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Alona’s Quest for the Golden Tree
Chapter 24: Not a Fairytale
THE IBONG Adarna was definitely tricky to capture. The bird was gifted with extraordinary power that can turn a dreamer’s faint-hearted resolve into stone.
The bird’s enchanting voice was a double-edged sword; a gift and a curse, a reward and a punishment. The evil-hearted Don Pedro, wanting all the glory for himself, reached the bird’s sanctuary first. Refusing to bear the necessary sacrifice, the Ibong Adarna’s lullabies lulled him into a deep sleep. For his trouble, the bird graciously relieved itself on top of him, turning him into a human statue. Don Diego, unable to learn from his brother’s mistake, met the same fate.
However, Don Juan was wiser. He knew that there was no shortcut to success. Thus, he bravely cut open his palm, endured the pain, used the same blade to cut open calamansi, endured an even more unbearable pain, squeezed the citrusy juices onto the open wound, and spent the night in such agony and pain. He refused to close his eyes. At any rate, the excruciating pain wouldn’t let him.Â
The pain made him impervious to the bird’s magic. When it was the bird’s time to relieve itself, he cunningly ducked, and defended himself against the smelly offensive magic. In the end, his fearlessness won out and the Ibong Adarna allowed itself to be taken. Datu Salermo had found his cure. Suddenly, all hope was not lost.
But that was a fairy tale.Â
Real life was different. Real life was a lot more complicated, and cruel. I realized that now.
Crunch…crunch…
They were coming closer.
Crunch.
Was that normal? To hear the littlest sounds of creaking frogs, clucking crickets, and chippering birds? To hear the minutest sound of breathing and heartbeats? To hear the smallest sounds of breaking twigs? I shivered.
Nay, I invoked, Kuya. Help me.
The footsteps came closer. I could hear big rasping sounds breathing down upon us.
All was lost.
“ALONA! RACHELLE!”
I opened my eyes.
Was I hallucinating? Did I, as a way of clutching at straws, imagined that someone was calling for us?
But I wasn’t.
There were voices. There were sounds of several feet, trampling the forests. There were dogs. They were barking nonstop.
Ate Rachelle opened her eyes too, listening in.
“Where are you? Alona!”
That was Nanay’s voice.
We weren’t the only ones who heard the coming of the search party. It seemed the men had heard it, too. Barely separated by the last remaining defense that was the thin curtain of grasses, we heard them swore. Their voices were so near us.
 “Boss, what are we going to do?”Â
“Isn’t it obvious?” answered the man sarcastically. “We’ll move out.”
“Should we leave this here?”
“Idiot!” growled the other man. “Of course not.”
“How about the other one?”
There was a pause.
“Leave it,” he said finally. “He won’t survive anyway.”
Their muffled footsteps went the other way.
Ate Rachelle and I looked at each other.
WHEN NEGRITA sniffed her way into our hiding place, she found the two of us hugging each other so tightly and crying so uncontrollably, mucus and greenish snout mixing in as we snorted.
We didn’t know why we cried. Maybe, we were too relieved. Maybe, we were too happy. Maybe, we had been too scared.
Negrita went wild with happiness when she finally found me. Launching herself toward me, she licked every part of me she could find.
“Shoo, Negrita. Stop,” I said.
In truth, I was so happy I wanted to launch myself towards my dog too. Except her teeth hurt so I had to say “stop”.
“Mare!” yelled a familiar voice. “They’re here! Come quick!”
People came trampling towards us. It looked like the whole barangay had come to search for us. Nanay was in front of the crowd, hopping along to reach me first. Kuya Maliksi was carrying a torch, accompanied by some of his skinny brave lads.
I sniffed when I saw them.
Nanay was so worried, so angry, that she snatched me the moment she came forward.
“Nay,” I cried.
“Nakung bata ka!” she wailed, pulling me around. To my utter surprise, she slapped me hard, beating every inch of me she could reach. I wailed. “What have you been doing? What possessed you to do this? What?”
She was shivering.
It was the first time that Nanay had hit me this hard. I could feel my body protest against every slap.
Nanay was shivering. She must had been too scared.
I cried, harder than ever.
I didn’t even realize she had stopped slapping me. And now hugging me so tight I thought my ribs would crack. She was crying and laughing and embracing me so tightly.
“Where’s Mama?” inquired Ate Rachel.
I heard Ate Rachel’s inquiring voice, but only vaguely.
“Come here, child.”
That was not her mother’s voice.
“Where’s Mama?” Ate Rachel repeated her question.
“She’s not here. Your mother can’t leave your little brothers,” that was Manong Daluyong’s gentle voice. “Come here. I’ll wrap you in a blanket to keep you warm.”
I hugged my Nanay tighter.
“Mare, there’s something here!” gasped Manang Bebang. “Hesusmaryosep, a body!”
“Is it alive?”
“I think the kids found it!”
 “It’s alive!”
“Mare, there’s a body here!”
But Nanay had no eyes for anyone but me. She pulled me around to inspect my face.
“Are you okay?” she whispered. “Did you eat? Are you hurt somewhere? Oh thank God you’re safe!”
She pulled me closer to kiss my forehead.
“Oh God, you have a fever!”
I wanted to nod. I thought I feel hot, I must be sick. But I cannot. I had lost my consciousness.
It was okay. I was safe now.Â
(c) 2016, Herbel Santiago