Eternal Promise: Fragments Of Us

SIDAPA

“WHAT an odd one,” I said to myself while staring at a soul that had just arrived moments ago. “It’s too tiny compared to the others,” I noticed, and gave it another stare.

I was briefly distracted when the cold breeze of the wind brushed through my skin. I lifted my head up and realized that the skies were upset, and rain was coming. Libulan told me he would be a little late because he had a fight with his eldest brother, Likabutan.

Yesterday, I promised him that I would show him how and where I sent those souls that already met their end. When Agui witnessed it one time, he was grossed out. He commented that I had the most boring role and job as a God. I didn’t feel upset, but I was not happy either.

I just didn’t feel anything about it.

If I were to be asked, I didn’t hate the idea of living, but death was also not something to be proud of. I just didn’t want any kind of attachment to these two. Because if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to let neither of them slip my hands.

“Am I too late?” I turned my head to the back when I heard Libulan’s voice. He sounded distressed.

“You really showed up,” I joked, and he overreacted as always.

“What?! Because you promised me that you-”

“Yes, yes. I was joking,” I cut him off as I faced him. “You always react to everything, don’t you?” I said.

Libulan became teary eyed. “Do you not like it?” he asked, obviously hurt by what I said.

“I didn’t say that,” I denied, then I threw a question back at him. “What about you?”

Libulan sniffed. “I like spending time with you, though,” he honestly admitted.

?What an unfair attack!」 I exclaimed in my mind.

“You…” I averted my eyes. “You make it sound like you-” I halted and gasped.

?Did I almost say out loud that maybe he liked me?!」 I screamed internally. What the hell was I even thinking?! How could I be such a nerve wracking jerk?!

“Sidapa?” Libulan softly called out when he noticed my petrified state.

“Yes?” I absent-mindedly answered.

“Are you okay? You look like you froze out of nowhere,” he pointed out.

I shook my head violently, to shake the unnecessary thoughts away. “I’m fine,” I reassured, and changed the topic. “Follow me,” I said.

Libulan frowned, and asked, “To where?”

“I’m cutting off some branches tonight. Want to see?” I entized, and he immediately followed suit.

I HAD to cut several branches tonight. Most of them were located at the topmost part of the tree. Since my size was reduced by half, I needed to climb up while Libulan waited underneath.

“Be careful!” Libulan shouted when I was already at the top.

After cutting them off with my machete, I didn’t go down right away. I stayed there for a few seconds as I watched the clouds go darker. Storm was coming.

?Libulan and I should seek some shelter before it gets ugly,」 I thought to myself, and went on my way.

“Libulan, a storm is coming. Do you still want to wait for me?” I asked him the moment I was on the ground again.

He nodded in determination. “Yes. I want to see it happen,” he said.

“Alright?” I sighed, then began. “Can you see these marks that are giving off a very dim glow?” I asked him as I pointed a finger at one of the marks that were etched near the tree’s protruding roots.

“Yes,” he softly uttered, and he went closer to see them better. “There are many of them glowing. Is that bad?” he asked in worry.

“No,” I said. “Five of them died tonight,” I informed, and Libulan was shocked.

“That’s quite a lot,” Libulan said.

I traced the marks with my fingers, breathed out then closed my eyes. “Whenever I do this, I can feel their lifeforce slowly leaving these marks. Anger… Pain… Sorrow… Regret… All of their emotions are mixed up, and these emotions will soon die out when the branch is already cut off,” I explained.

“But your tree is all black. How do you know that you are cutting the right branch, Sidapa?” he asked.

I opened my eyes again, and showed Libulan the branches that I collected earlier. “Look carefully,” I instructed him, and Libulan leaned closer. “Brown rots are starting to grow on the outside of these branches. That’s because these branches are no longer alive. A few moments from now, the souls of the people who died today will come out from these rotten branches.”

“And then what? You send them to their final destinations just like that?” Libulan asked again.

“No,” I replied. “Let’s wait for it and I’ll show you,” I told him, and then I rested my back against the tree.

And so, we both waited for the deceased souls to crawl their way out from their branches. Libulan was curious, but he was trying his best to suppress his excitement. He repeatedly looked up to the tree. Sometimes he would look at me, but would divert his attention to the tree again when our eyes met by accident.

?He is poor at pretending. If I told him that, he’d probably cry,」 I thought to myself, and waited for him to look at me again.

After a while, I noticed some of the branches started to crack. “It’s happening,” I softly uttered, and Libulan immediately closed in.

He was in awe when he witnessed how each branch slowly cracked open, like he was watching an egg hatch. It was a magical moment. As the souls emerged, they glowed. Tonight’s batch had interesting colors.

“Sidapa, why do they have different colors? Is there a reason behind that?” Libulan asked.

“There is,” I said. “Their colors change overtime during the time that they spend in this physical world. Most of the time, it helps me determine where to send them, but there are special cases where you must look carefully to that soul because somewhere in there lies their true color,” I said in a confusing way. As expected, Libulan frowned. Just telling him wouldn’t make him understand. “Give me your hands,” I told him, and he casually stretched out his hands to me. “Cup them together,” I instructed, and he did.

I picked up one of the souls with the use of an invisible force and transported it into Libulan’s cupped hands.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“This one is blue,” Libulan uttered.

“That one belonged to one of the elders of that small village down there,” I said. “He was a great leader and former master of the hunters. His soul is blue because he was a wise man. He was intelligent and lived a noble life. All of his people look up to him like a God and wish to follow his footsteps. Do you think he should be reborn or die peacefully for good?” I asked Libulan.

Libulan was conflicted, but he still gave his opinion. “I think he should be in the afterlife.”