Silakbo

Kabanata 5

Philippines, 2023
Month of August

Imogen.

"Mainit ba 'ko? I can't tell."

"Let me see," Jace stood up in his seat and walked towards the clinic bed where I was seated, knees against my chest with a blanket covering my lower body. He raised his palm and placed it on my forehead. "Hindi naman."

"Okay, thank you." Kinusot ko ang mga mata ko nang makabalik na siya sa kinauupuan niya.

We were currently at the school clinic. Apparently, Jace told me that I collapsed out of nowhere. It was sudden that I almost banged my head on the floor kung wala lang siya sa tabi ko. Jace had to carry me on his back and God knows how ashamed I felt noong kinekwento niya 'yon kanina. We just met and were both strangers to each other yet I made him do that.

Ang sabi raw ng nurse, baka dahil sa init (kahit may bagyo ngayon dahil wet season). But I suspected something beyond that. I lost consciousness yesterday and reading the letter was the last thing I remembered doing. Akala ko normal lang na nakatulog ako dahil sa pagod, I supposed. But now that it happened again, I cannot help but to think na may kinalaman 'to doon.

Because I think I dreamt of it — the letter. I think I dreamt of the letter.

"Pluma."

I was certain I heard Pluma's name. The rest was blurry and indistinctive, almost black out. Wala akong gaanong matandaan but I was sure it was Pluma's name that I recalled. Nakarinig din ako ng tunog ng mechanical keyboard pero other than that, wala na akong maalala.

Nagtataka tuloy ako ngayon. Is it possible to hear sounds in your dream?

I turned to Jace who was staring at me, elbows resting on his knees while his chin was on his knuckles. "Jace," I called him. "Naka-experience ka na makarinig ng mga tunog sa panaginip mo?"

He sat straight and stayed quiet for a while, then he shook his head. "Parang hindi pa. Words I could recognize pagkagising. Pero 'yung mismong sounds, hindi pa yata."

I cannot help but to frown. Nababaliw na yata ako. Did I actually hear that sound or was that just a product of my imaginations?

I counted down from five in my head and when I reached zero, I blocked out the stream of thoughts to stop it from overcoming me; the thing I always do when I overthink.

"Sorry for being such a freeloader." I muttered. Hindi ako apologetic na tao. But Jace deserved an apology. Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng nangyayari sa akin but that does not excuse me from not helping him with our project. Ayaw kong gamitin ang personal occurrences in life ko para makatakas sa academic tasks.

"Don't apologize for something you cannot control." His lips formed a subtle smile.

But I shrugged. "Still, kailangan kong bumawi," I told him. "Anong amendments pwede kong gawin to make up?"

"If nag-iinsist ka," Saglit siyang nag-isip. "Actually plano kong bumisita sa province namin to gather more resources. Para kasing wala tayo gaanong makukuha rito sa school. Going there will save us time din."

"Malayo ba 'yun?"

Umiling siya. "No, at least four hours na byahe lang. Almost five since maulan."

I clicked my tongue against my teeth. "Edi pwede tayong magpunta ngayon?"

His eyes almost widened. "Ngayon?" I nodded. "Okay ka na ba?"

I checked my wristwatch. Alas syete y media pa lang naman. If we were to leave this morning, we can arrive there at noon. Assuming na hanggang hapon kami roon, we can go home by night. Wala rin naman kaming pasok ngayong araw. "Nanghihinayang ako sa oras. Ngayon na tayo magpunta."