Mirage

twenty five

"E'en the small violet feels a future power, and waits each year renewing blooms to bring. And surely man is no inferior flower, to die unworthy of a second spring."

Aliyah paused and stared at a distance. Guia was right.

"Bago mong gawa?" Guia asked her.

She shook her head. "No. John Clare, fourteen-line poem." Aliyah smiled. "Almost a sonnet pero iba ang rhyme scheme eh."

The girl loosened her grin, "Ang tagal ko na hindi nag popoem."

Suddenly, she could remember the whole lines. It was something Aliyah always read when she was in high school. When being a writer seemed so distant.

Right now, Mira felt like so. Unlike when they were together at the park or that time at the convenience store.

Aliyah couldn't reach her at all.

But. At least, if she reached out, they'll be there. Aliyah will be there.

"Bat hindi mo icontinue ung books mo? Dream mo ipublish yon diba?"

Guia looked at her, waiting for an answer.

Then their phones suddenly rung. It's from the messenger group chat, Cielo was calling. Guia picked the phone up.

"Hello? Cielo, bakit?"

"Punta kayo dito dali, may nalaman si Mayu!"

Both girls looked at each other in confusion.

Sam was locked out of the room Mira was in. The door was slammed at her face after Mira raised her voice at her. She could only shake her head and scoff.

"Di ko alam kung ano problema non pero pede naman niya sabihin hindi yung sasaraduhan ako ng pinto."

She sighed. "Ano na gagawin ko? Makakauwi pa ba ako neto." Sam decided to go downstairs and get her things.

As she fixes her documents, she grabbed her phone and scrolled through her notifications. "I'm so sorry Jo hindi kita mareplyan, di ko alam sasabihin ko." Sam bit her lip.

And for the nth time that day, she sighed. Sam plopped herself on the sofa and sunk in further to get a comfortable position.

It was still dark outside because of the storm. Everything was loud, the rain drops, the wind howling, and the silence.

Bahay ba to ni Mira? Bat siya sa Manila nakatira?

Those were her thoughts until she fell asleep on the sofa in exhaustion.

Mira was already feeling the cold. She hugged herself as she sat on her parent's bed.

Remembering Aliyah was like remembering her childhood. Full of sunrays and laughter. Just like when she tripped as a child and her knee got bruised but she laughed it off, a memory that reminded her of Aliyah and the girl wasn't even related to any of her past.

Hearing the girl's name spoken today triggered her. Because she was just feeling happy these days, she was starting to live again.

It was, again, taken from her.

The windows suddenly were forced opened by the strong wind. Cold air went inside the room and messed with Mira's hair. It was freezing her skin and making insides shiver.

She slowly stood up and went to the windows. Mira reached for the handle; it was ice cold when she touched it.

After closing it, she heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed her arms quickly.

Aliyah opened the door and when they got in Jo and Stell's unit, the girls were huddled by the living room looking at Mayu's phone.

"Ano meron?" Guia asked them as she walked closer.

Mayu looked up and said, "Si Sam, anak ni Emmanuel Sevilla."

"Huh?" Aliyah raised her brows in shock. "You mean ung ininterview natin nung nakaraan? Si Sir Sevilla? Ung sabi mong sketchy?"

"Oo siya nga...Di ko inexpect to."

Cielo looked at Jo, "Alam mo ba to Jo?"

"Hindi...." Joanne shook her head slowly.

"Baka ayon ung ginagawa ni Sam sa Baguio? Diba sya na daw ung heir kuno, eh ung main branch ng hotels nila sa Baguio diba?" Stella said as she looked at them.

"Baka nga." Guia uttered while she reads the article.

"Kaya pala familiar ung surname? Sevilla. Samantha Rose Sevilla diba?" Aliyah said and looked at Joanne.

"Oonga noh? Ngayon ko lang din narealize!" Mayu exclaimed.

"So si Sam na mag mamayari ng mga hotels? Wow." Mayu added.

"Parang imposible yon." Joanne said. "Ang tagal nang hindi nakikita ni Sam ung tatay niya tas biglang may paganto?"

Jo shook her head, "Baka pumunta lang don si Sam para may ayusin or kausapin tatay niya."

"Bakit hindi niya sinabi sayo?" Cielo asked. Stella elbowed her lightly, motioning her that she shouldn't have asked that.

"Ay, sorry ang ibig kong sabihin-"

But Joanne spoke, cutting off Cielo. "Hindi ko rin alam, malamang siguro hindi niya pa alam kung pano sasabihin sakin." She sighed. "Hintayin na lang natin siya magsabi."

"Tama si Jo, hintayin na lang natin na magsabi si Sam." Aliyah said.

"May balita na ba kay Mira ate Liyah?" Stella asked.

Aliyah shook her head, no.

The girls fell into silence.

CLANK

A loud noise was heard from outside. Aliyah walked towards the door.

"Ano yon?" Stella asked.

Aliyah opened and looked outside. She saw a man trying to force open the door beside her unit. 1108, it was Mira's.