Home for Winter

chapter 17

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chapter 17
Stellar Dendrite

Everett

Life, ironically, really has its way of making you question everything that you once believed in. Just when you thought you have everything figured out, life will throw you some grandiose load of crap and you'd realize, perhaps you're wrong all along.

Then you'd find yourself doing the things that you never imagine doing.

Like laughing over a cheesy joke from a Children's book, or admiring someone's smile from afar, or missing the sound of laughter, or getting lost instead of someone else.

How do I even arrive here again?

Ah... right. Rest stop. Last time I check, this place is just a rest stop for me. But slowly, I'm realizing maybe this is more than what I thought it would be.

After achieving your goal, what comes next? I remember that is one of my questions before arriving here. Punong puno ako ng tanong nang dumating dito. I was lost, feeling empty, unmotivated.

But I also remember how the girl who seems lifeless hides warmth and hope in her eyes and how she piqued my interest. How through my conversation with her, I somehow forget every question and doubts that I have. Her response and questions in return makes me wonder, too, and makes me realize, again, the reasons that I have when I started writing.

Inside this small place surrounded by people that are once stranger to me, bask in gloomy fluorescent light with traces of coffee in the air, time is suspended. Snow would continue to fall and wrap the town in white, but all the questions that I bring with me seems to melt away— like these snowflakes that we're watching fall outside.

"Have you tried catching snowflakes?" Olivia asks, still deep in thoughts while staring at the six-sided snowflakes trap on the window in front of us.

"Tutubi lang ang hinuhuli ko no'n."

"Dati, hinahanap namin 'yong mga ganiyang snowflakes tapos pipicturan. Then we'll end up playing in the snow, like snow angels, I mean. O batuhan ng snow." She smiles, probably reminiscing a memory.

"With your Mama?"

Slowly, she shakes her head. "With my friends."

"Namimiss mong gawin 'yon?"

She nods.

And mindlessly, I blurts out, "Then let's do it."

"Mhm?" She glances at me.

"Let's do it. Catch snowflakes."

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"Ang ganda-ganda!" Olivia exclaims when we finally go outside.

Pagkatapos naming picture-an 'yong naunang snowflakes sa bintana ng café, nakahanap kami dito sa mga puno sa likod.

These two that we find our laying on the green, moisten leaf.

"Hexagonal plate," sabi niya habang pinipicture-an. "Uh, ito. Hexagonal plate ang shape niya. Ang ganda 'di ba?"

"Palagi ka sigurong naghahanap ng snowflakes noon? You even know their names."

She nods, smiling sheepishly. "They're... um, fascinating, I guess. 'Yong kaibigan ko no'n, dahil favorite niya ang winter, ayun, kinukwento niya rin sa 'min 'yong tungkol sa mga snowflakes. Kaya alam ko. Siya rin ang nagpasimuno sa 'min sa paghahanap. Tapos, uh, may kinwento din siya sa 'min no'n..." She chuckles. "...she tried eating snow. Kaya ayun, ginaya namin siya."