any for the house. What will we cook later?"
"Let's just buy some food for lunch," I replied, following Hiyas's order to have fun. "Come on, after this, let's go somewhere!" I added, surprising her.
"Go somewhere? Where?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.
"You'll see," I said, smiling to hide my nervousness. I couldn't tell her it was Hiyas's command, but deep down, I was thrilled with the plan.
Upon arriving home, we saw Lola Maria sweeping outside. "Lola, let's eat lechon manok (roast chicken)!" I called out, knowing it was Georgia's favorite.
She came inside with a smile that seemed to illuminate the house. While I was preparing the food, I called out to Lolo, who was busy repairing the roof.
"Lolo, come on, let's eat first! The roof can wait!" I said, and he smiled, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
At the table, we shared the lechon manok, pork, and rice, their faces glowing with happiness. Every bite was accompanied by laughter and conversation.
As we ate, Lolo commented, "It's been a long time since we've eaten like this. Sometimes, we only eat twice a day because life is so hard."
"Thank you, Erik, for helping us," Lolo said, his eyes filled with gratitude.
I smiled, my heart warmed by his thanks. "It was nothing, Lolo. If you want pork and chicken, I'll buy them for us every day," I said, which made him happy.
Lolo suddenly mentioned a peanut business. "Someone offered me sacks of peanuts to sell. The profit is good, but unfortunately, I can't afford to buy them," he said, his voice laced with regret.
I quickly reached for my wallet. "How much are the peanuts, Lolo?" I asked, ready to help.
"About ten thousand pesos, including the other supplies," he replied.
I handed him the money. "I'll take care of that, Lolo, so you can start the business," I said with a smile.
Georgia suddenly slammed her hand on the table, her face burning with anger. "Erik, what are you doing again?! Didn't I forbid you from giving us money?!" she yelled, her eyes blazing with annoyance.
I was flustered by her outburst and confused. "But it's for Lolo, for his business," I explained, trying to calm her down.
"I understand Lolo needs money, but I cannot accept you paying for it!" she retorted, her voice thick with frustration. "We don't need you to always give us money just because we allow you to stay here!" she snapped irritably.
"It's not a big deal; I'm giving it willingly," I clarified, hoping to appease her.
She grew even angrier. "If you don't listen, I'll kick you out of the house!" she threatened, her voice sharp.
Lola Maria intervened, her voice calm but authoritative. "Let it go, Georgia. I see Erik's kindness, and the help comes from his heart. But Erik, don't be too generous and give away everything. Sometimes, always giving doesn't help others."
Lola explained that they raised Georgia to be industrious and resourceful. "If you keep giving her things, she might stop working and become lazy," she said, which provoked Georgia's protest.
"Lola, what are you implying?" she exclaimed, blushing with embarrassment.
Lolo, however, praised my diligence. "Georgia is lucky to have a friend like you, Erik," he said.
I felt shy from the compliments. "I'm not that great, Lolo. To be honest, I was losing hope recently, struggling alone in this big town. Thank God I met Georgia, and you accepted me."
"I didn't want to sleep behind the church again. I'm diligent in selling every day because Georgia is with me," I said, smiling at her. "Thank you, Georgia. I promise I'll do everything to help you."
A blush spread across Georgia's cheeks, and she averted her gaze. "Enough of that, just eat!" she barked, turning away to hide her reddening face.
Lolo said, "I hope you take care of our granddaughter for a long time, Erik. She's grumpy, but she's a kind and loyal girl."
"Take care of Georgia, Erik. She's impulsive sometimes," Lolo added, which suddenly angered Georgia.
"Lolo, stop it!" she yelled, her face flaming with shame.
Lola also joined the conversation. "We love our granddaughter very much, so we are entrusting her to you," she said, which only added to Georgia's anger.
"Don't say those strange things to him!" she shouted. "It sounds like you're giving me away to Erik! I'm only allowing him to stay here, and he'll leave any time!"
Lolo asked, "Why, don't you want Erik to stay? He's kind, and a person willing to help is rare. I would prefer it if he stayed here with you."
She flared up in anger. "Erik has his own life! He's helping his family in the province! That's why he's working here!" she yelled. "I can work to support you and Lola; we don't need to rely on him!"
Lola held her back and apologized to Georgia for Lolo's words. "Forgive your Lolo, but this isn't just about money," she said, holding Georgia's hand. "We are old, and we won't be with you forever. You will need someone to stay by your side."
Sadness was visible in Georgia's eyes at her words. "Don't say that! You and Lolo are still strong!" she cried, getting up from her seat and leaving the table. "I'm done; I'm going outside for some air."
A few minutes later, I saw her on the swing under the mango tree, sadness etched on her face, her eyes staring into the distance as she pondered.
After a moment, I approached her, my heart heavy because I knew my friend was troubled. "Georgia, I'm sorry," I said, even though I wasn't sure what I was apologizing for.
When she turned to me, she was startled, her tone still sharp. "Why are you apologizing?" she asked, a hint of haughtiness in her voice.
"I don't know what I did, but I feel like it's my fault you're angry and sad," I replied, bowing my head.
She smiled faintly, though her annoyance remained. "It is your fault! You're too kind! I'm annoyed because you give me so much attention. I'm annoyed because you worry when I go out at night. I'm annoyed because you care about my family!" she shouted, her hands trembling with emotion.
I scratched my head in confusion. "Is that bad?" I asked, trying to understand what she was saying.
"Yes, it's bad!" she retorted, her voice full of exasperation. "Don't you understand? I don't want to get used to your kindness, Erik! I know you won't stay here forever! What will happen when you leave?"
I felt hurt by her words, as if she was implying that I was disturbing her. "Are you sending me away?" I asked, my voice low with sadness.
She was instantly annoyed, and her face flushed further. "I'm not sending you away! What I'm saying is, one day you'll get tired of helping us, you'll be able to leave and go back to the province! I just don't want us to get used to everything you give us!"
I admitted to her, "I really do need to go back for my family, but as long as you need me here, I won't leave you. I'll take care of you, just like Lolo said."
Her cheeks suddenly flushed, as if she were worried, her hands restless. "Are you serious? You'll take care of me?" she asked, her voice trembling, as if she couldn't believe it.
I smiled, my heart filled with determination. "Of course. I'm ready to keep my promise to you," I said.
Georgia fell silent, looking down, covering her mouth to stifle a smile. She turned away to hide her blushing cheeks, but I could see her happy reaction, which reassured me.
"Why do you look shy?" I asked, smiling in curiosity. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Be quiet!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "You shouldn't embarrass a girl like that!"
"Embarrass? Wait, I would never do that to you," I said.
"Are you serious about keeping me company? Because if so, you'll have to live in our house with me," she challenged.
"No problem; we've been living together in this house for weeks," I replied, which surprised her. "We're like family, if you think about it."
"Family?" she whispered softly.
After that, she suddenly jumped up from the swing in surprise. "Stop talking! Don't say embarrassing things anymore!" she yelled, her face burning with shame.
I was confused by her reaction, as if she was angry at me again. "What was embarrassing about what I said? It's true that we live together," I asked, trying to understand her reaction.
I apologized again, my voice humble. I took out a flyer from a restaurant that I had picked up at the market from my pocket.
"Georgia, let's eat here," I said, inviting her while remembering Hiyas's command.
Her eyes widened in curiosity. "Why are you suddenly inviting me to eat out?" she asked, her voice wondering.
I couldn't tell her it was Hiyas's command, so I made up an excuse. "I want to try the food there. It will be my first time eating at that place; come with me," I said, smiling to hide my nervousness.
She looked disappointed, her voice barely audible, but I heard it. "So you're only inviting me because you want to taste the food," she whispered, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I thought you were inviting me on a date."
"If I asked you on a date, would you agree?" I teased, smiling to lighten the mood.
Her cheeks blushed like morning roses. "I'm not easy to get with these things, but if you work hard and convince me, I might agree to go with you!" she retorted, her voice brave but revealing her joy.
"Why are you blushing?" I asked, and she just hit my head with the flyer.
"Don't ask me that!" she yelled, her face flushing even more. "Why aren't you ashamed to ask me out on a date?"
"Why should I be ashamed? We're just going out to eat," I said, confused by her reaction.
I couldn't understand what was embarrassing about eating out; it was normal to dine outside, especially since no one had cooked at home at that time.
"Don't you want to eat out?" I asked, my voice tinged with worry.
"Of course I do!" she replied, her tone defiant. "Because you insisted so much, I'll give in. You've helped my family a lot, so fine, let's just call this a date," she whispered, clearly nervous as she spoke.
Once I had convinced her, I urged her to leave right away, but she protested. "We can't go on a date dressed like this! We need to look presentable, or they won't let us into the mall or restaurant!" she exclaimed, pointing to our casual clothes.
I was confused. "Why not? We have money," I said, but I agreed to change so we could go.
We changed—I put on a polo shirt and jeans, and she wore a simple yellow dress that highlighted her beautiful smile. While she was getting ready, I noticed her nervousness, her fingers fidgeting with the ends of her hair. "Are you okay?" I asked.
"Of course!" she replied, but her smile was tinged with shyness. I couldn't help but smile as I admired her and complimented how nice she looked, so different from her usual appearance as a fish vendor.
She suddenly became grumpy. "Enough with the flattery, let's go, or we'll be late!"
When we arrived at the mall, the lights and noise gave us a burst of energy. We started by roaming the arcade, trying the claw machine. "Erik, get that teddy bear!" Georgia shouted, her voice soaring with excitement.
I failed several times with the claw machine, but when I finally got the bear, she squealed with delight and grabbed my arm. "You're amazing!" she said, and seeing her happy face, as if her smile illuminated the entire arcade center, made me feel lighthearted.
Afterward, we ate ice cream, chatting while sitting down. "You know, in the province, we rarely eat ice cream. I've never tasted this cookies and cream flavor before," I said, which made her laugh.
"Really, Erik? You're so simple!" she said, her voice full of admiration. "But I prefer this mango flavor; the sweetness is perfect."
We rented a spot at the baseball booth, aiming to hit the ball. "You can do it, Georgia!" I shouted as she prepared to throw. When she hit the ball, she jumped for joy and, in her excitement, hugged me.
"I'm so good, right?" she said, but noticing her mistake, she quickly pulled back, blushing. "Oops, sorry, I got carried away!"
I just smiled, even though my heart was beating fast from the surprise. "It's okay, champ," I said, which earned me a playful slap on the shoulder.
We played basketball at a machine and competed against each other. "Erik, let's compete; whoever has more points wins!" she challenged, her voice full of pride.
But when the game ended, I beat her by one point. "That's not fair! Rematch!" she protested with visible annoyance, which made me laugh.
In the afternoon, I suggested we eat at the restaurant where the flyer came from. The place was cozy, with dim lighting on the tables and soft music. As we sat, we entered into a deeper conversation. "What's your favorite food, Erik?" she asked while looking at the menu.
"To be honest, this is my first time eating this kind of food. In the province, we only eat rice and one egg, often with fish or vegetables. So I don't have a favorite food," I admitted shyly.
"Are you serious, Erik? You really need to discover the world!" she said with a smile. "I love kare-kare; the peanut flavor in the sauce is delicious to me!"
We ordered kare-kare, sinigang, and rice, and as we ate, we talked about our dreams. "In the province, I just wanted to help my family rise out of poverty. But now, I feel like I also want to see the world outside the province, just like you said," I shared.
She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "That's a simple but beautiful dream. Me, I want to finish my studies and get a good job."
I suddenly remembered that every afternoon, Georgia would read books in the living room and sometimes write. Perhaps she was that determined to return to her studies. However, education is not free these days, especially with so many expenses.
When we came home from the mall, we brought lechon manok and ensaymada (sweet bread) for Lola and Lolo. "Thank you, children!" Lola said, her smile beaming.
As everyone was resting, I remembered Hiyas's command, so I immediately approached Georgia in the living room and gave her the necklace I received from Hiyas.
"This is for you, a thank you for helping me," I said.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Erik, what is this? It's so beautiful!" she said while holding the necklace. "You didn't have to give me a gift, but... thank you," she added, her voice gentle.
I saw the sparkle in her eyes as she gazed at the necklace, and I couldn't help but smile, seeing how happy it made her. It felt so good to see Georgia happy; I felt as if I had made my siblings happy too.
End of chapter.