The Rock, The Horse, And The Boatman

What happens after we die? Does everything just turn black? Do we go to

another body? Or do we go to any of our believed destinations like Heaven and
Hell, or Limbo? It is unknown to where we will go next, and it’s hard to think
whether it will be good or bad, or nothing. But just for a little while, I want you to
put yourself in our character’s place, imagine being in a dark cave, lying all
alone, without anything to see. But even if you can’t see anything, you could still
feel the floor moving, swaying from side to side, like a boat on a river. You hear
nothing but the drops of water from the ceiling, one of these hits you in the face
to your surprise. You feel cold, and bare, and you are already shivering from it.

What you are imagining right now is what our main character is feeling. Lying on
boat, all alone, cold and naked, in a dark river, only letting the currents take him
to wherever. Finally our protagonist has opened his eyes, and as he look in front
of him he notices a very dim light, coming from a lantern from the end of the
boat. It took him a while to let his eyes adjust to the brightness, despite its
dimness, but as he finally regains his proper vision, he sees a tall shadow of a
man sitting close to him. This man was wearing a dark hooded-cloak, his face
wasn’t seen as it was covered it. Along with the droplets of water, you can hear
him breathing, and every time he did, you can see the smoke come out from his
mouth. He held a very long stick that he dipped in the river to move, it was his
paddle. Our unnamed man was terrified to see this dark man, it was just like in
the myths, The Grim Reaper, Death.

“Do you have a coin?” the boatman asks, but with the fear that he gave our
protagonist, he was unable speak. The boatman wasn’t a patient man, and it
only took a little while before he asked once again, but this time in a more
aggressive way, “Do you have a coin?!”

“Wha-what coin?” returned the protagonist, in such fright. He has never felt so
scared before, he felt like having a heart attack, except he wasn’t, for standing
in front of Death would only mean one thing, you are dead.

“My obol? Look into your, err—pocket?” he asks this time, but in a calmer way,
and from the tone of his voice, confused. Afraid of what might happen next, the
protagonist quickly checked his pockets. But even if he tried, he couldn’t, he
wasn’t able to move, it was as if he didn’t have arms. He instead tried to look
around him, maybe he dropped it somewhere, and there he saw a small piece
of silver, shining dimly in the dark wooden floor.

“I-is that it?” he answered stuttering in fear.

“That will do,” Death finally answered shortly, silence fell to the both of them
after that. Death kept on paddling, in the dark river, towards the unknown, “do
you know who you are?” the ferryman asks curiously.

“I’m not quite sure. Who am I?” he asks himself as well, for many of those who
travel in the underworld forget who they were, thus becoming lost souls, “No,
but who are you?”

“My name is rarely spoken, but I am known as the sailor of souls, the guide of the
underworld, Hades’ ferryman—“

“You are Charon? The Charon?” the man interrupts him, “Then that means?”
There was only one way to meet Charon, and that was if you were dead, and
as he realize this, the man puts on an upsetting frown in his, disappointed in
finding out he just died.

It was dead silent again from there, the fact that the man was already dead
upset him, he felt so bad that he forgot to be afraid of Charon. But as they
continue rowing through the dark cave, Charon asks him again out of curiosity,
it was the question he was meaning to ask him ever since their journey started.
“So, a rock, huh? How did you die?” It was an odd question. If you’ve noticed
I’ve only mentioned the protagonist as a protagonist, that’s because it’s quite
hard to describe who or what he is. But, now that Charon mentioned it, our
protagonist is a rock, a talking rock.

“A rock? What do you mean a rock?” the rock was confused of these question,
he tried to move to see himself but he couldn’t. He then tried to lean himself on
the boat to see his reflection, and there he was a talking stone riding a boat.
“I’m a rock?! Why am I a rock?!”

“Same question I had,” Charon answered, “you know? For a long time I have
guided different souls here, from mortal men to gods, centaurs to cyclopes, but I
have never seen a rock die before. How did that happen?”

“Well, I don’t know! Charo—“ he stopped, from that moment he started to

receive some of his memories, “—Oh gosh, wait, I’m receiving some flashes, I
think I’m remembering my past?” The rock was still surprised with what was
happening, not only was he dead, but he was also a rock. He tried to close his
eyes as he saw a lot from his past, and as he did he kept reapeating the
ferryman’s name, “Charon, Charon, Charon? I know that name!” Charon
stopped rowing for a while, in his concern of what was happening, as the rock
only kept repeating his name in the middle of the dark cave, where it echoed
through out. “Charon? Chaeren? Cheyran? Chayran? Chirun? Chiron? Chiron?
Chiron!” finally he stopped, he got the name he was looking for, Chiron, “Chiron
is the reason why I’m here! I remember now, everything!”

“So, what is it then?”

“Let me start from the beginning,” and thus the story of the rock was told, “I’m
sure you’re familiar with Cronus?”

“Why, do you want to meet him? You’ll meet him.”

“Well, yes, but that is not the reason here. Do you know the story of how he ate
his children? Well, I was one of those, you see when Rhea and Cronus had their
first born child, he ate him to avoid being over throne. This continue until the fifth
child, Hera, but as Cronus eat her, Rhea got fed up of her husband eating their
children. So when she gave birth to Zeus, she devised a plan to fool him and
make his eat a rock instead. Not noticing that this wasn’t Zeus, Cronus fell for the
plan. Zeus on the other hand was sent to an island where he was raised by a
goat. I actually have no recognition of those, but after staying to long in the
belly of Cronus, along with my brothers and sisters, I started to became self-
aware. My first memories were actually being in a dark cave same as this,
except that one was very small I was lying very close to my siblings, and it was
pretty warm in there. It took us very long before we got to see the sun, it was just
one faithful day, when we heard a huge rumble out side cronus’ belly, there
were a lot of thunder and explosions. Until finally, we were spat out by cronus,
Zeus punched him so hard we were thrown out of that place, and when we did
all of my brothers and sisters were full grown men. They all followed Zeus after
that, they all fought with him and took down the Titans. I saw all of it, as I was left
where I was spat. No one knew of my existence, not even my siblings who I
shared a womb to for a really long time. Finally at the aftermath of the war,
there was this centaur who was checking the aftermath of the battlefield, this
wasn’t the usual centaur that was rash and aggressive, this one was smart, and
even though half of his body was a horse’s, his front legs were human, which
only shows his superiority from the other centaurs. As he was there, that was
when I started to speak, I said my first words, ‘Help me,’
This centaur heard me weakly voice, he followed it and found me. He took care
of me after that, he was a finest fellow I knew. That was Chiron, the centaur who
took care of me, bastard son of Cronus, half-brother of Zeus, adopted half-
brother of mine.”

“Wow! So, you’re saying that you learned how to talk by getting eaten by a
Titan?”

“I guess, and not only that, I gained rock powers too. That’s how I moved back
then, having different rocks as my limbs and helping me.”
“Then, how did you die?”

“Well I guess that would be because of Heracles. You see I have lived a long
time with Chiron. And I’ve learned so many things from him, but one day, this
Heracles came to visit his friend Pholus. They decided to drink wine together, but
the scent of the wine was too strong that it attracted other Centaurs. There was
a huge drink that night, but when the centaurs got drunk they started attacking
Heracles, Heracles killed all of them, but those who he didn’t fled to Chiron’s
cave. Heracles followed them there, he killed all of them and one arrow was
shot to Chiron, who had nothing to do with it. Chiron wouldn’t die, he was
immortal, but the pain was too much for him so he decided to give his
immortality to save Prometheus. He switched places with Prometheus, he was
sent to Tartarus to have the same punishment he had. I couldn’t bare to see
that, so I exchanged my life for him, I was a rock anyway. I guess that’s why I’m
here. “

“We’re here”

“Seriously? Well I guess this is it?” “Sorry but could you help me?”

“All right, well it’s been nice knowing you.”

“A pleasure”

“Dwayne, God of Rocks, you stand in front the great and powerful judges of the
underworld. You have suggested a trade between your life for Chiron, we grant
your request. Welcome to Tartarus!”

“Chiron!”

“Dwayne?”

“You’re free Chiron! You’re free!”

“Dwayne!”
 Ang Bato, And Kabayo, At Ang Mamamangka

Anong mangyayari kapag tayo ay namatay? Lahat ba ay magiging itim nalang?

Mapupunta lang ba tayo sa ibang katawan, at mamumuhay ulit? O makakarating ba tayo
sa mga lugar na ating inaasahan, tulad nang Kaluwalhatiaan, at Kasamaan, o baka naman
sa Limbo? Hindi natin alam kung saan tayo mapupunta sa ating pagpanaw, at
napakahirap ring isipin kung ito ba ay magiging mabuti o masama. Pero sa kakaunting
saglit lamang, ilagay natin ang sarili natin sa lugar ng ating unang panauhan, ilarawan mo
ang iyong sarili na nasa isang madilim na kuweba, nakahiga mag-isa, at walang makita.
Ngunit kahit wala kanang makita nararamdaman mo parin ang sahig na
gumagalaw,parang isang bangka na sumasabay lamang sa mga alon. Wala kang ibang
naririnig kung hindi and mga tumutulong tubid galing sa itaas ng kuweba, isa sa mga ito
ay natuluan ka sa mukha. Giniginaw at nanginginig ka na sa lamig, at pakiramdam mo ay
hubad ka. Ang nakikita mo ay ang nararamdaman nang ating tauhan ngayon. Nakahiga sa
isang bangka, mag-isa sa madilim na ilog, giniginaw at hubad, hinahayaan na lamang na
dalahin ng ilog sa kawalan.

Sa wakas ay binuksan na nang ating tauhan ang kanyang mga mata, nagulat siya nang
may makita siyang napaka hinang ilaw sa harap nya, nanggagaling ito sa isang lampara
sa likod ng bangka. Ilang sandali pa ang nakalipas bago siya nakakita ulit ng maayos,
ngunit pagkatapos nito ay nagulat siya nang makita niya ang isang malaking tao na naka-
upo sa harap niya. Isa itong payat at matangkad na lalaki, nakasuot siya ng isang itim na
balabal na may kaputsa. Hindi makita ang kaniyang mukha sapagkat natatakpan ito,
ngunit makikita mo ang usk na nilalabas niya sa kanyang bawat hininga. May hawak
siyang napakahabang sagwan, na ginagamit niya upang makarating sa kanilang
pupuntahan. Itong lalaking ito ay kilala sa maraming pangalan, maraming natatakot sa
kanyang mga kwento sa mga mitolohiya, siya ay si Kamatayan, ang Taga-sundo ng Mga
Patay.

“Mayroon ka bang barya?” tanong ng mamamangka, ngunit sa sobrang takot ng lalaki ay

hindi na siya nakapagsalita. Hindi mapagpasensyang tao ang mamamangka, gusto niya na
pag nagtanong siya sasagot agad, kaya nang nagtanong ulit siya ngunit galit na,
“Mayroon ka bang barya?!”

“A-anong barya? Po?” balik nang lalaki, hindi pa sya naging kasing takot hanggang
ngayon, pakiramdam niya na siya ay aatakihin siya sa puso.

“Ang barya ko? Tingnan mo sa, ehh—bulsa mo?” nagtanong ulit siya, ngunit ngayon ay
sa mas kalang paraan, at sa tono niya, nalilito. Natakot ang lalaki sa mangyayari sunod,
kaya agad-agarang niyang sinilip ito, ngunit kahit pilitin niya, hindi niya magawa, hindi
siya makagalaw, para bang wala siyang mga kamay. Tumingin na lamang siya sa sahig,
baka nahulog ito, at doon nakita niya ang isang maliit na piraso ng pilak, kumikinang ng
mahina sa madilim na sahig ng bangka.

“I-ito ba iyon?” sagot niya habang nabubulol pa sa takot.

“Pwede na yan,” sagot ni Kamatayan nang maikli habang kinukuha ang pilak.
Tumakimik silang dalawa nang matapos iyon, tahimik lang na nagsagwan si Kamatayan
sa madilim na ilog na iyon, papunta sa kawalan. “Kilala mo ba kung sino ka?” tanong
niya nang pagtataka.

“Hindi ko rin sigurado eh? Sino ba ako?” tanong niya rin sa sarili niya, marami sa mga
kaluluwang naglalakbay sa mundong-ilalim ang nakakalimutan kung sino sila, kaya sila
mga nagiging galang kaluluwa. “Hindi ko kilala sarili ko, pero sino ka?”

“Bihirang nababanggit ang pangalan ko dito, pero ako ay mas kilalang manlalayag ng
mga kaluluwa, and gabay sa mundong-ilalim, and mamamangka ni Hades— “

“Ikaw si Charon?” Ang Charon?” sabat nya sa matandang lalaki, “Ibig sabihin noon?”
Itinanaong niya ito sa sarili niya at sa matandang lalaki, at nalungkot siya nang makita
niyang tumungo ito. Isang lang ang paraan upang makita si Charon, at iyon ay pag
namatay ka na.

Tumahimik ulit pagkatapos noon, sa sobrang lungkot ng lalaki na nalaman niyang patay
na siya ay nakalimutan niya nang matakot kay Charon. Ngunit habang namamangka si
Charon sa dilim, nagtanong ulit siya, matagal niya nang gust itanong ito, simula palang
nang pagdating ng lalaki sa bangka niya. “Kung isa kang bato, paano ka namatay?”
napaka ibang tanong, ngunit kung mapapanin niyo ay ibinabanggit ko lamang ang ating
unang panauhan bilang lalaki, ito ay dahil sa kanyang kakaibang anyo. At ngayong
nabanggit na ni Charon, siya nga ay isang bato, isang nagsasalitang bato.

“Bato? Anong ibig sabihin mo?”, nalito ang lalaki o ang bato sa tanong ni Charon,
sinubukan niyang gumalaw, ngunit hindi niya nagawa. Pinilit niyang sumandal sa gilid
ng bangka, upang masubukang makita ang sarili niya sa ilog, at doon nakita niya, isa
siyang nagsasalitang bato, na nakasakay sa isang bangka. “Bato?! Paano ako naging
bato?”

“Yun nga din ang tanong ko eh,” sagot ni Charon, “alam mo, sa tagal kong namamangka
sa ilog na ito, madami na akong nakasang kaluluwa, mula sa mga tao hanggang sa mga
diyos, mga taong-kabayo hanggang mga higante na isa lang ang mata, pero hinding hindi
pa ako nakaka kita nang bato na namatay. Paano nangyari yun?”

“Hindi ko rin alam eh! Charo—“ tumigil siya, at nagsimula siyang makakita nang mga
alaala niya, “Ah! Teka lang! May mga naalala ako!” Gulat parin siya sa lahat nang
nangyayari, patay na siya, at ngayon ay naging bato pa siya. Sinubukan niyang ipikit ang
mga mata niya, habang inuulit-ulit ang pangalan ng mamamangka, “Charon, Charon,
Charon? alam ko yung pangalan na iyon!” Tunigil muna si Charon sa pamamangka,
hinihintay niya na maalala niya ang buhay niya noon. Paulit-ulit na sinisigaw ng bato ang
pangalan ni Charon, “Charon? Chaeren? Cheyran? Chayran? Chirun? Chiron? Chiron?
Chiron!” Sa wakas ay natapos na siya at nakuha na niya ang pangala na hinahanap niya,
Chiron. “Chiron, siya ang dahilan kung bakit ako nandito! Natatandaan ko na lahat!”

“Edi ano nga ang nangyari?” Tanong agad ni Charon, habang bumalik ulit siya sa
pamamangka.

“Sisimulan ko mula sa simula,” sabi ng bato, bago niya ikwento, “Sigurado akong, kilala
mo so Kronos?”

“Bakit gusto mo ba siyang makilala? Makikilala mo naman siya eh.”

“Oo, gusto ko siya makita, pero hindi yun ang dahilan kung bakit ko siya nabanggit.
Alam mo ba ang kwento kung paano kinaain ni Kronus ang mga anak niya?” tumungo si
Charon dito, ”Noong bago pa mabuhay sila Zeus, si Kronos pa ang hari nang mundo, at
sa takot niya na ma-aangatan siya ng anak nila ni Rhea, kinain niya ito. Nagpatuloy ito
hanggang sa pang-lima nilang anak, nang ipanganak na si Zeus, nagalit na si Rhea sa
asawa niya at ayaw niyang kainin nito ang kanilang bunso. Gumawa si Rhea ng isang
plano upang mailigtas si Zeus sa tatay niya. Noong ihahandog niya na si Zeus kay Kronos
upang kainin, pinagpalit niya ito sa bato upang ito ang kainin ni Kronos at hindi si Zeus.
Ang nakain ni Kronos na bata na iyon ay ako, at habang ako ay nasa loob ng toyan ni
Kronos, si Zeus ay pinadala sa isang bundok, kung saan siya inalagaan ng isang kambing.
Hindi ko talaga natatandaan yung mga yun na nangyayari, pero sa tagal kong namuhay sa
tiyan ni Kronus, nagkaroon ako ng sarili kong isip. Ang mga pnika una kong alaala ay
kasama ang mga kapatid kong lumalaki sa madilim at masikip na tiyan ni Kronus. Kailan
lang

It took us very long before we got to see the sun, it was just one faithful day, when we
heard a huge rumble out side cronus’ belly, there were a lot of thunder and explosions.
Until finally, we were spat out by cronus, Zeus punched him so hard we were thrown out
of that place, and when we did all of my brothers and sisters were full grown men. They
all followed Zeus after that, they all fought with him and took down the Titans. I saw all
of it, as I was left where I was spat. No one knew of my existence, not even my siblings
who I shared a womb to for a really long time. Finally at the aftermath of the war, there
was this centaur who was checking the aftermath of the battlefield, this wasn’t the usual
centaur that was rash and aggressive, this one was smart, and even though half of his
body was a horse’s, his front legs were human, which only shows his superiority from the
other centaurs. As he was there, that was when I started to speak, I said my first words,
‘Help me,’
This centaur heard me weakly voice, he followed it and found me. He took care
of me after that, he was a finest fellow I knew. That was Chiron, the centaur who
took care of me, bastard son of Cronus, half-brother of Zeus, adopted half-
brother of mine.”

“Wow! So, you’re saying that you learned how to talk by getting eaten by a
Titan?”