Chapter 42: Thunderstorm
After Alexander left the village, nagsimula agad ako sa trabaho. The first thing I needed to do was to have a record of all the supplies available at the clinic and to review the logs to learn which illnesses were more frequent in the village.
I stayed in the village's small clinic for the rest of the day. Fortunately, Nari was with me to assist and provide the things and information I needed. Some of the villagers even dropped by and shared snacks and food for us.
Takip-silim na nang matapos ang unang araw ng aking trabaho. The village provided me with a living quarter where I could stay for the rest of the week. It was a comfortable room located on the second floor of the clinic.
By evening, Nari came knocking on the clinic door. At first I though there was an emergency, but then she invited me to have dinner with her family.
"Kung okay lang sa'yo, Ms. Eleanor."
I smiled at the kind gesture. I was more surprise that they would willingly invite me. I took my coat and went to walk with her to her house.
Cool night breeze lingered in the mountains and the soft glow of light from the houses made everything cozy.
Nari lived with her parents and a younger sister in a cabin with a narrow wrap-around porch. Her parents pleasantly welcomed me. Their place was homey, warm with crackling fire from the small fireplace made of rocks in the corner of the living room.
Nagsalo-salo kami sa simpleng hapunan, which were mostly vegetables dishes and a roasted wild duck from the mountains, caught by Nari's father that afternoon.
Habang kumakain, Nari giddily mentioned her dream of working in the apothecary after studying in town. She wanted to bring home her learning and manage the village clinic.
"You can do it," I encouraged her. "The seniors would be happy to have you learn from them."
"Really?" Nagliwanag ang kanyang mukha.
Nari was so eager, so hopeful. She looked up to the staff of the apothecary because we were living her dream. That's when I realized even my worst days could be the best for someone.
Before leaving, Nari also showed me their home medicines made from wild medicinal plants from the mountain. Several bottles of powdered and dried leaves and roots were place neatly on the shelve in their kitchen.
A specific bottle caught my attention. They also had several bottles of it in the clinic. According to the records, the plant was commonly use for severe wound infection. It was a rare plant that even the apothecary had no samples of it.
"Is there a lot of this plant here?" I asked Nari.
"There are patches of it around the mountain," Nari told me. "Kapag hindi ka na busy, Ms. Eleanor, I will show you where they could be found."
"Really?"
Bumungisngis siya at tumango. Muli kong pinagmasdan ang bote ng gamot. It would be helpful for the apothecary to have this kind of medicine.
I was back at my living quarters nang tuluyang bumagsak ang ulan. According to the people of the village, it usually rains in this place, specially during evenings.
Before going to bed, I watched the heavy rain from the window. There was a certain stillness in the mountain... a lonely yet peaceful atmosphere.
For the next few days, I was busy checking up every household members in the village, with my priority in the children and the much older villagers.
Recording their health histories and current complaints, prescribing medicines and advising them of things to do and eat to improve their health. There's at least twenty households in the village and halfway through the week, I've covered most of them.
"The village leader suggested you should take breaks in between, Ms. Eleanor."
Nari was helping me with the records at the clinic when she told me about it.
"Gusto kong pinapanood kayong magtrabaho. It was like getting first-hand experience with a real staff of the apothecary. But the village leader was worried you're overworking yourself, Ms. Eleanor," Nari mumbled.
Natigilan ako sa kanyang sinabi. I didn't notice it. I guest I was too focused on my tasks and things to do that I hadn't thought of taking breaks.
"Why don't you take the afternoon off, Ms. Eleanor?" suggested Nari. "Tatlong araw na kayong nagt-trabaho dito sa village nang walang pahinga."
I was a little hesitant to agree. But according to Nari, I had only a few more families to cover and I would be done. Tanging records nalang ang kailangan kong ayusin.
"You wanna search for the medicinal plants with me?" muling alok ni Nari. "I'll be gathering some this afternoon. Kapag hindi kasi sila na-harvest sa tamang oras, natutuyo ang mga dahon nila, making them less effective."
The prospect of gathering medicinal plants like foraging deep in the mountain was more than inviting, I smiled at Nari and immediately agreed.
I had to inform the village leader that I would take the afternoon off. He was more than glad to allow me. He told me some of the villagers were starting to worry, seeing me work non-stop since I came into the village.
I was a little excited for the foraging. Maaga kong tinapos ang ilan sa mga records sa clinic. I was looking forward to see the natural environment where the plants grow and to share the information to the apothecary.
I waited for Nari in my foraging clothes. Mabuti nalang at nadala ko ang mga ito. We started walking to the far side of the village, past the steel tower.
"Malayo ba ito?" tanong ko kay Nari habang naglalakad.
"Mga kalahating oras na pagbaba sa bundok, Ms. Eleanor. Kadalasan, makikita ito malabit sa ilog. Matarik ang daan kaya kailangan nating mag-ingat."
Pumasok kami sa kakahuyan. Nari brushed away the hanging vines and branches in our path. She also said that other than the plant use for infection, there were also several rare plants in the area we were hoping to find.
Habang pababa kami ng bundok, the slopes in our path were getting sharper. Kahit si Nari ay nag-iingat sa bawat yapak niya sa hindi pantay na lupa.
"Ms. Eleanor, tingnan mo ito."
Isang halaman ang pinakita niya sa'kin sa tabi ng malubak na daan. A plant with small circular leaves. Isa ito sa mga gamot na makikita sa clinic. It's dried roots were often use to disinfect surface cuts and dry wounds.
I took note of it, writing the name and the plant's properties on my notebook. I also gathered some samples, careful not to ruin the thin roots, bago kami nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.
Ilang mga halaman pa ang aming nakita habang papalapit sa ilog. Usually, these wild plants were hard to find in the forests surrounding the town proper. They only foster in natural environment like this mountain. That's why it was fascinating to see them in large patches and bushes.
We spent the entire afternoon in the forest, searching for plants and taking samples. Nari also had her small bag and containers with her to take plant leaves and roots.
After hours of searching, sa wakas nakita namin ang halaman na dahilan kung bakit kami bumaba ng bundok. It was easy to recognize because of its small bunch of white flower bods attached to its long stems.
Mula sa kinatatayuan namin, kitang-kita namin ang kumpol ng mga halaman sa ilog sa ibaba, where a sharp cliff-like slope separated us from the river.
Nari was already searching for a path to head down nang bigla kong naramdaman ang patak ng ulan sa aking pisngi. Tumingala ako sa langit, sa likod ng malalagong sanga at dahon ng puno. It was raining in the mountain.
"We should head back, Nari," I told her.
Muli siyang bumaling sa ilog sa ibaba. "Kapag tumaas ang tubig sa ilog, masisira ang mga halaman at hindi na magagamit," she mumbled in worry. "I'll get you some, Ms. Eleanor."
Umiling ako. "Masyadong delikado."
Ngumiti siya habang sunod-sunod na ang patak ng ulan na dumadampi sa aming balat. "Okay lang, Ms. Eleanor. Ilang beses ko na itong nagawa. Hintayin niyo ako dito."
Bago pa ako muling makatanggi, Nari made her path down the river, sliding down the sharp stone boulder. Unti-unti akong napuno ng pagaalala.
Hinintay ko si Nari sa ilalim ng isang mayabong na puno para hindi tuluyang mabasa ng ulan. The rain was quickly getting heavy. We should have headed back to the village habang maaliwalas pa ang langit kanina.
Ilang minuto na ang lumipas pero hindi parin nakakabalik si Nari. Tuluyan akong binalot ng pangamba. I left our things under the tree to avoid the collected plants being soaked.
Nilibot ko ang tingin sa paligid, sa mga trunk ng puno, sa mabatong lupa, sa ilog sa ibaba, pero hindi ko siya makita. "Nari!" I started to call her name.
It was hard to see beyond the curtains of heavy rain, making the forest dim and misty. Maingat akong naglakad sa maputik na lupa until I reached the sharpest tip of the cliff-like boulder. I clasped my hands to the ground, staring down at the river.
"Nari! Where are you?!"
The sudden clap of thunder startled me, making me lose my grip to the ground. Bigla akong dumaosdos pababa. I tried to grab something, anything, to avoid from directly falling to the huge rocks on the riverbank.
I gripped tightly to a large root of the tree. I was meters from falling down the rocks. Nanginginig ang mga palad ko sa takot. I tried to grip harder to push myself up nang biglang magliwanag ang buong paligid. Napapikit ako dahil sa kidlat. A loud boom of thunder followed, startling me to the core.
I lost grip.
I immediately felt the impact. Pain flooded my senses as my back hit the rocks. Air was knocked out of me. I couldn't breathe. I was losing sight. The last thing I saw was the forest being lit once again by lightning before my eyes shut closed.
I opened my eyes. I was still in the forest. Drops of rain fell on my face one by one. It was still raining, but the storm calmed down to a rain shower. Madilim ang buong paligid. Wala akong makita maliban sa aking sariling katawan.
Kinapa ko ang paligid. My palms slipped on mossy rocks. I was so close to the river, the water was reaching the tip of my hand. Sinubukan kong gumalaw, lumayo sa ilog. But I could barely move. There was a sharp pain from my back, and every small movement was making me lose my breath.
Pilit kong kinalimutan ang sakit. I bit my lower lip while trying to make myself move, to push myself off the ground and crawl out of the rising waters of the riverbank.
Nakailang hakbang lamang ako nang huminto ako sa paanan ng isang puno sa tabi ng ilog. Breathing deeply, I leaned against its trunk... wincing in pain.
I was shaking all over, from fear, from worry about Nari, from being soaked too long in the rain... my palms were wrinkled, my skin pale. Pilit kong kinalma ang aking sarili.
It's okay... they're gonna find me... they're gonna find us. And even if they didn't, once morning arrived, I would find my way back to the village.
The silence of the forest was deafening. Tanging ang agos ng ilog ang naririnig ko sa gitna ng madilim na paligid. I folded my knees close to my body, hugging them to make myself warm.
Muling nagliwanag ang kalangitan dahil sa kidlat. My eyes widen in fear... automatically putting my shaking hands on my ears to cover them. The flash, the sound... they're terrifying.
Hindi ko alam kung saan nagsimula ang takot na ito. But when I was younger, I had spent nights outside of my owner's house as punishment. There was a thunderstorm then, it was raining hard and there was nothing in the backyard except for the doghouse where I couldn't even fit myself. I was in the open yard, clasping my ears, under a thunderstorm.
Another lightning strike the sky. I stifled my sob, as though I was back to being the kid in the yard. I had tears in my eyes, hands clasped on my ears.
It's okay... morning will come. Eleanor, it's okay.
The thunder that followed rattled the ground. My whole body trembled under the tree, shoulders shaking in fear.
I'm scared... I'm so scared.
I felt a sudden movement near me. But I didn't want to raise my head out of fear. The drops of rain hitting my skin suddenly disappeared, as though someone covered me from it.
Slowly raising my head, I saw someone was standing in front of me. He was leaning both hands against the trunk of the tree, while I remained sitting down under it, staring at him. I felt him breathing heavy, soaked just like me.
A lightning lit the forest in golden glow... and I saw him, his eyes staring down at me... golden. Napatitig ako sa kanyang mga mata, hanggang sa bumalik sa pagiging madilim ang paligid.
It couldn't be...
The rumbling thunder followed, but instead of covering my ears, he bent down and held me tight to his chest where all I could hear was the erratic beating of his heart and his heavy breathing, as though he felt a kind of fear he had never felt before.
The thunder made me trembled in his arms. He held me tight. "I'm sorry... it took me this long to get to you..." he whispered to my ear. "You don't have to be scared now... I'm here now."
Nang muling magliwanag ang langit, pinagmasdan ko ang kanyang mukha... his golden eyes, the same color of the lightning washing the entire forest in light.
Zackary.
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