The Promised Land (The Mysterious Voice)

(Unforgettable Experience Year 2018)

It's year 2018. I was in my rented small room alone , working...It was the most quiet place among those rented houses I've stayed so far. Then, I heard a very soft voice telling me this, "I WILL BRING YOU TO _____" I didn't understand what it meant. Without thinking, I just answered, "YES, MY LORD!"

I don't know where that voice came from. I tried to recall those phrase uttered by a soft soothing voice of a man, though I have seen no one.

I asked myself, " WHERE WILL I GO?"

Then days passed, I have forgotten those words of the mysterious voice already. After few months, I took a vacation to my hometown away from the busy city of Manila.

But as I went back to that rented house, I was forced to move out with the petty reasons given by my landlord. She said, "Our electricity bill is now so high, so I want to raise your rent and the electricity as well."

It was a very small room, no windows and for me it was not fair and the amount isn't reasonable. Thus, I was forced to move out and randomly searched anywhere to find another rented house.

Then, I came to a very far place, away from the busiest city of Manila. There, I realized the message given to me was indeed true!

I transferred to a new place 17th Nov 2018.

Then, many months had passed by, I have watched through television and read through the online news the many troubles that had happened from the place where I used to live. Water crisis had happened and earthquakes as well.

(ANOTHER STORY)

The next year, I went to that place to get something.

I rode through an ordinary bus going home, with the correct sign board going to the next bus terminal for my another destination. I sat there among the strangers and then few minutes passed by, I searched for my purse to get my money to pay to the bus conductor.

As I reached out my hand to give my payment and told him my destination, he had that grim look towards me, with that cold face he said, " We're not going there, we'll just drop you near it."

I was surprise, their signboard showed differently. So I just fell silent, thinking maybe they'll passed by near that area and I just walk even a few distance only.

But to my dismay, after a few moments, the bus conductor who was standing near the door yelled and told me to alight from the bus already. So I just hurriedly got up, gathered my heavy bags - I have two bags all and the other one was so heavy and straight to the exit door.

Then, as I stepped on the ground, I observed that I am in the middle of somewhere with no buildings, a vacant lot, where you could rarely saw people walking. I was so disappointed, the next bus terminal was a little far from where I stood. I could walk even in many kilometers distance, it's not a big deal to me, I am so used to it since my younger years; however, I have a heavy baggage with me which I could hardly carry.

Aside from my heavy baggage, I could not see any people along the road, which adds to my fear.

Many strange thoughts entered to my mind while forcing my steps to walk faster. In a few distance away, I saw some men in uniform. I felt enlightened as I saw a police officer and asked him the direction going to a bus terminal. He said I just need to walk forward straight ahead and I'll find it there, and I am already closer.

I thought it was easy, but I walked passed through grassy area already but it seemed I walked for many hours already due to the heavy bags; I could only saw buses and private cars running passed by on my side. Since, I have no idea where I am walking, I felt so awkward thinking that the passengers in the other bus were looking or wondering why I was walking alone in that vacant lot. I felt so disappointed and I cannot hide my anger to that bus conductor. Due to my anger, I raised my eyes to heaven and cursed something unintentionally to that bad behavior of the bus conductor and driver.

My naked eyes saw that there's no other way but to pass by on that bus terminal, however, they refused to drop me there, instead they dropped me wherever they like somewhere, so far from it. I have no idea why they did that, maybe they're avoiding something or whatever reasons I couldn't figured out.

Luckily, I have arrived safe and sound to my destination, despite of everything.

Days had passed, I saw the news in TV, many buses are in chaos in that city. The buses could hardly move forward due to the super congestion that had happened. That was the time where buses had experienced super traffic where everyone had suffered due to that. I am not sure but maybe it was just a coincidence for everything.

by Yours truly (Anne, posted December 6, 2019 7pm)