CHEAT YOUR FUTURE

II

I could feel my hand tremble while I listen to the loud and very much alive laughter that echoed through the phone I had over my ear. The wild honking of the cars, the loud cheering of the people – everything ... everything that the nature could offer seemed to buffer and all I could hear was Win's voice on the other line.

Can... can you call me by my name again? Just... just one more time.

I could feel my voice tremble as I talk. And then there was a brief silence on the other line. And like a dream come true, his loud laughs echoed once more.

Are you kidding? Of course.

Vachirawit Chivaaree.

It has already been years since the last time I heard his voice up clear. It was the same lousy, sharp-keyed, and not anywhere manly voice. The same voice that echoed through my ears - sometimes loving it, sometimes just plain annoying. It was Win's voice. My Win's voice. I let out a loose, shaky laugh as I smile. It's not a secret that I've been longing ... praying... to at least hear his voice; and now that I am, I could not contain the feelings in my chest and the urge to just meet up with him. I could listen to this all day - but seeing him in person would be a hundred - no, a million times better.

He was – and is still – the person that my hearts want and my heart yearns after all these years.

More?

His voice echoed from the intercom; a playful and sarcastic tone.

I nodded.

Yeah. More.

The few seconds felt like hours; I felt like my ears were blessed by just hearing Win's voice repeating my name over and over again. The confusion I had in my heart was immediately overtaken with a wave of relief.

"Uhm, sir?"

I jumped when I heard a whisper; I turned to the girls who was standing before me. They were looking at me impatiently. She pointed at the phone in my hand before scooting close, covering a half of her cheek as she spoke in a whisper: "When can I get my phone back?"

I gave her a brief smile. Shia! This isn't my phone. I bent down and gave her a pat on the head - which for unknown reasons made her blush - before mouthing: 'Just a bit more...'

She immediately gave me a nod before turning away, which I ignored and went back to the phone call. Then the realization came inside my head.

This isn't the time for me to get excited. This may be a reunion for me, but for him, this is just another day and I am still Bright whom he saw, like, a few hours ago. I actually don't know anything about this world yet. If another 'me' is here or ... what. But I know my priority:

It is to assure that Win is safe within the day. Nothing else. 

[Win, whatever you do, do not move away from where you are right now. Yeah, I will come pick you up. Do not ... ever go anywhere.]

I did not wait for him to reply. Since I probably know what he would ask anyway; I immediately ended the call before giving the phone back to the little girl. "Thank you so much, really."

The flood of people literally overtook every nook and corner of the place; it made me think of what holiday could it be? But then again, I immediately rejected the thought.  I don't have the luxury of time to think about it anyway – I'm only a few hours away to save Win.