A Faraway Land Novels & Stories

Siya ay hindi kailanman narinig ng isa pang mundo sa kabilang panig ng Magulong Mountain Range. Gaya ng sinabi niya, lahat ng tao sa kanilang paligid nakabukas ang kanilang paningin sa Banal Farmer at hinintay ang kanyang sagot. Sigh! Ang Banal magsasaka huminga ng malalim at sinabi mabagal, "Ang Wild Desyerto Secret Rehiyon ay isang napaka espesyal na lugar. Ang lupain nito ay napaka laki at ang kabuuan nito ay katumbas ng isang siyam na mga kontinenteng pinagsama- sama. Gayunpaman, ang kapaligiran ay kakilakilabot, at hindi ordinaryong tao ay maaaring nakataguyod makalipas ang naninirahan doon. "

Umandar muli iyon at may patag na daan kung saan ito ay muling bumiyahe. Akala niya kanina ay maliit na isla lamang iyon. Pero habang papalayo sila sa tubig ay malaking lupain ng niyog ang bumungad sa kaniya. Wala siyang ibang nakikita kundi malawak na niyogan.

Si mama ay dito na nanirahan sa Pilipinas dahil dito rin naman si papa. Bilang lang ang punta ko sa Tennessee. I don't know how someone can live just by looking at the farmland! May mga alaga si Lola na kambing, manok, baka, at mga kabayo. May mga tanim din. Kapag naroroon ako, puro kain at tulog lang ako palagi. I don't enjoy being on farmland! “Mama, mas mabuting pilitin niyo si Lola. Mas magandang dito siya kasi matututukan ang kalagayan niya. Kumpara sa state na ang layo tapos malayo pa ang hospital sa farmland.”

Baka pa ito na mismo ang magtaboy sa kanya palayo. She decided to move faraway. Hindi na sapat ang layo niya so she thought she’ll find a place na hindi sakop ng impluwensya nito. It was an exhausting journey for her and her growing child. Marami rin siyang lugar na tinigilan but everything felt like there was someone after her. Hanggang sa makarating siya sa Ormoc at makilala si Rita, the woman who was a runaway like her, who chose to rebel against her family and choose her passion over anything else.

Nakamasid siya sa may labas. Makikita ang malawak na karagatan na pumapalibot sa isla. Ang Euphoria ay tila isang hiwalay na mundo. Isang paraisong hindi kailanman mahahanap ng mga taong walang sapat na kapangyarihan upang makarating dito. Tahimik niyang pinagmasdan ang alon ng dagat.

Those fucking trouble-makers are nothing but a bunch of bullies and cowards, preying on innocent villagers. After the expanse of rich farmland, hues of burned shacks behind the thick clouds of smoke are visible from the village portal. Nalibot na niya ang buong isla noong una siyang dumating dito. Isa ang nayon na ito na nagpamangha sa kaniya at ang mga tanawing iniingatan ng kalikasan sa parteng ito ng lupain. The green land rolls like it is an extension of the sea, the sky, and space in between them. As if the place is enclosed of a horizon through the edges. Branches of open landscapes are all natural that human hands cannot imitate.

Happy memories was filled with darkness, laughter was replaced by suffering and the smile was replaced by strange sadness. "T-Theo, don't stay away please. Don't leave me, I need you. I can't fight if you're not by my side. I beg you my love. Don't be like this. You said, you will stay by my side and you will not walk away from me like the others. But what happened? Why did you stay away from me? Why did you leave me? Why --- When I already love you, when I already believe in you, when I'm used to your presence then you just leave me and stay away as if nothing happened? You even broke your promise. Why Theo? W-Why? Why!"

"Mag-iingat ka rin, okay? Tumawag ka lang sa akin kapag may problema." Nagdikit ang mga kilay niya at muling natawa. "Do you even have signals there?" patuya niyang tanong. "Mama said, you're going to a faraway and hidden hacienda and ranch. Usually, the area of the land is near the sea or after, center or end of countless mountains." "Okay lang 'yon... Lumaki naman tayo sa village where life was very simple."

Lumabas na ang mga bata sa loob ng palumpong at nagkanya-kanya ng upo sa batuhan para mas lalo siyang panoorin. "See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me And no one knows how far it goes If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me One day I'll know If I go, there's just no telling how far I'll go I know everybody on this island seems so happy on this island Everything is by design I know everybody on this island has a role on this island So maybe I can roll with mine"

nakangiting sambit nito. "Does your palace too far away?" tanong niya rito ng hindi ito tinitignan, tumango naman ito. "Yeah!, we are in the middle of the mountain, far from the civilization. The empire looks like a big town." Tumahimik nalang ulit sya.