After Death (Hello, Death 3) (Completed)

Chapter 18: After Death

A death god is a human once.

***

Dearest Eunice,

I hope you're feeling better today. Sorry kung kailangan kong bumalik ng Pilipinas at iwan ka sa gitna ng gamutan mo. Palagay ako dahil alam kong matibay ka at kasama mo ang dalawang anak mo diyan. Hindi rin umaalis sa tabi mo si Jeremy. You have a fortress and a knight with you.

Thank you for understanding why I have to go back. Alam kong ilang taon mong pinagtiyagaan ang mga kwento ko sa isang taong hindi mo matandaan. Hanggang ngayon, nagpapasalamat akong hindi mo 'ko ipina-confine sa psychiatric hospitals. Haha.

Alam kong nag-alala ka no'ng sinabi ko sa'yong makikipagkita ako sa kanya. But believe me, I will meet him. For certain. We made a promise to meet at an exact day at an exact time. That day is today. He's always true to his promises. I know that after all the years of remembering him alone, I will finally get to see him again.

Thank you for being wonderful. Kayo ni Jeremy ang bestest of the best friends that I have. Yeah, I know, wala talaga 'kong ibang kaibigan kundi kayo. Don't roll your eyes, dear. Haha.

Thank you for giving me shelter when I had none. For being patient with me during those nights when I would cry for no reason. For keeping me by your side for the last twenty years.

I may not have much in this life but I sure received much love from you.

I will always pray to the gods about your sickness. Whatever happens, enjoy the time that you have with your children and your husband. Don't be scared of anything—time running out or dying. The Creator is always watching over you.

I love you, Eunice.

Your dearest Natalie

***

Huminga ako nang malalim habang nakaupo sa bench, sa park ng subdivision kung saan ako tumira noon. The gold of dusk bathed the street lined with trees, the full grass of the park, and the houses nearby. Halos wala nang tao sa kalye.

I wonder why people stopped watching the dusk. It's one of the finest time before the light give in to the night. The gold veiled into the world is a soft trigger of reminiscing the past.

Naghihintay na lang ako ng gabi bago umuwi sa bahay.

It has been twenty years.

Twenty years ago, sinundo ako ni Eunice dito rin sa park na 'to. Nagpasundo raw ako. There was a message on her cellphone coming from me when I didn't send her one.

She was so confused to see me bawling my eyes out. Akala niya, may nangyaring masama sa'kin.

Nagtataka siya kung anong ginagawa ko sa subdivision na 'yun na walang kinalaman sa'kin. Hindi niya naaalala si Prof. o si Lolo Dimos. Sa memory niya, may nilipatan akong bahay pero nasunog. Pagkatapos, sa kanila na raw ako tumira. Bihira lang daw kaming magkita dahil magkaiba ang schedules ng internship namin. Sa bahay nila 'ko sinusundo ni Jeremy para sa dates.

Kahit si Jeremy, walang naaalala kay Prof. Sa memory niya, si Eunice ang ilang ulit nagkasakit at nagpauwi sa'kin sa tuwing napuputol ang date namin. Alam niyang may mahal akong iba—a professor—pero hindi ko raw sinabi ang pangalan.

Their stories matched so well, it would have been easy to believe it if not for the glowing feather on my neck and the pain that's suffocating me. Wala akong hawak na kahit ano para masiguro sa sarili ko na totoo ang lahat ng nangyari—no house, no pictures, no voice recording.