ONE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES

CHAPTER 4

I can see myself running at the beach while wearing two-piece swim suit. I smile at people who I pass by as they follow a glimpse on me while running. I splashed on the water and I fell off. I saw somebody running towards to save me. I just don't understand why his face was blurred. He reached for my hand and...

"Tiktilaok!" the roaster crows.

"Kabayan gising ka na! Tiktilaok!" but it wasn't a roaster at all.

Naalimpungatan ako at literal na nahulog sa aking higaan.

Hay nako, si Berto talaga wala nang ginawa kundi ang araw-arawin ako. Naputol tuloy ang panaginip ko. Pagkatapos kasi ng kain namin kahapon ay nalaman kong may tao pa palang nakakapansin sa akin kahit na bulag ako at hindi productive. Kahit na medyo iwas pa ako sa ibang tao dahil sa past ko ay I somehow found somebody na pwede kong makasama at maging kaibigan. Tinapos ko na ang tag-ulan sa buhay ko. Almost three months na rin mula nang makipaghiwalay ako sa Koreano na 'yun at ni minsan ay hindi na siya nagparamdam sa akin after that incident. Maybe they are happy right now. Perhaps I also need to forget about him and start a new journey.

Just like what they say, life is like a book where you meet plenty of characters and some of them only participate in a certain chapter. So I think Sun-Hee is just a temporary character in my book and our story has ended. And being the protagonist, I have to move forward and begin the next chapter.

The past months also gave me time to meditate things and realizations and I have three rules that I made for myself. First, if it rains so hard and I don't know where to run to, I will wait for it to stop. I am still holding unto these cliche words that there is sunshine after every storm-- perhaps it is worthy to wait. Next is, whenever it drizzles and I forgot to bring my umbrella with me, enjoy the rain. Maybe, I just need to feel the coldness it may bring to melt down the tension in my head. Dance under the rain, drenched, seize the moment. Lastly, if it is too much for me to take, and it has been raining on where I am standing longer than I expected, I should be the one to make the move and leave the place. I surely know, it is not just the rain that keeps on falling down; so are my tears. I should not stay on that state. I should find a place where I can learn to smile again.

Kinapa ko ang aking baston at lumabas sa lalaking maingay.

"Ano nanaman ba yan? Ang aga-aga pa tapos ang ingay-ingay mo na," nakangiti kong tanong habang naghahawi ng buhaghag kong buhok. Wala pa nga akong mumog e.

"Ah ano kasi, nagluto ako ng lumpia..lumpiang hubad," parang nahihiya niyang tugon.

"Hah? Ang aga naman yata niyang lumpiang hubad mo haha." natawa ako. Anong oras niya niluto yan e ang aga-aga.

"Ahh e ano kasi...nakahubad ka." sagot nito.

"Ano?" takang tanong ko. Hinuhubaran ata ako neto sa isip niya e.

"Ang ibig kong sabihin e wala kang salawal!" hiya din niyang sagot.

Kinapa ko ang aking pambaba at nalaman ko ngang wala akong salawal. Tinakpan ko agad ang aking harapan baka may makita pa siyang kung anong nakadungaw. Humakbang ako paatras at nagmamadaling isinara ang pinto.

"'Wang kang mag-alala nakapikit ako kaya wala akong nakita!" dinig ko pang sigaw ng mokong sa labas.

Loko 'yon. Kung hindi dahil sa kanya ay nakapag shorts pa ako. Nakalimutan ko tuloy magsalawal dahil sa pagmamadaling pagbuksan siya. Kinapa-kapa ko ang aking closet para humanap ng salawal saka ito hinarap sa labas. Dinampot kong muli ang aking baston at nahihiyang lumabas sa pinto.