Barney ended up feeding Matthos while Lumi read an old book on Philippine mythology. Barney found her in deep thought, and in one glance, he already saw why she looked so grim.
"Lumi, our history was mostly written by Spanish friars. Hence, they've included their input on our culture. It might be different from what you remember it to be," he said pitifully as he looked at her frowning at the old book.
"I just can't believe that this is how they called us, Indios? 'Why was this still here if it was different.' I thought you had human rights in this civilization?" she was confused.
"These books were left untouched, only translated to modern jargon, or terminology, to fit the new generation. However, the people who did it believe that they must preserve what the authors put down, or else they'd be doing the same thing, washing the history of it. It's how we'll do it, to never forget."
"Is this book in every household then?" she felt hopeful that even with colonization, the people would know of the culture.
"No, these books are hard to find," his words dashed her hopes.
"Do the people know of the different deities?"
"Not a lot of people know, sadly. People also aren't that familiar with the different pantheons. Speaking of which, Lumi, which deity did you primarily worship?"
"Barney, we did not worship one deity. However, we respected them. Our town had many people in it, so many tribes that had many deities. Some deities were more active than others. That is why, to be safe, we worshipped them all. From Bathala to Magwayan. I think my memory is muddled as I remember more. My father and I did not truly fit in one tribe," she recalled.
Closing her eyes, flashes of trees, green light, and braided roots appeared. 'Why can't she recall her past?'
"You must've lived in a place equivalent of a silk road, where many people settled to do exchanges," he commented.
"Then came the Spanish, who presented Christianity. Many were open to this. But they, the colonizers, wanted only one," her memories were vague, but she remembered how it felt to see the bloodshed of people being called pagan, unclean, dirty, with the death of her people from the curse, more followed.
"They destroyed many things. The places where people worshipped, the trees, the plants where we inscribed the alibata. We were not allowed to teach the children or speak our language suddenly. We all had to speak in their language," she smiled bitterly, "That was the time I prayed to many deities, even the one they presented. I hoped that they'd leave us be. I only saw it in my slumber. Now, I read this book, and I find out that it is not written by my people, but by those who came with the ones who slew them. They preserved what their people sought to destroy, and in a way, they did," she looked down on the book.
"How accurate are these?" Barney was curious.
"I can't say, as it does not include much," she sighed.
"So it's true, most of our culture is lost then," he deduced. She only nodded. He continued to ask, "What are you reading?"
"Pre-Hispanic culture. This is exactly my time."
"Wow! You're old, Lumi," Barney grinned at finding another way to tease her. This comment made her cheeks puff the way a squirrel does when it stuffs itself with acorns.
"You know, I may be old, but you look older than me so it's fine," she fired back and continued to read. She planned to ignore Barney.
"Okay, I'm sorry," he retreated, "But really, if I ever try to work on a book on Philippine culture, will you help me?"
"Of course, if I'm still alive by then. What makes you think I won't turn to dust?"
"Wait, is a curse preventing you from dying?" his eyes bulged out.
"No," she deadpanned, "I just lived long. Had a long slumber. Other than that, if my curse was to turn to dust, I would be scared of the sunlight and would need an Obsidian ring laced with blood and white oak."
"So the Vampire Diaries was accurate," he remarked.
"What's that?"
"Something I'll let you watch in your free time."
The smile on Barney's face only reassured Lumi that he was planning something.
"Well, as long as the show isn't as bad as your coffee, maybe I'd like it."
"Lumi, you are such a bitch sometimes," Barney scowled.
"Right back at you," she applied what she learned from Matthos. Modernization had its perks. This was one of them.