twenty seven, fifty two

As the sunset brought the promise of a new dawn, the ocean became furious, knowing it was the last kiss from the sun before meeting the night. People thought that the affairs of past horror were over. However, the eyes of unity became blurry, and fear finally stepped into their hearts. A person wished to return his genuine smile, but it was an unexpected comeback when the nightmare of history repeats itself.

and Juan ran far away from their province to evade the monstrosity sector.

bloodthirst remains. The couple joined the rally when human rights went gently into the night. They screamed at the top of their lungs as Macoy continued to put its people to sleep with the fishes. But right before Juan’s eyes, he saw blood dripping from Vilma’s mouth. Two policemen pulled the trigger on his protector because the girl was an activist and published articles critiquing Senior Macoy’s government. Juan was like a beggar pleading for help, but everyone was too stunned to speak, for the police would shower bullets at them. He could do nothing but cry a river.

After how many decades, the remnants of the past pushed Juan to become an activist. How could this boy move on when justice was never served? He continued to criticize and fight his advocacies against the preceding presidents. But the 2028 elections swallowed him with fear because the leading candidate for the leadership was version two of Senior Macoy named Poncio. However, he is not alone. Eleanor, his better half, is a crusader like Juan.

Right after Poncio sat on his throne, a bloodbath happened. Extrajudicial killings eliminated several criminalities, but they covered everyone’s lips. The multiplex of people was six feet under the ground in his first three years. Many feared Poncio since there are still a lot of individuals who were victims of discordancy, yet their stories were never heard. The couple leads the rally to protest the chaos. However, a bloodcurdling night will welcome Juan to his home. The fiery face of the activist shattered into pieces as he saw his parents floating in the river near his home. A raging storm of emotions filled Juan’s heart, but his light calmed him down. The police who killed his parents claimed that they were addicts without evidence and were ordered to shoot at them. Juan boils with anger as he shouts for justice in the court. His eyes were flaming, ready to execute the cops, but the seas cooled as his dear hugged him.

As the eyes of Juan formed a rainy sensation due to the burial of his parents, he plans to issue an editorial reprehending the current autocracy. The sweet lovers went to a media agency and submitted their work. It was serialized and reported, although the boss’s power is like a god. He terminated the news agency with just a snap and silenced his critic. The dominator jails the annotators and persists in the reign of his terror. Gladly, Eleanor

Problems were not cured since the pandemic tremored the globe. Poncio was surprised as the pandemic attacked his country. The turtle actions of the kingpin made the condition of his homeland a red alert. Instead of firming regulations regarding the plague, the legislative urgently passed a law that fastens peoples’ borders. The act allows a person to be arrested and imprisoned even if the citizen is just suspected. The duo has the spirit of Rizal, continuing to criticize the present regimen. Every corner of the country is thoroughly searched by the military because Eleanor and Juan are labeled as terrorists. Whenever they go, they hold hands as if they were inseparable.

While the hunt prevails, discrimination against the LGBT+ community outgrew. Poncio used the terms “Bakla” and “Bayot” to insult his political enemies. Society erupted after he said that being gay is a disease. It was the night of August when a group of men assaulted five gay men in a dark alley. The shiver in these five citizens was intense when the batch approached them. Bloods and bruises greeted the gays after their bodies were treated like pigs. The soldiers saw the event and chased the suspects. However, one military officer fired a bullet and mistakenly targeted one of the gays. When the sun rose, people stank a rotten odor. Juan came out of his house looking for Eleanor. But as he followed the stinky smell, he fell to his knees, and the world crumbled. The one lying on the street with scattered blood was his gay lover, Eleanor.

Juan was left speechless after seeing his dead lover on the road. After some moments, the dark sight of Juan unleashed. He was like an erupting volcano causing a scene in the middle of the street. He couldn’t bear the pain he was facing; he shouted like there was no tomorrow. The militants were attracted by the scene and swiftly arrested Juan since the couple was wanted. On the other hand, the officer who fired a bullet was removed from his position as a police officer.

Juan’s journey is proof that there is no right and wrong candidate for handling a country, only consequences of the peoples’ choices. Citizens must choose the right leaders to prevent the cycle of incompetency and oppression of the government. If childishness is the choice people opt to make, then the notion of supposedly “re-writing history” is put into question. In the twenty-one and six years of hell, the fifty-two-year-old Juan saw how the land became a grave for the butterflies. If the people continue to fight for their rights, is there an assurance that one can see the light at the end of the tunnel?