Chapter 40: * The Golden Horse *

In the southeast asia , a country called Philippines, a young boy was digging the soil near the river he hadn't eaten lunch because his father was angry again as usual because his mother comes home late washing laundry from neighborhood so that she can buy foods for the family. He is very hungry but he better play here digging soil than be beatin by his drunk father , he was enjoying digging the ground and hide his feet underneath , when a golden horse suddenly appear infront of him , his horse shoe was also digging the ground beside him , he was stricken at the sight of the large horse , he was afraid that it might kick him in the face but the horse just stand infront of him and when he touch its face it nussled its head in his hand,so he just smile and touch its head.

" You're so nice , just don't kick me okay ?." as he touch its head fascinated at its golden color , in his eleven years of existence this is the first time he had seen such color , its golden color was shining brightly before his eyes.

" Weeighhh... " , the only reply he get from the horse while nuzzling the soil the his horse shoe dug , in it he can see shining golden colored soil mingling in the wet soil.

" Robbb....." , he heard a voice calling his name , he glare back where the voice came from and when he look back to say something to the golden horse he found nothing , in a wink of his eyes the horse was gone and nowhere to find as he look in any direction.. he felt a bit scared thinking about it.

" I'm hereee mama !,, " he called back to let her know where he is , he immediately leave their house when his father arrive drunk and beat his mother with his fist because they have no food to eat , his father was a very irresponsible person he was working every monday to saturday in the construction as a carpenter , but he just spend his earnings in his drinking alcoholic drink , on weekdays he get drunk after work , but for sunday he started drinking in the morning and by lunchtime he is already drunk , then pick a fight with his kind mother , his mother had to laundry clothes from the neighborhood just to earn to buy foods for their family. his older sisters had got married at the young age of fourteen and seventeen because of the miserable life they have with their father and now they're still miserable because of poverty and lack of proper education that's why they can't find a decent job , heisst .. he wonder when they'll life will change into a much better situation and he still have two younger siblings living with them that needs protection from their abusive father.

" Come home now , I had already cooked for our lunch !", he heard his mother say as she's coming near him, she really knows him and his fave hideaway.

" Yes mama! .... ma, try to look at this ", he told her when she's standing beside him , holding the shining soil with little water.

" May I see?", his mother become interested at the shining wet soil. She had suspicions and she tried to dig deeper and she gasped when she found there are gold bars beneath the soil , she felt so nervous as she look around to see if there are other people around that might see them luckily she found none. This is an isolated area that seldom visited by people except her son who loves to come and play here digging soil , but she was also elated that she don't know where to hide the bars and decided to pick up five pieces under her big shirt. They will come here tonight to take all of the gold bars . As for now she will take one of it to the pawn shop to check if this is real or not and if how much it cost , if this is real gold they will be rich and they had to leave this place to avoid burglar in their home ,this had to be kept secret even to her own useless husband. They will leave him behind if he will not change his attitude , she's no longer afraid that she can't raise properly her children .

" What's that mama? why you're taking it?",

wondring Rob ask his mother .

" Pssst!... don't tell anybody about this okay?", his mama silencing him.

" Why mama?",he asked wanted to know the reason.

" Just don't tell anybody about this or else when people know about this our life will be in danger ", his mother warned him.

" Whaaat?.... really?...." , unbelieving he nodded his head in accomplice , he help his mother putting back the soil they had digged to hide back the gold bars and put stones to mark the place.

" I'll just bring this to the pawnshop , you go home now and eat lunch , don't tell to anybody even your father or brothers and sisters , this is just a secret between the two of us , okay ?", his mother explained which he agreed willingly. Later that night his mother arrive late with a sack of rice and two plastic bags with a supermarket logo full of groceries. His mother was very happy and later that night his mother woken him up.

" Rob , " the child was woken by his mother.

" Mama , where are we going?", he innocently ask his mother who motioned at him to be quiet and careful.

" We will go to the river to get those remaining goldbars , come on ! hurry up !", his mother said walking carefully not to awaken her drunken husband sleeping form in the floor. Flashlight and a sack in hand they go back to the river to retrieve the goldbars.

Luckily Rob has a strong sense of direction , he had easily found the mark which is a stack of stones . They had dig the area again and the goldbars brightened when exposed . They had collected more than fifty pieces of goldbars .

" Rob , we will be rich !.., tomorrow I will go to the city to sell some of this goldbars but for the meantime , you have to stay at home to keep an eye to this goldbars , we need to hide this in a place where no one can see it ", his mother said which the child nodded .

The next day , his father was wondring where his mother get the money to buy the groceries they have because he hadn't given her money . Her earning as laundry woman was not enough to be able to buy this foods.

" Where's your mother ?", he sk Rob , lying in the bed made of bamboo.

" She said she will go to the city , she has a very important thing to do ", the child answer without further explaination.

" Where she get the money to buy this foods?", his father asked.

" I had no idea !", Rob answer, his mother said he will never tell no one where she get the money ,even his father or siblings they had to kerp things secretly.

" Is she selling herself now? then who had been interested to have a relationship with her ? I will beat that whore when she arrive !" , his father retorded angrily.

" My mother is right we need to live away from my father , he will surely beat my mother again when she arrive ", Rob quietly thought to himself seeing how agitated his father was right now. Luckily his mother had decided to look for a house to be rented in the city after beeing paid by the pawnshop . One goldbar cost a lot of money according to his mother.

" How do you find this gold son?", his mother ask him last night.

" The golden horse dig that area mama", he replied to his mother.

" Really? that might be a magical horse ! there's no horse with the color of gold ",his mother argue.

" But there is ma, I found it yesterday but with a wink of my eyes its gone ", Rob said.

" That horse might be owned by fairies ", his mother assumed. It says that the Sultan Sota transformed into different animals for any occasions , some thought he is ruthless womanizer but to some he is a good creature because he is compassionate to those who are mourning and helping those in need.

Without the help of Sultan no one can trace the location of the buried riches in the ground . If Sultan transformed into a red bull it means he is angry ,and when he is in black color ,he is mourning and the luckiest color which is gold , it means whereever he stood at that moment there is riches hidden below the soil where he stood. His father beat his mother when she arrive that day accusing her of infidelity , she had enough beating to bear she decided to leave her husband and bring her children with her , she started a grocery business which grows and now they live in luxury and her children had a good education and had landed a good jobs , while her two married childrens helped in her grocery business. Her husband realized that what he did was unforgivable , but his wife no longer want him back . He had worked hard to prove to his wife that he was a changed man and no longer a drunkard which later soften the heart of his wife and let him back to their life..