Busy being Yours

Epilogue

And if I ever fall from grace
Under the veil of the dark age
I'll never be lost again
To the ghost living in my head
'Cause you are the question and you are the truth
And you are the answer and everything's you
Now there's a reason, now there's a light
Out of the darkness then we supercollide

Supercollide // Banners

xx

"Gising..."

I am slowly being awakened by a small voice followed by giggles.

"Hello? Wake up na."

I groaned as the voice started to become much louder. Ang bigat ng pakiramdam ko, as if I was tired for an entire year, kaso sobrang ingay na nang boses na iyon. Alam kong kailangan ko nang bumangon.

Suminghap muna ako saglit bago ko dahan-dahang inangat ang ulo ko. I was leaning my head on a table, I didn't even know. I stretched my already sore arms that were supporting my weight the entire time.

Mas lalo lang na lumalakas iyong tawang gumising sa 'kin.

I roamed my eyes around the area. 'Nung una ay 'di ko pa agad na nakilala but I knew that I'm in The Glasshouse. From the whimsical interior down to the peaceful forest-like area surrounding the café. I know that it is my favorite place but at the same time something feels off. Tanging ang mahinang tugtog lang ng music galing sa speakers nila ang nag-iingay and there's no other people in sight. I looked around and saw empty cups and disarranged chairs, as if they were abandoned. As if I was abandoned.

Dahan-dahan akong tumayo mula sa kinauupuan ko. I was situated at the corner table, iyong madalas kong inuupuan noong estudyante pa ako. I noticed that my side of the table was empty except for an empty cup right across me. Sa tingin ko ay strawberry milkshake iyon.

Akmang maglalakad na sana ako patungo sa counter para hanapin ang may-ari ng lugar nang may bigla-bigla nalang na sumulpot na batang babae sa harapan ko. Probably aged five or six. She was hiding under the table the whole time!

"Boo!" Agad nitong tawa nang medyo napatalon ako sa kinatatayuan ko. I hissed and held my chest, while her laughs became louder and louder.

"Nagulat ba kita? That's what you get for sleeping the entire time!"

I just stared at her.

Mukhang aliw na aliw parin ito sa panggugulat niya sa 'kin dahil yumuyugyog parin ang mga balikat niya habang nahihirapan itong umupo pabalik sa upuan sa tapat ko. I tried helping her but she shove me slightly away.

"It's okay. Kaya ko..."

"Nasan ang ibang tao dito?" Tanong ko dito bago dahan-dahang umupo muli sa kinauupuan ko. I stared at the kid even more.

"Tayong dalawa lang ang andito." She scrunched her button nose before fixing her crooked pigtail.

I should be scared. I don't know her. Hindi ko alam kung paanong siya lang iyong kasama ko dito but at the same time I really don't feel weirded out. Something about this kid feels so familiar to me. Hindi ko alam kung iyong medyo magulo niya bang buhok o iyong simple niyang kulay orange na shirt o iyong maong niyang shorts na may embroidered flowers o iyong nakikita kong isang nawawala niyang front tooth. There's just something that I couldn't point out.

"Gaano ako katagal na tulog?"

I looked at her, she's just playing with the pink nail polish on her nails. It was kind of messy, as if ay siya lang ang naglagay nun but she looked so satisfied while looking at them. Dahan-dahan niyang inangat ang tingin niya sa 'kin, and when she looked into my eyes, I felt something strange inside my stomach.