Haig
I tried to calm myself. Though I really wanted to punch this man, I realized that he was also powerful and that he could not be touched because he seemed to be floating. Perhaps it was one of the reasons he did not have feelings or a brain because he was an air. He was asking me to conspire or trust him without saying any reason. I have a hunch that he just wants to be close to me so that he can use me more for his own dark intentions. But it also came to my mind that nothing would be gone from me if I became close to this demon. If I conspired with him, it might also happen that he would remove this curse from me. But if he really wants to be close to me, why won't he just remove this curse before that? He's definitely selfish.
"You put a curse in me and then you are asking me now to trust you? Do you really think that you are trustworthy? Why won't you just remove this curse from me so that we can be friends and we don't need to fight anymore?"
"If I can only bring back the time, I already did it, so I won't give you that curse, because I know that I cannot remove it from you. Sorry for making you believe that I was going to give you power and not a curse. Please forgive me and I will help you get rid of it."
Oh! He was not totally a heartless man because he knew how to ask for pardon from others and he admitted his mistakes too. But I won't trust him until he proves that he will assist me in removing the curse that he brought with him.
"You are powerful. Why won't you use your power to remove this curse from me? Especially that it came from you. Are you a fool that you put this curse on me and you do not know how to remove it?"
"I am not a fool; you are the one who was a fool because you accepted the curse without listening to me!"
What a damaged, foolish demon. This conversation is just a waste of time if he defends himself from the wrong belief that he has. He was so selfish that he could not understand others' feelings. He was too old to fight against me and not to know the difference between right and wrong.
"Please forgive me, Haig. There is just a heavy reason why I brought you that curse—because I believe in you... I believe that you can help me in solving my problems, so please forgive me." He cried, though there were no tears that came out of his brown eyes, but I could see the sincerity on his face while saying those words.
I am so kind to say, "What else can we do if it already happened? We cannot go back to the past and fix what we have done wrong."
I know that if I won't forgive others for their mistakes, otherwise, other people won't forgive me too for the mistakes that I did to them. Definitely, it would be better if I did not have any hatred for someone inside my heart. They are just like damaged tomatoes with a bad smell: they will just contaminate your heart if you cannot forgive them. The only thing that I can do to remove the damaged tomatoes is to throw them away.
"Oh!" He exclaimed. "Thank you for listening to me!"
"Hey, I have not told you that I had forgiven you. I said it to make you realize that you need to consider other people before taking an action. I will only forgive you if you can prove yourself to me. If you really want to help me get rid of the curse, please do so."
"Don't worry, I will apply your advice and I will also prove myself to gain your trust. I will help you with that curse."
"Good, but you had not introduced yourself to me. Tell me your name first, if you really want me to trust you," I said.
"I am Cain and I am already dead thousands of years ago. I was strolling through this world with my wife when we were cursed by a powerful spirit in the place where we should rest in peace. That is why we are searching for someone who can help us get rid of the curse of the powerful spirit. We need to go back to the place of spirits to rest because we are tired of strolling in this world."
"A place of spirit?" I asked, curious. "Is there really a place like that? A place where the spirits are resting?"
"Yeah, that place was so beautiful, but no alive human can go there, especially if they do not have any power that can bring them there."
"Peculiar! Maybe every spirit is powerful and they can do whatever they want to."
"You are wrong. Every spirit there is limited in the things that they are doing or want to do, and also, they cannot go into this world without permission. Because some spirits might hurt humans and use their power in a way that won't defend the law of spirits."
"Without permission of whom?" I asked.
"Without permission of whom?" He imitated, dumbly.
"Yeah, did not you hear it? You mentioned that you could not come here unless you got permission from someone; could you tell me who it was?"
"It was the strict and powerful spirit, and he was respected by all spirits, and I cannot tell you about that one," he explained.
"If you don't want to tell me, then just tell me something, such as about the curse and how to get rid of it."
"You better sleep now, let us just talk about it tomorrow. Your parents might hear that you are talking alone here."
"Uh-huh," I said as I sat down on my wooden bed. "Hey, why won't you leave me alone now?" I asked.
"I will just leave if you have already fallen asleep," he replied.
"Okay, but you should never do anything stupid while I'm sleeping, or I'll kick you out," I warned. Though I knew that he was a spirit and could not be touched, I still felt sad.
"Stop bragging, you cannot even touch me... How could you kick me as well?" He sat down on the floor.
"My outrage will kick you out if you bring me another problem." I cover my face with the blanket.
"You are so brave. Therefore, I chose to put you under a curse, because I knew that you could help me too," Cain said.
The first person that I saw when I woke up was Cain. Maybe he did not leave here last night. Everything is just normal and it means that he did not cause any problems, like a curse that was difficult to solve. He was just lying there on the rough floor like an ugly old man. I noticed that his eyes were closed. He seemed to be in a deep slumber. It never came to my mind that he could also feel tired, though he was already a spirit. I sprang from my bed and barefooted went towards the door. I knew that even though there were many things that I needed to deal with, I still needed to go to school. Though there were too many questions in my mind, I don't want to lose my future just because of it. I knew that my parents would become angry if I did not continue my schooling without giving them a valid reason. I believe that finishing school is the only thing that I can exchange for my parents' hard work and perspiration.
The door was crying when I was roused. Cain also woke up when the crying of the door roused him from a deep slumber. He stood up without saying a word and went outside my bedroom. I shut the door and went towards the bathroom. I knew that whatever Cain would do or say, nobody could see or hear him. I have been thinking that I have something that they call a third eye, because I can see spirits like Cain. Before, I was scared of ghosts because other people said that ghosts looked scary, but every elderly person in this world has experienced that too. It does not matter anymore. My beliefs have totally changed because it seems that everything is possible in this world.
What I need to do now is to pretend that I cannot see Cain. Other people, including my father, will undoubtedly transport and confine me to a mental hospital. That might become another problem that will be given to me by the bad spirit named Cain.
"Where are you going?" Cain asked.
"I just want to take a bath. Don't you know that I am going to school? I need to go there because my future lies on it."
"How can you say so?" He asked again.
"Because studying can make me smarter, and if I can graduate from high school soon, I will be able to get a good job that will allow me to become wealthy."
"But schooling is not the only way to become clever and rich. There are many other ways to become clever, because it is based on your experience, not on what you have studied."
Well, Cain has a point. Knowledge does not always defend what I have studied, but rather my experience. Like magic, power, and curses. Teachers had not and would never discuss this in class, and someone would believe it only if they could experience or see it for themselves.
"Just stopped talking with me because I need to take a bath now. If you also want to take a bath, then you should go to the river and swim there."
I felt like a fool because I knew that Cain was a bad spirit and the water could not wet him. It was so foolish because I was the only one who could see and hear what he was talking about. Though I won't admit it, it is difficult for me to treat a spirit like Cain.
"Do you really need to go to school? How about the curse? Don't you know that it can control your body anytime?" He asked, continuously.
"Anytime? I know nothing about the curse. It is you who put it on me—you know more about it and you must also do something to remove it from me."
"Are you worried about what might happen to you?"
"Of course not. I am not worried about anything because you are here with me. I know that you are powerful and that you can curse someone like me."
I enjoy making him angry so that he realizes that the curse he cast on me can affect far too many aspects of my life. I don't want to worry about it anymore. I knew that if Cain could put this curse on me, he could also remove it from me. He was very powerful in saying that he could not remove it. I don't believe every word that came from his stupid mouth. I will put all my burdens on his shoulders, and I don't care if he feels tired of them. Everything is his mistake, and he must fix it. He must not complain about why I am putting all my burdens on his shoulders.
I opened the door to the bathroom. "Don't leave there, I will just take a bath." I got inside and shut the door.
Many things are messing with my brain. The reason why I don't want to believe him is that I have a hunch that he was not telling the truth to me. He told me many things but did not show me anything that could prove it. Maybe he just needs something from me, because he won't come if he just helps me. I have learned from my mistake, and I don't want to make the same mistake again. Especially if the man or spirit who will force you to make a mistake is the same as the one who told you to make a mistake before.
After I took a bath, when I opened the door, I saw that it was really a foolish man who did not left. Well, it does not matter anymore. The most important thing is that I feel relieved that I am not the only one who will carry the burden that he put on me, but also him. I want to make him realize that I don't need him and it's him who needs something from me. Despite this, I believe that the curse is my most serious issue, and it has had a significant impact on many aspects of my life. I really hate this. I don't want someone to follow me everywhere I go, because it seems like he is putting me inside a cage and I cannot move freely.
"Haig, do you have a plan to get rid of that curse?"
"What a—it came from you! So you should know what to do in order to get rid of it, right?" I asked.
"You are right, but how can I remove that from you if it seems that you don't want to get rid of it? That's why I am asking you if you have a plan to get rid of it."
"Of course I want to get rid of it, but I don't know how. What I do know is that you know how I can get rid of it. That is why I am telling you that you must remove it from me."
"So, do you mean that you are not believing that I cannot remove that from you?"
"Maybe I don't care if you are telling the truth or not; I only need one thing from you: your help to get rid of the curse that also came from you!" I exclaimed.
"I had really made a mistake about how I knew you. You just looked kind and respectful outside, but you are definitely not. You are so selfish!" He scolded.
"Wow! You dare to say that, despite the fact that you were the one who was selfish from the start?" I replied.
"Don't make me angry because you don't know what I can," he warned.