The Bargain

The cascading water from the stream glimmered brightly as the sun shone upon it. The breeze whispered to the birds in the foliage of trees and the shadow shaded Daniel from the blinding rays of the sun. It was a beautiful day indeed, albeit sunny but tranquil and perfect for relaxation. The forest was as idyllic as ever. Daniel yawned lazily and laid himself by the tree that shaded his tired eyes. After collecting all those herbs needed for his dear sister’s illness, he was merely exhausted. But still, he was elated that his sister’s health was improving compared to a few months back. Images of clouds danced in his mind as he stretched his aching back. He pondered carefully, making sure his job was done and finally he dozed off.
By the time he awoke with a start, it was already noon; the gentle breeze was gone; instead replaced by still air. The sun vanished in between the small opening of dark, gloomy clouds that indicated change in the weather. A sign that said it was time to go; or maybe head for shelter. The forest wasn’t the right place to remain in before a storm. Daniel was not hesitant and left hurriedly without a trace, taking his gatherings along with him. Finally, he reached his home so sweet and safe from harm. His mother was home. He knew by the time he opened the front door and was welcomed by the smell of his favourite dish; laksa curry.
“Welcome home, Danny!” his mother chirped happily, delighted by her only son’s safe return.
“Hi, mom,” he replied, not annoyed by a sudden embrace given by his mother.
“Did you get the herbs?” his mother asked, placing a bowl of laksa curry on the table. He nodded while his mother sat with him curiously. And for the whole afternoon, they talked about health as if they were at school together, learning about science.
The window of a bedroom was wide open. April gazed at a cluster of stars at night, observing their mystical beauty. April was Daniel’s ill-stricken sister. She traced imaginary lines on the stars as if to form a constellation. The door of her bedroom opened and Daniel appeared.
“How are you doing?” he asked her gently.
“Have ever wonder why the stars are so bright?” she quizzed him after a few minutes. Daniel scratched his head and thought carefully before giving an answer.
“Nope, do you?” he replied, clearly confused. April smiled at him and revert her attention back to the stars in the sky.
“It is because they know that, even if their light will go out one day, it is best to start shining first and never give up hope,” she revealed. Daniel stared at his sister for a few seconds and grinned at her intelligence.
“Danny,” she whispered in a daze.
“Yes?” he replied, too admiring the beauty of the stars.
“Will you always be there to protect me from danger?” she asked, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Daniel placed his hand on her shoulder and replied blatantly,
“Yes, of course.”

The sun rose the next morning, tinting every bit of the sky bright orange. It was a Saturday and Daniel was late. He was supposed to buy raw ingredients from the market but it would have been finished by the time he got there. On the way to the marketplace, he accidentally bumped into a stranger. Daniel apologized for his clumsiness and continued his journey, but the stranger stopped him so.
“You,” he pointed out at Daniel. Daniel spun around to face him with a puzzled expression.
“You shall be perfect for the bargain of between life and death,” he remarked, clearly amused at his choice. Daniel was dumbfounded by the stranger’s weird behaviour but he stayed on to listen to his explanation. The stranger introduced himself as the Man of Deceit and that he was prepared to make the bargain of between life and death.
“I tell you now, kid. There is not escape from the bargain of life and death. Once your mind is made up, so be it then,” the Man of Deceit retorted mischievously. Daniel thought carefully and bit his nails. It was a difficult decision but it could be a joke. Being a carefree person as he is, Daniel made light of the dilemma and agreed to go with the bargain. Passer-bys glanced at both of them without a word, nor was a second glance made.
“Are you prepared for the biggest mistake you made in your life?” he asked Daniel with eyes that gleamed of evil. Daniel nodded curiously and shuffled his feet nervously.
“Okay, your sister’s life or yours?” he began. Daniel was awestruck by the unexpected bargain and replied, “I shall never choose between my life with other people’s lives.” The Man of Deceit shook his head in disappointment and watched as Daniel casually sauntered away from him. As soon as he was out of sight, the Man of Deceit snorted, “Once it is decided, you can never escape from it.”

Daniel returned home after his encounter with a stranger like the Man of Deceit. He dismissed the problem and enjoyed his time alone, reading a book. After boredom overtook his mind, he looked for April. But she wasn’t in the room. Strange, she disappeared without a trace. She could have gone somewhere with their mother without informing him first. Giving up, he headed back into his room and lazed for hours. It was then he saw, in the family portrait that hung across the wall of the room was somehow different. It took Daniel a few moments to realize that the picture of April had vanished from the portrait, instead an empty space depicting a family of two. He screamed, horrified at the mystery and searched frantically for photographs of his sister. To no avail, he felt as if he had lost his mind. It was as if she disappeared from the face of the earth. Remembering words that belonged to the Man of Deceit, he dashed out of the house and looked for him. After what seemed like forever, his effort was rewarded, the Man of Deceit was sitting alone on a bench beside a tree. Night has fallen and it was already dark. Daniel approached him with a heavy heart, full of guilt and his mind, clearly made up.
“I see, you have discovered your foolishness,” he said without looking up at Daniel.
“Are you prepared to remake your decision for the bargain of life and death?” he asked simply. Daniel nodded and readied himself.
“Your life or your sister’s life?”
“My sister’s life is far more valuable to me than my own,” he decided immediately, without thinking twice. Obviously this was now a serious matter indeed, his own life of his precious sister’s?
“Then it is decided,” he said as he smirked with pride.
Daniel held his sister’s hand and led her to the doctor’s for her daily medical checkup. April gave a jovial smile to Daniel as he chatted with her. The result was given and her health was improving tremendously. As both of them walked away from the doctor’s house, Daniel had a flashback; to the part where he made his decision with the Man of Deceit.
“I am prepared to give my life away in exchange for the revival of my beloved sister,” he said, his heart filled with courage despite his whole body being numb.
The Man of Deceit nodded and walked away without a word.
“Wait, am I going to die or something?” Daniel asked, catching up with his pace.
“When one is willing to give their life for the benefit of others, that person truly deserves to live,” he explained. Daniel was moved by those words and vowed to protect his family, whatever the circumstances. But before he could thank the Man of Deceit, he was gone. Since then onwards, after he experience the bargain of life and death, he was a changed person, protecting his sister form harm and difficult situations that she goes through in life.

“Danny?”
“Yes, April?”
“Thank you,”
Daniel was grateful that life was now better all thanks to the bargain.