Guest Story — Oto and Tuwin

I love this story by author Zea Perez from the Philippines. I have really enjoyed getting to know Aya Zea over email and social media. Her stories have such heart in them, and tell a beautiful and also informed tale about major issues like pollution. I have also learned a bit about the Philippines through her writing!

This tale is a beautiful plea to clean up our air, written as an enchanting fairy tale.

Oto and Tuwin by Zea Perez, edited by john e c

In a far-away land, a massive smog blankets the land, water, and the sky. One cannot distinguish if it is night or day. The haze can go from dark grey to greyish black. When this happens, everyone wears their mask and other protective accessories. Others opt to stay home, securing themselves away from such unnecessary and unhealthy exposure. The enormous fossil fuel processing plants, smoke from the massive vehicles on land, water, and air, and household appliances such as microwaves and the likes cause smog and haze.

All the living creatures are secure in their respective homes. However, a little unseen thing to the naked eye called Oto, the element-oxygen is busy gliding to and from, transporting clean air to a sickly little girl in her tiny home in a hilly village.

Oto lives in the kingdom of the Ozone layer — part of the stratosphere. It safeguards living things from the dangerous ultraviolet or UV, so it cannot penetrate the Earth and cause deadly diseases to humans such as cancer and lung illnesses. As everyone knows, human civilization and development have also resulted in several untoward effects on the Ozone kingdom and the Earth; particles of smog and haze have caused a hole into the Ozone kingdom, letting the UV light penetrate the surface.

The Ozone kingdom is sad. Much more so with Oto, he is very unhappy. Forest fires are happening regularly. Viruses causing pandemics thrive in the unhealthy conditions

“Never forget to pass by at the nearest forest for the Ilang-ilang scent. It has a healing effect for your friend,” Oto’s mother will always remind him.

At this moment, Oto arrives just in time in the hilly village. The sickly girl can hardly breathe. Hard coughing; then exhaustion eats her up. Sleep is her only option. She is constantly in bed as she has no energy to get up. She is thin, pale, and dark circles are apparent around her eyes. Her fingernails are a bluish-black too.

Oto can only give her just enough air. He asks advice from his parents how best to help the sickly little girl. His parents gave Oto a little knap-sack which can store the cleanest and healthiest oxygen that can harness more clean air from the forest, trees and water.

When Oto delivers the clean air through the girl’s nose and mouth, the girl strangely opens her big brown eyes, as if she’s seen him. She purses a timid smile and then closes her eyes.

When this happens, Oto shudders. He likes her smile. The girl’s eyes seem to say, “Please help me live, and let’s be friends!”

And so, Oto does this every day: bringing the cleanest air coming from his home; he skips and re-routes himself away from the smog and haze; then he continues gliding, mindful that he never forgets to pass by the nearest forest for the Ilang-ilang scent; then he moves onto the sickly girl’s village and into the girl’s home.

While Oto is giving off his oxygen to the girl, she opens her eyes suddenly and says, “I am Tuwin. Remember my name.” Then she goes back to sleep.

Oto is happy knowing the girl’s name. “Tuwin! What a lovely name!” he muses. “But how come Tuwin seems to see me?” Oto knows he is formless.

When he’s back at home, he tells his mom and dad about it.

“Does the little girl see you, Oto?” his mom asks, quite worried.

“Why mother? Is there something wrong that she sees me?” Oto asks back, puzzled.

“Usually, when humans see us, they are about to go to heaven,” his mother replies uneasily.

Oto instantly feels dejected.

His mother pats his shoulder and says reassuringly, “Don’t worry now. We still have time. Carry on with what you are doing. Harness the cleanest air as I instructed you. As long as the little girl keeps on the fight to live, she will survive!”

“How I wish humans could do something about the smog and haze!” Oto’s dad hopes.

The next day, Oto cannot wait to reach the little girl’s hut. But upon his arrival, he perceives a commotion. The girl’s parents and the physician are in serious conversation. Oto tries to have a glimpse of Tuwin. In her deep sleep, she looks even frailer.

“The smog and haze are the root causes of her disease. Her immune system is failing. I’m sorry,” the doctor says. “If we cannot eliminate the cause, I guess we cannot save Tuwin.”

Oto gasps, he cannot believe what he is hearing!

“Is there anything we can do, Doctor?” Tuwin’s father asks, pleadingly.

“Well, for one, your home must have lots of trees surrounding it. That can help. Second, join the lobbying effort to persuade the authorities to regulate the poisonous processing plants. Help spread the message to minimize the use of vehicles. Promote more walking. Minimize the use of household-carbon emitting appliances.”

The doctor’s words inspire the couple.

Upon hearing all this, Oto’s eyes open wide. There is hope! Yes, the doctor is right! Oto can’t wait to tell his parents about it.

But first, he must give the oxygen to the girl.

When everyone goes out of the room, Oto gives the fresh air to Tuwin. Opening gently his knapsack, he lets out the air from it, ensuring it goes around the girl’s nose and mouth. Oto observes the girl inhaling it.

The girl opens her eyes once again. “What is your name?” she asks.

It surprises him. “Oto, Oto is my name,” he says shyly.

The girl nods.

“Keep on fighting Tuwin!” he reminds her softly.

The girl closes her eyes, and her lips seem to be beaming. Oto assumes she hears him. He beams back. At last, she knows his name.

One day, when Oto is on his way to the girl’s house, he sees Tuwin’s father and the village people. They bring along with them tarpaulins and streamers, with the slogans: “Say No To Smog And Haze!”,“Processing Plants Respect The Earth!” and “Fight for A Healthy Earth and Future!”

And when he approaches the village, Oto sees a mass of people. Bringing along their farm tools, they are going to plant trees of all kinds. Some are fruit trees, such as mango, avocado, and guava. Others are hardwood, such as Talisay, Acacia, Shorea and many more.

The effort of the village people amazes Oto. It is the interest of the village people to end the smog and haze because they don’t want their children to get sick like Tuwin. The girl suffers enough.

In the following days, Tuwin attempts to sit up on the bed by herself. Oto encourages and regales her with stories about the massive planting of trees in the village and his father’s and friends’ efforts.

The girl, though still weak, answers back, “Thank you, Oto, I cannot thank you and your family enough. I’m grateful for the clean air you gave me daily. I know that it’s you because it has that same distinct scent.”

Oto becomes ecstatic. The girl remembers everything. “The scent is from the Ilang-ilang tree in a nearby remaining forest. It is recovering now,” Oto smiles.

Giving Tuwin fresh oxygen becomes the daily rhythm of Oto’s and the community’s life. Tuwin’s mother and the villages continue tending trees on every corner. Tuwin’s father and his colleagues continue handing out poster materials, which promote the advantage of regulating or minimizing the use of toxic carbon produced by vehicles, plants, and factories. It urges households to conserve energy and minimize harmful carbon-emitting
appliances.

Yes, it is a very demanding endeavor. But everyone contributes and carries on.
Tuwin’s father and his colleagues persuade everyone to use more organic fertilizers and less synthetic ones by showing their farms as examples. They support wind turbines, solar panels, and water-based sources of power and energy. One monumental victory is the closing down of a fossil fuel processing plant that has polluted the air for almost a hundred years.

Days and years go by. Trees grow taller, a little over the height of the little girl’s home; it greens the fields and revives the air.

The Ozone kingdom becomes stronger and healthier.
The UV light regulates well.
The air enlivens and revives all living things alike.
The smog and haze slowly but steadily disappear.
The landscape of the village becomes vibrant. Mango and avocado trees are bearing fruits.

The children are climbing among them, harvesting and eating them. There are vegetables and herbs growing in every household plot, such as string beans, purple spinach and lemon grass. Most of all, the red Bougainvillea and the white plumeria are cheerfully blooming in every corner. The rivers and creeks are crystal clear to behold, and are cool and refreshing to touch.

Tuwin can sit and eat on her own. She can walk and go outside the house. She can even run! She becomes a happier, lovelier and healthier young person.

Tuwin and Oto’s friendship continues to flourish. Oto persists in giving Tuwin her daily dose of oxygen with the Ilang-ilang scent. Tuwin, in return, carries on the tradition of planting trees and tending edible flowers and vegetables.

“Can you give these Sampaguita and daisies to your mom, Oto? Please do it by
harnessing the wind up to the Ozone kingdom? It will be magical!” Tuwin asks Oto, smiling, while she gathers the blossoms.

“I’ll try!” Oto winces.

Sometimes, in a trancelike experience, Oto forms himself into a young human by reining the colorful falling leaves around himself, so he and Tuwin can dance to the captivating tune the uplifting wind, the birds, the flowers, and the trees are humming especially for them.