This Time

One

ONE: WE'VE BEEN MUGGED

JULY 24, 2009 6:25 AM

 I decided I don't want to open my eyes just yet upon waking up. Today is the day I turn 21. In my country, turning 21 isn't that much of a big deal, unlike in America. Turning 21 usually signals a milestone. It's the year you enter adulthood. The year when drinking all night is legal. It's the year the world decides you are mature enough to handle anything life has to offer. It is huge, and I'm not sure I'm ready to be 21. I don't know how I'm going to take in this change. It has yet to sink in that I'm already an adult, free to make her own decisions about her life. It feels like just yesterday, I'm a little girl in pink tutus with a Cleopatra bob and bangs. It's so unreal how fast time flies.

I'm taking my time, still keeping my eyes closed. I pondered about my life, what changes will happen, now that I'm 21. I'm not usually reflective, hell. Turning 21 and drinking all night for the first time probably changed me in a weird, sappy, philosophical way.

As I continue to consider the steps I'm going to take now that I'm officially an adult, I decided to open my eyes. The faint light coming out from the small window beside my desk welcomes my sight. I usually never know if I'm already running late or not because of this window. It's small and never gives me any sense of time. For all I know, it could be 12 noon right now and I've already skipped all my morning tasks. My boss would be royally pissed.

I started getting up, resting my elbows on the bed, my eyes roaming my room. It took me two glances to realize the posters up on my white wall. Huh. This is weird. I remember I had put out all my posters last year, when I decided they were childish and that I simply want a plain white wall. I stare at the pictures with confusion. They all seem new, like they had just been put up. No torn corners, no signs of fading print. Even weirder.

I continued staring at the posters and then begun roaming my eyes around the room. It's so weird how it's so familiar yet unfamiliar. It's the same white walls, same air conditioning, same bed, same cabinet, same window, same shelf... Wait a second. "Oh God." I shake my head in disbelief of what I see. Have we been mugged? I stare at the shelf where my stack of books, books that I have earned for the past year of working, was nowhere to be found. This can't be true. Instead of books, all that lies on the shelf was a box, and odd, familiar box and two spiral notebooks. I haven't had spiral notebooks since I graduated. I have been a degree holder for a almost two years. And these spiral notebooks aren't even the kind that I used in college, these are teenage-ish stuff. These were ones I used back in high school. What are these things doing on my shelf? And where in seven hells are my books? I started panicking, trying to recall last night's events but I couldn't. I think the alcohol on my system is blocking my memories. Did someone, anyone robbed the house? Took all of my books and leave these instead? Or could I have had moved them in some other place, for safe haven and just not remember it now? Yup. That's it. That should be it. Where else could my books be? It's impossible that we had been robbed because everything seems orderly, there's no way they could break in to my room. There's no possible way, my only window is so small, I could barely fit through there. So yup, maybe I just put them somewhere, maybe under my bed while I was cleaning my shelf.

I sit up on my bed, still feeling weird about my books going incognito. I checked the clock beside my bed and it says 6:30. I moved my line of sight to the space beside my desk and I gasped. My keyboard is nowhere to be seen. I think I remember very clearly that my keyboard is specifically positioned in this part of the room and I would never ever move it. What is happening right now?

"MOOOOM!" I shouted in panic.

I heard a knock on my door. "Yes honey, is everything alright?"

I get up and bolted to the door. I'm greeted with a concerned look on her face. Is it just me or does my mom look weirdly younger today? Gah, everything is SO weird. "Mom, did we get robbed? I mean, my room doesn't look like it was robbed and all but its just that my books are nowhere to be seen! They used to be in my shelf, right? Its where I always place them and then my key board! Its not here!" I motioned to the empty space beside my desk.

My mom then gives me the what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about face and says, "Ria, wake up!" she starts shaking my shoulders. "I think you're still dreaming. What books are you talking about?" She paused, started brushing her chin as if she's thinking about something. "Oh, you mean your textbooks? I don't think you keep it here." Another pause. "And what keyboard? You don't have a keyboard." Her look suddenly turns softer and she exhales. "Look, honey. I'm so sorry. I know you want a keyboard for your birthday, but we still can't afford it. Not with you going to college next year and all."

I feel so dizzy. College next year? I am done with college. Like 110% done with college. I steadied my arm against the door frame to avoid collapsing on the floor. The posters. The books. My keyboard. Going to college next year. Could this really be happening?

My mom sees the panic in my eyes. "Is everything alright Ria? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"N-no mom.. I'm alright. I think. Uhm, what day is it today again? Where's our calendar?" I asked, still confused. My mom laughed as she pointed to the wall where the calendar hangs. "There. Honey, you're being silly. Its July 24. 2009. Your birthday!" She pauses. "Oh, I know what this is. Is this some crazy today-is-my-birthday antic?" My mom said, giving out a chuckle.

I shook my head. AM I DREAMING? I blinked twice. Nope. Still seeing my mom gawking at me. I feel nauseous. Is this the result of too much alcohol from last night? Because if it is, I am NEVER ever drinking again. Could this be possible? Am I really back in the past? I thought this only happens in movies. In teleseryes. That's it. I'm not watching Prime Time Bida again. No way. Geez.

"Honey, are you okay?"

"2009?" was all I could muster.

"Yes honey. Last time I check humans are still the dominating species on earth and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is still the damned President of the Philippines. Yep, still 2009. Why honey?"

Eeep. I'm not experiencing this whole political debacle with GMA again. Ughh. "Nothing. I guess it's the headache. I just feel so dizzy."

"Oh, here." She opened the drawer across the table and brought the medicine kit out. She handed me the paracetamol. "Eat your breakfast and then drink this. You can't miss school today honey, it's your periodical exam. Remember?"

I am back in time.

And the universe decided it should be right on my periodical exam.

Oh great. Just great.