Parallels

kahel na langit

kahel na langit by Maki

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Hi, Ly! Eto pa ba number mo? Hoping na ito pa, just trying my luck kasi hindi kita yung name mo dito sa Viber. Kamusta? Grabe, sobrang random nitong message ko sa'yo. You've been crossing my mind a lot lately and I've been meaning to reach out but I keep on thinking if I should. But well, here I am, finally sending this message. I hope you're doing well! Hoping you still remember me and if we can catch up, soon? I miss you, Alyssa!

Alyssa's staring at the message she received. Kung tatanungin mo siya if how's her day is going, she'll tell you it's just the usual Sunday routine. She'll wake up at 6am to run, then run some errands like going to grocery, uuwi at magluluto ng lunch. After eating lunch, she'll start her Sunday reset, and then after that, she'll go watch series, until it's time to sleep.

Ganon sana, ganon lang ka-simple. She's been living like that for how many years. But that one message was enough to wreck something inside Alyssa she thought she'd already buried, yung tipong kahit makikita niya 'yung taong 'yun on a random day, hindi na siya maaapektuhan.

Sinong hindi maaapektuhan? Heto siya ngayon, her mind's wandering to nowhere, not knowing what to do, magrereply ba siya? Or is she going to just let it bury in her inbox? Or act like she didn't read it and delete the message?

Alyssa scoffs, she laughs at herself.

"Ilang taon na Alyssa," she murmured to herself, "ganito pa rin epekto mo sa'kin?" she asked while still looking at the message.

...Hi Dennise!

...Dennise! It's been years! I'm so glad you reached out.

...Sorry, who's this?

...Hey. I miss you, too!

Alyssa tried to compose something to say but she kept on deleting, hindi niya alam kung ano bang dapat sabihin. Which is ironic, it's not something like she was asked a question that's too hard to answer. After all, kinamusta lang naman siya, di ba?

Hi Dennise. Wow. Ang tagal na rin! Actually nagulat ako na you messaged, akala ko nag-iba ka na ng number kasi I didn't get a reply from the last message I sent 5 years ago. Okay naman ako, ikaw kamusta?

Araw-araw kitang naiisip, Den. Even in the most mundane things, it reminds me of you. Pero naduduwag akong mag-reach out, it's been years, after all.

I have a lot of things I want to tell you, pero binubulong ko na lang sa hangin. I can't pick up the phone and call you kasi natatakot akong everything has already changed, and I know it already did.

I hope you're happy, Dennise. Lagi kitang naaalala.

Alyssa's phone beeped and she received a new message.

Oh, sorry! How rude of me na mag-send ng message without introducing myself. Hindi ako sure if you still have my number, but this is Dennise. Have you seen the sky? It's orange, the one you've always loved to look at.

Ang dami ko nang sinabi, I'm sorry! Pero just want you to know na this orange sky reminded me of you. And maybe also a sign to finally reach out.

Take care, Ly.

Alyssa chuckled upon reading Dennise's message.

"Syempre, naka-save pa number mo, hindi ko naman binura. Hindi ko kayang burahin," Alyssa heavily sighed.

And the truth is, she never wanted to change her number, for the sole reason that maybe one day, Dennise will reach out.

Alyssa looked outside, the sun is setting, kitang-kita sa kwarto niya ang kalangitan na binabalot ng kahel na kulay.

Parang dati lang, kasama niya pa si Dennise panoorin lumubog ang araw. Kasama ng mga kwek kwek, fishball, kikiam at gulaman na nakakaalam ng lahat ng sama ng loob, pangarap, plano, at mga panalo nila sa buhay. Parang dati lang, sapat na 'yun.

It used to be enough. But then, life happened.

Alyssa sighed again and looked at the sky again before turning her attention to her phone. She deletes the message she typed and replaced it with...

Dennise! Yes, it's still my number. Kamusta ka?

"2,013 sunsets," bulong niya sa sarili, "laging ikaw, Dennise, hanggang may kahel na langit."

She hits the send button.

Minutes later, a notification on her Viber app appeared.

Dennise Revilla sent you a message