DESTINED

Chapter Seventeen

Pagka pasok ko sa loob ng kuwarto ay mabilis kong isinara ang pinto at ini-lock ito tulad ng nakasanayan. I wouldn’t dare being careless especially that some of my dormmates had this habit of barging in unexpectedly. Who knows they’ll be entering mine and find my closet quite interesting?

And there’s no way I’m gonna let that happen.

I heaved my school bag onto the bed and started to rummage through the closet, searching for a particular dress that would fit the occassion. And just after a few seconds of scanning, my eyes landed on the only choice I have. Isa itong above-the-knee off-white dress na may mga munting bulaklak bilang disensyo. Long sleeve rin ito, quite conservative it is, kaya napagkakamalan akong papuntang simbahan sa tuwing suot ko ito, which is actually what this dress is for.

Pero hindi na ako magrereklamo pa dahil wala rin naman ‘yong magagawa. This is the only dress I have in my closet right now. Kinuha ko ito mula sa pagkahanger at maayos na itinupi saka inilagay sa isang paper bag. Tapos ay nagpalit na ako sa unang shorts na nahila ko mula sa loob ng aparador at ipinares sa isa sa mga paborito kong tee, the Strength in Numbers shirt of mine. Oh yes, I have one. Nagpagawa kami ng kapatid ko n’yan since we’re both GSW’s supporters and coincidentally, we’re cheering on that same great player, SC30.

Isang simpleng doll shoes lang naman ang ipapares ko sa dress na dala ko at isiniksik ko ang plastic na kinalalagyan nito sa loob ng paper bag while trying to push away the thought that I’m too small to be fond of flat shoes. Tumatak ‘yan sa isipan ko dahil ‘yan ang palaging sinasabi sa’kin ng Mama ko. And I always end up answering like, “You could say that to those tall, tall ladies who aren’t satisfied by their towering height and still wear those four-inches high heels... making us not so gifted girls, much shorter.”

Ugh, I know you’ve worked it out for yourself but I’ll still say... being short is one of my insecurities.

Okay, enough of that.

Bitbit ang paper bag ay pumasok na ako sa loob ng mahiwagang closet. I gave the clock a quick glance before I closed my eyes and for a fraction of second, I thought I just saw something weird, making me open my eyes again.

Napayuko ako at napakusot ng mga mata nang mapagmasdang muli ang itsura ng orasan. The clock’s hands were still there, ticking clockwise, yet the numbers one to twelve were no longer found. Ang kakaiba pa dito ay may isang malaking numero na nakasulat sa gitna nito, ang numerong tres.

I watched it carefully, thinking what could have made it change and when exactly did this happen. Hindi kasi ako sigurado kung ngayon lang ba talaga ito nangyari o nung mga nakaraan lang pala pero hindi ko lang napansin. I mean, I don’t actually look at the clock anymore everytime I went to Kester’s dimension, just this time only.

I sighed. Ang dami kong tanong ngayon sa isipan ko pero alam ko namang hindi ko ‘yon masasagot kahit na buong araw ko pang titigan ang orasan. Kaya minabuti ko nalang ipagsawalang bahala na muna ito.

I decided to touch it and I start to fall once again, on that same pace, on that same setting, with that same heartbeat I always had since my first time.

*~*~*

11:44 pm. Ganoon na ka-late pero hindi pa ako inaantok dahil na rin sa nakatulog ako kaninang hapon at ilang oras din akong nanaginip hanggang sa magising ako dulot nang pagbubukas ng pinto.

And I was expecting Kester but it was actually Kervin, bringing me some food. Oo, ang weird dahil pina-lock ako ni Kester dito sa loob ng kuwarto nila at dito ako hinayaang kumain ng dinner, kasama si Kervin.

Iniisip ko tuloy, ano bang ginagawa ni Kester sa labas at kailangan pa niya akong i-lock dito sa loob ng kuwarto? Hinayaang matulog ng maghapon? At bakit pinababantayan pa niya ako kay Kervin eh hindi naman ako tatakas?