Echoes of the Bridge

Chapter Nine

Days have passed and we became more comfortable with each other. Pero habang lumilipas ang mga araw na iyon, hindi ko maiwasang ikumpara ang pagkakaibigan namin sa iba ko pang mga kaibigan.

Oh... I think I'm quite familiar with where this is coming from.

I remember having a guy friend in my college days, who confessed he had a crush on me way before he initiated in becoming friends. Sabi niya ay gusto niya muna daw kasi akong makilala ng husto bago manligaw. Well I was clueless the whole time. So I wasn't prepared with what to do or say that very moment. For that, I think I might have broken his heart more than it should be? Nagpasalamat lang kasi ako at klinaro na nakikita ko lang talaga siya bilang kaibigan. Kinabukasan, biglang hindi na siya nagpakita sa akin. I felt really guilty like it was my own fault. Unfortunately, it wasn't an isolated case. I also have a male Filipino co-worker abroad, who after months of being friends, suddenly confessed that he has "special feelings" for me. And I really like that guy! Pero bilang kaibigan pa rin. I told him that, in the best way I could possibly come up with. Ngunit gano'n uli, hindi na siya nagpakita sa akin kailanman.

Maybe it's just their way to cope with a shattered heart, so I never hated them for that. Although my heart was pretty torn too. Broken friendship can be just as painful as any other broken relationship.

Not that I'm anticipating Rey to be the same, because he wouldn't. It will not happen. Right?

"So he gave you flowers? What's the deal? We gave you a lot nung nasa hospital ka pa." Shaina insinuated, binubulabog niya kami ngayon ni Denise sa bahay dahil umuulan kaya hindi raw natuloy ang outdoor shooting nila.

"Sha, wala na siya sa hospital ngayon. It's not normal." Denise pointed out.

I looked down at the light pink flowers inside the vase on my center table, just to overthink harder.

"But it was teacher's day!" said Shaina, doing her best as the devil's advocate like I asked them to do so.

"Shut the f*ck up, she's unemployed." Just like that, Denise seized the argument while eating chocolate sticks and writing a story on her laptop, all at the same time. Hindi ko alam kung sasang-ayon ako o ma-ooffend eh.

"Masarap no? Kaito gave it to me, hehe." Shaina referred to the chocolate sticks, while blushing and smiling from one ear to another. Kaito is the Japanese model she told us about. No other news on that aside from how he treats her like a younger sister. Sa 'di mabilang na past relationships ni Shaina, hindi ko na matandaan kung isa ba si Kaito sa kanila. Basta alam ko lang na hindi siya ang mapapangasawa niya.

Ding-dong...

"P, door's ringing." Denise is getting a habit of shortening words lately, never fails to make me squirm.

"Sino yan?" Tanong ko sa taong nag-doorbell, kahit may hinala na ako kung sino sila. They sent me a message beforehand.

"Hi, P." Bungad na tawag niya sa akin pagkabukas ko ng pinto. See? He's way more comfortable now.

"Hi, Reynaldo." And I can't just let him win. I discovered a likeness in poking his weak spots but it just always makes him laugh... which is not so bad, I think? He has this very charming smile that would make anyone imagine and overthink things like the ones I had with Denise and Shaina earlier. I changed my mind, it's now a bad thing.

"Hi, Ms. P!" Sophie announcing her adorable presence. Nakasuot siya ngayon ng yellow polkadot dress at naka-pony tail ang buhok. Awww... Pinisil ko siya agad sa pisngi!

"Hi, Sophie Mae! Come on in." Paunlak ko na sa kanilang pumasok.

It became a regular thing. Ginamit ni Rey na motibasyon kay Sophie ang pagbisita sa bahay ko kapag natatapos nito ang mga assignments niya tuwing weekends. And I don't even remember giving permission. Pero kapag may dala silang pagkain tuwing bibisita, natuklasan ko na maawain pala akong tao, na madali lang pala ako kausap.

"This is you, this is me, this is Papa, and this is everyone else..." Pag-shoshow off ni Sophie sa drawing niya, kung saan kaming tatlo ni Rey ay nasa loob ng bahay, at sina Denise, Shaina, at Clara ay nasa labas lang ng pinto na parang nakapila at nag-aabang ng ayuda. Hindi ko rin mapigilang matawa na kaming tatlo lang ang ginandahan niya sa drawing, the rest stickman style na.

There is really something with this child, and her Father, that makes me forget time lately.

Makes me think Denise has a point.

Isang gabi kasi nag-brainstorm kami ng mga rason kung bakit hindi na gumagana ang kakayahan ko na makapag-time travel. I still don't think she believes my story, but she said it helps her with developing her novel's plot so, I just went in with the flow. Until she asked me, kung kailan ko daw huling sinubukan ang ability ko.

I said, sa hospital pa.

And when she asked me if I could do it now, all of a sudden, I fell silent. I don't understand what I felt, and just decided to tell her that it was all a lie. That I can't really travel through time, and it was just hallucinations na nadala ko sa reyalidad pagkatapos ko ma-comatose. All that just to quit the conversation and avoid any more of her questions. Hanggang sa nagbitaw siya ng litanya na nagpatigil sa aking umalis sa kinauupuan ko.

"You've become attached to them, haven't you?"

Those words sent shivers down my spine. It's as if she knew all along that I'm telling the truth, without even seeing it for herself.

"You're afraid that you can't go back to this specific point in time, once you do."

Nilingon ko siya, at pinagmasdang mag-tipa ng mga salita sa keyboard ng laptop niya.

"...At least that's something my main character would think."

I sighed, and realized that she's just devoted to writing this story.

"Or maybe, she just doesn't see the point anymore. She recently discovered that the past is all just a big cr*p of lies, right?" I added.

"And what about her parents, hindi niya ba sila namimiss? Hindi ba nagsisisi siya na wala siya nung binawian sila ng buhay?"

"She already got her closure for that."

"Ah gano'n? So ano ng plano niya? Bukod sa unemployed na siya at mauubos na sa kakakain at utility bills ang savings niya?"

Para niya akong kinukutusan sa bawat salitang lumalabas sa bibig niya, ugh!

"Aba'y hindi ko na alam. Nobela mo 'yan, ba't ako pinapaisip mo? Tsk!" Nagdabog na akong naglakad paalis no'n at pinagpatuloy ang pag-ooverthink sa banyo.