( This is an excerpt from THE DIAMOND CRUCIBLE and other stories, an anthology of unpublished stories which I have written recently. Hopefully, it will come out in paperback form within 10 months from now. Copies for sale will be available on line. )
The Diamond Crucible
To Diameda, an airport is like a hospital.
All around her are people waiting for flights, looking at their watches, playing with laptops or merely snoring away the minutes of waiting .
In a hospital, babies would arrive, no, no, not through the Stork Express. On the other hand, people die in their beds leaving for worlds unknown.
A few minutes ago, she just hugged and kissed goodbye a very dear friend, Melody. Di, short for Diameda, affectionately calls her Mimi.
Mimi is the manager of the Facility where she worked for the past month.
Mimi is a sweet lady of about 65, still spritely, still brimming with jokes and one-liners.
Mimi was in tears as they said good-bye..
"Sweetie," she said, "if you can not make it, please come back here. You know you are always welcome to stay..Forever if you want..I and all the staff love you"
"You know that I love nothing better than that.." Di affirmed.." But I have to go back. I do not belong here. My kids are waiting for me. I have to look after them.."
"Yes, Ceasar's Castle is waiting for us too..My cousin will always be there.."
Yeah," Di rejoined. She smiled but her eyes were moist. ."Free food, free shows, what more could a fun-loving girl like me want?"
Eventually, Mimi walked away to her car. Di's heart almost shattered. She walked towards the airport doors, through the mazes of counters, security guards custom officers until she found Gate 29. The Seattle bound flight was still half an hour away. She sat down, composed her thoughts, tried to sleep. But the Sandman refused to approach her with his sack of soothing sands...
So, with nothing else to do, she sifted images in her mind.
She saw herself again riding on that bus headed for Reno, Nevada. The tourist spot is a glittering oasis in an expanse of desert. It may not be as exciting or mind boggling as Vegas but it is a good place nonetheless. To hide? To lose oneself? But for how long?
San Francisco to Reno took several hours to travel. The bus window showed nothing but blackness, orange street lights, some signboards few and far between. Ocassionally an outline of a mountain would pop out amidst tree shadows. When the man beside her started to sleep, his head would inadvertently drop to her shoulder. She would stir and he would open his eyes and say: "Sorry.."
"It's all right."
Five minutes later, again he would fall asleep . Same thing happened. Again he would say "Sorry.."
But her main concern was where she is heading. She had a handwritten name, a phone number and address on a piece of paper in her purse. It was Mimi's. Just in case something happens and the girl waiting for her at the Reno bus depot wiill miss her, then she could call the number on that piece of paper.
"God, I hope not.." she said. She felt like a fish swimming in murky, uncharted waters...
She took a glimpse at her seatmate. This time, his head was resting on the window. He was sleeping like a big baby. Then, she looked at the magazine pouch in front of her. There were a couple of magazines and a small pocketbook. She took the book out. The title was: HOW TO WIN BIG IN CASINOS..""Great," she thought as her lips curled into a slight smile."Just what I need. A jackpot with my last 20$ bill.." Then she sighed and closed her eyes.
This time she thought of home, sweet home in the Philippines.
She had a happy, comfortable life in Baguio City. Her husband was a warm, caring person. Plus he had a very good job as a manager in an American based company. After their first child, a girl arrived he was promoted. Filipinos call this a good sign. But now he had to do lots of traveling to promote the company in various cities in Central Luzon. But always he managed to come home every two or three days.
A year later another child, this time a boy arrived. Only then they decided to put an end to it. They adopted the natural method of contraception and so far, it worked.
The boy was barely a year old when that fateful event in July, 1990 took place.
Di went down to the cellar of their company's building when she felt the floor beneath her shake, gently at first. Then it turned violent. There came a hideous sound like a big, rolling thunder.
"Oh my God, earthquake!!" she screamed as she fell to her knees. She heard the crashing of glass windows and the scream of her co-employers in the next floor. The lights went out. The first thing that went to her mind were her kids..But she did not want to move yet. When the shaking stopped, she jumped to her feet and rushed towards the EXIT door.
Everyone was almost gone out into the streets. She rushed out too. She wanted to go home immediately..
Outside was a scenario of people scurrying up or down. Some jeeps, packed with people were heading towards the city proper..After hailing two of them to no avail, she started to walk herself, as fast as her feet could carry her. When she looked at them, she found she lost her sandals and there was blood between her toes. She must have stepped on the broken glass as she went out of her building. But she never felt any pain, until she saw the blood, her blood.
She could never forget that scenery as long as she lives. Trees fell, people crying and running, the famous Pines Hotel toppled like a deck of cards...
When she reached home and found her two children safe, again she broke into tears, this time praising and thanking God..She also hugged Eliza, her faithful servant who took them out from school and brought them home. Her husband was on the road..Now she started to worry about him..
All cel phones did not work. There was no power and all transmitters were inoperational. She can not phone her parents in Urdaneta to tell them they were safe. She went to the bathroom to get alcohol and bandages for her feet.
It was after two hours later when someone knocked at the door and told her the grim news. They found her husband and two companions in the company car which went down Kennon Road. All three of them were dead..
That was the day when everything went downhill for Di. Her good life burst like a soap bubble. So full of colours at first, then the color spots were replaced by black holes until it popped into oblivion.
That single day and its aftermath had an unforgiving domino effect. Having lost her husband and her parents are already too old to support her and her kids, she eventually tried to apply as a nanny for Canada.
She made it, at the cost of being separated from her two children whom she left under the care of her parents and one sister..
Her reverie stopped when the bus pulled into the bus depot in Reno, Nevada. When she stood up, the man beside her was still asleep. After taking her small overnight bag fromthe overhead compartment, she shook the man's shoulder.
He woke up and said "Thank you.."
Di just smiled at him. Then she started to follow the line of passengers going down the bus.---#
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