The captain requested them to aid him by the seaside while pa.s.sing in the tunnel." Dad, what"s the purpose of that bell when it rings." Albrecht asked while carrying him on his arms.
" It means someone from the family arrives, it"s either Chuck, Sibal or me." He smiled while Baldur walked in first.
" Sr. Sibal has died." Baldur recounted.
" Haha!" The captain laughed.
" Why?" Albrecht asked.
" Nothing. I thought he"s dead and I was kinda rattled and worried to death but he"s on the other side of Kabang."
" How did you know Dad?" When I left here and Baldur accompanied me to that secret plight with the traders bound for Manila. One of the southern guerrillas who happened to recognize me secretly whispered that Sibal was with them. That night when the two boys (George"s brothers) were bayoneted, he already felt depressed, in both ways thinking his George and Magee wouldn"t meet any longer too since he preempted that Magee was abducted by Hakanori that night. Hmm...he is my next mission and the people out there.
Albrecht"s eyes were celebrating while Baldur opened the secret granite door going out to the sea as they were smothered by the morning breeze.
"Hmm...I loved this place. The fogs, seaside breeze, the ripples from nowhere, the winds and waves reminding me of the old days with your Mom. She"s the only woman I have loved that much...hmm, she...died of giving birth and it saddened me.
He closed his eyes facing the sea while Baldur covered him with extra jacket and Albrecht put a hat on his head while adding socks on his feet. The captain has comfortably seated on a bamboo chair and spoke.
" We cannot please LIFE. When it rocks our soul, we roll like nothing but a single dust. Boys, I loved your mother very much so continue to help me settle her daughter she"d laid down her last breathe." He then went lost looking on the horizon.
" Dad...she"s very happy right now. Yeah, Baldur and I followed everything you"ve told us to do, we haven"t missed anything." Albrecht said.
" Yeah, when we"ll leave your sister here after the war, she"s just fine with George. That guy, haha. I hope he can resist and endure Magee"s ways. Well, that girl, is the complete opposite of your mother. When Magee ran to attack enemies her mother screamed and hide away from a single c.o.c.kroach. Magee"s a vegetarian while your mother ate meaty viands and most of all, Magee was cheerful and loses nothing. Once she decides it is her prime responsibility and your mother was a loner. They"re great women of my life while I have you both as my light. I was enveloped by guilt when your mother died. You should have stayed with her until now. But her sudden death left you a maternal loss of attention, care and love." He was so firm in talking while keeping his tears.
" Dad, don"t talk like that. It"s never your fault. Never." Baldur was teary eyed.
Albrecht hugged his step dad. " Dad...you"ve almost forgot yourself. Don"t be too focused in paying your debts to Mom by providing to Magee - everything. You even put a lot of counterpart in the granite house and helped uncle Chuck, you should have left a little for you.
" No, Albrecht. It"s one way of making me happy too." He smiled at them.
" Are you worried in going back to Wisconsin empty handed? haha...the breadfruit tree have 12 bars of gold confiscated from the overdue rulers for three centuries in this country. The Mabolo tree kept so many jeweleries while the breadnut tree have several books under. Hmm, you both knew that. For now, let"s help your sister first then if I see her settled at last, then I can die at peace."
" Dad...just enjoy the moment. See how the fog breaks above through the sun"s oozing rays. It"s how you shone and fought to survive just to make sure to raise us up safe and sound. For me, you are an immortal Dad. So, let"s stay alive and survive out of this war."
" Baldur, thank you. Your unimaginable for seeing beyond and is extraordinary. When you acted so brave to marry Amanda just to let her free George, I couldn"t almost believe you did it."
" It"s the only way that you"ll not be frustrated and for Magee to meet the chosen man. Yeah, I admit I have sinned for marrying a woman beyond imagination. But later I thought that genuineness might teach me to like then love her. So when we started to live after marriage, I began to discover my deeper relationship with G.o.d, more and more. I found out that if you teach yourself to love what you hate, you"ll begin to sink and will get out from your comfort zone. Yes, she had so many men before and even don"t know if they still exist until now but, it seems I feel that I don"t care about them already. What I am thankful of, is, I accepted her unconditionally, valued and she felt proud of. Even how uncomfortable she was to others but I just see her good side. Till she learned to like me then, eventually give me a child. I don"t know if she"s serious about me but I just returned to G.o.d the favor to love a woman who missed someone very much. Just also saving my sister and makes my father smile, it"s all enough for me. Hmm, I just live once...so I just decided to offer love and be contented with what I do have."
" Baldur is Baldur. I should have registered your name for saintly deeds. Hmm Baldur, you"re really a Good son and a husband. I"m sorry for pushing you to do it." The captain smiled and was teary eyed.
" Of course not, haha. She"s a great woman too in her own way and no matter how she"d been, dark past and overdependence, she is someone I should only be with."
" Baldur, what if you"ll find her cheating you again."
" Hmm, nothing. I"ll just walk out and pray for her to realize things. But I know she"s trying her best. In the Bible, there"s a woman whom people thrown with stones because she was a prost.i.tute and everyone felt that she did not deserve to hold Jesus. But Jesus said, if who among them who were clean then can just freely throw the woman some stones. These days, I keep praying for that woman. Jesus won"t forsake her - I know, but will help her get up."
" Dad, I"ll help you register my brother"s name to become a saint. Hmm, but seriously, Baldur"s...Baldur. He"s my great and handsome brother."