Catch For The Night

Catch For The Night
By Christian Oliver A. Cruz

Last summer, the whole family went to Donsol where they say we will be able to see the gentle giants of the sea, the biggest fishes of all... the Butandings! So excited was I! I even read books about them. They open their big mouths and in the planktons go. I wonder what planktons taste like.

We rode on boats and headed out to the sea. So excited was I! I made sure not to blink because I wanted to be the first to spot them. I looked to the front. Then to the right. Then to the back. Then to the left. I made sure to look all around. Hours passed and still no butanding. Soon the boat headed back home. My little sister was crying, "Why are the butandings sleeping? Wake them up mommy!" I wanted to cry too, but I didn't. I wonder why they didn't show up.

My little sister was still sobbing as she slept beside me that night. As soon as she was sound asleep, I left the bed and looked out the window. It was a clear night with the moon and stars up in the dark sky. A lot of stars tonight. There's the Big Dipper. There's the Small Dipper. Hmmm, I wonder what that one is. As I stared to that group of stars, I noticed it started to move! Soon, other group of stars moved as well! Suddenly the moon shone bright, illuminating the whole sky to reveal what the moving stars were!

I rushed to the bed, woke my little sister, "Look up to the sky! Look up to the sky! The butandings! The butandings! There they are, up in the sky!"

We ran to the beach, to the nearest boat and sailed up to the night sky. Up and up we sailed high up to the night sky! Awesome sights galore! Butandings everywhere! Golden starfishes shining bright! Fiery jellyfishes zooming by.

I told my sister, "I want to catch a butanding for you, so you'll never cry again!"

"Thank you Kuya, but I don't think that's a good idea," she replied.

"But I'll catch one for you anyway!" I flung the net out and caught a huge butanding, its star-studded body struggling.

"Kuya! Stop! Look at him. He's crying!" I looked at my catch and there it was staring at me with tears in its beady eyes. I felt shameful of what I was trying to do. "I'll be fine Kuya, don't worry," my little sister whispered to my ears. Together, we released the butanding back to the night sky as it rejoined the other moving stars.

We came back to the shore, back to the room then back to bed, where my little sister and I went back to sleep. This time, no sobbing.

The morning sun woke us up. As we were packing our luggage for the long trek home, Dad and Mom said, "Don't worry kids. Perhaps we didn't see the butandings today. But all the more reason we'll be back here next year!" I caught my sister gleaming at me with a pretty smile. I winked back at her. So excited for next year!