Sari
I do not recall how many days and nights have passed since they took Malikdem away from me.
Since then, I ran back to the tree where we used to meet — Hoping that maybe he was there waiting for me and all of this was just a dream.
But he wasn't.
I was seated there, staring into space when she appeared.
"Kailangan mong kumain. Hindi gugustuhin ni Malikdem makita kang nagkakaganyan."
That brought a fresh batch of tears.
"Kamusta na siya sa langit?"
"Wala siya doon."
My eyes widened and I worried. "Kinuha ba siya ni Sitan? Mabuti siyang tao, Dian Masalanta."
She held my face and for the first time in days I felt better. "Kinuha ni Bathala ang kanyang kaluluwa ngunit pinagpapahinga muna siya. Balang araw siya ay babalik."
I felt happy but it was immediately followed with sadness. "Ako ay taga-lupa na. Maaaring wala na ako sa mundo sa kanyang pagbabalik."
The goddess smiled. "Mahal na mahal ka ni Malikdem... at ng iyong ina."
"Ano ang ibig mong sabihin?"
My mother suddenly appeared and I cried and ran to her arms. "Balang araw, anak. Balang araw."
Dian Masalanta nodded. "Sa ngayon, magpahinga ka muna, Sari."
I vaguely recall my mother singing and healing my broken heart. Then, she turned into a giant, beautiful bird of our kind and took me away and I fell into a deep, deep slumber.
