In the capital city of the Philippines, Manila – mighty looking skyscraper were everywhere. As if declaring that humans are the gods of the land; But as nature’s clouds descend, emptiness fell upon the Earth. A young boy was currently in trance, he seemed searching for something among the clouds.
“Big Brother look at the clouds, which of them was the place were gods’ dwell… I want to go there and personally asked the reason we were born in this world” said the younger brother sounding very unemotional. “Would it be better to not to live than serve those demons”
“You brat!” the older brother panicked,” Stop daydreaming, Big Boss’ thugs might hear you…” He then handed his younger brother a stack of newspaper and help him to hold it. His heart ached as he look at his younger brother in a walking stick, being forced to carry the newspapers with one hand
“Don’t worry, someday your big brother will find a way to leave this hell,” he thought, gripping his fist as he looked with hostility at a fat guy whom they call Big Boss from a far, sitting in a luxurious sofa, drinking expensive liquors, and beautiful girls hanging around him.
The two brothers don’t know their parents current situation, what they know that they were used as collateral by their own parents to pay debt to the syndicate. They were forced to work and steal for the syndicate. They once tried to ask for help from the public but their cries were unheard. Thus, the two brothers realized that the city was the modern jungle that follows one unspoken rule – mind your own business, survival of the heartless. Who cares about two young boys?
As a result they grew up equipped with a strong will to survive in the harsh environment. Every day, with other captive children, they wondered alleys and markets to sell newspapers, begged for few coins or worst pickpocket. As the curtains of the night fell, they needed to deliver their daily quota to an old warehouse that turn into a hideout for the syndicate. Anyone who tried to hide their sales or escaped will be punished.
There’s an instance when someone tried to escaped, he ended up crippled. That’s not the end, the Big Boss liked the idea of having crippled children as workers because they easily get sympathy of others. With profit in his mind, he ordered that anyone who opposed him will be badly beaten.
One of the unfortunate child was Mark, the younger brother, who was only ten years old when he was beaten by the Big Boss’ thugs when he tried to hide a few cents from his daily quota. Two weeks straight, he cannot get out of his bed. He have a lot of bruises in his body, his left feet was fractured, and he cannot get proper treatment; there’s no way he could afford to go to the hospital.
In an instant, Mark’s fate have become worse. The once joy and caring boy become hateful and skeptic. He only cared for himself and his brother’s safety.
His big brother, Jose, at that time was only eleven years old. When he saw that his brother was being beaten, he rashly intervened, but his effort is futile. Those thugs were physically well-built. Those thugs against a skinny young boy was a child’s play.
Despite of everything that happens to the two brothers, they did not lose hope to survive and their wishful thinking that someday, they would make everyone who treat them wrongly pay twice the suffering that they have to endure.
……………
……………………………..
Perhaps someone heard their yearning, an event will befall in the world – a turning point for the brothers.
…………………………….
…………..
Five years have passed…
………………………………..
……………………………….
In the outskirt of the city – a young man with lean size and brownish complexion was in a hurry, in his right arm was a shoulder bag, tightly hugged. His forehead and back was covered with sweat evidence that he was in a tight situation. He went to an alley besides an old building then make a turn at a corner, as he about to felt relief, he saw a man wearing a police uniform gripping a baton in his hand and shouted” you thief! Come back! Or else when I catch you, I’ll beat you till your mother can’t recognize your shit face!”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The young man was startled, he climbed up a ladder then looked for a place to jump, and the policeman on the other hand, blew his whistle and chased the boy. The cat and mouse chase game was so intense that even rooftop and walls have become their pathway. The young have the advantage since he was so familiar to the place. When he jumps, crawl and roll around the congested houses, it looks like seeing a spider man in the making without spitting webs and a Parkour maniac.
The policeman tried to lessen the gap but cannot performed well, he’s having a hard time chasing due to his overweight body. So even he’s eager to catch the young man, when he saw the boy from a far at the top of a building, he give up the chase.
“Big fat man with your belly bouncing around, we know from the start that you can’t catch me, your grandpa, haha!” young man hastily shouted while he stoke his middle finger as high as he could, to provoke the policeman.
When he confirmed that no one was following him, he went to a corner of the rooftop and lay down to take a rest. Slowly, closed his eyes and take a deep breath. It was Jose, already 16 years old. After few years he already become a full time thief due to excessive demand from the syndicate.
Suddenly, Jose felt emotion surged to his heart. He feel pity to all of his victims but what can he do, he was forced to steal and pickpocket. The syndicate were so strict about daily quotas to make it worse they take advantage of his crippled younger brother situation, he was ordered to fund the shortfall from his younger brother daily quotas.
“Argh! Php.1,000.00 (20$) daily quota was already pain in the ass, then I still need to find a way to at least have Php.500.00(10$) for my younger brother quota”, Jose protested while checking the shoulder bag he obtained today.
Jose first checked the purse and got a Php.500.00 bill and few coins. Afterward he opened the main bag compartment, when he saw what’s inside he don’t know whether to cry or laugh.
“I almost got caught by the police and I poured so much effort to get this shiny shoulder bag but the heck… who still used this kind of phone today, it’s already 2017” he whined, as he retrieved an old phone which some people proclaimed as the world immortal phone, the legendary heaven defying Nokiya 3310. He targeted this shoulder bag because of its exquisite design and the owner looks like a rich businesswoman, he thought that whether the purse or the bag he will get a jackpot.
“Never mind, maybe there’s still some used for this phone, maybe sell it to an antique shop” Jose said, then he checked the time from the old phone. “Sh*t, it’s already 2.00 p.m I still lacked 2/3 for the daily quota” he added.
He then stand up to do few stretching and as he about to leave the rooftop, he unconsciously looked at the sky, from a far he could see tall buildings but that was not the things that caught his attention. There he saw a big object currently falling from a high altitude and suddenly stop in the middle of the city and what he found was not a form of clouds nor a species of bird, nor a mechanical aerial vehicle made by man but a golden spherical object. He determined that this object was so big since he can vividly feel the forced of the wind when it suddenly halted even he’s so far away from the center.
The city was set in uproar, people were starting to panic as some idiots spread rumors that the spherical object was a modern type of nuclear missile. Mass panicked occurred, people started to move as far as they could out of the center of golden spherical object. People who attempted to use their mobile devices cannot get any receptions nor start any vehicle. As a result, it intensify the crowd anxiety, all over the place stampede, fights and riots were taking place. The city government wanted to control the situation but even the government officials were disorganized for most of the officials prioritized their own safety and their family. The army have the 1st Battalion deployed within their base not far from the city but since vehicle cannot be used it would takes an hour before the army can mobilize their troops to manage the rioters.
Meanwhile, Jose was still dazed from the spectacle, but he remembered that there’s no time to waste since the purposed of the golden spherical object was unknown, he need to go back to the hideout to checked his brother condition.
“F*ck that’s not a nuclear missile, no one will waste so much resources just to coated that big thing with gold nor used huge amount of firepower just to eradicated the city… I would rather wish it would be an alien spaceship.” Jose said, panicking. When suddenly the golden spherical object emitted a binding lights that compare to the light from the sun was like heaven and earth, even Jose closed his eyes the light was still in his sight. Due to the blinding light Jose forgot that he was at a rooftop, he lost his footing and he was about to fall from the rooftop. Fortunately he was still holding the shoulder bag that somehow stuck to the edge of the roof. Hanging, Jose hoped that the shoulder bag can withstood his weight. He thought that his misfortune was already over when he heard a voice……
A voice…… with
No distinction if it was a Girl or a Boy
If it was an Old or New Born
If it was human or animal….