Codename: Wonder

7: The Woods

"Sigurado ka bang sasama ka?"

For the nth time, Wish rolled her eyes. Umaga na at kailangan nilang maghanap ng pagkain.

The previous night, they slept in the sand, with no means to keep them warm. No one spoke a word and they just closed their eyes, their minds carrying them to their rest.

At dahil umaga na, kailangan na nilang kumilos. James didn't want her to go into the forest with him due to her sprained ankle. Siya naman, gusto lang sumama dahil wala siyang tiwala sa doktor. Nawala na sa isip niya ang kamatayan. No, she realized she didn't want to die so early. Kahit pa wala nang silbi ang buhay niya.

"Gusto kong sumama, wala kang magagawa."

"Pero naka-heels ka."

Wish made a sudden halt and looked slowly down her feet. Yes, she's still on heels at hindi madaling maglakad sa buhangin kung iyon ang suot niya.

She took off her shoes and threw it behind the big rock where James laid her the day before.

"Ayan, may problema ka pa ba?" naiirita niyang tanong saka tiningnan ang kausap.

James still looked worried as he replied, "masusugatan ang mga paa mo. Makalat sa gubat. You might step on something and get a wound. Wala tayong gamit dito. Kapag nagkasugat ka at na-infect..."

Out of annoyance, Wish picked up her shoes once again and smashed the heels against the rock. Naging flat tuloy ang soles ng mga sapatos. She wore them once again and glared at the doctor.

"Happy now?" Parang gusto na niyang manapak. "Kung mayroon ka pang problema, eh, 'di ikaw ang maiwan dito. I'm heading off. But don't expect me to get food for you."

Paika-ika siyang naglakad patungo sa gubat. James followed shortly, shaking his head. There were trees of all kinds, the sand covered with grasses, which thickened as they went farther into the woods, leaving the sand behind.

"Let's part ways. Try to find water, I'll go search for berries or any fruits." Wish started to step into a more grassy place towards the West. "Let's meet here after finding something useful."

"No, we'll go together, Wonder," James called her. Once again, she stopped going any further and looked at the doctor with a severely annoyed face. "I can't let you go alone. Kahit gaano ka pa kagaling na assassin, kung ahas ang matapakan mo riyan, mamamatay ka. Iyon ba ang gusto mo?"

"Why don't you just go on your way and keep me out of your head?" she asked. Naiirita siya sa inaasta ng doktor. "And why does it even bother you? Kung mamatay man ako, good for you. Wala nang threat sa safety mo."

Lumapit sa kaniya ang doktor. "If you don't want to go with me, I'll go with you. My Lord wants me to take care of children. Especially, injured ones."

Oh, heto na sila.

Her eyes fell dead. She wasn't expecting him to mention his Lord to her again. Was he thinking that she believes that nonsense? And he called her a child. Freaking annoying.

She ignored him since there's nothing better to do with it. No arguments. The whole thing is stressing her enough and she doesn't wanna talk about it and bring it any further.

"Wala ka bang gustong pag-usapan? The silence is eerie." James tried to break the ice. Sa palagay niya kasi ay dapat mas komportable sa kaniya ang bata lalo na dahil may chance na matagal silang ma-stuck sa islang iyon.

"Wala," she replied. Napatingin si James sa paa ng batang assassin. It's still swelling, yet she insisted to come to the forest with him, maybe worrying that he'll pick the wrong berries. "Mas gusto ko kung mananahimik ka na lang."

He expected such answer. It was written all over her face. She's annoyed whenever he tries to talk to her. Too bad, he won't settle things as it is.

"How old are you?" he asked. It slightly puzzled him how she managed to become an assassin when she looks like an innocent baby.

The girl didn't answer. She didn't want a conversation. All she wants to do is look for berries and get the whole thing done. Kung may gusto man siyang gawin maliban doon, iyon ay ang umuwi at sikmuraan si Marcus Alvarez.

The doctor trying to talk to her irks her to the core. There's something unsettling about him that she can't easily point out. Para sa kaniya, mas madali kung mananahimik na lang ito.

"You know what, psychology says that people can't last long without mingling with others. Humans are social creatures at pwedeng mabaliw ang sinumang walang kausap palagi."

Alam ng lahat na hindi madaldal si James. Tahimik lang din siya kapag hindi siya kinakausap ng workmates niya. But in his head, he knows he ought to do something about the girl.

"Wonder ba talaga ang pangalan mo? You said that there was never a girl named Wonder in the Alvarez family." He continued to talk, head panning from time to time. No rivers. No lakes. Just the sea from a distance. "Teka, alam ba ng mommy mo ang trabaho mo?"

He was not surprised when the girl stopped walking and turned to him. He must have hit something.

"Can't you just close your mouth and mind your own business? Bakit pati buhay ko pinapakialaman mo?" The fury on her tone started to subside. Then she smirked. "O baka naman gusto mong pag-usapan natin ang sa iyo?"

He smiled though deep in his mind he had an idea where that would be going. "Mas maganda kaysa wala."

"Since you keep on insisting, let's talk about Clarita, then. She was your patient, wasn't she? Unfortunately, she died under your watch. And that's the very same reason why I'm here with you."

Something is boiling in her heart that is rooting from something she cannot understand. Malamang labis na inis sa kadaldalan ng doktor sa harap niya.

"You dare to mention your so-called Lord to me when you didn't save the poor Alvarez?" she continued. The smile on James' face disappeared. "Kung totoo iyang Lord mo, bakit namatay si Clarita? Hindi ba Niya narinig ang mga dasal mo? O baka naman kasi ikaw talaga ang pumatay sa pasyente mo?"

Tumawa si Wish. She can't be stopped. "Oh, it slipped. But it might be true anyways." She walked away, the boil on her heart completely overpowering the pain of her sprain.

James looked at her as she walked towards the other side of the woods. He wanted to follow her. May pilay pa ang bata at hindi dapat pabayaang mag-isa. But deep in his mind, he is thinking of everything she said.

"My Lord, when someone sees me the wrong way, what should I do?"

Hindi niya alam na may nag-iisip palang pinatay niya si Clarita. Si Clarita na pinagbuhusan niya ng pag-asa at panalangin.

He closed his eyes and tried to calm his mind. Like water, peace started to ooze down his being, washing the weakening feeling the girl's words gave him. She's his top priority. A mission from the Lord.

"She sounds broken, Jesus. But if You want to heal her through me, please guide me. I thank You for the opportunity to bring a soul to You. And I thank you for all these ordeals we are going through. Whether pretty or ugly, Lord, Yours is the glory."

He smiled again and followed the girl's path. Mahirap na, baka mahulog ang bata kung saan o makasalubong ng mabangis na hayop at hindi makatakbo. Mukhang marami pang plano ang Panginoon sa batang iyon. Mga planong hindi maaaring masayang.

The next days may be hard for them both. But James is sure that with the Lord, they are both safe. They'd lack nothing.

~cnwndr~