Out of Touch (Science Fiction Story)

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Out of Touch (Science Fiction Story)
By: Noel N. Villarosa
December 7, 2017

Everyone who had witnessed his childhood days will be puzzled by his behavior. There was no one who can explain the behavior that he was furtively doing in distinctive gesture.

He can't remember when it all started, he just found himself doing it upon after someone touching any part of his body or even a simple body contact when bumping each other. He can't help but shrug off any energy that he believes will adulterate the composition of the chemical element inside his body. Hand forming a snakehead and blowing his breath on his hand and covers the touched part of the body by tapping on it three times like a vacuum sucking all the trapped energy. He strongly believed that any negative energy will change his complex whole.

I have observed the young boy and studied his behavior; otherwise, my suspicion cannot come true. With science in the background, there was the answer to all my arguments--what if this little boy has been used in a teleportation experiment.

All the while, a guardian stranger had always monitored the little boy and they were always inside a hidden place called 'networks.' His guardian stranger called the little boy 'Zacky.' I was then a paid helper to the stranger guardian and he will always instruct me to do the cleaning and be fixing their mess inside the 'networks.'

There was one occasion that I finally vouched on my notion that the stranger was doing an experiment of a quantum teleportation. There were a massive collection of computers and an enclosed metallic glass cubicle where the little boy was put on a stand. And a kind of light emission will engulf the whole body of the little boy just like scanning his whole body down to the subatomic level, seeding a curated atom. Every day the stranger would measure the level of atoms that penetrates the little boy's body. He was building a colossal energy that will annihilate the physique and cells to be transformed into qubit. All the scanned information will go directly to the computer as a back-up. The captured atom or photon will be transmitted through entanglement between the sending and receiving location. It needed the speed of light as the newly converted molecules were mere qubits of information that can be conveyed between two entangled atoms.

The stranger created a medium that would have a refractive index and had built an optical computer around the networks that would process in the speed of light. He used a laser to send communication over long distance and the encoding and decoding were processed inside special chips via fiber optics.

When all the required mass of atoms were present inside Zacky's body, the atoms annihilated Zacky's body and passed through the computer using a rectifier to make a direct flow into an electronic circuit and then passed through into another cubicle attached in the computer to teleport the boy.

The discrete energy of Zacky being proportionally elevated to the radiation will allow atoms to interweave and merge his identity at the other end of the cubicle creating a complete teleportation.

The stranger understood those processes on his own term, but the disturbing fact was that the rest of the system was bogged down by the estranged energy that previously mixed up with Zacky's body during contact with other humans. The teleportation of Zacky's body was changed into a quasiparticle version of the Internet. Zacky's curated atoms were trapped inside the computer and could no longer find a way out of it, a connection to the computer had been Zacky's only communication into the outside world. Zacky had the ability to interact with the outside world through a voice and for the time being he became a phenomenal voice for those researching information on the internet. Zacky could travel from one place to another by uploading his presence in the computer. Zacky had been living throughout logging on to the computer and being teleported from one computer to another, but never his body. Zacky became the representation and interpretation of information inside a digital world. Zacky is out of physical touch, screen touching is the key to make him come alive again and will be serving you as the intelligent personal assistant.


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The Railway Watchman and the Little Boy (Short Story)

                                                 Photo Credit: Maria Cecilia B. Villarosa

The Railway Watchman and the Little Boy (Short Story)
By: Noel N. Villarosa
November 27, 2017

During the ancient period, watchtowers were vital in overlooking the surrounding--for a watchman to see the situation and decide to send a warning or herald for a coming harvest. There are boundaries we need to put barriers to protect and prevent someone from getting hurt. Many centuries ago, there were objects and things that possessed magical power that can ward off the evil and bring luck to the owner. If the ship is the lumbering hulk of the sea, the road has its clunking train with sprightly speed. Everyone will be completely engrossed in the sound of steam whistled from its engine's metal innards.

In a bustling train terminal of old Manila, where train travels to or from the north or south ends of Luzon. Many captivating moments were registered in the mind of a young boy named Gabriel. In his youthful mind, there were many questions that need an answer, like the many different kinds of signage he saw in the crossing, but one thing he got interested in was the saltire sign also called Saint Andrews Cross. In what the signage was referring to was where his fate will take him.

Once in the train station, the conductor called that all passengers be aboard, as the train will be leaving. The lady said to the conductor, "Please wait my son Gabriel is still outside." Her husband got off to look for Gabriel.

During the occupied time of lifting their luggage, Gabriel had let go of his mother's skirt. Gabriel was persuaded to see what was happening in the run-round loop track. In there, he saw locomotive being attached to the opposite end of the train. The need to detach and reattach the locomotive motivated little Gabriel to approach the watchman inside his wee shed just near the level crossing. Gabriel politely asked the old watchman, "Sir, what is the purpose of that detaching and attaching of the locomotive?" The old watchman puffed on his tobacco before he replied to Gabriel, "That's what you called the terminal headshunt where it allows the locomotive to dissociate itself from its train. That is the intent of moving it to the opposite end and then pulling the train out of the station into another direction." Gabriel excitedly answered, "That's interesting, and may I know your name, sir?" "You can call me, Filomino or Pilo for short," as the watchman puffed again on his tobacco. Gabriel aimlessly looked at the cross signage and then asked, "Mr. Pilo, what is that cross signage for?" The watchman while pointing toward the location of the signpost said, "That is the 'saltire' or the 'Saint Andrews Cross' that is to warn road users for a coming train. I am responsible to stop passersby with vehicles or no vehicles and to clear the tracks." "I have witnessed many accidents afar from this point, as many people braved in crossing the track in a way to cut their long walk heading to the other side of the road," continued by Pilo.

It must be fairly evident now to Gabriel that he needs to dwell on the age-old warning of Stop, Look and Listen which is the most sensible thing that he can do.

Mr. Pilo gave Gabriel some tips to remember while riding a train. During his travels, Gabriel should stay track on the exact location of every signal that he gets to see and try to remember any remarkable things behind those signals. Gabriel should be aware not only on the physical condition of the train but also of the crew who is manning the train.

Mr. Pilo shared many stories to Gabriel, like accidents whose fate caused by humans themselves. Lack of awareness was one thing that caused many railways' death. Mostly careless crossing, unaware that there were two tracks to look at -- the northbound and the southbound that caused their untimely death. Mr. Pilo as an experienced watchman and a book fanatic about train survival guide had also shared few tips that might help to survive a train mishap. Mr. Pilo pointed out the importance of finding the safest seat which will prevent him from any kind of collision. It will be a safe seat in the middle section of the car during a collision and if it was a derailment--the one seated on a car at least one or two back from the center of the train will be a safe seat. But nobody will ever foresee an accident. If one had to choose which side of a seat was safer, one must grab an aisle seat which was the rear-facing aisle seat toward the back of the train. It was also self-explanatory to always pay attention to announcement from train conductor for any situation inside and outside the train. Mr. Pilo also explained the importance of using every emergency alarm to alert the train driver. If there was a need to jump off a train, one needed to jump off at the end of the last car. The last car was at least running slow and it was safe to jump off at this pace. Mr. Pilo talked about the location of all emergency windows and the proper pulling off the rubber ring colored red to lift it and also with the panel of its doors. Mr. Pilo also advised Gabriel to familiarize himself with the different emergency signs located inside the train. Mr. Pilo finally instructed Gabriel that during a helter-skelter situation, he must always be alert in analyzing the situation and must be loaded with much of unswerving determination to survive and save other lives if he can.

As Mr. Pilo turning his eyes heavenward, he prayed for a safe travel of Gabriel and his family. Gabriel happily thanked Mr. Pilo for sharing his vast knowledge of being a prepper and a survivalist. Gabriel as a token of appreciation gave his lucky coin to Mr. Pilo. As the train was about to leave, from a sheer sound calling Gabriel's name became louder as his father came approaching. "Mr. Pilo, this is my father, Mr. Joselito," introduced by Gabriel. "Hello, it's nice I've met you with my son," politely uttered by Mr. Joselito. ""We have been looking for you Gabriel, where have you been all the while?" continued by Mr. Joselito. "I am having a meaningful conversation with Mr. Pilo, and now I am packed with so much knowledge about travel awareness," answered by Gabriel. "I am so thankful to you Mr. Pilo, and it is nice to meet you, the train will depart now, cheerio and will see you again," mentioned by Mr. Joselito. "Have a safe travel, God bless you," responded by Mr. Pilo.

As father and son were supposed to leave, Gabriel went back to Mr. Pilo and whispered him, "That coin I handed to you was minted in the leap year and was found by my father outside during a storm with its head side up, as told by old folks that kind of coin is a luck-bringer. If and only a green grasshopper would crawl into that coin will be a harbinger of danger." Gabriel reminded.

The solemn-looking watchman although feared the superstitious belief of the little boy just waved goodbye to both folks and went back to his office. Mr. Pilo staring out at the foggy train-tracks from the window had started hearing the clickety-clackety sound as the train where Gabriel and his family were riding went rolling away from the platform.

It was Gabriel's first time to ride a train bound to his parent's province--Bicol. It was sad for him to visit his grandfather's wake. The unsteady shaking of the train added excitement to Gabriel, as he tried to walk around every car. Gabriel had closely observed every passenger and the souvenir gifts they were bringing to their family and relatives. There was one scene that captured his attention when he saw a mother trying to hide her child from a roving conductor--for that child had no ticket to show. Big and small boxes, a can of assorted biscuits were the usual items brought by the passengers. Side by side, passengers got along with other passengers; they have so much time having a leisurely talk during this 10-hour ride.

Come evening, all were resting in their designated seat and sound asleep, while Gabriel enjoyed peeping on the window looking the fast viewing of outside sceneries and the frequent site of twinkling lights from fireflies attached to the trees or sometimes just outside the windows. His father told him that during his childhood rides, that the windows were open, unlike Gabriel's time, the windows have clear sturdy glass protected by metal screen grates to block stones hurled by people living along the tracks. The train would usually have a stopover at every station to allow passengers to shake off stiff muscles during a long seating. Gabriel had the fun of buying foods at the laid-back food stalls or to peddlers.

The next morning, the train arrived at Naga City. Gabriel and his parents looked for a jeepney that would bring them to his grandfather's house. The journey had been so tiring and the only consolation they got was traversing along with green rice fields and tall coconut trees. They got off in the marketplace and entered small alley leading to his grandfather's house. They paid respect to the dead and later joined other relatives for exchanging inquiries. Their stays have become less tense and worry-free, away from the noisy and busy city. Gabriel used to play with his cousins in the park and tried many outdoor games. Gabriel had so much fun. In one occasion while searching for adult female orb-weavers suitable for spider fighting, Gabriel accidentally stumbled upon a silver chain arrowhead along with a pendant that looks like an eye. Gabriel picked it up and went home. The little boy proudly showed it to all the guests in the house, and one elder recognized it, telling that the arrowhead silver chain was believed will protect the wearer from illness and guards against the evil eye while the pendant with an eye was known to be the Eye of Horus which was an ancient symbol associated with supernatural powers in perceiving things beyond the senses. Gabriel with superstitious beliefs took it seriously and kept it wherever he goes. Those amulets will be more powerful if the one who wears it has a kind heart.

The day had come when Gabriel and his parents were about to leave. They said goodbye to their relatives and thanked them for such a memorable stay. They went ahead to the train station. Their travel will again be a long and a winding trip. Gabriel wearing his two amulets turned his eyes heavenward and prayed for deliverance.

Back at the Tutuban station where Mr. Pilo was expecting an early morning train to arrive had put the lucky coin on the window sill. Unexpectedly, a green grasshopper perched on the coin. Mr. Pilo shaken with fears did the sign of the cross and went outside to observe what was unusual.

As evening fell and it grew quietly, Gabriel had fallen to sleep, only his body was inactive but his other senses had picked up a threatening danger. Gabriel clearly saw a danger in the next daybreak the train they were riding will slip off the rails just about 1 mile from Tutuban station. Gabriel ignored the first warning sign, but as the time went by--the more unpleasant emotion caused by his belief that something was unlikely to happen. Gabriel's only recourse was to tell this to his parents. "Father, I have a premonition of an imminent disaster which transpired in my dreams," confessed by Gabriel. Mr. Joselito touched the two talismans that Gabriel had been wearing and said, "This pendant of the Eye of Horus had helped you to see events beyond the normal senses, even if it is unconvincing, I must warn the train driver to keep the train at slower pace, although I might appear ridiculous, we must keep the safeness of all the passengers," replied by Mr. Joselito.

At the Tutuban station, Mr. Pilo kept thinking of Gabriel's admonition, not wasting any time, he called for his backup personnel to relieve his post as he got the parked handcar and drove it southward to check any broken rails, he was bringing with him a kerosene lamp to impart a good range of brightness to his path, he steered the handcar as far as it could until his handcar fell out the rails and that was the impending danger that his superstitious belief was telling him. From that point of the broken rails, Mr. Pilo continued to steer the handcar onward up to longer miles as far as where the broken rails were spotted. When Mr. Pilo thought that he was at least two or three miles away from where the broken rails were spotted, he immediately radioed back to the locomotive engineers and reported the broken rails on a curve at a distance of 1 mile from the level crossing that they need to close the railway crossing and send alarm signal for vehicles. Mr. Pilo set aside the handcar and stood guarding beside the railway, if any time he will see the train was coming, he will send a signal by waving the kerosene lamp to the approaching train.

Back inside the train, Mr. Joselito approached the train driver and had told of the danger, but the train driver had no way to believe such supposition. Mr. Joselito told the train driver that if in any way he believes superstitious now was the time to heed his warning. The train driver just replied, "In a short time we will be reaching the station, you need to sit down as everything is alright unless I received a call from my radio relaying for an emergency stop of this train." Mr. Joselito could do nothing but to pray that what little Gabriel saw in his dreams will never happen. The train was running at about 45 miles per hour, more than three times the supposed speed limit along that curve of the track, which had broken rails.

Many incidents happened, that railway track had portions not securely welded down and sometimes residents pilfered more metal parts causing derailment accident.

At a distance of three miles from where Mr. Pilo was stood guarding the railway. The train driver received a radio call from the locomotive engineer instructing him to reduce the speed as they were approaching broken rails just 1 mile from the level crossing. Upon receiving the warning, the train driver immediately reduced the speed and increased the light from its headlight and ditch lights with accompanying sound from its horn four times (long-long-short-long). The loud noise reverberated from where Mr. Pilo was standing. Mr. Pilo immediately stepped in the railway and waved his kerosene lamp to send a signal to the approaching train. At a close distance the train driver saw the waving lamp at exactly the train had started reducing its speed, a rail squeal sounded making all passengers hold tight as seated. All their hearts pounded and trembled with fear as everyone bathed in sweats after that terrifying moment. The train had successfully made a full stop before reaching another mile.

Mr. Pilo clambered up the train's door and checked if everyone was unhurt. At the last car, he found Gabriel and his family very safe. Gabriel ran toward Mr. Pilo and embraced him as their savior. "Thank you, Mr. Pilo for your strong determination to save lives," said by Gabriel. Mr. Pilo while holding the lucky coin that Gabriel gave him, said, "Thanked also this lucky coin that you gave me, it is really a godsend."

Being stranded there, the desirous waiting for a quick fix of the broken rails had produced a good result. All the passengers were safely transported back to the station platform. Some went to the beanery to satisfy their hunger, while Gabriel and his parents stayed with Mr. Pilo telling every detail of the story.

If two souls will be interacting through their superstitious belief, there will be a strong positive energy that will tailor favorable events. The train gives different thrills in our journey. It may clear the way of other's route. In the cold and misty evening, drizzling morning come, its structure still gleaming while slowly moving away from the station and into its destination. Its motion is full of clunking and screeching and rolling down the old track passing through villages just like gentle beats in the middle of the night.

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Super Mustache Man (Fictional Short Story)

                                   Photo Credit: Illustration by Pio Noel B. Villarosa

Super Mustache Man (Fictional Short Story)

By: Noel N. Villarosa

November 8, 2017

In movies and comic books are the real world for superheroes, but one man has fallen seriously in taking the praise and aspiring to be doing heroic acts. Mr. Motly couldn’t get enough of superheroes so he pondered so much of what it would be like them. A dream weaver as he fondly attracted his subconscious mind to form creative information. 

As the clock sets forth, Mr. Motly’s evocative mind has turned back the time into his boyhood days nurtured by full of figments of the imagination. He remembered creating stories for all his miniature plastic toy soldiers and always fell dreaming of flying by the gesture of flapping his arms and feet. Growing up in a small town near a river where the many flows of life embarked and ended like the dramatic changes of the ones breathtaking water into a wan-looking river. Mr. Motly relinquished the good old days and has notably fashioned a hirsute upper lip.

The biggest fear that one has to live for the rest of his life is living in increasingly perilous times. The world seems to be in a vulnerable situation from a back to back violence: Homicide, violence against children, women, and the weak one. As we live in a world where serenity is besieged by doubts because of man-made disasters like terrorism, mass murder, conflicts, and much violence committed against humans and not to forget also the natural disasters. Everyone wrestles with fear, worrying about the chances of falling to such viciousness. Dangers are lurking behind every corner--where can one run to ask for help?

Every single day, Mr. Motly had thought of the helpless persons just in need of a savior like a superhero. He argued that with the advances in medicine and technology he will be able to succeed in performing the invincible superheroes. Mr. Motly considered also the applicable medications in increasing the mind function and the nanotechnology that may intensify his physique. Mr. Motly was very clear to himself of becoming a knight in shining armor for the feeble one. Mr. Motly trained so hard to build a stronger body. He perfected slugfest and his kick; he practiced impeccable moves to destroy the hooligans. During a long confined workout, he developed beefy shoulders with herculean strength. Once he gained the confidence of his skills, he started contemplating on his identity, in what suit he would clad as reminiscent of a superhero. Since Mr. Motley has a dashing charisma of his mustache, he liked it to be exposed. He donned a powerful exoskeleton like armored suit under a black suit pairing it with an ascot cap and covering his eye-nose area with a mask. His tactical pants paired with tactical boots. Only one weapon he chose in toting with him was a pair of Arnis--a non-bladed weapon made from flexible rattan sticks to disarm and to subdue the enemy. Mr. Motly will use his skills to counter daily crime and saving the innocent.

In the evening where crimes would usually take place, Mr. Motly would go around riding on his motorcycle and will watch the serenity of the place, he kept vigilance for someone to rescue from a life-threatening situation.

In the next morning, witnesses shared stories about a good Samaritan with hidden identity who had rescued a woman from her abductors. The witnesses described how the masked man shielded the woman from gunshot and how the unidentified man used his skills of the Arnis by disarming and conquering the outlaws.

Each morning, stories about the masked man were all over the newspaper, revealing the heroic acts. Many horrified hotel guests retelling a gruesome night when a gunman’s incessant shooting brought traumas on them while one selfless person stepped inside and shepherded dozens to safety and finally tucked the gunman inside the prison cell.

The next evening, when one apartment was ablaze and ready to collapse, the masked man got those trapped out of dangers. The mysterious man would be seen hanging around with street children showing magic tricks to entertain and sometimes would teach the children with things learned inside the school as he wanted them to keep away from illegal activities.

It’s a matter of depriving positive human qualities, spreading false beliefs, absurd promise, irrational principle, moral retraction, and identity concealment that evil ways are fostered.

Someone will emerge to defend those lacking the power to fight back. The courage to protect someone from harm is a duty to defend a moral cause without expecting any reward in return.

On many encounters, one could not stop in asking who’s hiding behind the mask; Mr. Motly respectably replied to them, “Super Mustache Man.”

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In Search of Yesterday (Science Fiction Story)

                 Illustration by: Noel N. Villarosa using Microsoft Clip Art and Shapes

In Search of Yesterday (Science Fiction Story)

By: Noel N. Villarosa

October 23, 2017

"There was totally no trace of certainty, everything that you will see has no resemblance of whatever connection in the past," mumbled by Oberon. In his mind, there was something a passage of time that needed to fill in the nexus.

Oberon was a young biologist who lived in outer space in a biodome. What brought him into the cosmic void was completely out of his understanding. There's even bigger reason to bring a bigger picture of the connection in the past. Strange things happening inside the biodome, people started to hate or got bored of their everyday life. Advanced technologies were pushing them in the inept handling of their daily tasks. As everything in this little world of capsule they lived in was right off the bat a torpid condition.

All communications were being transmitted in a microchip installed inside their brain, no handheld devices, and everything existed in thoughts just pairing in the outside place of not having a concrete existence. None of them knew about the blue marble planet called Earth.

The space habitats have no idea what really happened to planet Earth. It has become a barren wasteland and never recovers from its asphyxiating atmosphere augmented by the continuous casting of UV radiation. It was the habitat's ancestor who tried to salvage what could be saved in the planet Earth but only a single ecosphere that they could assemble in a miniature glass was able to settle in the biodome. The ancestors tried to terraform the planet Earth but only little they could put in place. It has been a cautionary tale to reconnect in the past so the ancestors tried to expunge the face of Earth from the survivor and try to introduce them an automatic environment where everything was applied in visual illusion.

Oberon being a biologist was curious of what has been left to them by the ancestor--the ecosphere. From here he started to learn on why the living things stayed alive in spite of its only access into an artificial light. Oberon considered it as the greatest breakthrough in the field of science and he wanted to stretch more his study on this matter. Oberon tried the process of DNA replication of the species and as soon as it multiplies in generous numbers, Oberon immediately put this in an empty transparent glass. Every day Oberon has become a creator of a magnificent discovery and was planning to implant this back to the so-called lost Earth. Oberon needed few more time to put all of these into the final stage. But where in the vast galaxy the planet Earth could be found was not a serious dilemma because the ancestor left a spaceship for them to explore the galaxy and to find again the blue planet Earth. As everything was already, the team of Oberon launched a search for the lost Earth. Long before the ancestor left planet Earth, they put a tracking device on planet Earth and connect it into the spaceship, this made the journey of Oberon and his team easy in tracing back the planet Earth. It was very splendid for Oberon and his team to finally see from the distance the blue planet Earth. They have brought with them many cryogenic tanks of O2 in order to breathe under an asphyxiating atmosphere.

In the beginning was overlaying the microorganisms into the ground like the nitrogen-fixing bacteria; they see to it that there is enough water reserved under the ground. And the rest would be a process in contributing to the nitrogen cycle. They have to fill-up the atmosphere with its two important main components --nitrogen and oxygen. Oberon and his team had established a proper selection of the organisms, animals, and plants to form an ecological balance and along the process of photosynthesis by using the sunlight's energy to take those carbons released by plants and tethering it to make sugars thus releasing the oxygen.

The next important thing they did was proving that the greenhouse effect has its primary gases all put in the earth's atmosphere.

Oberon and his team seriously considered that if they could replenish the earth with all the natural greenhouse gases could be a great chance in supporting life back to earth.

Finally, when everything has begun shaping the atmosphere back into its original form, the earth evolved into a breathing planet where humans, plants, and animals contribute to conserve and recycle the resources in order to maintain a breathable atmosphere.

A long time ago when earth's essential energies ruptured against human time, the effect was so devastating that the new inhabitants of the earth have enough in deciding to preserve the blue planet earth and to avoid putting life in a strange capsulized world.

Many years have passed and the transformation was an image of earth with protective atmosphere overshadowing many forms of life.

Oberon and his team have succeeded in making Earth fit for occupation, putting life inside their own home. They started educating the new inhabitants of the catastrophic effect of atmospheric deterioration and warned them to be vigilant of the earth's condition.

"One day we will explore more about the physical universe beyond the earth's atmosphere, who knows maybe one day we will find a near replica of our planet earth," Oberon said.

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The Overseas Worker and the Talking Bird (Personal Short Story)

Illustration by: Noel N. Villarosa using Mircrosoft Word Clip Art and Shapes

The Overseas Worker and the Talking Bird

By: Noel N. Villarosa

October 9, 2017

It was in the year 1973 when Filipinos first came in Saudi Arabia. During those years, Saudi Arabia has become the job destination for OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers). With a flourishing economy and high wages offered, the fears and worries could no longer stop Filipinos in looking greener pastures abroad.

Leo, a hardworking, family oriented Filipino decided to avail his early retirement and applied through an agency to work in Saudi Arabia, luckily he was accepted for a job in a company recognized as one of the largest desalination plants in the middle east.

They were ten Filipinos who landed a job at the same company. Leo remembered the principles that must be followed while traveling in Saudi Arabia that if one will bring old bad habits, they should not come in this place. One must obey their laws and show respect to their culture, and you will not meet any troubles.

When they arrived at Riyadh airport, they were greeted and welcomed by the company's representatives and have led them into a domestic airline that would bring them to Dammam. It was a very tiring destination considering the weather condition was so humid. Upon getting off the plane, they were escorted to a bus that will bring them to the plant site. Most of them have already visited Saudi Arabia, but for Leo, it was his first time to go in a foreign country. Nobody knows that it was Leo's birthday when they arrived at the accommodation. At first they were happy with the fact that they were with their fellow Filipinos, being friends and all staying at the temporary apartment, and they were only for a couple of days to be together, and later will be dispatched to the flat which should be inhabited for the rest of their stay was a dismal moment. Leo and one Filipino whom he met during the pre-departure orientation in the Philippines has become his closest friend. It was the month of August where humidity was at elevated scale when Leo and his friend searched for their flat. The condition of the surrounding was moist, and unexpectedly Leo's left knee struck pain uncontrollably. Leo almost squeezed his legs just to get a fix of the pain. The two Filipinos continued and did not want to delay the search for their flat; what made it harder was the numbering of the houses was confusing because it was inconsistent with the sequence of the houses.

When they identified their flat, they were very thankful and they were welcomed by their fellow Filipinos. In the flat, there were other three Filipinos that will be living with them. Leo has accepted the reality that living with others that were not blood-related would be difficult of getting comradeship with others.

Many months passed and turned into a year. Leo has accepted the fact that the rest of his stay will be empty and the painful truth of having an intangible communication with loved ones. But in all the more admirable news that gave the kindest regards into Leo's existence was the vital information heralded by his wife that Leo will soon become a father. In Leo's uncontrolled excitement, he told this to all his housemates and declared that all of them will be his son's godfather, while everyone acceded, they shared the feast that Leo has prepared.

Just after a year and a half, Leo's friend was not taking it so well to stay longer in his assigned department and not for long; Leo's friend went on vacation and did not come back. Only four Filipinos were left in that flat. And just after three years another Filipino resigned and transferred into another company with a high salary and more attractive benefits. From the original five now down to only three Filipinos staying in the flat. After seven years, another housemate decided to join another Filipino in another flat and permanently moved there. Now only Leo and another Filipino named Rolly were left on the flat. In Rolly's account that he will be soon retiring, only waiting for one year more and only Leo will be left in the flat. Rolly preferred to leave a good memory for Leo and he learned that Leo was not easy to get along with somebody who's having bad manners; he decided to acquire a mynah bird and planned to train it to talk. He had taken one fledgling that had dropped from its nest and immediately took hold of it and run away from its mother chase. He brought it home, put inside the cage but apparently, the mynah bird was indisposed of its new home. Rolly tried hard to comfort the bird, gave it water and food to consume but the bird did not respond to the kindness and eventually died from intentionally refusing to eat its food.

That was the first attempt of harboring a bird inside the flat. Rolly was not giving up in finding another mynah bird, he looked again for another mynah fledgling, and someone taught him that a brood of chicks was easy to teach a language. One day, as Rolly opened a door leading to the terrace, he saw a fast flight of a mynah bird, when he looked around at every paved area of the terrace, just at the top of the door was a collected twig, leaves and grasses forming a cup-shaped empty nest. Rolly began to think that any time the mynah bird will come back and will lay its eggs. Rolly took time to wait until after a week he quietly made a furtive look at the nest while the mother bird was away foraging for food to feed its chick. Rolly was surprised to find a tiny unsteady chick. Rolly decided to take the chick out of its nest and brought it inside his room. This time Rolly changed his approach in taking care of the new bird. Every day he would sit nearby the cage and would talk to the bird, he even let the bird out of its cage and freely roamed around inside the flat; he also put a mirror to reflect its image and tricking it to be with another bird. The new fledgling developed its wings and builds and introduced the bird to Leo. Leo started to befriend the bird and every day he would introduce simple words for the bird to imitate. In the morning, Leo would greet the bird "good morning" and upon leaving, Leo would say "goodbye." Leo let the bird knew its name, in every talk, he would say "hi mynah" and pointing to the bird, "your name" and pointing to his self, "I am Leo."

Every day this has been the routine until the bird got acquainted with all of these. It was like another roommate had come to fill camaraderie. Leo started to feel complacency with the newly found friend. The flat was filled with fun for the three companions. Mynah was allowed to roam around the flat and whenever the two Filipinos will leave and attend duty for work, they will provide foods for mynah. After one year, Rolly reached his retirement age and it was time to exit. Leo and Rolly made a promise that they will see each other when back to the Philippines. That moment was so sad; Leo accompanied Rolly to the airport and parted ways. Leo returned to his flat feeling empty and all alone, but all the loneliness was relieved by the sound of mynah who greeted him "hello welcome back," and that phrase made Leo come alive again with so much hope to sustain a longing companionship. Leo has still three years more to keep before his expected retirement, with his companion mynah, he made every single day ordinary and more interesting with setting a family talked on the other side of the phone or video call, it made him everyday struggle of homesickness into the negligible matter. After one, two and the third year and final year for Leo, it was time for his most awaited retirement and to be reunited again with his loved ones was also a feeling of melancholy for such an occasion that he will also be separating from his companion mynah bird. It was past three in the afternoon, all bags were packed and ready to go. Leo held mynah for the last time and whispered to the bird, "Thank you my friend, for the years that we established a good rapport with each other, but we have come to the point of our life that we need to part ways and say goodbye, we are both destined to meet and fulfill our dreams, our purpose and most especially finding what happiness really means to us, I have come to select you and be my companion and you by chance accepted the fact that I needed you, and in return gave you a gift that other birds won't have and that was the ability to talk, keep that skills as unique just for you and maybe that will hold our communication alive again, who knows maybe we will meet again, for God is so kind to make everything possible, who knows." Mynah bird bobbed its head and said, "Goodbye" "I will miss you."

Leo held mynah and massaged its black hooded head and they both went to the balcony where there were many trees, and Leo put his hands holding mynah outside the window and softly released mynah from his hands and waved goodbye.

Leo picked up all the luggage, one more time looked around at every corner of the flat where he lived for almost 20 years and went down the stairs, but at the very moment that he will be embarking inside the car, he heard squawks of mynah just above the rooftop of the flat, again Leo waved his hands to mynah and went inside the cab. Leo saw mynah flew around making one more contemplating of the place and then vanished completely.

In our life journey, we have been accompanied by somebody and somewhere in an amazingly circumstances by an unexpected someone who by the good gestures of our great creator has been sent to us for a purpose.

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