Angevil's Portrait of Portals

Chapter 1. A Loving Sacrifice

A wonderous view of the clear sky could be seen from above a big old tree. The landscape below feels like home. With it's peaceful surroundings covered with green grass and colorful flowers. Fresh water could be seen gushing through a stream and the chirping sound of birds could be heard from a distance. In a hill near the village stood a young girl in white extending her arms in the air as the wind blew freely on her face. She has that perfect view over the hilltop for a lovely painting of her favorite scenery, nature's beauty. In a dream she had a month prior, she recalled seeing a man in a hooded white robe standing beside the big old tree. This tree is known as the 'Narra' tree. It is considered as the national tree of the Philippines. However the man's back was facing her direction so she wasn't able to his face. She then came up with an idea. He added the man in her painting of the big old tree. It was already past lunch time when she finally finished her artwork.
"Diwa!" A voice which came from downhill. It was grandmother.
"Your father was beaten up again because he wasn't able to give his share of food crops. You better pack your things now and hide from those ugly Spaniards!" She said.
"Oh My! Father is in trouble again." I told myself.
I hurriedly went down the hill towards my grandmother, gave my respect by a gesture of 'mano po' in Philippine culture and ran home as fast as I could. As soon as I arrived home, the Spaniards were already gone. I saw my father bursting to tears as he knelt down the ground from outside our home.
"Father, what happened here?" I asked. But he cried even harder before uttering the words..
"Your mother.. They took her."
I couldn't believe what I just heard. I just stared at my father with racing thoughts in my head but I couldn't even say a word. I wanted to run after them and look for my mother but I don't know where to find her. I just noticed how much tears were rolling down my eyes when a soft warm touch wrapped itself around me. It was grandma.
I was about 9 years old at the time when my mother was forcibly taken away because my father didn't have much to offer to those evil Spaniards. My father was once a farmer but since that incident he had gotten very sick due to depression. He soon lost his job. I ended up being raised by my grandmother. I wasn't able to continue my schooling. All I could do to help support my father and grandmother was for me to find a job. Luckily I was hired in a factory with mostly young teenagers working there. I earned so little and got beaten up almost everyday for not having enough energy to finish the job. Months later, I got terrible news from one of my co-workers.
"Diwa, your grandmother came here this morning but she wasn't allowed to enter the premise so she wanted me to let you know.. Your father, he.. He found out where your mother was and tried to get her out of the Church where that demonic priest enslaved her, but sadly he was caught by the guards."
"And then what? Tell me." I panicked.
He wasn't able to continue so I assumed that my father was possibly beaten and locked up in one of the chambers by those cruel Spaniards. He looked at me with watery eyes and at that moment I knew my gut instinct was right.
"Thank you for letting me know." I said.
"What are you planning to do, Diwa?" He whispered.
"I need to get out of here, now. Help me, please." I begged.
"I am sorry, but I just can't." He stuttered through his words.
"I understand. Again, thank you." I answered as I walked away calmly with fierce-looking eyes.
A dramatic scene is all I could think of as a way of escape. The owner of this garments factory is very strict with it's workers. Someone like me cannot just go home unless seriously ill or literally dying. I thought of a plan. I will approach one of the guards and pretend to be having some sort of stomachache so I can excuse myself to take a quick rest. I will then go to the bathroom and jump outside of the window from the 2nd floor. It may sound risky but only my mom and dad is all I could think of at this very moment. I acted out quickly as soon as I went back to my working station after my co-worker informed me about my parents' current situation. It was lights, camera and action. One of the guards approached me when I yelled "Ouch! Aww, It hurts." He asked me what was wrong and I answered I really need to use the toilet now. He agreed but said he is only giving me 5 minutes or else I will get punished. He escorted me upstairs onto the front door of the bathroom. I knew right then and there that I had to make the jump of my life. It was now or never. Time was ticking fast so as soon as I entered the bathroom, I got out of the window and let go. Unfortunately, I broke my left ankle and I suffered some bruises but still I was lucky to be alive. I couldn't even cry out loud because they might hear me. Soon after I heard footsteps coming so I quickly crawled my way to the bushes and hid there for awhile. It was one of the guards. When he got passed me, I acted quickly. I tried my best to get up and drag myself as far as I could to get away from there. I need to go home to my grandmother. I need her to leave the house and go to our relatives in another province, then I will try to save mom and dad. I know it is impossible but I want to make it happen. I knew in my heart that I could.
"Find her! Search her house!" The owner shouted to two of his guards from outside the factory. People passing along the streets heard him and looked around for a suspicious-looking person. I haven't gotten that far because of my broken ankle but at least I am not close enough to be seen until I accidentally bumped into someone while I was in a hurry to get out of the gates of town.
"May I help you?" A man in his early twenties asked. I was shocked so I pushed him away because I thought he was going to get me. He then grabbed me by the hand and said,
"You need help. I am here to help you."
The way he looked at me was very caring and comforting. His eyes were somehow different. It was as if he was not from here but his accent in Filipino was very fluent. He wore a hooded white robe and he walked barefoot. It was different from the clothes that Filipinos usually wear daily. During our time, 'Filipina' a term which refers to women in the Philippines, usually wore a traditional attire which was known as the 'Barot Saya' and for 'Filipino' or men it was called, 'Barong Tagalog'. Our traditional footwear was called 'Bakya'. It originated during the Spanish era in the Philippines for centuries now. For some reason I was speechless. I didn't know how to react and before I could even speak, the man turned around and asked me to lean on his back so he could carry me back home. I agreed and surprisingly he was able to bring me home safely after a 2 kilometer walk. His endurance was indeed unbelievable. I was so shy and curious that I remembered asking him countless times if he was okay. He would always answer, "Do not worry. I am fine." I also asked him how he knew about a shortcut to my house or else he would have walked a mile farther. He replied with a smile, "I have travelled the world in ways you could never imagine." I froze in amazement as he put me down when we reached my house. "Sinag is my name." He added. "I am Diwa." I replied back. My grandmother heard me and quickly ran out of the house. "Wha- What happened to you my dear?" She asked while gently patting my back and noticing my broken ankle. "I escaped from the factory because I wanted to save mom and dad. Let's get out of here quickly, Lola. My boss is already looking for me. Let me.. let me find a way to save mom and dad, but first we need a place to hide before it soon gets dark." I demanded. "How did you escape? Let me  bandage your foot first before anything else. Come on in." She asked. "The man in a hooded white robe saved me. It was Him." I answered as I turned around and pointed at no one. "There was no one there, Diwa. I saw you walking home alone just now." Grandma said. I was shocked in disbelief. Then she added while putting a bandage on my broken ankle, "What you just did was very dangerous. Promise me you will never ever do such an impulsive action again. There will be more consequences for us to deal with because of everything that has happened today." I replied, "Opo, Lola." As a form of respect to our elders, we use the term 'Opo' or 'Yes' before naming them. The word 'Lola' translates to 'Grandma' and 'Lolo' for 'Grandpa'.  Like for example we say, 'Yes, Grandma'. A little while later, grandma then prepared some important things in two separate bags. I just stared at my foot blankly until I heard a gunshot from quite afar. Grandmother and I looked at each other anxiously. "We must hurry." Grandmother said. She then went out and took our female horse which I named, 'Unicorn'. She has been my pet friend ever since I was six. Grandma assisted me outside and we immediately started travelling to one of our relatives in another province. While riding Unicorn, I thought of mom and dad as I looked at the house from behind. When will I ever see them again? Will I be able to save them?