Pearl Of The East | ✓

Chapter 9

I'm a woman who was born ready in life. And nothing nor no one can ever make my knees tremble, but only God.

I’m a woman who’s always thirsty of learning and doing new things in life. And no one can stop me from doing it, not the breeze of the wind, not the dazzling light of the sun, not the shaking ground, nor the tragedies in life.

Because I will always stand firm against everything, against everyone.

Hindi ang kahit anumang uri ng trahedya ang pipigil sa kagustuhan kong tumulong at sumagip ng buhay.

Napamura ako sa isipan ko matapos makita ang dalawang piloto na nakayuko, wari silang natutulog. Patuloy pa rin ang pag-andar ng eroplano ngunit sa pagkakataong ito ay hindi na ito lumilipad pataas kung hindi ay bumubulusok na pababa.

“Sir wake up!” Sinubukan ko silang gisingin ngunit walang epekto, it seems like they’re glued on their sleep.

Shit!

Pilit ko na lang binuhat ang katawan ng isang piloto na s’yang may hawak sa main control nang pagpapatakbo ng eroplano. Napakabigat n’ya lalo’t tulog o kung mas mabuting sabihin ay walang malay.

Inumpisahan ko nang kalikutin ang mga button at pilit itinataas ang lipad ng eroplano.

I’m not new on making an airplane fly, I once did it when I was still training on Military Air Force but unfortunately, I ended up in ground army and resigning on it later.

Gamit ang buong lakas ko ay sinubukan kong kontrolin ang takbo ng eroplano. Maging ang kakaunti kong kaalaman tungkol sa pagpapalipad nito ay pilit kong pinapalawak sa pagkakataong ito.

Hindi madali ang paliparin ang eroplano ng mag-isa. Gaya ng dapat ay kailangan ko ng isang piloto na nagko-control sa isang control system. Pero wala na akong oras pa na gisingin ang mga pilotong ito. Every second now matters, for the lives of the people inside this plane depends on it.

Kaya sinubukan kong itulin ang takbo ng eroplano kahit pa paikot-ikot na ito.

Damn!

Bakit ba kasi nawalan ng malay ang mga pilotong ito? I really want to give them a death punch when they wake up, they’re so irresponsible!

Nabuhayan ako ng pag-asa matapos makita sa monitor na papalapit na kami sa airport. Mabuti na lang at hindi ganoon kalayo ang airport ng Manila mula sa Cebu. At kahit papaano ay nagpapasalamat ako na kaunting kilometro na lang mula sa airport ng Manila nang piniling mawalan ng malay ng mga pilotong ito.

I’m still trying to control the flight of the plane, even tho it’s hard. But I was left with no choice, I was stuck between the choices of I’ll try to save the people inside this plane no matter how hard it is, or I’ll let us taste the cruelty of the air.

But as a woman with principles, as a woman who vowed for survival, there’s no damn way of me surrendering in this fight. I won’t fvckin’ let myself be a victim of tragedy again, neither to see how cruel life is.

“Roger, this is Mayora Hezekeiah de Lara, a resigned Lieutenant in Philippine Army, now flying with the Cebu pacific plane. We’ll going on an emergency landing, give us some space to land safely,” I uttered in the radio while I’m still on the verge of controlling the plane.

Hindi ko ito pwedeng ilapag sa isang karagatan dahil siguradong may masasaktan at mamamatay. I know in myself that I can handle this,  that we will land safely. Not the cruelty of the air will beat me. Not anyone, not anything in this life.

“I repeat this is Mayora Hezekeiah, currently flying with the Cebu Pacific’s plane. We’ll going on an emergency landing, give us some space to land safely,” pag-uulit ko nang wala man lang sumagot sa ‘kin sa kabilang linya.