Echoes of the Bridge

Chapter Three

Pakiramdam ko ay nakatulog ako ng isang buong araw. Grabe, gano'n kapagod ang katawang lupa ko. Buti na lamang ay sabado ngayon at wala akong pasok sa eskwelahan. Bumangon ako at dumiretso sa banyo para magsipilyo. Inaalimpungatan pa rin ako habang naaalala ang mga panaginip ko. Tinulak daw ako ng Tatay ng istudyante ko sa tulay at namatay. Pagkatapos ay napunta daw ako sa nakaraan at nabago ang mga pagkakamali ko hahaha. Ang galing, ang epic ng story, habang nandoon ako pakiramdam ko ay totoong nangyari ito.

"Hon?" tawag ko sa asawa ko. Pero hindi ito tumugon pabalik. Siguro ay umalis na siya ng maaga ngayon, meron siyang trabaho kahit weekend, eh. Pero ba't hindi niya man lang ako ginising para napaghandaan ko siya ng almusal at baon.

Habang naglalakad ako papunta sana sa salas ay nabundol ako sa pader. Aray. Dito ba nakalagay ang pader namin, hindi ba sa kabila... Napakurap ako ng ilang beses at inikot ang paningin sa paligid...

"No way..."

This was my parent's house. Dito ako nakatira 7 years ago---

"Fuck. No." Napasabunot ako sa sarili at napagtanto na baka nga hindi lang panaginip ang lahat. Hinanap ko ang phone ko para ikumpirma kung anong petsa na ngayon. Pero hindi ko 'to makita! Lagi ko lang sa ibabaw ng bedside table 'yun nilalagay eh, nasaan na yun...

Found it. It was inside the drawer. But it was my old phone. Kaya hindi ko pa man nabubuksan ang screen ay alam ko na ang sagot sa katanungan ko.

"April 1, 2017"

That's indeed 7 years ago. I'm now dead, and stuck in a dream. "Oh, my God." I cried.

I'm still here. I didn't transport to another timeline like my theory. I was still stuck in this year, where I have no one but myself.

Wait... May naisip ako biglang ideya. I scrolled my phone contacts and found my friends' numbers saved. I have to reach them. I don't know what I'm thinking, I just want to talk to someone even though they too are just illusions in this dream. I just need someone to talk to. Or I'll be damned.

-------

"You are... what again?"

"Killed by Mario?"

"No, ng father daw ni Mario."

I tried my best to tell them right away the gist of what's happening with me, but all I get is concerned gazes for my emotional well being. We're in our usual meeting place, a coffee shop. They all came per my request despite their hectic lives.

"Oh, I could write that story for you. I'm needing ideas pa naman for a new book," said Denise. The writer of our group.

"Me too, me too! What about a story about my ex-boyfriend who cheated with his girl best friend. I have some new ideas on how to kill them both," Shaina proposed. Shaina is a model. And her exes are all models too.

"Enough with that obsession, Shaina. That jerk doesn't deserve every inch of you," words of wisdom by Clara. The stoic of our group, a college assistant professor. She's literally asexual.

"So you were saying Pia... in this story, nanghula ka ng grade to save your student?" Denise seems intrigued, jotting down the idea on her little pink notebook she brings everywhere.

"Guys, I'm telling you the truth. I don't even know why I am here. Sa future na pinanggalingan ko, bawat isa sa inyo may anak na." I looked at Clara. "Yes, Including you."

They looked at me puzzled. Before bursting into laughter as expected.

"HAHAHAHA! That's funny, I don't even like children," Sabi ni Shaina.

"Yeah, and I don't even like men." Kunot noong sabi naman ni Clara saka humigop sa kape niya.

"Yeah, over my dead body," dagdag pa ni Denise, still writing on her notebook.

I just looked at them with a smile. There's something about seeing them at this point of our lives that makes my heart full. They looked so young-hearted and free.

"But you will all meet the right person in the right time and place. Like I did." I said while reminiscing each of their weddings na inattendan kong lahat. It's mesmerizing how 7 years can change a lot of things for people.

"Interesting! So in this dream, did I end up with James perhaps?" Tanong ni Shaina. She was referring to one of his exes.

"Stop it, Shaina." Pagpitik ni Clara sa noo niya.

"Aw!" Aray nito.

"Hays. Hindi nyo naman ako papaniwalaan eh. At isa pa, I don't want to ruin the good things that will happen for you guys, so kahit alam ko, better not to spoil you further."

And they just laughed again.

I gave up at inenjoy ko na lang ang sandaling 'yun kasama sila. In the real world kasi, tuwing pagputi ng uwak na lang kami halos magkita sa sobrang busy na namin sa sarili naming mga buhay. This was fun. I felt relieved that they too exist in this dream.

Which lead me to the idea of... Carlo. My husband. Kamusta na kaya siya? Kumakain pa rin kaya siya sa tamang oras? Hindi pa naman 'yun kumakain 'pag di sinabihan ng eatwell, joke. Namimiss ko na siya. I feel like, this all just happened 3 days ago pero parang ang tagal ko na siyang hindi nakasama.

Hindi pa siya nag-eexist sa buhay ko nito eh, mga 2 years pa. Kung alam ko lang sana kung paano mag-transition sa ibang timeline dito para mapuntahan siya, gagawin ko. Ang kaso hindi pa rin.

Dumiretso agad ako sa kwarto ko pag-uwi sa bahay. Nagmuni-muni kung ano ng susunod na gagawin ko. Buti na lang ay bakasyon na ng mga istudyante sa panahon na ito, kaya 'di ko na kailangang gumawa ng detailed lesson plans for the weekdays.

"Zzzzt-Zzzzt. Zzzzt-Zzzzt." Pagvibrate ng phone ko sa bulsa ko. Kinuha ko ito at nakitang nag-text si Ma'am Loiza.

Heads-up. The Principal wants to talk you on Monday. Diretso ka na daw agad sa office niya. Goodluck!

What? This never happened...

Posible kayang dahil sa report sa'kin ni Ma'am Loiza? Noooo. Ugh. Naku naman. Kailangan ko ng makahanap ng paraan para makaalis dito kung gano'n. Ayaw ng lahat ng biglaang patawag ni Principal Andrade. It always means trouble!

Pinikit ko ang mata ko at sinubukang mag-isip ng mga ala-ala, dying to know kung paano magtransition sa ibang panahon. I close my eyes and think of all the time na kasama ko ang asawa ko. But nothing seems to work-out kahit tumumbling pa ako habang ginagawa ito. After a few hours of trying and failing, I've come to think that, what if... hindi pala 'yun nakokontrol?