July 30, 2009

Staring at the mirror, Gerald noticed that his clothes were tattered, it appeared to have been pulled over and over again, his belt now missing. but more importantly he couldn’t remember how he got home yesterday, he was feeling a burning sensation all over his body, he decided to scoff it off as he can’t remember whatsoever. Feeling tired, he decided to skip farm work, and laid down his bed.

“Do you remember now?” asked an unfamiliar kid to Gerald.

“Remember what?” replied Gerald to the kid, who’s back was turned against him, sitting at a fallen trunk.

“Do you remember now?” asked the kid again.

“Do you?”

“Do you?”

The kid’s voice started to get louder.

“Remember Gerald”

“Remember”

Now shrieking,

“REMEMBER, GERALD REMEMBER...REMEMBERRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!”

Frightened of the screaming child, Gerald opened his eyes and quickly took a sit, he was sweating and panting.

‘I must have been tired’ Gerald thought,

It was the afternoon, Gerald quickly took a change and headed to town. Greeted by Liah and the kids wide smile, Gerald felt lighter, it was as if his exhaustion was seeping away, though he was less livelier than usual. He seems to be distracted that’s why Liah couldn’t help but ask,

“Gerald? Are you okay?” Tugging him.

“Ah yes I’m fine” softly replied Gerald , wanting to ease Liah, he faked a smile.

Not convinced by Gerald’s fake smile, Liah persisted,

“You can tell me if something’s bothering you I might be able to help”

Gerald patted Liah’s head and assured her,

“Im really fine, worrywart”

“Ayiiieeeeee” simultaneously said the kids teasing them, Justin even whistled.

Gerald quickly took his hands off Liah and clapped.

“Aight break time’s over!!!, Lets get back to class”

“Ehhhhhhhh??????” grumbled the kids,

Liah sighed then laughed at the scene of the kids running away from Gerald as he persistently catch them, the sound of laughter drowned out the screeching tires of cars, the yelling vendors, and the conversations of people around. Staring at the kids and Gerald’s wide smiles, She thought ‘If only time would stop’.

Indeed if only time could stop.

August 1 2009

Jonathan disappeared…

Concluding the daily class. Hearing about kidnapping cases rising, Gerald had a bad feeling about Jonathan not showing himself at class today. As the sun was already starting to set, Liah and Gerald decided to visit Jonathans home tomorrow. Gerald now waiting at the bus stop, couldn’t shake the bad feeling his getting, so instead of going home, he decided to head back. Just minutes of walking by the slum, he saw a group of kids ganging up on Sam.

“Hey!!!” he yelled, the kids taken aback by Gerald’s scream started to scram.

“Teacher Gerald” sobbed Sam, wiping the broken eggshells on his head.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes….but my mom’s going to kill me…I was supposed to buy an egg for dinner but those older kids…” explained the crying Sam.

Wiping Sam’s head “I see, it’s okay lets go buy some before you head home, okay?..so you can stop crying now” said Gerald comforting the crying Sam, holding hands they went to a nearby store.

“By the way Sam, did you see Jonathan today?”

“No, Sam is not around so those kids picked on me”

“then do you know where Jonathan’s house is?”

“yes, we’re neighbors”

Led by Sam, Gerald questioned Sam’s description of neighbors. Jonathan and Sam’s house were connected, the only thing dividing it, was a really thin wall, so thin you can hear Sam’s mother yelling at him. Gerald, invited inside Jonathan’s house, by one of Jonathans sibling sat on the floor. As their parents was yet to be home Gerald decided to stay for a bit.

“My parents should be on their way now” said the kid.

Gerald nodded and asked “okay…but where is Jonathan?”, Looking around the really tiny house not bigger than the containers found in ships.

The kid shook his head, “We haven’t seen him around, starting from yesterday”

“Aren’t your parents worried?”

“No, not really, He’d often be gone for 3 days that’s why they don’t mind”, said the kid.

But the ugly truth was they don’t care at all, this is the slum, often referred as the factory of kids, they don’t give a damn about a single kid missing, in fact it was one less mouth to feed. They lose one, they make another one, worst they kill them through abortion.

Gerald heard someone shouting, with the door simultaneously slamming. Startled Gerald quickly stood up.

Now eye to eye with a guy in his 40s, Gerald forced the words stuck on his throat.

“Are you perhaps Jonathan’s father?”

Instead of a reply, a fist flew towards his face.

Before making contact, Gerald found himself in a familiar room staring at the wall with his mother’s picture on it. He checked the time and it was already midnight. All of this felt weird but what caught his attention is an unfamiliar yellow colored raincoat hanged by the door reflecting the light. He doesn’t remember having a raincoat before or asking his mom to buy one. Gerald confused with a lot of things going on his mind decided to organize his thoughts.

‘I parted with Liah, met Sam and then…Right!!... Jonathan, I went to Jonathan’s house and met his father after that…after that… shit I really can’t remember’

Gerald yet again scoffed the question about his memory and instead of worrying about himself, he was thinking on how to find Jonathan tomorrow.

“Where are you kid?” he mumbled.

-

August 2 2009

“Kuya Gerald passed out yesterday when uncle punched him, so we dragged him to our house yesterday but when we woke up this morning Kuya is gone” narrated the sobbing Sam.

*”Kuya” a term used for an older brother.

Liah listening to Sam’s story patted his back, comforting him,

“there… there I’m sure your kuya is fine”

Gerald appeared in sync with Liah's words.

“Yup I'm fine, I’m fine…sorry for being late I went to check if Jonathan is home, but unfortunately he isn’t” Gerald sighed. “I’m planning to look for him today as well, so you should stay here and teach the kids” he continued.

“No, I’ll look for him too” said Liah, starting to pack the lesson plan she had made for today.

“I think you should stay here, it wouldn’t be a good idea for you to go that deep at the slum” argued Gerald, remembering the naked fellows with knives and guns tucked in their shorts.

Liah aware of the numerous rape cases around the area, and was unable to retort what Gerald had said, She could only sigh,

“Be sure to contact me when something happens”

“Sure leave it to me, I’ll find Jonathan no matter what”

-

Gerad laid out a detailed map of the slum he purchased at a nearby local store. Encircling narrow passages, unused roads, anything he found suspicious even the abandoned dirty canals. Worried about Jonathan, he couldn’t help but remember a conversation the had,

“Do you think I can become a great policeman” asked Jonathan.

Gerald not wanting the child to be disappointed in the future, he explained the situation to him hoping that Jonathan would not be disheartened,

“lots of money is needed for education, so much that you would need to sacrifice a lot of things and work a lot of jobs to pay for your tuition, but…knowing you Jonathan, I think you’d be a wonderful policeman”

“Well I can work a lot, I have a strong body after all, I… will surely become a policeman” said the determined Jonathan.

Heading to the last place unchecked in the map. Gerald sighed, it was already nearing sunset, But he was still unable to find a clue of Jonathan’s whereabouts’.

“this is the place” he muttered, walking in a really narrow path covered with high walls on both sides.

“Could you spare some change please please” asked an old man, covered with black cellophanes.

Mistaking him for a trash bag, Gerald gasped.

“Please?” continued the old man,

“Sure, but have you seen a this kid?” asked Gerald. Passing a rough picture of Jonathan to the old man.

“Yes I have seen him the other day, since not many people use this path, I saw them head towards that way”

“Really?” asked Gerald yet again, his eyes half closed, obviously doubting the old mans word, ‘he might just be lying for money’ he thought.

“Yes yes…He was a well built kid”

“It might just be Jonathan…wait them?, Was he with someone?”

“Yes...but I didn’t see the other guys face, I just glanced for a bit that’s why… Can I have the change now please” begged the bum.

Gerald took a 50 peso bill and gave it to the old man. Delighted to finally getting a clue he called Liah as he hurriedly walked towards the direction the old man pointed at,

“Hello Liah, I finally found a clue to Jonathans whereabouts”

“Liah?”

The excitement Gerald had, turned to despair when he saw the dense pine trees at the end of the path, followed by Liah’s crying voice on the line.

…

“Gerald, Anica is Missing”