Fictional (making some slight changes)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Tuwang-tuwa si Emeaich sa mga damit nya. Late reaction kasi nga bwisit na bwisit sya sakin—more like sa salesman kanina. I just looked at him with my chin on my palm, smiling.

" Uy, kanina ka pa nakangiti ah."

Lalo akong ngumiti, " Parang ka kasing bata."

" Oh thank—wait, did I just got insulted?" natawa naman ako dun at sinagot sya, " Hindi insulto yun."

" Okay, sabi mo eh." Tumalikod sya at akmang aalis ng biglang may naisip akong sabihin sakanya. But when I reached out to him,

My hand merely touched his bare back, and in a split second he fell flat on the floor. Lifeless.

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I stared at him on my bed. I can't touch him. I don't know how to know if he's okay. If he is dead or what. I'm panicking, what will I do? Ang tanga ka naman! Dapat kasi hindi ako padalos-dalos. Sa katangahan ko ito ang nangyare. Ito, hindi ko alam kung mawawala ulit sya.

Unti-unting tumulo ang mga luha sa mga mata ko. Hindi agad nag register yung nangyare kanina at ngayon lang ako tinamaan ng pagiisip na baka, baka...

Mawala sya.

Biglang kumirot ang ulo ko at nahilo kaya napaluhod ako, umiiyak parin. Tinignan ko sya, may asul na parang wisp sa ulo nya. It is turning bluer and bluer as moments passed by. And fear is eating me, kaya napapikit ako at nagdasal na sana—sana, hwag syang kunin sakin.

I opened my eyes hoping him to look at me saying he's okay. Pero hindi eh. Nakapikit parin sya, mukang walang malay sa mundo. At kasalanan ko yun.

Nanatili akong nakaluhod, pinagdikit ang mga palad at nakapikit, paulit-ulit binabanggit ang mga salitang, 'Please po, hwag nyo sya kunin.', ' Nagmamakaawa ako, ayokong mawala sya.', 'Please, hwag nyo skin kunin sakin.', 'Sorry. Sorry na po.'. Nagmamakaawa, paulit-ulit. Sari-saring pangako na ang nabitawan ko, sari-saring dasal na ang dinasal ko, ang daming 'hindi na gagawin' ang sinabi ko. Pero lahat yun wala.

Kung wala siguro akong narinig na sumabog, hindi matitigil ang pagdadasal ko. Nanakbo at papalapit kay Emeaich at nakitang may mga butil ng asul na buhangin sa damit nya. Like glitter dust, pero hindi sobrang kintab. Tinititigan ko ang muka nya ng unti-unting bumukas ang mga mata nya ngumiti sakin,

" I heard your prayers.. It's worth the pain."

Napalakad ako patalikod at napaluhod ulit paulit-ulit nagthethank you. I almost can't breathe crying, but I opened eyes seeing him looking at me, smiling.

" Shh, Stop crying." He reached out for my face and wiped my tears using his hands,

The warmth of his hand brought my certain emotions. Mixed emotions: Joy, fear, a bit of sadness and another feeling I can't describe. All I know is it is overwhelming.

There is one more thing I am sure of-these emotions aren't mine.

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" I was given another chance."

Tinignan ko sya, " Chance?"

" Yes. But before that, I got into games. If I got all the answers right I'll be back with you and the percent of finished in my healing will stay the same. However, if I got one wrong I can come back but my recovery will drop into 59%."

" So what's the result?"

" I got one wrong."

" What was the game about?"

" Choosing what is my home."

" Home? As in bahay?" tumango sya, " Hwag mong sabihin saking hindi mo alam yung ano ang bahay mo."

Umiling sya, " Turns out the home it was saying wasn't the one in our minds."

" So saan ba ang 'home' mo?"

Tinignan nya ko, " Right here. With you." He chuckled, " Oh, what I mean is, it's you. You're my home."

" H-Ha? P-Pano?"

" Hindi ko rin alam. You see, ganto kasi yun. There are identical houses, pinasok ko lahat yun. When I found where my mom is, I went out para sabihin sa host kung nasaan yung 'home' ko, tapos nakita kita. There were planets. Like it's the earth's satellite. Ang dami nila, it's like yung mga planeta umikot sa earth at hindi sa Sun. Ang pagkakaiba lang ay, ang dami nila. Never ending. I even saw some new planets or worlds made in an instant."

He continued, " But then I saw a planet, it was the closest.. I saw you there, nakapikit ka your hands were intertwined. When I started to wonder anong sinasabi mo ay biglang naring ko ang boses mo-saying prayers, saying promises, saying sorry. Then I heard the host's voice, tanong ako kung nasaan ang 'home' ko. When I pointed the house where my mom is he said, my home was changed the moment I came here. That's why I'm wrong."

" Lumipat ng bahay ang mommy mo?"

" No. Hindi literal na bahay ang sinasabi nya." Tinignan ko sya, " Eh ano?"

" A house, anong karaniwan ang simbolo nun?"

" Ahm, protection? It is your comfort-zone. You feel comfortable in it.. Teka, yun ang ibigsabihin nya?"

Tumango si Emeaich sa sinabi ko, " Meron pa."

" Ano?"

" Kadalasan, laging pinuprotektahan ang bahay. Kasi importante iyon, kasi ang bahay, nagpepreserve ng memories. Sabi rin sakin ng mommy ko, ang bahay nandyan para tumayo at protektahan ka kahit anong mangyari." Napatingin ako sa bubong ng dorm. Nasa bubong kasi kami, " Yumi,"

" Hmm?"

" Can you be my home?" I looked at him feeling the wind blow across my face, and smiled, " Of course, why not."

I looked at the stars, " Maybe the worlds you saw in the games was the stars.."

" Bakit naman?"

" Sabi kasi nila, ang stars daw, minsan ang ibigsabihin ay ibang mundo—Heavens, Dreamland, Fantasyland."