Fallen Angel

In A Very, Very Long Time

CHAPTER 10

“IN A VERY, VERY LONG TIME”

I had purchased a small home upon a hill, where I was greeted by trees rather than the town itself. Old Madrid. Who knew what hermit lived here but I was completely satisfied that I had finally moved away after living what seems to be three full lives of a mortal in a nameless village full of thieves and poverty.

The home was a two-floor building with a majestic marble fountain at the center of it, a fountain with an angel as centerpiece, holding a pot of water. If you went to the second floor, there were holes on the wall that crept up to the roof that could serve as a ladder. And as I sat on the roof, I could see the entire village as if it were a humongous painting in front of me.

There were three large towers circling the town, one of which blocked my view of what seems to be a big church. Little houses that resembled mine were scattered around the area and there were merchant stands on the streets. It beckoned me to come near it and just explore it.

Looking at the beguiling view was enough to make my home seem like an empty canvas. And I had grown tired of exploring such small space, as I always had back in the olden village I used to roam about. So, I set foot on damp soil and got on my steed, Hermes.

The town looked better up close, I must say. But the people were no different from ones where I came from, peasants. From the moment I got to approach the homes, I could see the ragged clothes already, I could see the dirt on their faces, and how they roamed around trying to trade what they have to others. However, there were some that seemed to relax at the status and just chatter about with their peers. The streets were too small and the lots crowded with houses.

But when I got to the town square, I could see where they had reserved beauty for. There were plants and flowers aligned around the streets, with merchants scattered, around as people started to fill the church up, yelling what they sold and how much they would cost, which they intend are cheaper than the other ones. I could see foreign objects being sold other than food and clothing, but I saw an abundant amount of bitter water, or as the Englishmen call it, “chocolate”, which I adored the taste of, despite the name. So then, I decided to take a look at what they call is “The Home of God Almighty”, that is the church.

I joined the crowd—never have I seen in my life, so much people in one place!—that went towards the humongous building, as a bell chimed from overhead. And from the moment I stepped inside, I could see my vision of such temple was completely wrong. I pictured it to be a palace filled with portraits and statues of angels on white walls, with beautiful music that is similar to the Cherubs’ singing, like how heaven is supposed to look like, with the beautiful clouds and bluish environment without the land. But so much of it had not looked like where the Lord resided.

It was a cemented building with a vast space filled with wooden benches to which instead of sitting on, people kneeled in front of. There were portraits of Jesus everywhere, from the stages of which he went through in his life in the mortal world, and in front was an altar where an old man who is dressed black stood, reading a thick book written the word “Biblia” on the front. This must be the priest, I thought to myself.

And throughout the gathering, the priest spoke in powerful words of his admiration of God, and how much sin this world has done to dishonor Him. Part of his sermon was true, yes, and indeed people were moved, and nobody dared speak amidst the priest’s sermon, not even a child of many words could speak at the ceremony. And when the long ritual was done, after the giving of bread, after the drinking of wine, after the sermon, after the reading of the Bible, everyone had left with Holy Water sprayed on their bodies.

The sun was about to set, but I was still determined to seeing more of this city before I leave to the comforts of my new home until I saw this group of men, merchants of something I would never expect. And I was a witness when a man of proper clothing exchanged a bag of gold to one of the merchants. A mischievous smile crept up the face of the merchant as he commanded on of his men to unfold the merchandise from the cloth that has been hiding it.

It was a cage, a rusty old cage with a very vast space enough to contain five horses than what it sold. The cage was being carried by two steeds that seemed to have just stopped from their journey to appease this well-dressed man of wealth. And inside that cage, oh my blood boiled—a woman!

She was trembling, and her eyes the only white in her dirty skin. She crawled backwards to the farthest corner, away from the men, and they all laughed at her little display of struggle. She seemed so thin, and as if these men treated her like an animal, not even bothering to feed her enough to fill her up. Her legs were weak. The only thing that covered her was torn cloth, which she held against her chest to keep it from falling and revealing the rest of her bare body. She seemed so innocent…

A stray tear fell from her swollen eyes and just that single action brought me to a halt.

“Stop!” I yelled impulsively, that even I myself did not utter it.

They all seemed shock at my sudden appearance that one even looked terrified. It seemed now that their little exchange is not a secret. And I sort of panicked as well for I didn’t know what I was doing. And then I thought of a better idea to keep her from being treated like this.

“I will buy her,” I said.

“I am sorry, my friend, but I am afraid you are far too late.” the rich man said, with a confident smile.

“Then I will give a much higher price.”

“Higher?! Are you joking?” the merchant jumped up in surprise.

“I bought her for two-hundred pesos; you are just wasting your time.”

I gave out my hand to the merchants, all the money enough to save the poor lady from them a heavy bundle to carry. “Five-hundred pesos,” I said with confidence.

“Dios mio! That is so much money!”

“I shall take her,” I went up close to the cage, “Now,”

Once the exchange had been done, the wealthy old man tried to negotiate, but failed to buy her again, “But she is the finest you have!”

“Sí, and the finest payment is what we’ll get.”

The man continued on to yelling at the now rich merchants, as they counted my gold, not paying attention to the his blabber.

I gave my hand out as the cage was opened. The woman refused to go near, still trembling from fear of what horror she will face now. But I didn’t think that she will ever get the treatment she had before, not anymore.

“Do not worry, seniorita. You are in good hands now.” I assured her, and that was the first time she looked straight to me.

The men weren’t lying when they said she was the finest they have, because no doubt with that face was there any other women that compared to her beauty. I couldn’t let these malicious men lay their hands on her anymore; I just couldn’t bear the thought of her like that. Poor girl.

It took a while that we stared at each other, her glowering brown eyes staring at my blue ones, pondering what I had said. She has never heard of that kind of kindness in a very long time, that she actually took my hand. Her slender fingers were like silk, despite her sufferings, and she looked more magnificent up close, as she kept her gaze at me, still amazed at what I had done, or perhaps of what my complexion looked like. Never has she ever seen an angel up close after a long time of torment, never has she expected that, but I knew she had a hint.

I put her on my horse, making sure to guide her not to fall, and when I got onto my steed, she wrapped her arms around me as tight as saying “Do not leave me”.

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A/N:

Flashback from when Gabriel was still in Spain in 1755. Didn't expect that did ya? And why the sudden flashback, you may ask? Find out on the next chapter ^^