Leyon

V

I opened the door. "Welcome home," said my mother, she lit the fire on the woodstove, and then she looked at me, up and down.

She rushed towards me and held my face, "What happened to you!?"

She said in a louder voice, "I told you not to play anymore with slingshots! Just play luksong-baka or something that is not dangerous"

I and my friends used to play with slingshot everywhere during sunset, but at that time, this day, they decided to play hide and seek, just to trick me, to make fun of me. I should not tell anything about what happened. I'm not a child anymore.

"Your friends made fun of you?" said my mother. Did I say it aloud? Never mind. I should tell her the truth, I hate telling lies, I hate liars, and I don't want to hate myself.

I simply nodded. I grab her right hand and press it on my forehead.

"Sit there in the kitchen and wait for me, We're going to heal you, okay?"

I nodded and walked towards the kitchen. There were different colors and kinds of herbs, crushed leaves, and spices powder on the table.

"What is this, mom?" I asked.

"Uh? that. I'm making a new medicine."

"Why?"

"It's my job. I wanted to cure illnesses."

"Is doing this makes you weak?"

She giggled a little softly and replied, "Helping others won't make you weak, instead it will make you stronger."

"Then you are strong, right? mom?"

"Yes dear, if you say so," she replied. I knew she was smiling.

I sat in the small wooden chair in front of the woodstove. I stare at the hearth. It was dancing; moving sideways, upwards, downwards, and sometimes it turned around. I'm watching a festive dance, the dancers wearing fire dress, I thought.

"Don't stare at it for too long, they will devour you," said my mother, which snapped me back to reality.

"They are dancing."

"They sure do," said my mother simply. "In Agartha, there are lots of dresses and places to dance. I was a dancer back then in Biringan city when I met your father."

"I wanted to go there," I said while putting some small pieces of coal in the fire. "This village is too small."

"Turn around, dear," said my mother. "We will clean your wounds and heal them."

I turned around. She was holding a bucket of water, and a towel with leaves inside.

"Mom, I'm okay, don't worry," I said with a crack smile on the corner of my lips. I felt something watery coming out of my eyes, I'm trying my best to hold it.

The things on my mother's hands fell suddenly, and then she hugged me, gently. I cried on her bosom. I hate it, but I could not hold it any longer.

"They tricked me! They tricked me! I am alone there and I was so scared!" I said, "They said bad things to me and you even though you did nothing to them!" I hugged my mother tightly. My eyes hurt and itchy, tears are bursting out.

My mother patted my head and sang a lullaby. I closed my eyes while tears dripped down on my cheeks, I felt sleepy. My mother was still hugging me but I felt someone, things, others besides us, small and warm wiping a towel on my bruises on my legs, and some of them covering my wounds with the leaves, I thought it hurt but it wasn't. Only my mother, my father, and I live in this house; we don't accept visitors unless there was an occasion. I did not mind them; I did not mind what's happening right now. I feel comfortable on my mother's bosom; I let it all out, my feelings, all of them until I fall asleep.