In a world where everybody wants
to be seen and heard,
a world full of lovers of self,
disappearing is the only way to escape
the epidemic of egotism.
Let me remind you,
that you are always loved,
even if the world tried to
reject you.
You don't need to be seen and heard.
You just need to be
still.

/21/ The Courage of Disappearing

[...]

Minsan ba napaisip ka na kung paano kung isang araw bigla ka na lang maglaho? Nobody will ever hear from you again and no one will even know where you went.

It's a real luxury today, to be unreachable in a world of connectivity.

Sa pagkawala ay naroon ang pagtuklas ng totoong kapayapaan.

To disappear from the eyes of scrutiny, that's what Louella and Lysander did. They vanished without any explanations.

They just ran away. They broke free. 

How they did it was easier said than done. It was that moment on the rooftop when both of them realized that if someone above the universe is protecting them, why would they be scared? All it takes was the courage of two things: forgiveness and honesty.

First, forgiveness.

Forgiveness is probably one of the hardest things to do. Most people don't forgive because they're afraid of forgetting, they want to live with the memory of pain. For some, all they have to do is to forgive themselves.

Like Lou.

Maraming tao ang hindi nakakatanto na kung minsan ang tanging kailangan nilang gawin para magpatuloy sa buhay ay patawarin ang kanilang sarili.

Hindi rin naman madali ang magpatawad sa ibang tao, lalo na kung nalaman mo na tinraydor ka ng isang malapit na kaibigan. Katulad nga sa sitwasyon ni Lysander.

They confirmed Raven's affiliation to the insurgents when they talked to Arianne's parents, who knew that a student named Raven befriended their daughter. Since then, Arianne's behavior changed. The parents had no idea that their daughter ran away from home to join the armed rebels, breaking their hearts.

It wasn't easy for Lysander to accept that his dear friend, whom he deeply trusted had never been truthful at all. It's hard for both of them to think that if Raven belonged to the people who threatened them. What was hardest for them was the fact that Raven might be indirectly responsible for Ellon's death.

The next courage they needed was honesty.

Katulad ng kapatawaran, ang isa rin sa pinakamahirap gawin ng isang tao ay ang pagiging totoo sa sarili sa mundo ngayon kung saan lahat ay may kakayahang magbigay ng opinyon sa bawat isa, na kung minsan ay wala nang pakundangan na nakakatapak sa pagkatao ng iba.

At kapag dumating na yung puntong ikaw na ang inaapak-apakan ng lahat, kung nagpakatotoo ka at kilala mo ang iyong tunay na sarili, anong silbi ng mga opinyon ng iba?

Louella and Lysander finally achieved the courage to become honest with themselves. Lou finally admitted that she's been always scared of other people's opinions. Lysander too was unconsciously waiting for the world's approval before continuing to live.

What's better about being honest, it's the beginning of finding peace in oneself. And acceptance will just follow.

There's no need to struggle or to fight, they just needed to be still for who they are.

Let's go back to the heroes of this story, where they went, and what they did. Their disappearance is like raising a middle finger to the world who tried to oppress their freedom.

When they were trapped in a life and death situation, ang akala nila ay wala na silang magagawa pa kundi tanggapin ang sitwasyon nila pati ang masasakit na panghuhusga ng ibang tao. They thought the only way to save themselves was to allow the manipulations.

Just when they're ready to give up, they realized there's another thing that they could do, there's another way right in front of them—another kind of courage, the courage to ask for help.

Most people thought of themselves highly because of their skills and intellect that they forgot that there will be times that they cannot save their own self. Marami rin namang hindi humihingi ng tulong dahil sa tinatawag na 'pride' o mataas ang ere sa madaling salita.

May iba naman na nasanay mag-isa at nang hindi umaasa, mayroon namang may mga ayaw sumubok dahil sa pangamba na baka walang sumagot sa kanila.

Asking for help takes a lot of courage, there's a huge risk of rejection. Some are lucky to find the right ones to rely on. And fortunately, the heroes of this story are fortunate because their prayers on that night were heard by the One.

Lysander, whose been ostracized by society because of his family, thought of asking help to them, the family who got demonized severely but he loves dearly. Hindi niya naisip noon pero iyon lang ang tangin paraan para maprotektahan niya si Lou.

There's fear when asking for help because the future is uncertain. But love prevails more than fear in their hearts, and they took a leap.

And so, when they went back to Vireo's hometown, Lysander revealed fearlessly to his parents what happened to them and because he's determined to protect Lou, he shamelessly asked his parents' help to do whatever means to help them.

Lysander's father was the one who's very emotional after. Hindi nito sukat akalain na muntik-muntikan nang ilaglag ni Lysander ang pamilya niya para mailigtas ang isang kaibigan. Lysander was confused at first kung galit ba ang ama sa kanya, but later on, the father hugged his son, thanking him for standing up for his family and to the one he loves.

You see, Lysander never asked anything before from his parents even if he grew up with almost everything he needs in his life. He never asked for more. That's why his father granted his request without hesitation.

"P-pero, paano si Ellon?" tanong ni Lou nang malaman niya ang plano ni Lysander.

Of course, they just can't leave especially when their friend's dead body was somewhere and there's a threat from the rebels that they will pin the murder on them if they didn't obey.

Lysander answered calmly and firmly, "Hindi nila tayo basta-basta mape-frame up sa pagkamatay ni Ellon, I believe that they're just trying to scare us pero wala silang matibay na ebidensya," sagot ni Lysander.

"How about his family? Wala silang kaalam-alam sa nangyari!" Hinawakan noon ni Lysander si Lou sa magkabilang balikat upang pakalmahin ito.

"I know it's hard pero kailangan na muna nating umalis para hindi na nila tayo mahabol pa," tinutukoy niya ang mga rebeldeng tauhan ni Professor Silang, "I also asked my father to search for Ellon's remain. At kapag nangyari na 'yon, maaari na tayong humarap para magbigay ng testigo laban sa mga pumatay sa kanya at sa mga nam-blackmail sa'tin."

"You asked your father to do that? How?"

Bumuntong-hininga si Lysander bago sumagot, "May mga connection siyang high-ranking officers sa military. Sinabi ko rin kung saan tayo nagpunta noon."

Pero hindi pa rin napawi noon ang pangamba sa puso ni Lou. Niyakap siya ni Lee nang may kasiguraduhan na malalagpasan nila ang lahat.

"I feel bad too for leaving. Masakit din sa'kin na umalis tayo ng hindi nakakausap si Raven. But I want you to know that I'm doing this because I swore to protect you. You told me about your illness and I don't want to wait here and do nothing."

"Leaving won't make it disappear," bulong na sagot ni Lou.

"We don't know about that," sagot ni Lysander. "Sometimes, we need to disappear in order to heal ourselves first."

Finally, Lou accepted it. They're not cowards for leaving and disappearing, they just chose what to value more. She realized that indeed life is short to care for unworthy things of the world.

"We will return," Lysander assured, "stronger."

As if they became God's favorites, things suddenly went easy for them. Let's just say na naging advantage din nila ang resources ng pamilya Vireo. Naging madali na sa kanila na makalipad sa ibang bansa.

Meanwhile, Lysander's father was on the move along with the strings of fate. That night, the officers never found Ellon Lawin's body, but they killed two armed rebels on Mt. Itum that night.

Lysander had no idea that he also indirectly caused someone's death because Raven was one of the killed rebels.

That's how the world works. What goes around comes around.

It was like a sacrifice in order to achieve some goals, a cause and effect. It's inevitable.

Malayo pa ang maligayang wakas para kina Louella at Lysander. Ang paglaho nil amula sa mata ng publiko ang simula para gumawa ng bagong kabanta ng kanilang buhay, mas maganda kaysa sa umpisa.

There's a saying that our lives are not determined by what was but by what will. They finally glimpsed a brighter future ahead without worrying too much.

Sa ibang bansa, muling nakapiling ni Lou ang pamilya niya. With the help of Lysander, he encouraged her to finally tell her family the truth about her impending illness.

When she did, that's when the true healing begins for Lou.

At the beginning of her story, she was unconsciously depressed about conforming to society, she was obsessed with finding a mystical bird because she thought that only magic could give her courage.

They failed to find the 'Alpas', but Lou already found what she truly needs.

It's not magic or something enchanted.

The courage to forgive, to be honest, and ask for help. She doesn't need the Alpas.

Kung tutuusin, pwede nang magwakas ang kwento nila sa pahinang ito.

Subalit dahil sinabi ng may Likha na hindi pa—hindi muna, dahil hindi pa nakukumpleto ang misyon.

While Louella and Lysander found something more than magic, Raven and Ellon found something different—a power.

The question is, when a mere mortal was granted the ability to get what their hearts desire, that's the story for Raven and Ellon. With power in their hands, will they be able to achieve what Lou and Lysander did?

That's what we're going to find out.