The Twilight reached Kaginhawaan after four days of voyage. Cecilia watched as the passengers disembarked. Though she had been on three voyages, this was the first time she watched the passengers leave. She noticed the smile on their faces, how bright and guilt-free their expressions were, and somehow this also made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Chris just got out of the bridge, but stopped when he saw her watching the passengers smiling as she did. "She looks livelier now than she did the first time," Chief Bustamante mentioned to the captain with a smile, before heading out as well.
"She does seem so," Chris whispered. he turned around and followed the other chiefs to the conference room.
"Miss Pink!" Martinez startled Cecilia, making her almost drop he ice pop she was eating.
"Martinez? What the heck? You almost made me drop this," waving her dessert as she smacked the helmsman on the shoulder.
Martinez's eyes widened in horror as he pointed to the iced dessert. "Why did you eat that?" his voice filled with fear
Cecilia frowned as she examined the dessert. "What? this? What's wrong with mango iced pop? It's my favorite." She then took another bite
The helmsman squeaked, "That is reserved only for the captain and top officers! Anyone who eats that will be doomed, cursed to serve the ship for all eternity!"
"WHAT?!" she spat out the ice pop in her mouth onto the Kasanaan
"Why did you spit into the holy river? The Anitos will turn you into fish bait as punishment!" The panic in Cecilia's face vanished after Martinez's ridiculous claims. "Peace! Just kidding!" he said, flashing a peace sign.
"You are mean, you know that?" She exclaimed, and she leaned on the railings and returned to her dessert. She gleefully watched the passengers' happy faces as they moved on to the afterlife.
"Do you wonder why everyone leaving the ship is happy?" Martinez inquired
Cecilia turned her head. Why was everyone happy? Shouldn't those destined for eternal punishment be frightened or something? "Why?" she asked
"Because everyone who steps off the ship is now free from sin," he revealed with a warm voice. "You remember the engine deck?" Martinez explained
Cecilia nodded; her eyes still glued to the passengers. She suddenly spun to the helmsman, "It just takes seven days for those on the engine deck to be cleansed of their sins?"
Martinez smiled and shook his head. "What we perceive here as seven days is an eternity to those on the engine deck."
"Really? Time moves differently in different parts of the ship?" She asked, clarifying if what she thought was right
Martinez raised an eyebrow and puckered his lips as if thinking, "Hmmm! I guess it's the best way to explain it. Take the Gray deck, for example. To the passengers there, time stops until they truly repent and ascend to the gold deck, or they get swallowed by the engine deck."
Cecilia nodded, understanding how the three decks work. "Wait! What about the other two decks?"
"Deck zero? Time does not exist there, and for the crew's general deck, it's the same as the gold deck," He explained.
"What about me? For every week that passes here on the ship, four hours pass in the world of the living" she made the computation in her head "What will that make me after my contract? Will I age differently than those in my world? Oh my gosh! I'll be an old woman even before the year is over!" she exclaimed panicking at the prospect.
Martinez chuckled at the human's reaction. "Relax, you are protected, though you feel like seven days have passed, your body perceives time as if it were in the real world, so for every voyage, your body only ages four hours as well."
"Oh, thank the heavens," Cecilia expressed, clutching her chest from relief. She slapped Martinez on the back. "You rascal, you scared me!" She then laughed. Her laughter soon vanished, giving way to curiosity. "So what's your story? Do you have family left in the world of the living?"
"Me? Nope, I don't have any family left. I just want to stay," he answered truthfully.
"Why? Aren't you afraid the captain will throw you overboard?" She jested with her question.
"The captain? He is a good person, a little pragmatic, but a good person. And I know he will never let us astray," Martinez cheerfully answered. He then turned to Cecilia and asked about her. "How about you? Do you still have family?"
"I live with my grandfather; my parents died when I was fifteen." She sighed when she reminded herself that she no longer had parents. "I miss them, I miss them so much."
Realizing that he had opened a sensitive topic, Martinez tried to console Cecilia. "You know, even if a person dies, they never really leave us; they will always be in here and in here." Pointing to his heart and mind. Cecilia smiled at what Martinez said, and the two continued to chat away.
At the observation deck, Chris has just finished a sketch he was making, and he examines his sketch. He traced his fingers on the drawing, but he was disturbed by someone calling him. "Captain!" It was Chief Murillo.
He quickly closed his clipboard and placed it on a nearby chair. "What is it, Chief?"
"The Chief Engineer would like to report on requisitions on new engine parts," She replied with respect and urgency.
"Tell him to meet me at the bridge." Chris then left and descended the stairs.
Chief Murillo saw the clipboard that the captain had left. She picked it up and was about to call Chris, but he was already gone. She opened the clipboard and saw a drawing of Cecilia leaning on the rails and staring into the distance. Murillo tore the page with Cecilia's drawing, crumpled it, and tossed the paper into the Kasanaan. She dropped the clipboard and followed the captain.
The Twilight had left the port of Kaginhawaan two days ago and was a few hours away from the mortal plane. Cecilia perched on the observation deck and had a rare glimpse of the crew having fun and relaxing. She smiled, watching Chief Bustamante, Chief Murillo, and Martinez sharing drinks and laughter at the bar. "I should charge you for taking my spot."