A Chance on Serendipity

Prologue

Hindi ako naniniwala sa swerte at malas.

I don't even read horoscopes, I don't believe in gods or deities, and I'm irked whenever people tell me 'good luck', because what the hell is luck? I achieve things through hardwork and persistence and not by chance. Perhaps those are just intangible things that people made up so they could justify the idea that everything happens for a reason.

People can be hopeless believers sometimes... but never have I thought that I would become one, too.

Leaning my arms on the railing, my eyes were zoomed on the stars. My phone vibrated from my pocket as I was gazing up the night sky. With two fingers clasping a lit cigarette, I took my phone out with my free hand.

My younger sister sent me a message asking if I was still up. After sending her a 'yup', she video called me. Before answering, I cleared my mouth from smoke, exhaling them into the chilly September air.

"Kuya, do you still have paints and brushes in your room? Can I borrow some? May art project kami bukas."

Sinabi kong ihahatid ko na lang sa bahay ang mga kailangan niya. When I moved into my own apartment, I also brought everything with me. Almost nothing was left in my old room in the family house. Not even a trace of my art materials.

"Why are you still awake?" I asked. It's past 1:00 AM but the lights in her room are still on as though she had no plans to sleep. Stacked on her desk was a pile of books and papers. "Bukas na 'yan, Denise. Gabing-gabi na."

"Ah, I have a lot of readings, Kuya. But don't worry, malapit na akong matapos." She paused whatever she was writing to look at the screen. "Ikaw? Where are you? Bakit parang nasa labas ka pa?"

"Sa balcony lang," I replied, looking up. "Just watching the stars. The sky's pretty clear tonight. You should see it too."

"I thought you're not a fan of astronomy. Bakit bigla kang naging interested sa stargazing?"

Bakit nga ba? Kailan ba 'to nagsimula? One person crossed my mind.

Whenever I see the stars, naaalala ko siya... Kahit na ayaw ko. Kahit labag sa loob ko. It was a curse. Meeting her was a curse.

I tried to escape from this curse. I kept my distance but I still found myself searching for her in different places and in different people. When I went to the hospital the other day to visit my dad, I thought of her. She was a Nursing student and I remember her in every medical staff dressed in white. When I had milk tea, I thought of her. She worked at a milk tea shop, and I already associated the aroma of tea with her. When I looked at the stars, I thought of her. She loved watching the stars.

Ano'ng gagawin ko kung pati ang langit ay pinagtataksilan ako at hindi ako pinapatakas mula sa pag-alala sa kanya?

I remember her in little things. At naiinis ako. Naiinis ako dahil kinumbinsi ko na ang sarili ko na ayaw ko sa kanya. She would be the last person I would get along with. Her headstrong and obstinate personality was something I find irritating.

She was not my cup of tea. She was an entire sea of burning lava, while I was cold water. Whenever we encounter each other, it's nothing but a total chaos––a disaster.

But I guess fate proved me wrong.

Fate, huh. Funny because I used to think it was a load of bullshit. They say that when two people were meant for each other, they are tied by this invisible string. It was the most absurd thing I have ever heard of. Each occurence is merely the coincidental result of another occurence. There's no reason why people come into our lives. We just simply meet them.