Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, organizations, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

ILIGAN CITY
8:00 PM

It was a luminous, humid Sunday night in Iligan City – a city filled with diverse cultures and various lives of the people. According to the city’s tagline, it is called "The City of Majestic Waterfalls". The skyscraper of the city was simple and filled with trees. Below of the city, most of the city's vehicles were automobiles, taxis, and jeepneys. There were jeepneys filled with passengers running faster in the city streets. There were commuters walking around Quezon Avenue and in Obach Street Corner Manuel L. Quezon Avenue, nannies bring their little children to go home from school.

Many of the students (i.e. college students) were started to exit the university gate because they've finished taking their make-up classes. Beggars who were disabled and even the Badjaos busy looking and begging towards the citizens. Some of them gave a single penny to them but most of the people don't want to give them. They might be considered as "untouchables" in the eyes of the society.

The skies and the atmosphere were already dark. A 30-year-old young man named Rahab accompanied by his mother, Irma who was a catechist, entered inside the church. He was wearing silky, purple long-sleeve collared shirt and long black trousers. Also, he accompanied his 10 year old son, named Gene. Her mother received a text message on her Nokia 3310 phone. It was from her husband named Mithu – a Hindu polytheist who will be coming home from his hometown, in Kodagu. Irma had already read the message but she pressed the red button and she placed it back to her Coco Chanel purse.

"Mom," called Rahab.

"Yes?" replied Irma.

"What time will you pick up dad tomorrow? From Laguindingan Airport?" called Rahab to his mother.

"10 in the morning,”

Rahab nodded his mother’s words.

“But you will be going with me because I don't have someone to go there," said Irma.

"Okay, mom. I will," said Rahab.

Gene begged his dad by holding his father’s long sleeve.

“Papa, I will go with you and lola. Cause I want to see my uncle,” begged Gene in a cute voice.

Rahab kneels down on the floor and looked at his son’s face.

“Nak, I told you that you have your class tomorrow. Okay? You will not go there because you have your school and I won’t allow you to be absent. Huh?” replied Rahab to him.

“Naah, papa…I want to go with you…” begged Gene.

“Nak, you will not go with us…and besides, we’ll not go to Cagayan de Oro but we’ll go to the airport to pick up dad. Okay?”

Gene felt disappointed in his father by pointing his lips.

“I promise. I’ll buy a bar of chocolate for you…or ice cream once we will come back from the airport. Okay?” sighed Rahab.

Gene was happy as what Rahab promised him to buy snacks for him; until he hugged his father gladly. He stood up as he carried his son up. Irma called them because she was waiting for the father and son. Later, they finally entered inside.

“Don’t worry about your son’s school preparation for his first day of school tomorrow. I already told to all of our helpers to prepare breakfast for tomorrow so that we can go there earlier,” said Irma to him.

“Okay, mom. And, mom,”

“What is it again?”

“May I buy a chocolate bar and ice cream for my son there? After picking up dad?” asked Rahab.

“Sure, why not? Your son likes to eat sweets too much without minding his own teeth. He might have tooth decay someday if he resumes eating it…” answered Irma.

“Mom…I will guide him on his eating habits, okay?”

“I’ll remind you on that…cause kids today didn't care about all the things we disciplined,” said Irma.

Inside of St. Michael's Cathedral, there was a night mass happened today. There were young sacristans, aged 13-21 years old busy welcoming the Catholic devotees and visitors outside of the church. Suddenly, an unknown man walked and approached to one of the sacristans. He was wearing a black hoodie, rugged jeans, and sneakers; pretended that he's one of the churchgoers who was welcomed to the church.

"Welcome, sir. May God Bless You." greeted one of the sacristans to him politely.

The man nodded to him and he continued walking. He walked a few steps into the hallway until he directly stabbed the sacristan. In order to make silence and avoid revealing its hidden crime, he covered the sacristan's mouth and he brought it to the comfort room. While bringing, the sacristan's blood spills onto the floor, and lately, the unknown man left the stabbed sacristan away to the comfort room. He slowly closed the door.

Fortunately, he definitely escaped as he goes away to the church. He wasn’t noticed by other churchgoers. And even others didn't notice the incident, including the other sacristans. Everyone in the church was sitting directly in the pew. Men, women, children, and others were preparing themselves for the mass.

A few hours later, the mass started with an introductory song or entrance song. The church's ministers enter in procession and reverence the altar with a bow. Everyone in the church didn’t know there was a bomb planted already in the altar.

"Sa Ngalan sa Amahan, sa Anak ug sa Espirito Santo." (In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...) said the priest in Cebuano language.

The devotees replied amen as they make a sign of the cross after the introduction. The priest prepared himself standing in the altar. He was facing in front of the devotees. Rahab and his family signed of the cross also.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." said the priest to them.

“The Lord is with you…” added the priest to them.

“And also with you…” replied the devotees.

The mass was still conducting as the devotees listen to the priest’s sermon after long hours of introductory rites. Meanwhile, a 50-year-old man walked to the male restroom. He was feeling in pain in his urine and wanted to urinate. As he opened the restroom door, he saw a stabbed sacristan filled with blood all over the restroom’s floor. The sacristan’s eyes become wide. The man slowly frightened himself by what he saw. His trousers became wet as he got urinated and he ran away.

Rahab felt sleepy himself because he couldn’t understand what the priest said while listening, whereas Irma devotedly inspired while listening to the sermon from the priest as if that she felt blessed. Gene was sleeping on his father’s lap. He looked at his son sleeping and he carries him with care and love. He stood up on the pew and exits ahead to the church. Irma looked back at them walking away to the church.

“Oh, my…why are they going home ahead? Humph…may their souls purified from You.” pondered Irma irritably.

Outside of the church, Rahab walked to the road as one of the taxis passes them and stopped. He opened the taxi door and entered the taxi swiftly. Then, the taxi ran away to the road. The taxi driver asked them where they will go.

“Sir, where are we stopping by?” asked the taxi driver to him.

“Brgy. Sto. Rosario, please. Thank you…” replied Rahab politely while humming his sleeping son.

The taxi driver nodded while driving.

Back to the church, one of the church’s ministers received a sudden text message on his phone but he didn’t read it and he was listening to the sermon. A few minutes later, the sermon was finally ended until the bomb in the altar explodes explosively. The churchgoers were cramming as they rushed outside of the church. The entire Catholic Church burned and explodes. The fire spreads out the whole church including its back gate. They went outside and ran away. The city’s traffic became more traffic as they witnessed the burning church outside. Irma was stranded by the devotees. She almost escapes on the church, however, the burning wood fell down unconsciously on her head and she died. She was included of the victims in the said tragic incident.

The taxi was running in the city streets, somewhere in Gaisano Mall, the taxi driver the stereo and he tuned in to a well-known FM station. Rahab touches his son’s hair and comforting him with tender loving care. Suddenly, a few seconds later, there was a recent news report reported in the FM station.

“Flash report…there was an explosive incident at exactly 9:00 PM this evening at St. Michael’s Cathedral. The entire church got exploded and burned tonight during the Sunday evening mass because of the recent bombing. The church’s fire became bigger as the City Firefighters directly came to the target place to wash out the fire. As of this moment, there is no particular information received about the particular suspect who made the tragic incident—,” announced the news reporter.

Rahab heard a news report on the radio and he got terribly surprised when he heard about the incident. He was surprised because his mother was there. He couldn’t believe that dark circumstances tested him in his own life. His tears fell down on his cheeks, and he tried his best to wipe his tears on his cheeks.

In Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Rahim was still standing and waiting for the arrival of the taxi. He wearing black long-sleeve t-shirt holding his black-colored Jansport backpack. He just came home from New Life Christian Center finished attending night service. He served also as a vocalist in the church band. He read a DNA result on his hand, and it was reported positive that he and Rahab were twin brothers.

“Rahab…Rahab’s my twin brother. Finally, I found you…” pondered Rahim to himself and he smiled with joy.

Suddenly, the taxi stopped at the gasoline station. The taxi noticed something mysterious as he saw a man standing at the station calling a taxi. He had the same face as Rahab, too.

“Sir, why do we stop, sir?” asked Rahab to him.

“Taxi!” said Rahim in a shout.

The taxi looked at the man calling the taxi. He didn’t respond Rahab’s answer as Rahim entered the taxi directly. He was sitting in front of the taxi. The taxi driver asked him where he will go. Rahim answered that he will go to Barangay Santiago. Rahab didn’t know that Rahab was sitting at the back of the taxi and finally, he slowly noticed Rahim – his long-lost, twin brother. Rahim also noticed Rahab also while looking at the mirror, and the two brothers surprised to each other

“Rahab?” called Rahim to his brother.

“Kuya Rahim!” responded Rahab while sobbing.

The taxi got confused about them while driving because he thought that the person he saw on the street might be a clone. The taxi didn’t know at all that Rahab and Rahim are twin brothers. He didn’t mind them while driving his taxi. The taxi reached to the Tibanga highway. Suddenly, the taxi accidentally bumped a guy running on the road. Then, the taxi driver stomped the breaker. Rahab and Rahim got surprised on what they have seen.

The brothers rushed to the taxi to find out who the bumped man is. Rahim was the one approaching the dying man. And he realized that…it was their third twin brother – Rahmat. He was holding a DNA test result paper in his right hand. He tried to pick up the paper and tried to read it. The DNA test shows that Rahmat and Rahim, including Rahab, were definitely triplets.

“Brother? What’s wrong?” asked Rahab to him.

“Rahmat…the man that we saw…he’s our third twin brother,” admitted Rahim to him.

“Rahmat? So, we’re triplets?!” asked Rahab.

Rahim couldn’t answer his brother’s confession. How the unexpected fate unites them? And when their story all started before the triplets became united?

1988
TAWI-TAWI, PHILIPPINES

In a small village located on a neighboring seaside of Tawi-Tawi, there were houses built in the center of the seashore. The village people were busy doing their responsibilities respectively, such as pearl hunting, hand waving cloth, and others. Also, there were children playing in the school grounds since their classes haven't started yet. Most of the village's houses were built in medium and large sizes because all of the houses were made of bamboo and wood.

In a small, two-story apartment made of concrete and bricks, a Maranao woman named Razia who was currently 9 months pregnant. She was wearing a hijab in hot pink paired with her black-colored, chiffon abaya. She was assisted by his Tausug husband named Ilyas. They just came home from their 'Jumu'ah' or Friday prayer in the village mosque. Despite their linguistic and ethnic differences, they still love to each other. Ilyas was holding a basket filled with vegetables, spices and a kilo of chicken for dinner.

"Watch your steps, hon," said Ilyas while assisting his wife.

"Okay, hon, I will," replied Razia innocently.

They finally entered the house and Ilyas was the one opened the door using his key. Then, he assisted Razia to sit on the sofa so that she would take a rest. Ilyas went to the kitchen and he placed the basket on the unpainted, concrete kitchen counter.

"What would be our dinner for tonight?" asked Razia to her husband.

"Our favorite 'chicken piaparan'[1]. but I will cook it more special just for you…and for the two of us." answered Ilyas.

“Thank you very much, hon.” thanked Razia to him.

“You’re very much welcome…” replied Ilyas sweetly while placing the ingredients on the counter.

He placed the dressed chicken in the basin. He washed it with water first before placing in the fridge. Then, he drained the excess water in the sink. Also, he placed the rest of the items he bought from the market. Razia was taking a rest as she tried her best to lie down on the sofa.

“It’s been a long time that…we haven’t paid our bills ever since we transferred here…our electricity and water bills become higher…even today, I haven’t pay the rent to the landowner.” sighed Ilyas while placing the grocery items in the fridge.

“Yeah, then, I remember that we already moved out by other people’s apartment because they thought they don’t trust us, Muslims. In fact, we didn’t harm them. Besides, we're always feel discriminated by them because…we called us terrorists…and not trustworthy.” said Razia.

“You know what, Razia, we still struggling to fight for our dignity against discrimination towards us…and I know that Allah will still find a way so that they…they will accept us as humans.”

“Hope so…”

Ilyas finished placing the ingredients in the fridge.

“And how about your medical checkup tomorrow in the hospital? Since the small clinic is too far from the village,” asked Razia.

“Um…we’ll go there to the hospital early in the morning. Don’t worry…I’ll find a time to go there after my work. Okay? Hopefully, we can leave here as the home we plan will finish. We’ll move there next week.”

“Okay, love.” nodded Razia.

Suddenly, the apartment owner visited their unit. She knocked the door loudly thrice. The landowner was a Samal but she’s a Catholic woman.

“Astaghfirullah al-azeem!” exclaimed Razia as she heard the knocking door.

“The landowner’s here…” said Ilyas as he looked at the door.