The sun shone with an unforgiving glare, but this did not stop the two friends from resting their wings upon a tree and greeting each other warmly.
One had just fled from captivity in a faraway kingdom while the other had sought forgiveness from their king. It had been an exceptionally challenging time in the lives of both these great birds, but they were thankful for each other’s company.
“Tell me your story, old friend,” the great bird, Sumayang Galura, requested.
“It started when I was spending the night on the Piedras Platas, as I always do.”
“Your tree of diamond?”
“The very same. As the sun was setting, I began to sing the first of my seven songs, when I had finished with the seventh, I did not realize that there was a human below me and my droppings had fallen on him.”
“He then turned to stone”
“That he did. Some humans just don’t realize what they get themselves into. The next day the same thing happened with another human that fell asleep at the foot of my tree, I didn’t know they were brothers then.”
“What happened then?”
“The human’s other brother came forth and captured me while I slept. He stayed awake during my songs and avoided my droppings until I fell asleep. He turned his brothers back from stone, but they did not appreciate their freedom. They beat the brother that freed them and took me to their king.”
“Will the cruelty of humans never cease?”
“I would not sing my song to heal the king until my true captor returned, and he did. I sang and my song revealed the duplicity of the two brothers, they would have been banished if not for the forgiveness of the brother that freed them.”
“He sounds like a naïve human.”
“After that, I was not treated badly, but I yearned to stretch my wings and fly through the sky once again. I had this opportunity when one of the brothers just released me. I think it was to frame the good brother as a fool, but that is just my guess.”
“It seems you have had a great ordeal, old friend.”
“I have had an adventure, as what fills most of our lifetimes. Sometimes they come to us and we do not have any choice in the matter. My captivity has only made me more grateful for the freedom I now possess.”
“Wise words, I would expect no less from you.”
The sun set as the two great birds continued their conversation. The star’s light gave their feathers a brilliant glow as they talked late into the night.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by Ibong Adarna
Adarna Illustration and Watercolor by Franz Lim