Damean's Artistic Self

It was early morning and the light streamed silently through the blinds and jalousies. I murmured something about waking up later. My mind once again plunged into the blissful blanket of sleep.

My sister and I were in the kitchen. We had an ugly fight last night, her attitude was getting the better of me. We sat there not speaking to each other, her elbows rested on the table.

A tiny, translucent gecko crawled on her arm so fast it surprised us both. We shrieked and jumped away from the chairs. Breathing hard, we looked at each other, saying in short gasps, "A - gecko -".

Then we laughed and laughed until our sides hurt. Everything turned hazy, then white.

My lids flew open, still feeling the peace that could only be felt at dawn. I stretched my arms and legs, twisting my body to get the kinks out, and yawned. "I am new in this world. I am free of fear or worry. I am new in this world. I have no burdens nor loads to carry," I said to myself. As I sat beside the bed, I looked in the mirror in front of me. My eyes were puffy from the slumber, hair long and messy. My black eyes peered back at me, and I surveyed the contours of my face, to see if I bloated from last night's feast of potato chips. They looked the same. I stood up and went to the shower to bathe.

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Work was work. Nothing new. My playmates and I used to pretend we're businesswomen, carrying small suitcases and wearing our mom's work clothes. Now I'm doing the real thing. We would walk in those stiletto heels expertly, after only a few tries. My Abby and I. I missed her so. She flew to Asia so she could minister to misguided folks. I never understood her life's mission.

In a month she will bring home with her her new family. I told her not to live there, but she insisted. Now look what happened, she's put a chain around her and the Asian folks she lives with, and threw away the key.

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"ABBY!" I shouted when I saw her among a sea of people in the airport, claiming their baggage. "Alice?" she mouthed. She motioned that she couldn't move across the people who are walking towards the opposite direction she's heading.

"I'll wait for you!!" Then I gestured toward the cafe across the airport. She nodded her head.

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We all sat down in the cafe in a table fit for six. I've already ordered food and drinks for all of them. I wasn't hungry. They look jet-lagged.

"Alice, I want you to meet Jon, Pearl and my husband, Bert," Abby said while pointing to the direction of each person. They had brown skin, lighter than an African's, but dark, nonetheless. I knew it's due to the pale florescent lights overhead. I smiled at them. They all grinned back at me warmly.

Abby turned to their direction, "This is Alice, my oldest friend in history." They said, "Ahhh" "Nice to meet you Ms. Alice." I looked at Abby curiously. Abby gave out a chuckle and touched the hand of the girl named Pearl, who looked to be only thirteen. "Didn't I tell you to call her by her first name?" She said.

The girl reddened, and nodded.

"Well, since we're all acquainted, let's say we have our lunch." I declared. They murmured in agreement.

I looked at Abby. Her "family" seemed so quiet. Maybe they're still tired, or feeling strange to live in a new place. I still can't imagine her making a family with the people she preached to. How did she cope with such a different culture and people?

"Penge ng tubig, Jun." Pearl told Jun, who looked to be her younger brother, in a language I couldn't understand. He nodded and passed her the pitcher of water.

At that moment, I swiveled my head towards Abby. "How was the flight?" I asked. She gulped down her food and took a sip of water. "It rained for a while, we thought it's a typhoon but it stopped after a few minutes."

I wasn't able to listen to the radio that morning. At least they're safe now, I thought. I asked her family their age, about their schooling and if they liked the States. They were all perfectly amiable. When I asked Pearl what she would like to do here, she said, "I want to see kids my age who live here."

"That's her only goal of coming to America, Alice. She wants to make friends with Americans." Abby interjected with a grin.

"Ohh, then you won't have trouble making friends," I replied.

"Yap."

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That night, I talked to Abby on the phone. "...all I'm saying is you should be cautious. I hear people having trouble because their foreign wives want the whole family to migrate here..."

"I don't see that as a problem Alice."

"It doesn't seem to be at first. But a lot of things entail when they're all finally here," I said. I just hoped she'd listen to me.

"Believe it or not I've talked to them about that, there's really nothing to be worried about. We want to live here, not there, and we have no plans of transferring the whole family here," Abby replied.

I went silent.

"Fine, fine..." I said. I hung up.

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The next morning I saw Jun coming out of Abby's house as I crouched down on the porch to get my morning paper. He looked at me and waved. I waved back and went back inside.

One day, Pearl asked me something. "Where's everybody? I've never seen anybody go out of their house except for you." Her eyebrows drew together in question.

"People here leave early, and come home late," I replied.

"But where are the kids?" she asked.

"They're in school." I grinned at her. "That's where you'll soon be when your new mom finishes with the papers."

Her eyes lit up.

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A month had passed and school is starting in a week. Pearl and I were standing on the road. I gave her a friendship ring. I told her to give it to the first person who befriends her. She smiled at me gratefully. She waved, "See you!"

"Good luck!!" Nice kid, I thought.

Jun came out of the house, an iPod on his waist. When he looked up, he saw me and then strangely, he began to wave his hands frantically in the air. I squinted at him, "What's he trying to tell me?"

Suddenly, I heard the roar of an engine as a big truck came rumbling towards me. I didn't know what happened next, but when I came to, I saw Jun's face above mine.

"What happened?" I asked. Then I remembered the accident. I tried to see my body in panic.

"Don't worry, you're alright," Abby soothed me. Pearl stood next to her, and to my right, holding my hand, was my sister.

I recalled what Jun was trying to tell me when I stood there on the street not knowing what's happening. I was getting mad by the minute that he didn't just shout at me to back off from the street because there's a big truck that's gonna tear me to pieces.

I looked at him. "WHY, didn't you just shout at me to get off the road?"

He didn't say anything.

"Alice...." my sister's voice trailed off when my focus turned to her. I looked at her pointedly, which was enough to shut her up.

Everybody seemed surprised at my outburst. I didn't care. I could have lost my life.

"Alice, Jun is a mute." Abby said softly. When I gazed at him, he was shaking, he seemed to be controlling his tears from breaking out. I held out my hand towards him,"I...." I wasn't able to finish my sentence because he turned around and ran from the room.

"I didn't know," I said finally.

"When he saw the truck, he tried to shout but no sound would come out, he usually makes some sounds when he tries to speak, but that time he couldn't. He ran towards you as fast as he could. And jumped towards you, saving you and him from the speeding truck...He..he saved your life Alice." Abby looked at me quietly.

I couldn't help crying.

When I was fully recovered, I decided to make amends with Jun. I bought him an Xbox. I wrapped it myself, and wrote his name on the card and taped it on the gift box.

When I saw him come out the front door again, I called to him, but when he saw that it was me, he turned and walked away swiftly. "Jun, wait!" I exclaimed. But he kept marching briskly. Then he turned a corner. When I reached the corner, he was out of sight. I sighed.

At that moment, I heard a young boy scream, and the honking of horns was so loud it hurt my ears. I stood there aghast. I ran towards the commotion, hoping against hope it's someone else.

When I finally reached the scene, I saw a blue sweater, the same sweater Jun wore when I saw him wave his arms to catch my attention, the day when we both could have gotten into a serious accident.

I knelt down before his body in abject misery. Jun's dead and I could have prevented it from happening. It's all my fault that he's dead. I wailed and wept, covering my face with my arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I repeated over and over. The paramedics came and some of them helped me stand up on my feet. Two of them escorted me to their car. And Jun's body was being checked up on by the paramedics. I watched as they went past my view, Jun's lifeless body surprisingly intact from the hit.

THE BARN

“Mom,” Glenda gave out sobs that could tear anyone’s heart from their strings. “Mom, don’t leave me.” She wept unrelentingly.

Her mother, Denny, lay on a bed of straw in an aging barn, her red curls strewn across it. She lay still and quiet.

Other than the little girl’s cries and the neighing of two horses, the farm was hushed. Glenda wailed as she took her mother’s right hand and placed it on Denny’s chest, where there lay a pendant. Glenda laid her head upon it, wishing that her mother would wake up.

Her cries turned into piteous whimpers as the seconds rolled by, signifying the time her mother had become lifeless. The wind seemed to swirl through the barn windows, bringing in dry leaves that fell on the straw-covered floor.

A voice echoed through the walls.

“Glenda…”

Glenda gasped and looked around, expecting a ghost to appear before her. There was nothing. Fear gripped her and adrenaline rushed through her veins.

The voice came again, calling her name.

“Mom?” she cried, wiping her tears, hoping against hope it was her mother who will take her and keep her safe.

“I’m here, baby.” The voice said, in a tone that’s light as air.

“Mom, where are you?” asked the desperate girl. She stood up and walked towards the entrance to the barn. She peeked. There was nobody outside. A rice field stretched before her, and a few goats chewed on the grass beside a wide-branched tree.

Glenda went back inside, her heart pounding fiercely. She could sense a dark presence in the barn.

Glenda turned around to see a light burning brightly in the gloom. Glenda was bathed in its glow. She took a strong step forward, her eyes fixed on the light. Another step and she could see the outline of a body, an adult body. Glenda was now just a meter away. She saw a very beautiful woman dressed in her mother’s clothes.

“Hi, honey,” the woman offered. Glenda said not a word. “Don’t be afraid. I am your mother.” She smiled and opened her arms wide to welcome the little girl.

“Mommy?” she said. “Mommy!”

Glenda ran into the light and hugged her mother tight. Glenda felt a warmth course through her. The embrace gave her comfort. Sleep overtook Glenda in the arms of her mother. Dreams flowed in her mind, awakening her spirit and bringing her to worlds unknown.

She woke up. Glenda was still in the barn, her forehead on her mother’s hand, which was placed on her chest.