The Butterfly Effect

Pangalawa

It felt like home. Naririnig ko ang familiar tune na galing sa isang music box. It's --

Minulat ko ang mata ko. Totoong naririnig ko ang tono na yun! Lumingon ako sa pinanggalingan noon at nakita ko ang natutulog na si Narsh. I saw old familiar things when I was a kid. Ganitong-ganito pa rin ang kwarto niya since then. Konting-konti lang ang nagbago, probably, nadagdagan lang yung posters tapos nawala yung ibang toys. Nakita ko ang sarili ko na nakahiga sa kama niya at may nakapatong na kumot. Inamoy ko iyon, it smelled like mint. "I can smell too!"

Napansin ko rin na may plaster na ako sa siko.

Napalakas ata ako ng sabi dahil narining ko ang pagkauntog ni Narsh sa table niya. "Aray..."

"Gising ka na pala." biglang sabi niya sa akin.

"Paano ko napunta dito? Di ba nasa school mo tayo kanina?"

"Medyo shunga ka rin eh, kung hindi ka talaga baliw, bakit mo naman isusugod ang sarili mo sa solid wall?"

"Because I told you, I am a ghost. Nakita mo kong lumutang di ba?" lumutang ulit ako. Pagkamangha na lang ang nasa mukha niya.

"Peter Pan flies but he is not a ghost." he simply told me.

"Pero di ako si Peter Pan." bumagsak uli ako sa kama. Tumigil na ang pagtugtog ng music box.

Tumahimik kaming dalawa. He broke the silence with "Umuwi ka na, baka hinahanap ka na ng magulang mo."

"I can't. Since my parents abandoned our house, may mga ibang kaluluwa na ang nagstay dun. I can only go back kapag bumalik na rin ang presence ni mommy at daddy."

"Huh?"

"Di ba wala na sila dito?" Tinuro ko ang abandonadong bahay sa tapat ng bahay na kita sa bintana ni Narsh."

"Stop pretending that you're Shar. It's not really amusing." he warned me.

"But I am not pretending at all!" I told him with conviction. There was another silence.

"Fine, if I am not Shar...then how would I know that the music box that was playing a while ago is the music box I gave you on your birthday-- 13th birthday. Eto yung araw na akala mo hindi na ako aattend since I was in the hospital. Well, technically, di pala talaga ako nakaattend since tapos na yung party. I gave you your gift by climbing over your window after kong tumakas sa yaya ko." Lahat ng info about what happened on that day naalala ko but I can't remember the song that was playing.

His eyes was full of disbelief about what I have said. Alam kong kami lang dalawa yung nakakaalam nun dahil I told him to keep it a secret. I smiled, I was kinda expecting a hug but instead he laughed loudly.

"Okay...Shar? Sige, naniniwala na ako. So bakit, sa lahat naman ng oras ay ngayon ka pa nagpakita? Pwede naman after mong mamatay di ba, no offense meant?"

"None taken. Well, palagi naman kitang sinusundan eh. Binabantayan from bad things that might happen. Pero tonight, after umilaw nitong pendant, naging visible ako sa iyo. Which is weird kasi dati, i was always invi."

"Wait, you were stalking me?"

"I am 'guarding' you. Magkaiba yun no! Wait, napaisip-isip ako, pwede pa lang tawagin yun na haunting. Pero hindi naman 24/7, I go to several places din kasama yung iba kong friends."

"May friends ka? Bakit wala ka sa heaven? Rejected ka no?"

"Like yuhhh. Duhhh. Che! FYI lang po, hindi ako rejected, dead people aren't allowed to enter heaven yet habang hindi pa judgement day no. sabi eh, sabay-sabay daw pasok. Magpapalista na nga ako eh pero di pa daw ako pwede, dunno why pero may reserve na daw for me, so marami akong free time. nandito lang kaming souls sa lupa, gala-gala or helping alive people." Napatakip ako ng bibig, 'I wasn't supposed to say those. Any daldal ko talaga.'

"Now that was creepy. Ibig sabihin, may possibility na may mumu sa kwarto ko?"

"Well, technically, ako. Hahaha. Pero don't worry, ghost don't usually stay on a residential areas unless may bad energy. Manuod ka kasi ng mga ghost docus sometimes."

Napasapu na lang ng ulo si Narsh. "So if I could see you...bukas ang third eye ko?!"

"I dunno. Pero yan talaga ang true, people can only see ghost kapag they acquired their 6th sense. Nakikita mo ba yung mga ligaw na kaluluwa sa bahay namin?" tinuro ko yung mga batang multong naglalaro sa bahay naming abandonado. Mga yun, porke't hindi agad ako nakabalik, nanguha na ng place!

He then told me "Wag mo nga ako takutin, wala naman akong nakikita."

"Hmm.. So ako nga lang talaga ang nakikita mo..maybe i have a mission!" nag-isip ako ng konti pa.

 "Ah! Alam ko na kung bakit ako nandito." Napataas siya ng kilay, probably giving me a sign to go on. "I am here to help you to  be together with Alice! Since you are failing...miserably."

Namula naman siya bigla. I smiled widely.

"A-a-alam mo yun?"

"Of course! Hirap na hirap ka nga pumorma eh. Palagi kitang binabantayan sa school so alam kong nangyayari sa yo. I am you're besty after all." I laughed at him then I remembered, "Nako, baka makuha yung territory ko sa school niyo. Mawawalan ako ng place to stay."

I was about to jump of my feet to fly back sa school. But I heard him utter, "Why don't you stay sa bahay mo? Akala ko ba wala kang uuwian?"

"May uuwian ako, pero not on my old house no. Ghosts are territorial entities. Pag nauna ka, nauna ka. Unless papayag yung mga nauna sa yo na makishare ka sa bahay. Kahit bahay mo pa yun in the human realm. Weird rules no? Shems, I need to stop telling about this." aalis na talaga ako nung hinatak niya yung kamay ko.

"Wait...uhmm.. I know it's weird for me to invite a 'ghost' and do this pero why don't you stay in our house muna. Sabi mo, walang nakatira dito na ibang multo...kaysa naman ibang horror pa mangyari dito... Ikaw na lang. Best friend naman kita eh." nahihiya siyang sabi, more on nag-aalangan.

"Well, if you insist." I sat back on the bed. "Paano naman sina Tito Ned at Tita Pau? They might not want ghost living at their house."

"Wala sila dito. They decided to live in the province in the mean time since mas fresh daw ang air dun." He told me as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wait...Di ba ganito yung mga cliche sa Wattpad? Yung girl at boy, titira sa iisang bahay tapos gagawing katulong yung girl etcetera etcetera? Parang wag na." Di ko alam pero I can feel blood rushed to my face. Which should be impossible! I feel like a human once more. 'Kasi those story ends with the characters na nadedevelop sa isa't isa.'

"Di ka naman girl eh. Multo ka kaya." he said in a matter-of-fact way. "Tsaka, may wattpad kayo?"

"Okay, I can just float around the house." I ignored his question, baka masyado na akong maraming nasabi about the Spirit Realm.

"You could use the room next door. Old guest room yun, I guess you know about it. I hope it's alright."

"No, no! It's perfect! First time kong magkakaroom, after kong maging multo. Maraming salamat! I am just a ghost so this is too much, actually." What is this feeling? Tumayo agad ako sa kama niya at lumabas ng kwarto. Sumilip ulit ako, "Maraming salamat talaga. Babawi ako sa yo, magiging best plan ang pa-panliligaw mo," bago lumipat sa kwarto sa kabila.

Maganda yung kwarto, simple and neat. Pero I can feel my heart beat . This is definitely weird. I don't have a heart. I don't have blood. I feel like I am definitely a human, like 5 years ago. I don't know why but I like it.

Hindi agad ako nakatulog ng gabing yun. Ang rami kasing katanungan ang umiikot sa utak ko. Katulad ng, paano ako nagkaroon ng physical body? Anong meron sa kwintas na bigay Niya? Anong mangyayari kung tanggalin ko yun? May timelimit ba? At ano yung nararamdaman ko kanina? Sheesh.

Ipinikit ko na lang ulit ang mga mata ko. "I better think of a plan to help bff."