The dark clouds have been lifted. The looming darkness made by the smoke from the factories which seemed to trap whatever light from the sun somehow thinned and allowed for some sunshine to penetrate into the slums. Suddenly, everything was brighter. Most of the slum dwellers revelled in the sunshine outside and took a second from their busy lives to relax their exhausted bodies. The constant struggle among them was forgotten and in that one instant, hope was in their hearts.
Tristan was feeling much the same like everybody else. After years of resisting the raging way of life in the City and fearing for the others especially for his twin sister, it was finally over. He felt it through that bond that links him to his twin. There was calmness there now. No more depression and loneliness. Just peace. Mari was finally alright and alive, he was sure of it. That dreadful feeling had been slowly ebbing away from his tired heart for some time now. And, now, it was absolutely and totally gone from his system.
“Wow,” exclaimed a young voice. “You’re actually smiling.” The voice came from a thin and undernourished boy sitting beside Tristan. He was twelve years old but he looked almost ten years older. His body was hunched from carrying tons of weight against his young shoulders. He was working in the mine before Tristan came and dragged him out from hell. And of course, the life in the slums itself was a struggle.
Tristan playfully boxed his ears growling, “you impertinent bastard.” If there ever was one person that he showed his real self, it was Rusty. But smiling was a rarity for him. He had actually forgotten how to smile. Most of the time he was scowling. He considered himself to be one of the most feared in the slums and it suited him to be so. He needed to look indestructible, to be feared, to survive. But in truth, he was tired of all of it. It was just all an act. Hidden behind his dark looks and angry façade was a vulnerable man. A man who wants freedom. Freedom which he thought he had when he escaped from his abusive family who adopted him the day they were taken from their paradise.
“Where are we going today?” Rusty asked as they headed eastward from the slum.
“You’ll see,” said Tristan humming a song that Mari used to sing to them as they gazed at the stars every night.
Rusty was feeling exhilaration. He was being brought at Tristan’s secret hiding place. A place no one has ever found nor dared to look for. He skipped and danced into that tune which Tristan always hummed or sometimes sang when he thought no one minded him.
The place was at the border of the City. A rundown and abandoned industrial area. They climbed the tallest building and at the top, Rusty could only stare with wide bulging eyes and slacked jaw. The view of the City was horrible. A stone jungle that goes as far as the eyes could see. Skyscrapers loomed horrifyingly at the northern part of the city casting dark shadows on lesser buildings. The factories crowded against each other just west of the slums below the residential area of the middle class city dwellers.
It was the east that really captured Rusty’s attention. He had never seen so much green before and in different hues. The colors were in total contrast with the bleak black and white structures of the City. Further still was the ocean Tristan used to tell stories about the ocean to Rusty. Sometimes if he closed his eyes he could see himself swimming in the ocean. He could even taste its saltiness. But now, he was seeing it. It glimmered as though beckoning them. The air was also fresh and warm coming from the east. Rusty had never experienced this kind of happiness in his life. He could very well imagine himself dying from it if he ever gets a chance to go there.
“Something’s wrong,” said Tristan. He had not come back here for quiet a long while now. He was busy trying to reorganize the mess his predecessor has done in the slums. A frown creased his forehead as he slanted his eyes further towards the ocean.
“What is it?” asked Rusty in a worried note.
“The ocean, it smells different.”
“How different?” He couldn’t have possibly known the difference and he envied Tristan.
“Its smells of the City,” was Tristan’s answer. A thrill ran down Rusty’s spine’s hearing the tone that Tristan used. “I must find out what happened.” Then he turned towards the door and called Rusty to follow him.
“You mean now? But Sister Anna is expecting us today. Said, there were volunteers coming.”
Tristan swore eloquently and stopped in midstride. “You’re right.”
It has been their habit to help the foundation feed the hungry and care for the sick of the slum. Sister Anna was one of the most active and passionate in helping the slum dwellers. She would call on her family friends and connections to raise money or ask for food and clothes for the needy. Everybody loved Sister Anna and it was also with the help of Tristan that the once a week feeding program was started where volunteers, rich kids with nothing else to do, would visit Sister Anna’s foundation situated at the edge of the slum area with foods or learning materials.
The volunteers must have been late for when they came to the foundation they saw that the place was just being prepared. The food containers were just being carried off from the car into the small building.
Tristan was just entering the gate then, and Rusty had run ahead to help, when his attention was caught by a woman smiling at a little girl standing outside the building. His heart suddenly stopped and everything around him froze. “Mari,” he whispered and he stepped back quickly behind the gate wondering if he should go and present himself to his sister. But fear clutched at his heart and he couldn’t move. Doubt clouded his mind and his feet seemed to move on its own accord as he strode away from the foundation.
It wasn’t until much later that Tristan gained enough courage to go back to the foundation. But, it was a little late because the car earlier was now heading away from the foundation.
“Tristan! Where did you go off to?” called Rusty as he reached the gate.
“That car?” asked Tristan with a sinking heart.
“I was looking all over for you. Sister asked me to follow those two home,” Rusty sounded excited. Well, he should be. It would be his first time to drive away from the slum into the center of the City. “Sister already gave me the key to her car.”
“I’ll drive,” said Tristan and there was a frown on his voice.
“What is it?” asked Rusty.
“They’re heading the wrong way,” said Tristan then before Rusty could he react he was bodily carried to the garage where the car was parked and thrown inside.
Rusty could only grumble in bewilderment as he seated himself more comfortably. “You do know that I hate being man handled,” he whined.
They were already out of the City lights and everything was pitch black around them except the lights from the car ahead of them. “Where are we?” Rusty looked about him with fear in his eyes.
Tristan was unhelpfully silent as they drove further away from the City. Rusty could hear all sorts of horrible sounds that must have come from monsters that were told in the stories. He looked at his silent friend and dared not ask for fear of being thrown out of the car.
They finally stopped, a little further away from the car and they were immediately covered in darkness. Rusty let out a startled squeak and jumped hurriedly out when he saw Tristan’s silhouette heading towards the other car.
“Are those two nuts?” he muttered and clung to Tristan’s sleeves thanking whatever God there may be that his friend didn’t say anything nor objected.
Rusty worriedly wondered if his friend has gone stark mad and was thinking of murdering those two volunteers. Tristan never liked those people. Those rich spoiled rotten brats, he calls them. Rusty shivered and held on tightly on Tristan’s sleeve. “I will not let you kill them,” he repeated those words in his head promising to do his best to not let his only friend do something that he will regret forever. Then, in his worried state, he smelled something. It was an awful stench. The smell reminded him of the mines. “Tristan,” he whispered as he tried to block off from his mind all the unpleasant memories he had of the mine. He strained his eyes looking for some ray of light as he started to choke.
***
Rusty was back in the mines again. The burly miners were around him as they took their turns in inflicting physical harm to his small form. They had turned off their lights when they realized that he was afraid of the dark. He cried out to make them stop but somebody kicked him in the stomach making him puke out his dinner. He was also starting to taste blood in his mouth. He pleaded for them to stop but they only laughed contemptuously at him. He tried covering his ears but the sound penetrated still. He prayed to die but nobody was hearing his prayers. He remained awake through his painful ordeal. Until they left. Until he was covered with total silence and absolute darkness that he thought he might have died without knowing it. Until finally he succumbed to sleep.
It was the next morning when they finally found him still alive. He was barely hanging on but his will to live was strong. When the men finished their little amusement and thought him to be dead, they finally left. Rusty, with broken arms and fractured ribs, barely able to breathe and move, crawled out of the mine inch by agonizing inch when he awoke that next morning. His only guide was the sound of the water dripping from the main entrance. It seemed that that night, it rained. When he reached the end of the tunnel exhausted he again fell into a deep sleep.
When morning came, Tristan was just passing by the mine on his way to his hiding place saw Rusty’s forlorn figure covered in blood and bruises. Upon inspection, Tristan thought of leaving him. With the kind of bruises and wounds on that small body, there was no way that Rusty could have survived. But he did. When Tristan was about to leave the small body moved. Tristan called in a few of his friends and they took him to the foundation. And so Rusty lived and he never came back to the mine.
***
“Rusty,” whispered Tristan. He was shaking him hard he could almost hear his teeth rattle. “Rusty,” this time he said it louder. He sighed in relief when Rusty finally stirred. He shouldn’t have brought him. He should have left him in the car. At least in the car, there was light. Rusty was afraid of darkness. Coupled with the stench coming from the shore, it was no wonder that it brought horrible and painful memories enough for his friend to shut down.
“Tristan?” Rusty hoarsely whispered as he came back to the present. He was cold and shaking badly. He wrapped his thin arms around his friend tightly hiding from the darkness. “Let’s go back, please. Its so dark.” Rusty’s tough exterior had crumbled leaving an utterly terrified twelve year old that Tristan almost gave in and go back to their car. But they were almost there. He could hear the waves crushing on the shore just beyond and the awful stench was almost unbearable now. And his sister was there. She must have known something was wrong and now she was coming back.
“I’m sorry but we have to continue,” Tristan said and he took out his lighter and gave it to Rusty. “Here,” he said and waited for Rusty to light it and continued walking slower to accommodate his friend.
He stopped a few feet from the end of the forest. They were still covered in darkness but they could see the shore and his sister with her friend. They were standing still and he could hear her sister sobbing in earnest. He felt like crying himself but he found it hard to do. He had been holding on to his emotions for so long, hadn’t cried for so long that he couldn’t remember to do it now.
The small paradise, the only place he called home, was now dying. It’s being suffocated by the garbage that must have surely come from the City. His hate for the place and its people grew monstrously. He scowled darkly gritting his teeth. Then Rusty rushed to the shore unmindful of the two women who gasped in surprise and fright at his sudden appearance.
“No,” Rusty said. He looked around and he was sure this was it. The beach Tristan told him about. “This could not be it,” he said shaking his head convincing himself that this was not that paradise.
“Who are you?” said Chance as she recovered from her fright.
Rusty blinked and faced the two women they were following. He had forgotten they were there. “I’m sorry. I’m Rusty from the foundation,” he said frowning at the two women. They might have something to do with this and that was why they were there. He turned to where he left his friend and sighed in relief to see his dark silhouette just at the edge of the forest.
Chance turned as well following the direction to where the boy was looking. Fear gripped her entire body rendering her paralyzed. She grabbed Mari standing silent and motionless like the dark figure from the forest. “Mari!” Chance hissed at the older woman beside her. Mari blinked awaken from her trance and her eyes caught a small figure, familiar, in his stance. Distrustful and yet there was hopefulness in his eyes.
“You’re from the foundation,” says Mari quietly.
“Yes, why are you here?” said Rusty.
“Mari,” said the voice from behind. Mari stiffened and suddenly life went back into her. Hope again rekindled in her heart. Slowly she turned around and faced her twin brother walking towards her with open arms. Mari gasped in surprise and delight as she ran into his arms hugging him as tightly as she could. Tristan laughed, it was dry but a genuine happy laugh nonetheless.
Rusty who remained rooted from where he was standing frowned in confusion at the two and then looked at the other girl who was also mirroring his own confused expression.
“He’s your twin?” said Chance a little breathlessly. She was staring at them trying to make out their similarities on this dark shore. All she could discern was his warm green eyes looking down adoringly at his twin sister. He couldn’t make out his face for it was almost shadowed even more by his unruly curls.
Mari smiled at Chance nodding still staring at his face. “You’ve changed. You’re handsome.” Mari giggled sensing a frown on his brother’s face. “I mean, you were cute then. Now you’re handsome. Gorgeous.” Mari cupped his face and kissed him on the cheek.
Tristan only grumbled feeling shy all of a sudden. He stepped back from Mari who was still smiling like an idiot and then glared at Rusty who stood apart from them feeling alone and lost. “Rusty,” he said, his voice a little husky from the emotions he is trying to control. “Meet my twin sister, Mari and her friend?” He draw Rusty to his side forcing him to face his sister. Mari smiled down at him and patted his head.
“Hello, love,” she said and giggled delightedly when Rusty grumbled something incoherent much like his brother did. “This is Chance, and yes she is my friend.” Chance smiled a little shyly at the two.
“Mari, lets not stay here long. We cannot do anything about this now. Tomorrow. I promise to do something tomorrow.” Tristan said those words as though he was making a vow not only to his twin but to their home. A promise which he was going to make sure not to break no matter what the cost.
Mari nodded feeling the same thing. Promising to herself to be strong to do what needed to be done on the place. Thanking God that she had been given a friend. “Chance, you will help us, right?” said Mari holding Chance’s hand. Chance nodded feeling a kinship towards this broken place. Promising to heal whatever wounds it had just like she used to as a nurse. Chance smiled and hugged her friend, “Yes. I will help. I promise.”
Rusty grinned looking at the two older women in front of him. He thought that they were too emotional. “Females,” he mutters under his breath to which he received a smack on the back of his head from Tristan. He only laughed and noticed that it already dawn. “Look,” Rusty called out and the four of them turned towards the horizon.
The first rays of light came peeking out from the east painting the pale indigo skies with streaks of yellow and pink. It signalled a new hope for the four witnessing the miracle. Much further into the ocean was still as clear as the skies above. It glimmered and sparkled happily as though welcoming its spectators. The destruction though was worse than they had seen now that there was light to help them see. Anger filled their hearts once more and determination to reconstruct, rebuild it as it was before. Before the sun fully emerges from the horizon, the four had already gone back to their cars and were travelling back into the City.
The End