Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams (1/2)

"Will you forget me after this?"

We're looking at the sky trying to figure out what shapes, animals or things the clouds form when she suddenly asked this question. We're at the top of the hill – just the two of us. This is the only place where we could meet.

The sky is beautiful. The sun is not too bright. It is ethereal and it is really hard to take my eyes off of it.

But I did.

From the sky, I shifted my gaze to the girl lying beside me. I stared at her face. From her eyes that shines, her pointed nose that I always have the urge to pinch, her rosy cheeks that grow a deeper shade of red whenever she's laughing too much to her thin lips that never fails to make me lose my mind.

The sky is ethereal, yes, and so is the girl beside me.

"Hey, okay ka lang?" she asked which distracted me from admiring her beauty.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Where were you just now?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

She's so cute even when she's worrying.

"Here. I'm just here." I'm just here drowning from your beauty.

She stared at me for a bit and nodded.

Ibinalik niya ang tingin sa langit, ngumiti at saka pumikit. Hindi ako magsasawang tingnan siya. The more I stare at her, the more she gets beautiful in my eyes.

Tumagilid ako at medyo tumaas ng kaunti. Isinandal ko ang ulo sa kamay ko habang ang siko ko ay nakatungkod sa damuhan.

It's funny that she asked that question when she's the one who always forgets.

"I'll always remember you. You will forget when the sun goes up but I will always remember."

***

Nang magising ako ay agad kong kinuha ang sketchpad na nasa gilid ng kama ko at isinulat ang mga pangyayari sa panaginip ko. Hindi ko naaalala lahat pero ang mga mahahalagang pangyayari ay naitanim na sa utak ko at isinalin ko na sa papel bago pa man tuluyang mawala.

Ilang buwan na akong ganito. Ilang buwan ko nang napapaginipan ang babae na ni minsan ay hindi ko pa nakita sa buong buhay ko – sa pagkakaalam ko.

Noong mga naunang linggo ay nakakalimutan ko pa ang mukha sa panaginip ko pati na rin ang mga pangyayari dito. Hanggang sa napansin kong ang dalas niyang dumadalaw sa panaginip ko at ang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko sa tuwing gigising ako.

I drew her face. I could say that being an illustrator has it perks. I could draw the memories I don't want to forget that I can't capture with camera. My sketches didn't give justice to her beauty though. But it's better than having nothing at all.

Where are you? What are you doing right now? Are you dreaming of me, too? Who are you?

Sobrang daming mga tanong ang umiikot sa utak ko na alam kong hindi naman mabibigyan ng sagot.

I let out a deep sigh and went out of my room. My roommate and bestfriend looked at me for a second before turning his attention once more to the show he's watching.

"Hulaan ko... napaginipan mo na naman?" Umupo ako sa tabi niya at sumandal sa upuan saka itinuon ang atensyon ko sa dingding. "Kabisado na kita. Medyo tulala ka kapag napapaginipan mo siya. Titingin ka lang sa dingding. Parang ganiyan."