The Man from Manila - Episode 2 – An Inconvenient Truth

Previously…

After being saved from a group of rapist by a mysterious figure, the girl was brought to a distant residence in a province where she had been mugged.  In a desperate attempt to save and help the girl recover, the mysterious figure adopts as a native with the girl.

Episode 2 – An Inconvenient Truth

“I have seen this condition and have run some test.  You are truly blessed, despite of everything that had happened….you are of child” said the mysterious figure. “NO! This cannot happen!” the girl shouted. Shouting “NO!” she cried and sobs dropping to a corner restless, in complete disarray from what she had discovered. “I’m a mess, what will happen to me now?  What will my friends and family say to me? I’m a disgrace! How can I live lie this?”

“Please try to calm yourself, do not look at this in such a way, there are bigger reasons and lessons being taught to us in such situation” calmly said the mysterious figure. “You want me to be calm? You want me to look at it differently? How? You couldn’t possibly understand what I feel? You will never understand!” furiously she said.  “I was supposed to be an engineer; I just went to a friend to study.”  The girl again fell in disappointment, restless and sobbed in one corner. “Do not be in vain, I swear to do everything to help and ease whatever pain you are feeling.” The mysterious figure calmly said to her.

“There might still be a way --- I can have this aborted.  I didn’t want any of this to happen; this was never supposed to happen. Yes, if you help me to get this thing off me --- I might still have a chance to live a normal life; maybe I can still pick-up the pieces and get my life back.” Anxiously; the girl explained to the mysterious figure.  She approached him “Please, help me get my life back.” The mysterious figure stoops down and replied “I cannot take a life, just as I have risked my existence to save yours --- I cannot do what you ask of me.” The mysterious figure turned around and calmly “You life does not justify taking your child’s life; to take it and save yours does not make sense.  I saved you because I know you do not deserve such, I am so sorry to acted too late… it was because I myself was afraid.”

Silence broke the conversation, the mysterious figure is torn between what he must do to save both.  He hears voices echoing from his past at random; confused he shakes his head to clear his mind then instinct ushers in… the girl quickly stood-up and ran towards the kitchen. “What’s does she plan to do?” he said to himself, he rushed and followed her in the kitchen as she grabbed a knife and aims to stab herself. In a blink of an eye, he swooped and quickly grabbed her by the hand where she was holding the knife restraining her and another hand from the waist to her back securing she could not stab herself. He held his face near her and whispered “This is not the answer, everything happens for a reason. Stop this madness!”

She slowly opened her hands and dropped the knife as tears slowly run from her eyes. “I should have died; you should have let me died!” She then fainted and dropped in the mysterious figure’s hands.   He lifted her and carried across the house to her room and let her sleep and rest.  He turned around and said to himself “I do not understand why I feel this way and cannot just turn my back from you.” Pigment of the past starts to flash in front of him. “You can do nothing! I will take her and she will be mine!” a distinct voice from his head “No, please…. Have mercy.” Another voice of a woman echo’s in her mind. Like an uncontrollable headache, he shook and held his head like it was being torn apart.  In agony he ran outside; from the clear fields and sky --- there he screamed in pain.  He fell in his knees and looked up in the sky in agony his eyes glowed, his skin changes tone from flesh like to brownish green. Veins are showing up in his hands and his body seem to be changing, boiling deforming his appearance “ARGHHH!!!!!!!!!” his eyes glowed and a bright light seemed to explode from within him, his energy shattered around him like an implosion of aura.

The next day, the girl woke-up and slowly opened her eyes to her surprise she sees him in the room.  “I see you have regain consciousness, how are you?” tears dropped from her eyes and she looked away. “I see you still upset from what had happened.” She closed her eyes, still crying, disappointed in what had happened to her and her current predicament. “Truly you are being thought a bigger lesson in life, something that will strengthen and build who you are once it is overcome. I do not wish you to suffer because of grief but wish to see you drew strength from everything.” The mysterious person is slicing ripe mangoes and had prepared pineapples for her. On a plate beside her bed he said “Here, have some of this… I believe this will help you.  If you like anything, please do not hesitate to ask.” He slowly left the room.  The girl looked and stared at the fruits, again tears run from her eyes to the pillow. She closed her eyes and sat on the bed, looked at the fruits and gently smiled; grabbed a piece and ate.  The mysterious figure was watching from a small gap from the room’s unlocked door, turned around and gently smiled.

Days passed into weeks, the girl never left her room.  He would regularly bring her food, milk every morning and fruits in the afternoon.  The mysterious figure monitored her from her room, making sure she was well and healthy to bear child.  There in his room were different kinds of instruments and device used for scientific purposes such as data gathering, experiments.  The room looked like a laboratory but bizarre like obviously not of this planet. As he walks across the room, it somehow phases to look like an ordinary room. It was a small house on the outside made of nipa hut and bamboo but has a lot of space inside; it was like the house itself was hiding something from everyone else, seemingly and purposely built or placed in a remote area in the province to be unnoticed.

One day, when he was bringing fruits in her room she grabbed his hand and calmly “Why are you doing this? Why do you need to do this?” He looked at her hand; felt that it was more intrigued than scared. “I am a friend.” “It’s been quite a while now since you brought me here and still I do not know who or what you are? Not even a name?” she eloquently inquired. “I must be crazy but where are you from?”  The mysterious figure smiled and poured some juice in the glass “You need not to worry of such insignificant things, what is important is you be healthy and well, both of you.” She looked and held his belly “At least give me a name? You’re asking me to keep this child and always giving me advice in life but not even a name?” He looked at her and said “name” turned around with a smile “Eat your fruits while they are still fresh.” Before he could leave the room she said “I’m Aiyanikka” took a bite of the mango and smiled. “It’s a pleasure to know you Aiyanikka” he smiled as he left the room.

To be continued….

Copyright njvelasquez 2012
All characters mentioned are all original concepts for this Mini-Series.