Ugly Queen of All
By: Harold Jay Enad
"The world is created fairly, just, and right by God's willing hand. We can't please everyone to call us beautiful or delightful. Robin Williams said once, "If you are ugly; you are ugly – stop talking about inner beauty because we don't walk around with X-rays, and Never pick a fight with an ugly person; they've got nothing to lose."
Once upon a time. There was a young curly blacked hair cute little girl living in the middle of the dark forest. The forest before are full of bounty, mythical creatures, and fruits that is visible before. Beautiful spot of crystal-clear curtained waterfalls and lots of fresh delicious fruits to eat. Rainbows can see out of the blue, birds flying beautifully undisturbed, and land animals are free to run and live.
One day, a girl who is 8 years old. She already can manage to cook and to do the household chores at the very young age named "Marivic". She was very cheerful; obedient to her grandmother and grandfather where she lived with them. Her parents are still alive but can't take good care of her, so her grandparents decided to bring her to the forest as where they use to live.
On the precociously of foggy cold moistening morning. Marivic's grandfather Egliserio woke up early as well as Marivic for she was going to prepare her grandfather's penetration and things to bring on their corn field. After she have done packing all her grandfather's needs, she gives it to him smilingly cheerful as her grandfather rub off her head.
"Goodbye grandpa." Marivic energetically waving with matching smile. As her grandpa wave back next to his good granddaughter.
Over the sharply shining sunny day. Marivic starting to play with her wooden doll wearing the greenish-yellow peel of the corn. She was enjoying her time with her doll under the playing sun with birds.
"Marivic!" her grandma strongly shouted as she is bringing a dos por dos piece of an acacia wood. Marivic rapidly running straightforward inside to their house. Her grandma is having a tight difficult inhaling – high blood. So, she helped her grandma. She gets a quilted fan and give her grandma a relaxing fresh warm air as it was not the very first time happen to her grandma.
Until Marivic's grandma calmly healed for a minute, she gives her grandma a white thick glass of cold fresh clear water from the brown clay jar. Marivic gladly seeing her grandma getting to feel well. After that, she's starting to sit on the door facing outside the house and waiting for her grandpa to go home.
Bats, crickets, and unnecessary sounds from the outside of the nipa house. A soft slow footstep coming towards the door. Marivic doesn't feel scared that time. "Grandma! Grandpa's home." Marivic told her grandma Lina excitedly. She opened the door to welcome her grandpa. She gets her grandpa's hand to lean at her forehead for respect. And then she gets all the things that her grandpa was carrying; a tied bunch of corn, and a small suck bag.
When having their supper under the golden vignette light of a lamp. Eating silently and enjoying the delicious cooked soup of a chicken added with the pleasant scent of the corn rice. After they had their dinner, Marivic fix the floor made up of long shards bamboo. Then they lay down on the rough "banig" feeling comfortable under the soundless harmony of the night.
Another warm lovely unclouded morning. Marivic do the same thing just like what she has done last time. Her grandpa is going to cut down all the long grass and banana tress that is not wanted.
The unclouded horizon unhurriedly turned into easy-going darkness vignette all over the mountain. Raven starting to chant and forest dog sacredly howling as they sound like calling their spearhead. Marivic feeling scared at that time for she knows that there is something to arise. When the night is completely swallowing the whole light. It is the time for her grandpa's home time.
"Tok, Tok". Someone knocks the bamboo door loudly slam. "Grandpa, is that you?" Marivic ask bravely stammering what or who is knocking the door from outside. "Open the door, it's your grandpa Marivic." Her grandpa answered sounded drunk. So, Marivic open the door swiftly and assist her grandpa to go inside as she can smell the odor of a drunk man.
"I give courteous respect to her, but she didn't talk back, then run speedily." Grandpa says while slowly lay down on the floor.
"Grandpa what are you talking about?" Marivic ask.
But her grandpa didn't a word after falling into sleep. Everything seems so right when the last night her grandpa goes home very drunk. Grandpa starts to act different and weird that made us grandpa freaking out. Until grandpa pass away mysteriously.
Back for a few months ago. Grandpa was suffering from exaggeratedly disease. He can't stand on his own even can move a single act. He was like a straight old oak wood breathing normally. My grandpa and I go to an herb doctor bringing the shirt that grandpa wear that horrific night. The old scary herb doctor with a red tied handkerchief on his forehead told us that grandpa has been punished by a fairy because he strikes it on the river. I was very shocked that time I've heard the herb doctor told us, it was very accurate from what grandpa told me that night. After having a long conversation with the herb doctor, we walk straightforward to our house.
When we open the door, grandpa was still laying on the floor. I go get the white towel and basin with a warm smoking water on it and bring it to grandma. Grandma rag the wetted towel on grandpa's body starting from his forehead. While grandma ragging, she told grandpa what the old herb doctor says and how to get heal. Two weeks pass, we bring grandpa to the place where he does his striking sin and they put something for an offering.
A couple of days. Grandpa was starting to heal up and getting feeling normal again. We felt very happy and thankful to the herb doctor, fairies, and to God for healing my grandpa. But I thought that was the end of our problem.
We go to the City for additional checking for grandpa's health issue, so my uncle and grandma bring grandpa to the hospital to sure if he is really feeling well but the doctor couldn't find any problem about his illness.
My uncle was very madly gritting of his teeth for what happen to our grandpa. He was quite bad drunk that time. After drinking a one gallon of coconut wine, he directly walked to the river where grandpa strike the fairy. And he scorns the fairy who punished my grandpa, he releases unnecessary disrespectful bad words. Then a few minutes, uncle starting to feel wrong, he is like floating on air, he doesn't have any strength, and fall on the riverside.
When that night uncle has done, everything is coming back. Grandpa starting again to feel pain just like what he felt before. But this time grandpa was different. His merciful eye ball turns into white, all white. I was very scared whenever I look at his eyes, he looks like a living ghost, a monster probably. Grandma let me look after grandpa for she will go to the corn field, so we be able to survive. Grandma told me; whenever grandpa look, I should put an open bible. I followed what grandma instruct me to do. But whenever grandpa look and I put a bible, he's preventing to look upon it. Several times I tried to do it and my childish hand loses it strength. So, I put down the bible on the floor. When I look at to grandpa, I cry shakenly afraid of grandpa because he stares at me scarily.
I told grandma when she's got home. Grandma hugs me very tight to ease my fear. Then few days pass, grandpa silently unknowingly died. When grandpa already put in a white plain coffin, grandma cry shouted. Grandma and I very shock when we saw grandpa give live again and stairs grandpa meaningfully as it was a last sight for his beloved wife. My heart was full filled with sharp stones and tied with a tie box on its air passage that made hard to breathe for I miss grandpa so much.
His coffin was there's a lot of banana ants on it. It was very weird seeing a coffin having lot of small ants. The herb doctor visits us on grandpa's funeral and told us; "the body inside the coffin was not my grandpa, it just a body of a banana tree." We couldn't believe what he has told us. As I can still recall when there was a moment grandpa looks like he was in torture. He looks like being strike on his stomach very hard. And I can imagine that his real body was not here but on the world of fairies.
Years pass, Marivic got a religiously complete happy family. A son, daughter, and a caring loving husband. And her grandma passed away because of heart attack. She can still feel that her grandpa was still around because one time she had a dream. Marivic was taking a shit on the river confusingly with her grandpa.
"Grandpa your die already, right?" Marivic ask confused.
Her grandpa didn't give a word, but he just smiled like he's happy seeing his granddaughter. Marivic can't stop herself crying after waking up from her dream. She missed her grandpa and she was so glad having that dream.
"We haven't lived on this world that God has created alone. God made everything with its partner, maybe we can't see them by our naked eyes. Visible or not, we must respect and know that there is something out there living just like us."