A Path To Happiness And Sorrow

1: Rainy Encounter

It was late in the afternoon and yet the sky is already dark and gray because of the rain. School just ended and I'm here walking at the sidewalk with my two childhood friends.

"I don't want to go home yet. Let's hang out!", the girl said who's in my right side.

"Request denied.", the man replied to the girl who's in my left side.

"You're such a KJ, you know that? Anyways, hindi naman ikaw yung niyayaya ko...", the girl looked at me with her smiling face. I smiled back at her. "...what do you think, Carlo? Where should we go?", she asked.

"Bro, please. Don't you dare encourage that brat.", the man warned me.

Natawa nalang ako sa kanilang dalawa.

"Come on, Ethan. Don't be like that to your twin sister.", I chuckled when I saw how he facepalm himself. I looked at her sister who's currently beside me. "Does a coffee shop fine to you, Eunice?", I asked.

"Ehh? Let's go to a mall! I want to play arcade!", she whined. I sighed, inayos ko pa sandali yung pagkaka-hawak ko sa payong ko dahil muntik na ito madulas ng bigla akong hawakan ni Eunice sa braso.

"We can't hang out for long, Eunice. Baka nakakalimutan mo na Friday ngayon which is weekend. It means, tambak ang mga assignments na'tin.", paliwanag ko sa kanya which caused her to pout.

"And for Pete's sake, Nis. May gana kapang gumala sa ganitong klase ng panahon.", Ethan said to his sister using Eunice nickname.

"Psh, such a boring response from two boring guys I know."

"Hahaha, well, sorry for being boring. I just want to finish all my workload as fast as I can.", pabiro kong sabi. Eunice looked at me with her one eyebrow rising.

"You're so...wait, what do they call- ah! Nerd! You're such a nerd, Carlo. Kaya even though you have a good looks bihira ang babae sa buhay mo. Kulang nalang pakasalan mo yung libro mo eh."

"Well, it's not like that. We're already on our last year of college. Ang gusto ko lang maging smooth ang lahat para secured na ang pag-graduate ko.", I said while looking at my front.

"You really don't have to entertain her, Carl. Bored lang yan at gusto ka lang asarin.", I looked at Ethan when he landed his hands at my left shoulder.

"Shut up, Tan.", Eunice said to her brother.

"You know, our friend here, Carlo. Is much more decent than your shi-", nahinto si Ethan sa pagsasalita. Even me and Eunice also stopped walking when we heard a loud crashing noise.

Bahagya kong itinaas ang payong ko para makita kung anong meron. Hindi kalayuan sa pwesto naming tatlo merong nag-crash na isang private car and delivery truck.

"What the hell happened? C'mon, let's take a look!", before I can say anything, Eunice already run towards the scene. And out of worry about his sister, Ethan immediately followed her. Having no choice, I also came running towards them.

'Hala, kawawa naman.'

'Oh my god! The child!'

'Anong nangyari?'

'Tingin ko yung truck driver ang may kasalanan.'

Those are the words coming from the crowds. The scene, is so gruesome. Nabangga ng truck yung private car na malapit sa pedestrian lane at sa kasamaang palad, may mag-ina na nakatayo at naghihintay na makatawid sa sobrang bilis ng pangyayari hindi na sila naka-iwas sa sasakyan. Bukod sa nabangga na, bahagya pang naka-ladkad ng gulong yung bata.

"Urk!", agad akong napalingon kay Eunice. Nasa tabi siya with Ethan. She's vomiting. "That's fucking horrible.", she said. Ethan handed her a bottle of water.

"Tch, that's what you got on being nosy.", Ethan said to her.

Inalis ko sa kanilang dalawa yung paningin ko when I noticed this person. Bago nangyari yung accident marami daw ang naghihintay na makatawid sa pedestrian, like I said, ang nasa unahan ay yung mag-ina. I heard, agad na nagtakbuhan yung iba nung mangyari yon but, there's this one person who remained standing there. And not only that, ilang inches nalang ang layo sa kanya nung truck kaya kung hindi pa nahinto yung truck ay baka pati siya ay nadisgrasya na. A minute has passed, authority's car already came. Nang marinig ng taong yon yung mga kotse ay nagsimula na siyang naglakad paalis.

"Hey, Carl! Where are you going?", Ethan shouted at me when I started running. I looked at him.

"I saw someone I know. Just wanna greet them! Mauna na'ko sa inyo, bye! Ingat kayo!", dahilan ko. I even heard Eunice say something but I ignored it.

Binilisan ko ang takbo ko hanggang sa makarating ako sa footbridge. I climbed up the stairs. And there, I saw that person. Walking as if nothing happened. I closed my umbrella and approached that person. Honestly, I'm holding this umbrella while running. And it's freaking hard.

"Hey!", I said as I grabbed this person's shoulder. This person turned its head to looked at me then smiled.

"Yes? Do I know you?", she asked. Yeah, she. Because this person is a woman. Medyo natagalan pa'kong sagutin siya dahil naghahabol pa'ko ng hininga.

Now that I looked closely. She's drenched. She's wearing a white lab coat and underneath she wears a black T-shirt, a white jeans and a pair of white sneakers.

"Don't you have an umbrella? You're drenched, you might catch cold.", I said.

"Sorry, Sir but, why did you approached me? I believe we're not acquainted to each other, do we?", diretso niyang sabi.

"Oh, yeah. Uhm... How should I say this...", well, I just realized that it's stupid of me to come running at her when we don't even know each other. Before I can say a word, she interrupt me.

"Are you hitting on me, sir?", I gaped at her question. I was so shock that I can't even utter a word. "Well, if that's the case then, I'm sorry. I'm not interested in dating someone I don't even know.", she added!

Wait. Wait.Wait! Let's clear the misunderstanding here. Damn it.

She was about to leave but, I stopped her. For the second time.

"Look, I'm not hitting on you, okay? I'm just...well, I'm just worried about you.", yeah, being stranger aside, I'm really worried about her because she experienced that thing in front of her.

"Worried? Worried for what?"

"You see, a few minutes ago, I saw you. You were there near the scene of acc-"

"Ah, you mean the accident there awhile ago?", she said and I nodded in response. Tumingin siya sa scene kung saan naganap yung accident. Dito kasi sa footbridge makikita mo yung buong kalsada.

I saw her looked at me then smiled.

Even though she's in front of a complete stranger she keeps on smiling. I thought to myself.

"I appreciate your concern, sir. But, I'm perfectly fine. I'm actually amazed on how you can be worried to someone you don't even know.", she said.

"Well, what happ-", before I can finish speaking she cut me off.

"If that's all you need to say then, I'll be taking my leave. Have a good day, sir.", sabi niya at nilampasan ako.

"Wait!", she looked at me again.

"At least bring this with you.", I said while I'm handing my umbrella to her. She shook her head and spoke.

"Thank you but, I don't need it.", and after that ay umalis na siya. Maglalakad narin sana ako paalis ng may napansin ako sa coat niya nung nilagpasan niya ako kanina.

The logo on her white lab coat. It's small but, I'm sure of it. We attend the same school.