Jamie All Over

Chaptet Six: The last something that meant anything

Chapter Six: The last something that meant anything

"It's beautiful, Cyan!" She exclaimed, beaming with so much happiness. Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya habang nakatingin siya doon sa harap niya. Napangiti ako ng makita ko kung paano lumiwanag yung mga mata niya habang nakatingin doon sa lumulubog na araw. She's perfect there. She was like the missing piece that will complete the nature's masterpiece. Sumasabay sa hangin yung buhok niya at wala siyang pakialam kahit magulo iyon. She closes her eyes and whisper something on the wind. I took my phone and captured the moment. It was very candid. She was smiling, eyes closed. I kept my phone and look in front, it was indeed beautiful but this place will pale in comparison to Nathalie's beauty.

"I could write this in my notebook and read it forever," Maya-maya'y sabi niya. Nilingon ko siya at nagtanong.

"You write?" I ask.

She crinckles her nose, cute. I smiled. "Everyone writes." Sagot niyang nakatawa. Nang hindi ako magsalita ay nagpatuloy siya, "You know, I want to be inside a story." She looked like she's dreaming, the rays of the sunset is reflecting through her eyes. And it enhances the colors of it. Hindi na niya ako hinintay sumagot at nagsalita ulit siya, "Because a story will never die."

"Anything can happen, it's just a matter of 'when'." I'm not sure where it came. Maybe it was one of those spur of the moment statement I have. Or maybe, I am being someone I thought I could never be.

"Almost... almost is never enough," She was singing softly. Parang hinahayaan niyang tangayin ng hangin yung bawat salitang lumalabas sa mga labi niya. Humiga siya doon sa bubong ng kotse ko at pumikit.

"Cyan..." Tawag niya. Hindi ako lumingon at nagpatuloy tumingin doon sa papalubog na araw na nagpapadilim sa paligid.

"Hmm?" She didn't reply. I looked at her and she was sleeping. I laughed. She was the first girl who sleeps on top of my beloved car. I took off my black jacket and puts it on top of her body. She looks tired. She looks dead tired but the smile on her face is covering it.

"I could stay awake just to hear you breathing..." Natawa ako ng biglang tumugtog yung 'I don't wanna miss a thing' ng Aerosmith. Pucha. Seryoso ba 'to? 'Langya. Tumitig ulit ako doon sa babaeng natutulog sa bubong ng kotse ko at napaisip, will this day be something that I don't want to miss?

"Watch you smile while you are sleeping..." I shook my head off. It was too fast. Too fast that it will end too soon. Humiga ako doon sa libreng espasyo sa tabi niya. Ipinatong ko yung braso ko sa noo ko at tumitig sa naghahalong itim at pulang langit, I felt dizzy looking at the sky. Ipinikit ko yung mata ko, pikit lang pero hindi tulog. Sana.

I felt something tickling me. It was soft and kinda fluffy. I shove it off and then there's it once again. I shove it again and then it stop. Then I heard a soft murmur near my ears but I couldn't understand it. I'm so tired that I couldn't even open my eyes. Naramdaman kong may gumagalaw, parang dahang-dahang umaalis sa lugar na 'yon. And then it was complete silence after. Limang minuto, sigaw nung isip ko. I couldn't tell if I was dreaming but it was complete black. Then a picture of someone flashes. It was as if I was strucked by a lightning that I stood up immediately and find Nathalie. She was gone. Wala akong makitang bakas na nanggaling siya dito at nang umalis siya. I took my phone and dial her number when I suddenly realized that I never asked for her number.

"Shit!" I silently swear. I roam my eyes and all I can see is total darkness. Walang tao sa paligid at nagsisimula na akong kabahan. It's still my fault if something happened to her, I dragged her here.

"Cyan!" I heard a scream. Agad akong lumingon doon sa pinanggalingan nung boses at nakita ko siyang kumakaway. Tinatangay ng panggabing hangin yung buhok niyang bahagya ng nakalugay. The whole road is lonely and seemed dangerous but seeing how her face lit up when she saw me lightens the night. "Come!" Sigaw niya ulit. Malayo siya sa kinalalagyan ko. Nasa itaas siya ng parang burol at hindi ko alam kung paano siyang napunta doon. Tumayo ako at nagsimulang maglakad papunta doon sa kinalalagyan niya. It was never easy. Dahil madilim ay hindi ko masyadong makita yung dapat at hindi ko dapat tapakan. I'm getting frustrated when I heard her laugh. Tumingala ako at tinitigan siya. She seemed happy. That kind of happiness you couldn't just rip off of someone's face because you want to.

"Kaya pa?" Natatawang tanong niya.

I smirked at her. "Wait for me, Nathalie. I'll come for you."

Saglit siyang natigilan sa sinabi ko pero tumawa ulit maya-maya saka nagkibit-balikat. Tumalikod siya sa akin at napailing ako. Ipinagpatuloy ko yung pag-akyat at hindi naman ako nabigo.

"And I'm hundreds years now." Nakasimangot niyang sabi. "You snatch my forever away when you made your way here." Dugtong pa niya na parang akala mo eh inabot ako ng sampung taon sa pag-akyat.

I pinched her nose. She gasp. I laugh. "Ang reklamador mo, Nathalie." Natatawa kong sabi. Sinampal niya yung kamay ko at nakatingin ng masama sa akin. "Ouch! And now you're violent."

Hindi niya ako pinansin at umupo sa damuhan at tumingin doon sa langit na napapalibutan ng maliliit na tuldok. Umupo rin ako nung makaramdam ako ng ngawit. Nakitingin rin sa kalangitan. Ganon lang kami sa nakalipas na oras. Walang nagsasalita parehong tahimik na nakikiramdam. Pinakikiramdaman yung paghinga at bawat pagdampi nung malamig na hangin.

The silence is defeaning. Binasag ko yung katahimikan at nagsalita.

"How'd you get here?" Tanong kong nakatingin pa rin sa kawalan.

"Same exact route you took." Sagot niya. When I looked at her, there's a playful smile on her lips. Natatawang napailing-iling ako. Marunong din pa lang magbiro 'to.

"Wanna go home?" Maya-maya ay tanong ko. I checked the time and it was 10pm. Malamang ay hinahanap na siya sa kanila. Walang sagot akong narinig mula sa kanya kaya tinitignan ko siya. Nandoon na naman iyong pamilyar pero hindi ko maitindihang emosyon sa mga mata niya habang nakatingin siya sa langit. I snapped my fingers in front of her to call her attention, "Nathalie?"

She blinks and looked at me. "Ha? Uh, yeah, let's, uhm, go home." Parang wala sa loob na sabi niya. Tumayo siya at nagpagpag at dire-diretsong bumaba ng burol. Sinusundan ko lang siya ng tingin. Parang wala siya sa sarili niyang naglakad papunta sa sasakyan. I run to keep my pace to her. Nung makarating kami sa sasakyan ay agad siyang pumasok sa loob. Tahimik kaming nagbibyahe papunta sa Village kung saan nakatira ang mga Green.

"Doon sa may sakayan papuntang Shaw." Sabi niya. Napakunot ako. Anong gagawin niya doon? "Uhm... I... need to meet someone." Sagot niya. I am not convinced but I can't ask or say no.

I dropped her near the terminal. Bago bumaba ay nagpasalamat siya sa akin. Ibinaba ko yung salamin ng kotse ko at tinawag ko siya nung naglalakad na siya. Yung mosyon ng pagharap niya, parang nakita ko na noon. I just couldn't remember when.

"Always." Sabi ko. Ngumiti siya saka inayos yung buhok niya and then she thumbs up bago tumalikod at nagtuloy-tuloy papunta doon sa sakayan. Hinintay kong umandar yung jeep bago ako umalis. This had been a very long day. I cut class, we went somewhere, we slept on top of my car, we had simple talks and we rose before the world on that hill. Honestly, this is something I will always look forward to.