Karmic Hearts

Chapter 1

Is this what death feels like?

I was expecting to feel the excruciating pain that I was feeling just moments ago before I passed out. Eyes closed, I began feeling my arms and torso for any broken bone or dislocated joint. Kumunot ang noo nang wala akong naramdaman. I should be torn to pieces by now. Why...don't I feel anything?

Ilang beses akong huminga nang malalim, hinahanda ang sarili sa kung anumang makikita ko pagmulat ko. I stopped when I realized that my chest no longer hurts. I can breathe again.

Am I dead?

Nagmulat ako ng mata, bahagyang nagulat nang salubungin ako ng kawalan. Bakit ang dilim? I squinted and looked for any living thing.

Mina...

Napahawak ako sa dibdib nang bigla kong marinig ang pamilyar na boses na iyon. It's the same voice that I heard when I was on the bus. And just like before, a warm sensation enveloped me. I searched for the caller, but everything around me was black. I can still see myself, but everything else just looks like an empty void.

Mina! came his voice again, it was louder and more urgent now. It reverberated from all around me, so I couldn't point out where exactly it was coming from.

What?! I asked.

The voice chuckled, which made me shiver. Wake up, he said. Parang hinagod ng boses na iyon ang buong pagkatao ko. Weird.

Wake up? So does this mean that I'm just asleep? Am I just dreaming? I pinched myself just to be sure. Wala akong naramdaman. So...nananaginip nga ako.

Mina, gising...

But how will I wake up from this dream? I closed my eyes and repeatedly told myself to wake up. But when I opened my eyes again, I was still in the same dark place.

I was already losing hope, so ready to give up...when I saw a light from afar. Parang gumagalaw iyon...papalapit iyong sa akin.

Mina!

I think the voice was coming from that light. Habang papalapit kasi iyon ay papalakas nang papalakas ang boses na tumatawag sa 'kin.

MINA! WAKE UP!

I covered my ears. The nice singsong voice was gone now. It was replaced by a shrilly, almost angry voice.

MINA! ISA!

The whole place shook. I was frozen in place as the bright light enclosed me.

--

Everything was blurry at first, so I rubbed my eyes a few times. When things became clearer, I was confused when I saw my mother standing at the foot of my bed, arms on her hips, with lips, pursed, and eyes, glaring at me.

"Ano? Hindi ka pa rin babangon?" iritado niyang tanong. May hawak na tambo si mama, handa nang ipalo sa akin kung hindi pa ako babangon.

I'm still unsure if this is real, though. Baka naman aparisyon lang ni mama ang nakikita ko? So I asked her, "Ma, patay ka na rin?"

I was half-joking when I asked her that. Kasi hindi ko na talaga alam ang mararamdaman ko. One moment, umaalog-alog ako sa loob ng bus kasama ang ibang pasahero. Tapos, nawalan ako ng malay. Nang magkamalay ulit ako, biglang nasa ibang lugar naman ako. Isang madilim na lugar na ako lang ang nandoon. And then this...

She didn't find it funny, though. Itinaas niya ang tambong hawak at akmang papaluin ako kaya bumalikwas ako ng bangon.

"Sinabi ko na sa 'yong huwag kang iinom! Kita mo ngayon, kung anu-ano 'yang lumalabas sa bibig mo!" paninermon niya.