CHAPTER THREE
💪 "Resilience in Life"
~ Erik's Point of View ~
What happened? Wait, why is it so dark? I don't know if I'm in a room without lights or if my eyes are just closed, which is why I can't see anything.
The surroundings are getting cold. I feel the wind brushing against my body. Wait a minute? This feeling is familiar.
The air smells wonderful, and I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, but still, I see nothing but darkness.
I feel that I can move my body, but I can't see it. Even when I speak, I can't tell if the words are coming out of my mouth or if I'm just saying them in my mind.
In that instant, I hear a voice. A soft, feminine laugh. I can't place her, but it sounds familiar to my ears.
"Can you see the beauty of the surroundings?" the mysterious voice asked.
The voice was asking me a question, but even though I wanted to answer, I felt like I couldn't. I didn't know why my mouth wouldn't open to respond, or perhaps I simply had nothing to say because I couldn't see anything around me.
"A clear sky, clean water, abundant trees, green land, and a peaceful environment where animals play. Isn't this place so beautiful?" the mysterious voice continued.
Wait, what is she talking about?
I didn't know what my reaction should be. If I considered it, she wanted to show me a place, but I didn't know how to see it.
"Do you see it? Isn't this place truly marvelous?"
As those words were spoken, a strong wind seemed to sweep over my body. This time, I felt like I closed my eyes and shielded my face with my arms to ward off the wind.
I slowly opened my eyes again and realized I was sitting next to the driver's seat, leaning against the truck door while sleeping.
~ End of PoV ~
The man driving was Kardo Malasi, the driver. He was forty years old, with short, dark hair, a muscular build, and a somewhat dark complexion from being constantly exposed to the sun.
He had been a vegetable vendor since childhood, so he was experienced and knew a lot about their work system.
Especially their situation regarding the rebels and the Spanish officials who obstructed them. He knew that caution was required at all times to avoid trouble and anything that could put them in harm's way.
The truck continued on to the third destination despite the incident where Erik was attacked.
His head was bandaged, and his arms were bruised from falling on the street. At that moment, the young man hadn't fully processed what had happened the previous night.
Kardo greeted him and asked how he felt. Erik couldn't clearly recall how he ended up in the driver's seat or why he had a bandage on his head.
"Wait, don't tell me you got amnesia after being attacked by bandits?" Kardo said.
A moment later, Kardo recounted what happened, which shocked the boy. Erik then asked about the sequence of events that led to him being seated there.
The boy hadn't expected to be victimized by criminals and robbed by them.
The rebels were violent and bold due to the kind of life they lived. The Spaniards would immediately kill and shoot them on sight, so they had to act quickly when committing crimes.
The young man knew about that, and he thought it was his own fault that everything turned out that way because he didn't listen to Kardo's warning the previous night.
He blamed no one but himself for taking action contrary to the group's custom and the elders' instruction not to go out alone, especially at night.
He looked down, sniffing. Tears suddenly dropped from his eyes as he remembered what happened.
"Hey kid, are you crying? Yes, what happened was scary, but it's over now, kid. You're safe," Kardo said.
Though he tried to stop himself from crying, the boy couldn't halt his tears and continued to rub his eyes with his arm.
~ Kardo's Point of View ~
Miserable kid. I don't know why my chest feels tight now that I see and hear him crying. Maybe it's because I pity him.
He is too young for this kind of work. I don't like seeing children working as vegetable vendors. The vegetables we carry are so heavy, and it's truly surprising that he never complains.
Our life here is really exhausting. From morning till night, we have to carry and sell. We have no time for other things, like the fun that this kid should still be experiencing.
By doing this, he's wasting his youth. He should be looking for friends and enjoying life before experiencing this back-breaking work.
That's right. At his age, he should still be in school, and what he should be holding right now are paper and pens, not these vegetables.
As I thought about those things, I furrowed my brow and gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knees moving in irritation.
I don't know why I'm irritated. I feel annoyed listening to this young man continue to cry.
Wait, what am I angry about?
What's happening to me?
Maybe I feel this way because I also have children his age, children I'm still sending to school.
That's right, my children are the reason I work as a vegetable vendor. I don't want them to only ever be vegetable vendors, so as much as possible, I want them to have a good life.
I probably can't help but compare my children to this boy. I feel that if my children became vegetable vendors at their age, they would also go through what this young man is experiencing.
I can't bear to see that. As their father, I won't allow that to happen to them. Never.
At that moment, I looked at the young man and imagined the faces of my children in his person as he cried.
I sighed and did nothing but reach out and touch the young man's head to comfort and calm him down.
But I was suddenly startled when he blurted out, still sobbing, the words:
"I lost the money I earned from the vegetables. I need to get my earnings back so I can bring something home to my mother," Erik sobbed.
"My mother and father worked hard to plant those, and they're expecting me to bring home money," he added.
I was shocked by what he said, not because of fear of what happened or the pain in his body, but because of what was making him cry now.
Even at the end, the only thing he was worried about was earning money to bring home to his family.
I wanted to shout at this kid and smack his head to make him realize what he was saying.
He's foolish. He was almost killed, and going through that kind of situation is no joke.
That's a traumatic experience, especially for a child like him.
The moments when I was caught by the rebels and beaten to get the money I desperately tried to hide suddenly flashed back in my mind.
I don't know why this kid seems to be disregarding himself. His arms are trembling from physical weakness, and he doesn't seem to care at all.
It's obvious he's abusing his body to its limit just to earn. What kind of mindset does he have?
I can't stand this anymore.
I'm irritated...
But...
But should I lecture him?
Do I have the right to stop him from what he's doing?
He's not my son or even a relative, so I shouldn't care what happens to this kid.
What if the Spaniards abuse him or the rebels rob him?
This young man is stubborn.
He chose this, so he should face the conditions of this job.
As I thought those things, I looked into the mirror, where I observed the boy continuing to cry. I can't explain it, but in an inexplicable way, I seemed to see my former self in the person of this child.
A child who dedicated his entire youth to working to earn money.
Wasting his youth and not enjoying being a child with others.
Tired, hungry, rained on, baked in the sun, abused by the Spaniards, and endangered by the rebels.
It's sickening. It's so difficult.
I don't want to remember those days. That's why I don't want my children to experience being like me.
But because of him, all the feelings I wanted to forget are coming back. Maybe that's why I'm angry now.
Why does a child who is not yet of age have to work? Why were we born poor?
Is what's happening right?
It's not this kid's fault that he was born poor, but he needs to work and strive to survive.
Hmm... Yes, that's right.
Just like me back then...
But no matter how angry I get or how crazy I think, no one can answer my questions. We live as poor citizens, and we have no choice but to continue working to survive.
The world needs balance; there are rich and poor. There are abundant and barren.
There are those at the top and those at the bottom.
That's the world.
We're just unlucky, kid, that we ended up at the very bottom.
I let go of his head and just sighed.
"Don't worry, you'll earn it back. The important thing is you're alive and you still have a chance to earn," Kardo told the young man.
Those were the only words I could say. I don't know why I was supposed to be scolding him right now, but maybe it was because I really didn't know what to say at that moment, or maybe those were the words I used to say to myself back then to soothe and calm myself down.
~ End of Point of View ~
The interior of the truck was silent for a few moments as Kardo continued to drive. At that time, Kardo took his bag and handed it to Erik.
He told him to take a packet of bread from the bag and eat it.
Erik immediately refused. The young man knew Kardo needed the food because, just like him, everyone was being frugal so they could bring something home to their families.
"Stop being difficult, just take it."
The boy wondered why Kardo was insisting that he accept it. Was he pitying his situation, or did he need to pay Kardo for it?
"Just accept it. The moment you don't accept it, I will continue to feel guilty," Kardo said.
Erik was even more puzzled by this, since Kardo had nothing to do with what happened to him during the attack last night.
Erik's stomach suddenly growled, and he clutched it. He remembered that he hadn't managed to eat last night, so even though he doubted Kardo's intentions for offering the free bread, he had no choice but to take it from the bag and eat it.
Kardo sighed when he saw Erik eating the bread. In his haste to eat, the boy suddenly choked, so Kardo quickly handed him some water to drink.
"Slow down, Carrot Boy. Don't rush eating; no one is going to snatch that from you," Kardo said.
Erik gasped at the water bottle and quickly drank to clear the food stuck in his throat. After he drank, the vitality returned to his face, and he smiled.
"Thank you very much, Kuya Kardo," he replied, smiling at him.
"You don't need to thank me, you'll pay for it," Kardo suddenly said.
The young man was shocked, his eyes wide at what he heard. He panicked and said he didn't have a single coin left.
"Ugh, my head suddenly hurts," Erik groaned, holding his head.
But Kardo immediately took it back, saying he was just kidding. He laughed while continuing to drive and teased Erik about his look and reaction when money was mentioned.
"The pain you feel doubles when money is being discussed."
Erik didn't know why the usually grumpy Kardo had suddenly become kind and was now laughing with him, but even so, he was grateful to him, not just for the bread but for giving him the encouragement earlier to start over and regain his earnings.
"But someday, I'll pay you back triple what you gave me, Kuya Kardo, although it might take a while," Erik said.
"Triple? When will that be?" he asked.
"Yes, when I get rich," Erik answered straightforwardly.
Kardo suddenly laughed and touched Erik's head, messing up his hair.
"Well, if that's the case, I'll count on it. Just make sure I'm still alive by then," he joked.
Erik winced at what Kardo was doing to his head because of the wound he sustained. They continued to talk and laugh as they drove towards the next market.
In the middle of their conversation at that time, Kardo suddenly apologized to him.
"I'm sorry, kid. I didn't expect that to happen," Kardo said seriously.
Kardo's serious tone greatly surprised Erik. He just assumed it was for touching his head even though he knew he had a wound.
Kardo knew he had no fault or reason to worry about Erik's attack, but he continued to feel guilty for not helping Erik when he had the chance.
He realized he had been selfish and put himself first, which was why this happened to the boy. More than anyone, he knew the difficulty of being a vegetable vendor at a young age, and he knew the feeling of having no one help you in the midst of hardship.
Like his experience back then when others showed no concern during his struggles, the same seemed to be happening now to the young man beside him.
Thus, he was determined in his mind that to the best of his ability, he would help the young man Erik and treat him like his own son.
~ End of Chapter ~