Outside

(A short story)

Alberto was irritated. Once again, his mother reminded him and his siblings that they were never to set foot outside their home. This has been her ritual since time immemorial. What made him more annoyed was that his sibling did not share his feelings.

Alberto was the youngest in a family of twelve. All his sisters and brothers were already grown up. However, he could not comprehend why they would still follow their mother's reminder to never step out of their house.

"Kuya Boy, why do you still obey Mama?"

"Well, it is because I know mother is right. Outside our home, the world can be a very dangerous place. If we remain inside, we can all be safe."

"But who would want to stay in a place like this? It is dark and creepy. By the way, how do you know it is dangerous outside? You haven't even placed a single foot out of this home your entire life!"

Kuya Boy just patted Alberto's back and said, "Our house is not that bad. However, we must all believe in Mama. One day, you will understand."

Alberto was not satisfied with the answer. Yet what he said about their house was true, of course. Their house did not have any window, only wooden walls. In addition, these walls were moldy and flaking, with wood chipping off and littering the floor. What was even worse was that it was very dark and the air was damp, heavy and musty. He had trouble sleeping because he could not breathe properly.

Alberto grew with these misgivings. As days passed, he became more curious about the world outside. He began to ask himself, what would I see outside? Are there any wonders I have yet to see? What could possibly be the danger that Mama is always fond of warning us? Every moment, these questions fueled his desire to leave his home, a desire getting more intensified every time his mother warned them not to step foot outside.

One day, this desire bothered him so much that he decided to talk to his mother. He approached her, "Ma, you have been warning us not to leave the house. But why do you say so? What reason do you have for doing this?"

Alberto's mother just looked at him and began to cry softly, "Do you know what happened to your father?"

Alberto was speechless. Papa died before Alberto was even born. He never saw him, was never interested in asking about him.

Mama interrupted the long silence, "Your father left us a long time ago. He stepped outside and never came back. I tried to stop him. My parents, your lolo and lola, did the same thing and never returned. That is why I was so apprehensive with your father but he promised me that he would come back. He promised he would come back."

Afterwards, Mama broke down and could not continue talking. Guilt-stricken, Alberto embraced his mother and comforted her, promising her he would never do what his father did.

Despite his promise, Alberto's desire grew even stronger. He now wanted to find out what happened to his father and the only way he could do that was by breaking his promise to his mother.

Alberto woke up early one morning and headed for the entrance of their house. He glanced at his siblings and his mother, all sound asleep, and gave them a silent farewell. He finally braced himself with courage, closed his eyes and charged blindly through the entrance into the outside world.

He slowly opened his eyes and he was stunned by what he saw. It was so beautiful! Alberto saw the radiant sky, the bright sun and the shimmering clouds for the first time. He saw his first birds, magnificent creatures floating up in the sky. He also saw his first flowers, all glorious and colorful. He was so overwhelmed by what he saw that he began to cry for joy at what he had discovered. For Alberto, that day was the happiest day of his life.

It was also Alberto's last. As he stood ogling at the wonders of nature, he never saw the foot above him, ready to stomp him to death.

****

Manong Jun already had his day made. He laughed his triumphant laugh as he peered at the grisly remains of a cockroach underneath his slipper. For days, he had tried in vain to get his house rid of these pests. Finally, he had succeeded somehow and, with a chuckle, he swept the cockroach's carcass out to the door.

Note: This was my first story, a product of our Creative Writing class with Sir Don Pagusara last October 2006.