Make a wish

Manuel Kagura's P.O.V

“A-AHHHH!” I shouted and woke up briefly, then I took a series of deep breaths because of that dream. Jezz. What was that dream all about? Gosh! It gave me chills. I got off my bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Then I went downstairs and went to the table for breakfast…

When I got there, I noticed that mama was gone. Maybe she went to work early so that she can take a break early. But good thing, mama had left me some fried rice, dried fish, and milk, so I immediately ate it. I enjoy eating this combination of foods as these are my comfort foods, also this is too Filipino…After I took my breakfast, I hurried to run to school so that I wouldn’t be late……

…

While we were taking up our recess earlier, mama asked my professor for permission to pick me up and excuse me for my next classes that has been granted, so now we are walking to Memorial Park where papa’s grave is located. Mama and I are always here whenever papa’s death anniversary comes. As always, when mama visits papa’s grave, she’s silent and anytime the tears that she’s holding back will fall. So some ideas strike in my brain to change this sad atmosphere of us.

“Mom, I have another performance this coming March and if the Dean and judges love my performance, I will be the one to compete in The Clash of Schools: Singing Competition. Isn’t it fun, ma?” I said excitedly to change our atmosphere. But I think I failed to do that…

“A-Ahm yes son, I’m excited. I hope you will win,” Mama said while smiling – but you can feel the heavy aura that makes me feel sad. “When your papa was still alive, he always participated in singing contests and won,” mama said while smiling bitterly. “You know, son, it's a good thing that you inherited your voice from your papa. If you inherit mine, you will be like a frog that blared in the rain,” mama said while laughing. But even if you see her laughing. You can sea the tears forming in her eyes. Hays, I think I just exacerbated the atmosphere between us. 

Then she suddenly cried, so I embraced her and said, “Ma! We’re not at the grave yet, don’t cry.“ Mom just wiped her tears that made me feel so sad. You know, to see the person who gave birth and took care of you crying like this and the one thing that you could have done was hug her, felt me so nonsense – but I have to be strong so that mama has a son to hold on in every hard situation like this…

After that scene, we continued to walk and when we arrived at papa’s grave, mama laid out a picnic cloth and started lighting a candle at papa’s grave, then started to talk…

“Hello hon, your son and I are already here. Oh, isn’t he big enough to be a whale? Just kidding pa. What I mean is, isn’t he a big boy now? You know pa, your son sang very well like you and it’s a good thing he didn’t inherit my beautiful voice, because if he had inherited it, there’s a chance that you would wake up there when he sings,“ Mama said while sounding so happy, but the truth was, she was crying while saying those words in front of papa’s grave and I felt her pain. That made my tears drop – but I just wiped them quickly.

“Hon, you left us so early,” Mama said tearfully, “it’s hard to accept. Wow, the pain is still there. There’s too much pain and suffering in me, so sometimes I just wish I won’t asked you to get us married, “ Mama stammered, so I just tapped her shoulder, “I wish you’re still with us. It’s my fault for your death! If I don't force you to get us married, We still have you,“ Mama said while crying and made me cry too. This is her again – trying to blame herself for papa’s death. I hope one day she can move on, so that no one will be hurt. I also felt suffering when I saw my mother crying. So I finally embraced her tightly to calm her.

When that scene ended, mama and I just talked and chatted for a long time. We even talked about how I was messed up when I was performing for family day when I was still in Grade 10. It’s funny, because when my voice cracked that day, I felt so bad – but instead of mama being ashamed, she just laughed at me and clapped, so the feeling faded and I continued the show. As a performer, the show must just go on even if I messed up. Wait! Don’t judge me. I have an explanation; I had a cold with phlegm at that time. I shouldn’t have performed, but mama forced me to do so.

When we finished talking at papa’s grave, Mama told me that she would take me to her and papa’s favorite place. Gosh! Imagine nineteen years of my existence in the world. I wouldn’t know that place except for today.

We are currently traveling to Minalin, Pampanga, because there we can see the church that was my papa and mama’s favorite place, and their wedding also took place in that place. Ahhh, that’s why mama will only take me on a tour of that place today, as she still remembers what happened at her and papa’s wedding.

We were now inside the church. We were walking to the third row of the church’s chairs and when we reached the third row, we just sat and then mama suddenly spoke.

“Son, do you know…” mom started to speak.

“I was so flattered and happy that day.” Mama’s reference to their wedding day.

“I was happy back then. I even asked for God’s guidance to guide us in building our dream family,” Mama recalled of the events that made her resentment at ease, “when your dad’s driver suddenly ran into the church and announced that he was hit by a truck while your dad was fixing the wheel of his car. The truck allegedly lost control and collided with the vehicle that your dad and his driver were fixing. At the same time, your dad was dragged away. Luckily, when the driver was there, your dad pushed him to avoid hitting the loose-controlled truck, but, even though his driver was saved, your dad died.” She said while reminiscing about papa's death, then again the tears started to form in her eyes…

Mama suddenly knelt on kneeler in front of the chair so I did it too… “You know son, that day I blamed God, because He took your dad from me so early – but when I found out I was pregnant and you were in my womb, I repented and realized that I should be the one who blamed with, not God, as if I hadn’t asked your dad to marry me, we probably wouldn’t lost him,” mama said and couldn’t hold her tears, then started to drop. So I embraced and caresses her to calm her and mind and heart. When she calmed down, she freed herself from my embrace and wipe out all her tears then started to spoke again. “We also came here to ask for God’s forgiveness and ask for His guidance. Remember son, no matter how hard you go through, just pray and surrender all of your pain to God," mama said and gave me a very sweet smile. That made me do it also. Then we closed our eyes and pray fervently.

A few minutes later, we got up after we prayed, then mama walked to the back of the church, so I just followed her.

“Mom, where are we going?” I asked mama. “In the place where I asked your dad to marry me,” Mama said, so I kept quiet and just followed her.

A few moments later, we came to a place where we could see a wishing well, with a statue of a woman with a blindfold, holding a sword in her left hand and holding a weighing scale in her right hand. It also has a four step rock-ladder of a fountain that spits water. There are also fish swimming here. I think they are goldfish, but I’m just wondering why they call these fish gold fish even though their color was orange. Just kidding.

“Son, do you know that me and your papa always wish here every time we came here, and miraculously all our wishes came true, just like when we asked for a child and here you are, and when I wished to get us married – the next day, your dad suddenly proposed to me,” mama said while smiling at me. That’s why she said earlier that she hoped she didn’t ask papa to marry her. Then mama continued to speak…

“If I could just wish to live with your papa again, I would have done it a long time ago – but it’s a sin against God and I’m too selfish to ask for that,” mama said bitterly. Then she grabbed a coin in her pocket and threw it into the wishing well, after that mama closed her eyes and prayed…When mama opened her eyes, she gave me a five-pesos coin and said, “It’s your turn, son.” 

So I grabbed it and closed my eyes and tossed the coin, then wished that Mommy could find a new lover so that she wouldn’t get hurt and move on, and I also tried to wish that I could be reincarnated and given at least a very weak power, so I could be like the ones I watch in isekai anime. There’s nothing wrong with me asking for something impossible, right? 

After I wished, me and mom walked and left the church happily and rode a jeepney to go home after that…

We came home late, as we went to the market and by our basic needs at home after we went to Minalin, and now, mama has just finished cooking, so I am preparing the plates for our table. After I prepared everything, we started to eat.

While eating, mama suddenly asked. “So son, what did you wish for earlier?” Mama asked me curiously. “It’s a secret,” I said while laughing so hard, then mama started pouting.

“Jezzz, you look like a horse, everything you pout like that,” I said while laughing so hard and then…”Ouch, ma! Ouch! You’re going to cut off my ear! Ouch, ma!" I shouted because of the pain that I felt when she squeezed my ear.

“Hays, you're so bad Manuel,” she said while pouting. So I resisted my urge to laugh and just focused on my food…When we finished talking and eating, I went up to the bedroom. Then, as usual, I did my night routines.

When I hopped into my bed, I prayed fervently and lay down in bed afterwards. Then I closed my eyes, but I suddenly thought of my dream yesterday. What does that dream want to convey? Hays, maybe I got those dreams from my addiction to cell phones and too much time watching anime. I tried to sleep so I closed my eyes until I fell asleep……

THE LIFE AND DEATH HOLDER’S LIFE WILL CLAIM.” 

“Kali! Guia! Run! “…

“AND THE CLIMATE WILL GO ROUGH.”

“The sky is turning red, we have to leave.”…

 “BLOOD CONTAMINATES THE WATER.”

  

Protect the Tears of Water Deus no matter what happens!”…

 “DESPERATION WILL BE THE SMELL OF WIND.”

  

“You have all gone down to the ground! Estados de Brisa Unidos is falling! “

 “THE HARVESTRY OF LIFE WILL BE IN DESTRUCTION YER.”

  

“Don’t let the soldiers of the Dark Continent set foot in the kingdom of Soberania das Terras! Protect our land! “

 “UNKINDLED THE FLAME AND BREAK THE SINNERS BIN.”

  

“Execute the King of the Reino do Fogo!”

“DARKNESS WILL SUCKS THE LIGHTS.”

“We will surrender to you.” The King of Casa de Luz said…”

“N-NO!” I screamed and quickly got up from lying down. Who are they? Why was there a massacre? Who’s Kali? Who’s Guia? Why do I dream of them?