Napasandal ako sa dinding ng maliit na kubo niya at napabuntong hininga dahil gusto ko na ng mga sagot sa mga tanong ko na kanina pa palipad-lipad sa loob ng utak ko. Feeling ko nga, malapit na akong sumabog eh. Dinala niya ako sa gitna ng kakahuyan, may kubo siyang itinayo na malapit sa literal na asul na ilog. May alaga siyang pusa na mukhang panda na may sungay ng unicorn na kanina pa dinidilaan yung paa ko. It's cute but it's seriously weird! "Shoo little weirdy, my feet's not delicious!" bulong ko sa pusa.
I looked at him who is currently looking at me freakishly. "Ano na!?" I blurted out. Gulat na gulat si Dash at muntikan ng matapon yung dala-dala niyang beverages na nakalagay sa parang malaking shell ng itlog. "Chill lang! Mag tsokolate ka muna. Init-init naman ng ulo eh. Oh!" iniabot niya sa akin yung isang shell at umupo sa kabilang upuan, it was warm, but not enough to burn my skin. I took a sip and a bitter-sweet taste became wild inside my mouth. Napansin ata ni Dash yung reaction ko sa tsokolate kaya naman napa ngisi siya.
"Oh ano?" Lokong tanong niya. "Sarap nito ah! San mo to nakuha?" tanong ko at muling uminom. Ngumuso siya sa alaga niya. My brows met and my brain tried to clarify what he meant. Muntikan ko ng iluwa sa mukha niya, pero wala na eh, nalunok ko na. tsk. Tuwang-tuwa naman siya, tumatawa pa nga. "Ang sama naman! Ganto ka ba mag welcome sa mga bisita mo?" Maluha-luha kong sabi sa kanya at itatapon na sana yung kadiri na ewan, "Hoy, wag mong itapon! Joke lang yun! Gawa ko yan. To naman, di mabiro."
"Yan tuloy! Parang kadiri na ulit inumin,"
"Joke lang nga, inumin mo na. Diba masarap?" sabi niya at iniinom yung sakanya.
My mouth watered. Masarap kasi talaga kaya uminom ako ulit, brushing aside the joke about him, making this using his cats pee.
He looked at me awkwardly na nagpa tigil sa akin sa pag-eenjoy ko sa iniinom ko. "What?" I asked him. He shook his head, smiling "Wala, may namimiss lang," but his smile faded afterwards. "Girlfriend?" he shook his head again. "Mom," and added.
Naisip ko din si Mama. Alam niya kayang nawawala ako? Nag-aalala kaya siya ngayon? I bit my lower lip to hold my tears from falling. "You okay?" Dash asked. I nodded and sniffed. "Uh, about you getting lost in here. Pano ka nga pala napunta dito?" I asked, changing the topic. He blinked a couple of times, maybe, trying to remember when. Rinig ko kasi, ilang years din siyang nawala at hanggang ngayon, hinahanap pa siya pero kineep as a secret lang ng pamilya niya. I really pity Josh's family.
"hmmm, when was that," he rubbed his chin. Cute. Uh, ehem. Excuse me. "Ahh!" he finally exclaimed, raising his index finger, making me sit up promptly.
"February 14, 2011. Hearts day and it was also my 16th birthday. I remembered that I invited a girl over for a dinner date. Crush ko yun eh," he smiled widely. I made a 'pfft' and he rolled his eyes heavenwards. "but.." his smile faded. "Unfortunately, she declined and confessed that she liked my bestfriend slash my twin brother...Josh," he started playing with his cup. I raised a brow. Wow ha, na-reresist pa pala mga poging katulad niya?
"I mean, magkamukha naman kami! Bat di nalang ako, diba?" He smirked. "Dude!" I exclaimed. "Di naman dahil sa magkamukha kayo eh dapat parehas din yung nararamdaman niya sa inyo, ampanget kaya!" He lightly pat my head. "Lori, parang it's another way of saying 'I'm always here for you, why choose him over me?' something like that,"
I froze. Hearing those words from him made me feel like I'am also in his shoes. Parehas lang pala kami but I and Nemi aren't twins is just the difference. "Hey!" Dash snapped. "Ha, what?" I asked, startled. "Nakikinig ka pa ba?" he seemed annoyed. "Ya, I'am" I insisted. "Utuin mo lelang mo," he teased. "sige nga! anong sinabi ko kanina?"
"...'why choose him over me'?" I, who was unsure, answered, raising a brow. "Tsk! No, after that.." He said, rubbing his face with his palms. I shrugged. "'ta mo na, you weren't listening. Wag na nga lang," My eyes widened. "Hala hindi, sorry! Promise. I was. I just haven't catched what you were saying," I told him with my hands up in the air.
He sighed. "Fine. Forgiven. Now, where was I? I got home broken hearted, I know it sounds corny but truth hurts. Sa bahay kami nila lola 'nun nakatira eh. I dropped myself on my bed and the least that I could remember is that my cabinet glowed and boom! it ate my whole being then I fell on a cloud and that cloud landed me safely on the ground. Right here, on where I built my home. That was it, weird right?"
"Wait, what? On a cloud? And there was I being Alice in Wonderland, falling inside a hole, who also gone through moodswings and defying gravity. This place is being unfair! I mean, parehas lang naman tayo ng napasukan diba?" I complained and also catching my breath.
"umilaw din yung cabinet mo?" he asked. I nodded. "Cool," he commented. "No it is not," I blurted.
"We need to get out of here, Dash"
"There's no way out, Lori"
BINABASA MO ANG
The Other Side (Under Construction)
FantasyI assumed that everyone's imperfect in our world but when I discovered this passageway that leads somewhere in my lower cabinet, I entered it without haste not even thinking where it would lead me. The place isn't right to be called a somewhere beca...
