OLYMPIANS' LOST PROGENIES

CHAPTER FIVE - The Claiming

 

Cleaning the Village Archive. That was the punishment for what me and En had done. The Village Governor was not a terror at all. She was a woman with skin as white as porcelain, hair as dark as night and face as pure as her heart. The governor of the village was a kind woman, Maria Makiling. When she asked us what happened, we never got the courage to speak. She politely requested for Barry and Emma to left the room, thinking it might changed our disposition.

 

"So, what happened?" Maria Makiling sounded like a mother, it made me want to confess everything but I believed En had to explain himself more than I should."Please, speak up."

 

I was about to say my part; that I was provoked by En; that he deliberately hit me using the bamboo container; but I didn't want to sound defending myself so I wouldn't be the one to blame. I stopped myself.

 

Maria makiling sighed. "If you don't want to say anything, I'll respect it." She went to the door and opened it.

 

"Now, please, Unclaims, you may go back to your hut. Please do not make any more troubles. I'll send people to treat your wounds. Tonight, I'll call you to determine who your godly parents are." Maria Makiling said in her ever modest voice. "You'll be serving your punishment tomorrow morning until evening. Understood?"

 

I nodded. I watched En while he was nodding too.

 

Barry and Emma were waiting outside, and on our way back, Barry asked, "Why did you even fight?"

 

"That's what I was asking Jimuel." Emma said.

 

I didn't answer. The issue was finished for me. There was no point discussing it since En was also not trying to explain himself.

 

The Male Quarter was possessed by defeaning silence when we got back. I could only hear the girls playing, a what could be, fun game, outside the quarter in the living room. I was lying on my bed for almost seven hours and I had been doing nothing but wonder. I suddenly felt my jaw prickling. I touched my cheek and felt the pain for the first time. It wasn't there before. All the pain sank in after it was treated by the Nurse sent by the Governor. My hands were warming. I remembered the feeling when they were underneath En's foot. I sighed. I was thinking that maybe, if I restrained myself, things wouldn't happened.

 

"Jim?" Called by someone outside my room. "It's Barry."

 

"It's open. Come in." I answered as I tried sitting beside my bed.

 

Barry came in with his head down, looking at the floor like he was ashamed of something. "I saw what happened."

 

I looked at Barry. He couldn't look at me.

 

"I saw it when En throw the bamboo container on you."

 

I nodded. I didn't really care anymore about it. I actually wanted to forget what happened. "It's okay. It doesn't matter."

 

"En is always annoying. Today was the first time he did something wrong." Barry finally had the courage to look at me.