Under the Blue Sky

Renjie Acob

It was when the sky was no longer blue and the flowers had to kiss the

ground and return to earth forever. I saw all the lovely trees macerated

in the powdery hues of destruction as I scurried for a safe place. The air

that had made me breathe life would now pollute my lungs in a series

of deep sighs. From the wide palette of blue came the gruesome

pigments of demise as objects continued to fly across the atmosphere

and might hit me in just a blink of an eye.

It was how chaos looked like. But then gods were good they made me

chance upon a playground. It had pink miniature play houses where

kids had used to play together with their parents. With the weight of the

world on my skinny shoulders I entered a chamber and laid down my

frail body just so I could retrieve an amount of lost energy. My back felt

cold as I leaned against the cemented wall but at least from that

moment I had known what solace looked like.

"What's happening?" I cried, hugging my satchel tightly. I knew what

was really happening. But it was moments of struggle that would make

you question your reality. All I knew was that it was not the kind of

reality I had wished to grow from.

I continued to weep and wished my tears could be rain so I could drink

from it. But the weather was grim outside, explosions were the thunders

and bloods were the rain. I saw my parents smiling at me from afar

telling me not to be sad because the world would be sad, too. But who

would not feel sad in the midst of uncertainty?

With all the hopes buried in my chest I told them I would find them so

we could continue living, so Mama and Papa could sing me lullabies

during bedtime and fall asleep together. With zeal and a reasonable

amount of energy, I exited the chamber after my tears dried up.

I ran again with enough amount of strength to keep me alive, shunning

every falling tiny debris from the sky as if it were a sports game I ought

to win. But I lost even before reaching the finish line as hot debris hit my

left arm and it burned a portion of my shirt, leaving me writhing in pain

in the cold ground, seeing how unfair the skies to let me lose the game.

“Run! We might get caught!”

It was an unfamiliar voice from the sky. That was when I knew about

the existence of miracles. Just as was I about to close my eyes to pray

to the gods to take me back to my feet, a dusty hand grabbed mine.

Without looking at his face, I stood up to regain my composure,

fastened the strap of my satchel and continued to run again, but this

time gods were good I had someone beside me.

I took a brief glance at his face as we traversed the gray fields. He was

an unfamiliar boy. He looked back at me with his blue eyes, his

yellowish white hair was smothered with bit of ashes. He was handsome

despite how worn out he seemed. We arrived at a small cabin hidden

by tall grasses and mosses in a small and remote forest.

"Who are you?" I asked him without intimidating him. His hands were still

clinging to mine.

"I am Bruno and I am lost," he replied as I released my hand from his.

He was Bruno and he was also a kid like me. He was dressed with

emerald green long sleeves under a grayish wool vest.

"You’re not a Japanese, right?" I asked softly as I scanned the very

details of his facades. He was really handsome.

“How did you know?”

“It’s because of your eyes. Japanese people like me do not have blue

eyes.”

"I am American,” he said proudly.

"American?"

"Yes. Pure-blooded American,” he clarified in a prouder tone.

These words angered me.

"Pure-blooded or not, you are still American! You Americans started this

war!”

He shook in surprise, but told me to calm down.

"What I know about you and your country is that all you do is to hurt

people! My parents told me that your country started this war and now

my countrymen are suffering from your hands!”

“Hey, calm down! Don’t blame it on us. I don’t really know what’s

happening here between my country and your country,” he said with

a raised tone.

“And you know what, it’s your country who took my parents away from

me!”

I did not want to let him think I was emotionally weak so I turned my

back and wiped my teary eye.

“We’re both kids here and we’re too young to blame each other

because this war happened. We’re both trying to find our parents, so

the least we can do is to help one another. I’m searching for my

father…he’s a soldier,” he spoke boldly.

I turned my body to confront him. "A soldier? Your father shoots people.

He's in this war to shoot people. He’s here to destroy lives, to destruct

everything!"

I did not know what I said but I tried to ease my anger from escalating.

He sat in a wooden stool and breathed heavily.

"But it’s his obligation. He serves for our country."

I breathed heavily, too, and thought deeply for a moment, and came

to the realization that our predicament would just get worse if I would

continue arguing. I had no choice but to near him and accept the

truth that he was searching for someone who was probably outside

among his comrade playing his role to shoot and eradicate their

Japanese enemies which happened to be my countrymen.

“I’m sorry,” I told him without hesitation. With more deep breathing my

anger somehow subsided.

"It's okay. I understand why you hate us Americans so much," he said,

coughing with

dusty saliva.

"I’m searching for my parents, too Bruno. Yesterday I woke up to a loud

banging on our door, and the next thing I knew I had to begin

searching for them wherever they might be now."

He stood up and closed the door of the cabin. The afternoon sun

waved good-bye but its emollient descent gave us the courage we

needed to stay overnight in the cabin. Darkness finally lured in right

after the fading of light. The war was unending. Explosions from afar

were the music of our night and we were blanketing our little selves

with huge fears of what might prey on us in the dark.

Reality was finally sinking in to my limbs, and it was his hand on mine

that made me feel I was safe. I was really holding a hand of a stranger

boy and it was strange.

We sat sturdily on the wooden floor of the cabin. He showed me pieces

of crumpled paper, lidless pens, small candle and a matchbox he got

from his pockets.

"What are we going to do with that?” I asked.

"We're going to draw," he said, straightening the paper against the

floor.

"How about this candle?" I asked him, pointing the tip of it to his mouth.

"I'm going to lit that up so we can see our beautiful sketches.”

The lit candle illuminated the cabin and we saw our bigger selves in the

shadows as we faced the wall. It had been a long time since I

scribbled something on a paper. I was not the type of a kid who would

spend time on drawing mountains, sun, skies, or animals on piece of

paper. But paper had always been my best friend. Whenever I was at

home with my parents, all that I would do was to write short verses of

poetry and recite it to them. Sometimes my parents would get

annoyed at me for spending more time in writing and reciting poems

than doing homework.

For hours we talked about our sketches. Even if I was not good at

drawing, I presented him my sketch. It was a picture of my parents in

front of a big house. I told him his drawing was way too beautiful he

could be an artist someday. It was a picture of a cat. He told me I was

already a beautiful work of art, but I just smiled at him because I knew it

was a joke.

"I forgot to ask you your name,” he drew his face closer to mine.

"Haruhi," I said.

“That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” he joked again.

I just looked at his eyes and smiled. He was good at making me blush. I

did not have anything to reply so we became silent for seconds until he

asked me something.

“What do you think happened to your parents when you knew they’re

gone?”

"They were probably out there searching for me, so I am also searching

for them. I wish nothing bad happened to them,” I said bravely as if not

a single tear escaped my eyes from speaking.

“Do not worry, Haruhi. We’ll find them,” he said reassuringly.

We folded our sketches evenly then hid them, his on his pocket and

mine on my dirty satchel. Just before closing my satchel he put his arm

over my shoulder, wrapping me with his warmth. It was my first time

being hugged by a boy that it felt astounding. I thought I would prod

him away but I had no choice but to succumb to his body. Feeling our

heat, we fell asleep together.

We woke up to a peaceful morning. The explosions and the sounds of

destruction could no longer be heard except for birds chirping around

the cabin. We composed and readied ourselves to set out on new day

of searching for our parents. With the sky over us turning blue again, we

started to walk and walk despite the uncertainty of where we would

end up. We walked along a field of tall grasses, looking suspiciously at

the distant few wooden houses we thought were abandoned. The war

was not yet through.

We surveyed the environs quietly as we continued to walk until he

spoke of something.

"Haruhi, are you afraid to die?" he asked as he held my hand.

"I’m not afraid to die, Bruno. I’m just afraid of suffering,” I answered.

“My father told me he’s not afraid to die because they are soldiers who

are ready to face death.”

"Bruno, I’m not afraid to die. I am just afraid to suffer,” I repeated,

“because if I were destined to die in this war, I just wish to die

peacefully. My mother told me once that suffering before you die

makes it difficult for you to die,” I continued.

He squeezed my hand in astonishment. He probably had no idea I was

brave to speak about death. He was feeling the softness of my palm as

he shed a tear on his left eye.

"But I’m afraid to die, Haruhi,” he said, coughing.

I could see in his eyes his fear of dying. But it was when I wiped his eyes

that I made him feel the optimism I had in me.

"Don't be afraid, Bruno. Just think that we are still young to worry about

that

dying.We just have to enjoy what we have today. We drew our dreams

last night in paper, so let’s promise ourselves that we’ll do everything to

turn those sketches into reality someday,” I assured him.

We journeyed past many bombarded houses, and the whole town was

a ghost town. But just when we thought that we were just the only

people there, two bodies in red and green clothes seemed to emerge

from the distance. My heart started to pound, realizing they were the

same clothes my parents wore the when I last saw them. Bruno looked

at my paling face and held my hand the tightest time. As we drew

closer to the bodies the world stopped and Bruno’s shoulders were the

only thing I had to not fall.

“They are my parents, Bruno!” I shouted on his eyes and wept as if I

would drown him.

He hugged me and rubbed my back.

"It's okay, Haruhi. The sky is blue and it’s very peaceful. It just means that

your parents faced death peacefully. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save

your parents. But remember this, Haruhi, your parents were strong

people like their daughter. We have to accept this, and be stronger

this time,” he comforted me.

I did not know what to reply. All my vision started to become blurry and

all I could think of was that I was lucky I was still alive. Bruno reassured

me that our effort to search for them was never in vain. I would live for

them.

A jeepney arrived several minutes after and someone shouted at us. It

was Bruno's father in his military vehicle. Hearing his name, Bruno

released me from his body and ran to his uniformed father. Under the

blue sky, they relished the moment of being together again. I saw how

Bruno cried when his father told him how he missed his son. Bruno was

such a good son to his father.

I looked up the vast sky and it was very peaceful. The trees were

dancing to the lullabies of the birds. Somehow, the world was getting

back to normal before my eyes and I wished it would continue until the

last days of my life. Looking down at the dead bodies of my parents, I

told myself I would be braver. I needed to live for them even just by

myself.
Bruno and his father approached me and told me I would never have

to live alone forever.