Bowan and His Broken Wings

The darkness was beginning to engulf the earth with the beauty of the night. As the sun goes to sleep, the moon and the stars took their place in the heavens. Talaw watched this transformation with great awe as she sat at the baneng, the edge of a rice field. She just finished planting the bundle of rice, was determined to finish the small plot of rice field due her. She let out a long sigh, not because she was very tired, but listening to the waterfalls at the edge of the field filled her with longing for a quick bath however she knows it's going to be so cold. She wants to dip her bare feet though before she went home. As she neared the waterfalls, she saw a bright light as if a star had come down from heaven to take a bath. She concealed herself on a big rock in front of her. . From there, she saw the most handsome man she had ever seen. His hair golden and wavy, his face is like that of the gods. He was indeed a star, she gasped. She dared not move as she held her breath, afraid that the star might sense her presence. He did. He's a star after all. When she noticed him coming towards her, she ran and ran all the way home.

Not a day goes by that Talaw didn't think of the star however. She saw him in her dreams, in her coffee, in the clouds, in everywhere. She goes to the waterfalls at dusk with the faint hope of seeing him again only to be disappointed since he never showed up.

One gloomy afternoon while Talaw was out for a walk, the wind began to blow stronger, along with a deafeaning thunder. She was startled when the lightning struck the tree in front of her. Then the heavy rain began to fall. Fortunately, she was near a small cave, so she ran there hoping that the rain would stop before nightfall. Suddenly she heard a loud crack that before she could react she heard a loud thudding noise, when she went to see there lay unconscious with a broken wings the star she'd seen before . She tried with all her might to move his body inside the cave and lit a fire to keep him warm. Remembering the shattered wings, she went out to look for it. She's holding the wings when an idea came to her, she took it under a huge boulder and stashed it, covered it so well, so no one will ever find. When the star stirred he saw a beautiful mortal staring down at him and he smiled. He told her his name is Bowan, that due to the heavy rains his wings got leaden he lost his momemtum. He asked her if she saw his wings to which she answered she never saw wings when she found him.

Without his wings, Bowan can't return home so Talaw brought him home to her family as a guest. Years passed by no sign of the wings no matter how he searched, Talaw's family and the whole village helped as well but to no avail. Resigned Bowan accepted his fate, perhaps he's meant to live with the mortals forever. Meanwhile Talaw's love for Bowan grew stronger every day that her father noticed it. He talked to Bowan and asked him if he will take his daughter for a wife which he agreed, with the absence of his wings he might as well start a new life on earth, with whom will he share that with but with his beloved Talaw.

Talaw and Bowan became epitome of a perfectly happy couple in the whole village. They are inseparable, they work together do all things together, you will never see them at apart. In as much as Bowan is happy and contented with his new life something deep inside him is empty. He's after all a Prince with huge responsibility back home too. He misses his frail mother most of all. Talaw caught him staring at the heavens with a great sadness she never noticed before. With a heavy heart she went to retrieve the wings where it was hidden, she'd been so selfish for so long. She found Bowan warming himself up near the fire place. When he looked up he saw with amazement the wings on his wife's hands.

Talaw told him the truth, of how she hid the wings that fateful night. Bowan felt so betrayed. The deceit torn him to pieces but still he loved her and told her so. Nevertheless, he can't stay. His life is with the stars he was born to be. With one lingering kiss he bid her goodbye. He spread his wings and flew back to the heavens.

Talaw stood there watching her life flying further and further away. Indeed stars belong to the heavens, they can't be owned. Perhaps the purest form of love is letting go....