Ephemeral Masquerade

On May 25, 2024, sirens, alarms, and the raging sounds of helicopters awakened Region Thirteen in the Philippines, igniting widespread panic and illuminating the dark towns with a blaze of lights.

In one residence, a mother hurried out with her husband and two daughters, each clutching travel bags.

"Hurry, get in the car. Love, call Mama and the others. Tell them we'll wait at the Bancasi military camp," the woman, around fifty-two, announced anxiously.

"All right, all right. Did we leave anything important behind? The land title?" asked the man, about sixty-one years old, already behind the wheel, his brows furrowed.

"Yes, it's here," his wife confirmed, now safely belted in the car and stealing a glance at her two daughters, who were embracing, one of them in tears.

"Mom, what's happening? Why did the city alarms suddenly go off? Is there a disaster? The alarm only rings for disasters or war," Evelyn, the elder daughter, asked. But her mother remained silent, staring straight ahead as the car sped away, not answering.

Her father briefly glanced at her before focusing on driving, saying, 

"Don't worry, Dad's here. Everything will be all right."

That's what he said, but why were they now inside a hospital shelter, seated outside the emergency room alongside those with critically injured loved ones?

The other night, while they were inside the car waiting for their parents, who went inside the Bancasi military base within their area, they suddenly heard a blast; someone had launched a missile, causing their parents to be severely injured, alongside those soldiers stationed there.

It turned out their country was not in any threat of disaster but at war, and now they found themselves in the last remaining shelter.

Just the previous night, Evelyn had been preparing for her graduation alongside her mother, who was even more excited than her. How could things suddenly become like this?

She looked down at her sleeping younger sister, Kayla, whose head rested on her right shoulder, exhausted from crying after seeing their parents' almost-charred bodies.

Thinking about it now, Evelyn couldn't help but release a trembling sigh, exhausted and on the verge of tears. She wanted to cry but refrained, knowing it might weaken her ability to care for her sister, a responsibility she couldn't afford to falter on, especially with their parents in such a vulnerable state.

"Will they be okay? Will they, Lord Jesus?" Evelyn whispered, her lips quivering from much restlessness.

She exhaled, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes to calm her mind, refusing to entertain any more negative thoughts. Worn out from all the running and the terrifying experience, she decided to rest for a moment.

But her respite was short-lived, interrupted by loud cries and panicked screams from downstairs, followed by nurses and doctors rushing past them in fright.

Evelyn shook Kayla awake, who immediately asked her what was happening.

"Stay here; I'll find out," she said, hurrying towards an old man heading downstairs in a frenzy.

"Uncle, wait! What's happening? Why is everyone in panic?"

The elder, almost in tears, looked at her.

"Don't you know? A missile is heading for the Butuan Santos hospital; it's about to hit!" he exclaimed, rushing off without waiting for her response.

Watching him depart in haste, Evelyn wasted no time and dashed back to her twenty-one-year-old sister, her heart pounding with agitation.

She grabbed Kayla's arm, ready to join the others. But her hand was yanked away, catching her off guard.

"Wha-"

"Where are we going?" Kayla quickly interjected, cutting her sentence short, confusion evident on her face.

"We have to go. There's a missile heading for the hospital; we need to—"

Evelyn's voice trailed off as she remembered something. She stole a glance at the emergency room where their parents lay, and her heart sank.

A wave of guilt and disbelief washed over her. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten about them amidst the chaos.

Observing her distressed expression, Kayla quickly surmised her intention. With a furrowed brow and a pang of disappointment, she asked,

"Are we leaving them? Are we leaving Mom and Dad behind?"

Evelyn gazed at her, heart heavy, torn between their parents and the impending danger. Her mind raced, searching for a solution, but Kayla's urgent voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Eve!"

"I…" were the only words she could utter back. She continued looking at her younger sister, who was now in tears, face filled with fear.

She was unprepared to face death; she still had so much life left to live.

There were countless experiences she longed to share with her parents and older sister by her side.

"I'm scared. I'm not ready to die," Kayla whimpered, her voice trembling with desperation as tears nonstop streamed down her cheeks like waterfalls, mirroring the turmoil in her heart.

Then, as though a dam had ruptured, the pent-up anger and frustration that she felt surged in a torrent of sobs and shouts.

"Why is this happening? Why us? Why our country? Why! Just why! Why...? I don't understand, just why..." Her questions echoed through the room, each word laden with anguish and confusion, pleading for answers that her elder sister couldn't provide.

Evelyn stared at her, heart pounded with pain as she listened to her distress. The weight of the situation pressed heavily on their shoulders, leaving them feeling helpless and lost.

They both knew from the start that their strength was not enough to pull their bedridden parents out of the hospital. Under these unfair circumstances, their only options were to either leave or remain and die with their parents.

She looked at her trembling, twenty-one-year-old younger sister, drew her close in a tight embrace and remained silent.

Even if they chose to leave, the result would still leave them torn and shattered, for not having their parents by their side is already a traumatizing thought.

There was also no certainty how long this war would last or if, when it ended, they both would still be alive. Therefore, the only option Evelyn thought they would be satisfied with was the last.

She stayed put and continued embracing her twenty-one-year-old sister.

As if sensing her decision, Kayla asked within her sobbing.

"Does a missile hurt when it gets you?"

Evelyn, who knew the brutality of that weapon, didn't utter a thing about it and just gently stroked her younger sister's back, saying,

"I'm here. I will make sure it won't touch you, okay?"

Saying so, she glanced at the closed emergency room, eyes seemingly conveying silent words as a peaceful smile creeps into her lip while holding Kayla tightly.

Suddenly, the ground shook, and a smell of smoke alongside the deafening explosion outside startled them.

Evelyn exhaled a shuddering breath, closed her eyes tight, held her sister even tighter with her quivering body, and said,

"It's all right; close your eyes; don't mind what you hear. I'm here. Sister is here with you. I will tell you when's the right time to open your eyes again, understand?"

Kayla, shaking, held tight onto her, following her instructions, and instantly, darkness enveloped everything; just as her elder sister had promised, there was no pain.

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