The Last Ticket to Real Change

by Mikaela Jusay

It was Sunday afternoon in Cathedral. The hot, yellow sun went behind the mountain covering the sky in red. Many people were rushing to be inside the church trying to catch the last mass.

“Sampaguita! Sampaguita! Please buy my Sampaguita, Sir, Ma’am!”

The voice came from a little boy named Harry, a seven-year-old boy with a condition of hydrocephalus. He lived with her mother, Josefa who’s also a Sampaguita vendor. The two were living under a big Narra tree near the church and protect themselves from the coldness of the night with just a small brown blanket. Everyday, they would sell sampaguita to churchgoers.

But even if he had a condition like this, Harry was very smart. He was gifted. His IQ was advanced for his age. Although he can’t afford to go to school, he loves to read newspapers, flyers, any paper he would find in the streets. That’s the reason why he was well-aware of the social issues in his country like corruption, bullying, drugs, and poverty which he’s experiencing now. It was also his dream to have a camera. He would always have visualized himself as a professional photographer.

Harry was searching for customers when he noticed a man standing beside him. The man was wearing a black suit, black trouser with a black fedora hat. He was holding a very old type of camera. Harry decided to sell him his Sampaguita.

“Sir, please buy my Sampaguita. It only costs 10 pesos.”

The man nodded yes but didn’t let Harry saw his face.

Harry was about to give the Sampaguita when suddenly something happened.

A loud aircraft noise was heard by the people in the area. Then the noise fade. Suddenly there was a moment of blinding light with intense heat. People couldn’t see anything. There was a strange reverberation, a noise that’s impossible to describe, followed by a bang.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Then the church, the buildings, everything collapsed. The place was buried and in complete darkness.

            It was a huge plane. It crashed into the Cathedral. Many people and passengers were dead.  Others were deeply wounded. Harry saw his mother covered with blood and he couldn’t see any proof of life. Then he heard an ambulance. He was embracing his mother, wounded and full of blood when he suddenly passed out.

He woke up in the hospital two days after the incident. As he was opening his eyes, he saw a man wearing all black. It was the photographer. It was the last person he encountered before the blast. Still not showing his face.

 “Who are you? What do you want from me? Where’s my mother?”

“I am sorry. But she didn’t make it. Listen, I have to tell you something.”

“What?”

“There’s a lot of bad things happening in this country right now. Corruption, drugs, poverty and people killing each other. This camera gave me a chance to let you change what’s happening. I know you can’t understand me. You’re only seven. But please, trust me.”

Harry suddenly felt pain in his head. The doctors inserted a shunt tube in his head to treat his condition. When the pain was gone, the man also disappeared.

Harry was trying to search for the photographer man when suddenly the doctor came to the room with a dark-skinned man with bodyguards.

“Mayor Digo, he’s awake.”

 “Son, I am Mr. Digo. I am the Mayor of this City. I am here to tell you that from now on, you will live with me and you will call me Father.”

Harry couldn’t say anything. He’s all alone now. He lost his mother and he doesn’t want to be in the streets anymore.

“Can you remember your name?” The doctor asked the little boy

“My name is Harry.” He answered

“No. You are Jack. Jack Digo and you are my son.” The mayor told him

Weeks after, the doctor told them that he’s discharged.

They arrived at the Mayor’s house. One of the maids showed him his room. He was still thinking of his mother. Now, he’s in a mansion and could call the Mayor his “father”.

The mayor was nice to him but completely different to other people especially to women. He’s raping their maids and thinks it’s funny. He was just acting in front of his people. He had dirty businesses like illegal firearms, drug trafficking, and more. He would kill anyone who’s against him. But he’s an actor. He’s also a magician. He can manipulate people including his son. He’s hiding everything to him and act like a perfect father anyone could ask for and a perfect mayor any ordinary citizen could ask for. But his real plan is to be the next president of the country. He’s greedy for power. He wants more.

Sixteen years later, Harry whose now Jack turned 23 and studying in a prestigious photography school in his town. He went to the mall and bought a new camera. It was black and very old. When he flipped it over, something was written on its back.

SOMETIMES YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION, SOMETIMES YOU MAKE THE DECISION RIGHT. -Phil Mcgraw

OWNED BY: JACK

Jack can’t figure out the meaning of what he has read but he still bought the camera because his name was also printed in it. He thought it was a coincidence.

He was heading to his school when suddenly someone called his name.

 “Jack.” It was a very familiar voice.

He was shocked. It was the photographer but without the camera and still not showing his face.

“You are the photographer! What are you doing here?”

“Come with me.” The photographer started to walk.

“What? Wait! Hey!”

Jack followed him. The place was very familiar. He saw a big Narra tree. It was his home 16 years ago. He could still remember how in just a minute everything was gone including the old church and his mother.

Then he saw the photographer’s old camera in a stand.

“What are we doing here. Who are you!? Jack asked.

The man finally revealed himself. He took off his hat. Jack was surprised of what he saw.

The photographer looked exactly like him. The shape of his face, his eyes, his nose and he just realized that he also sounds like him.

“I am you, Jack. I am you, in the future. This camera is a time-travel device. We must save our country. Come here. I’ll show you something.”

The photographer asked Jack to position themselves in front of the camera.

Suddenly, the camera brightly flashed. It lasted for two minutes and it feels like its taking them to a different place.

               The two jumped from 2016 to 2019. Jack saw a place that he thought was impossible to exist. There’s a chronic drug trafficking around the country. Police officers killing innocent people. Left and right rape-slay cases. Government officials were enjoying their power while ordinary people suffer from high commodity prices, not getting what they deserve. The media was being controlled big time. People fighting against each other for survival. There were wars happening in different sides of the countries.

               Then he saw a man, a dark-skinned man. It was Mayor Digo, his father who’s now the President of the Philippines. He was talking to somebody in his phone.

“ARE THERE WOMEN IN THE WAR? ARE THEY HOLDING GUNS?”

“YES SIR. AMAZONAS.

“SHOOT THEM IN THE VAGINA.”

               Jack found himself crying. He couldn’t believe that his father can do such horrible things.

“It’s only you who can prevent this from happening, Jack. Don’t let him win. I was blinded and manipulated by him thinking everything was right. You must do something to save Philippines. You are our country’s last ticket. ”

“How? He’s too powerful. There’s nothing I can do to stop him from winning the election.”

“Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the decision right.”

               Then the old camera flashed once again. Jack found himself in his room. He looked for a calendar and realized that he was back in the present. The photographer was gone as well as the camera.

               He couldn’t believe what he saw. How is he going to stop his father from being a monster?

               Later that night. He saw his father in the balcony. He went to his father’s room and got his 9mm pistol.

“Father.”

“My son.”

“I’m sorry, Father. But I have to do this.”

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!!!!

               He shot his father to his head. A very powerful gun shot woke the people of the city. The police immediately came to the house. They saw Jack still holding the gun. He was arrested and charged with life-imprisonment.

               The country is now peaceful in the hands of an effective courageous leader. 

               No one in town knew why he killed his father. Many people said he’s insane. But Jack knew he made the right decision by making his decision right.