The Enchanted Forest of Mangga

20. After the flood is a new beginning...

Six months had passed in the peaceful province. Bea had become more social with her new friends at school. Ali had been playing basketball with the neighborhood friends. And Sez was still as curious as ever, influencing and taking Yaya Rosa with him on his explorations. Yaya Rosa put up with it so that she could give a close hawk eyes on the youngest sibling.

From time to time, their province land would meet some flood disasters in their region, but the residents remained to work hard to persevere their lands. After the flood six months ago, Lolo's mango farm had flourished even more. The children's parents' efforts had been worth it, and they were able to spend some time with Bea, Ali, and Sez during the weekends.

It was a Friday when school had just finished. Bea, Ali, and Sez skipped together home while Yaya Rosa was trailing behind them, scolding them to slow down because she can't breathe. When they reached their house, they quickly tossed their bags in the living room and started to run out the door.

"Hep, hep, hep! Now where do you guys think you're doing?" Yaya Rosa blocked the doorway with her limbs blocking each side. Her eyes glared at the children from the oldest to the youngest.

"Please! Please, Yaya Rosa! It's a Friday! We can do our homeworks later. We want to do it together with Mama and Papa," the children begged.

"No," Yaya Rosa said.

"Aw, please. Go back and do your homework while I fix some merienda."

When the children didn't move, she clapped her hands impatiently. "Chop, chop, chop! Move along!"

"But Lolo is waiting for us! Our friends too!" Sez said innocently.

Bea and Ali nodded.

Yaya Rosa flinched but she tried to hide her awkwardness. It had been a while after Lolo's funeral service, yet the children claimed that they could see their Lolo, most especially Sez. Their parents had been worried, but realized that Lolo was protecting them. Sometimes, Yaya Rosa pretended to be okay but there were days when she would randomly feel the temperature around her turn cold. She scolded at the empty space, thinking that Mang Jose was teasing her. Only the children knew that the first few days after the funeral service, Lolo watched over them at the house then later moved into the enchanted forest with the rest of the engkantos. So whenever the children would get in unpredictable situations, Lolo would be there to help them.

"You can go ONLY if you finish your homework and empty your plates. I'll be checking." Yaya Rosa waved a finger at them sternly. "Okay?"

The children gave in. "Okay."

After rushing through their homeworks and gobbling up the last bits of their snack, they dashed out of the house with a picnic basket that Yaya Rosa prepared for them just in case they get hungry again.

"Be careful out there! And remember, come back before—" Yaya Rosa didn't finish her sentence.

"We'll be back before sundown!" The children called out not before pausing at a raised gravestone in their garden.

"Let's go!" Sez said.

The children chatted happily and climbed over the stone fence into the enchanted forest where Danaya, Kaloy, and Lolo were waiting for them.

"What took you guys so long?" Danaya said, brushing her hair, and flipping her dark hair back.

"Yaya Rosa wanted us to finish our homework and eat our merienda," Bea said. "We also brought food! Ta-da!"

"Ay, children," Lolo said. "Always listen to Yaya Rosa and respect her. She's doing so much for you children. The more you give her trouble, the more she will have gray hair!"

The children laughed and nodded. "Okay, Lolo."

Kaloy jumped eagerly. "Come on, the others are waiting for us!" The goblins of the termite mounds love to host celebrations so at least once a week, the children were invited in their parties together with the other engkantos as well as Izzy the water spirit and Alonzo the kapre.

As the children shared what they had done at school to Lolo, Lolo had been listening attentively and chuckling at their funny moments with their friends. Danaya and Kaloy competed to see who could jump the farthest. It could be like that everyday for Bea, Ali, and Sez, but they knew someday they would remember these precious memories in their childhood and pass these stories down to their children and grandchildren, connecting their family and culture together. But before all that, they are going to cherish the moment and start their new beginning. 

1207 words (edited 766 words)

20, 711 words total (edited 20, 048 words total)

May 2, 2021 

COMPLETED!!!

I'm aware that this story needs more improvement in editing. I plan to revisit this story again and add more depths to the characters and plot. I'm glad that I completed another story on Wattpad in the children's fiction genre and finished 20k words before the final date of ONC 2021. I've always wanted to write children's fiction, and I'm glad this is the first one. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! 

:)

-Mia