Langdon is Falling

Chapter 1

NICH

She promised me she'll come back. She told me ilang araw lang siyang malalayo sa akin. It has been exactly three months since she left me here in this freaking place. Laging sa workplace at bahay lang ang punta ko. I've been alone in this house since God knows how long, waiting. Waiting is the most tiring verb I've ever known. Mas mahirap pa siguro ito kaysa sa paglilinis ng buong bahay. She didn't tell me to wait but I want to. This house is full of happy memories which is now slowly fading.

I tried contacting her several times but I just couldn't reach her. She can't be far I guess. I've tried to reach her friend, Mica, but she too doesn't have any idea what is happening to her. I can't contain my emotions right now thinking where she might be. I might go crazy thinking the possibility that she might have been hiding from me, but why? Why would she do that? I kept on thinking reasons why she'd left me hanging after we made love so many times that day, we lost count. I've been reading this note for 92 straight nights already and I'll read it again for the 93rd time.

"I will be back, I promise. I love you and I'm sorry. - Laurel"

Parang sirang - plakang nagre - rewind sa isip ko ang mga katagang iniwan niya. Even though I only read it almost a hundred times, it's been replaying in my mind countlessly already, infinitely many. Naging routine ko na rin siguro ang pagbabasa nito bago matulog. I've been drowning myself with beer almost every night ease the pain and temporarily forget her. My hand would often sneak in through my pocket where the note is always placed and read the message over and over again until I could feel the soft mattress encouraging me to get some sleep.

LAUREL

"Troye baby, how are you school works doing? Are you all done? Remember, maghahanap pa tayo ng toads for your Science experiment class tomorrow," I reminded him of the same thing for a couple of times now. Naaaliw kasi akong pakinggan ang mga reply niya 'pag tinatawag ko siyang 'baby.'

"I'm all done, mama! And please don't call me 'baby.' I'm already 8 and I'm not sucking a pacifier anymore," How cute his response is! He went out of his room wearing his favorite white sleeveless shirt and a jersey shorts with matching Spiderman slippers! Aba't naka #ootd 'tong baby ko parang saan ang lakad. Eh, sa garden lang naman kami pupunta.

"Okay, I'm sorry babyyy --- Oops! Sorry again!" I laughed, he frowned. And we laugh together. Ganito ang routine namin. Kung ako ang nagjoke tapos hindi nakakatawa, siya naman ma po -poker face and seconds later, we will be laughing together; and vice - versa.

"You're so mean mama pero love pa rin kita!" That was just so sweet.

"Ohh I love you, too, Troye. It's just the two of us, okay? Lola and lolo is now very far from us, they're staying in heaven. Tayo nalang dalawa, I love you so much,"

"I love you too, mama," and he gave me a kiss on the cheek and a very, very tight hug.

IT'S BEEN three and a half months narin pala since I left him. I promised him I will come back but I haven't. Babalikan ko naman talaga siya but I don't want to face him, yet. I am so scared he might burst out his anger dahil hindi ko man lang siya binigyan ng explanation. Minsan na rin kasi kaming nag - away noon. I saw him explode his anger by throwing everything he sees. He was so furious that time. Ang pinag-awayan lang namin ay ang hindi ko pagpaalam sa kanya na mawawala ako ng ilang araw because my mom at that time was urgently admitted to the hospital. I was partly wronged rin naman but it was an emergency for fuck's sake!