Life Line (One-Shot)

LIWANAG SA DILIM.

Iyan ang aking naaaninag sa aking mga panaginip.

Sa tuwing ito'y aking minamasdan, lagi kong naiisip,

"Is this what they call the light at the end of the tunnel?"

Ngunit sa tuwing ito'y aking lalapitan, napagtatanto kong

hindi ito ang ilaw sa dulo ng isang madilim na yungib.

It was, in fact, two separate lights.

And they were a truck's headlights.

. . .

And it would flash before me.

Then I would hear my brother, screaming my name. . .

. . .

Naririnig ko ang sirena ng ambulansya.

I could feel someone pumping my chest.

Gusto kong gumalaw,

to tell them to stop.

But I could not even open my eyes.

wala akong makita.

I could hear someone sobbing at natatakot akong malaman kung tama ba ang hinala ko,

kung nanay ko nga ba ito.

Then I suddenly felt my hand being gripped tightly.

But I wasn't able to respond.

All I'm capable now is hearing and feeling. . .

Lumipas ang ilang oras, unti-unting tumahan sa pag-iyak si mama. Naririnig kong kinakausap niya lang ako, kinukwento at sinasariwa ang masasayang alaala naming magkasama.

Pagod na ako sa pakikinig, gusto ko nang gumising.

Lumipas ang mga araw, nararamdaman kong napapagod na din si mama. I badly wanted to give her a sign, to tell her that I'm alright.

But I still kept wondering about one thing --- where was my brother?

. . .

Nung gabing iyon, I had the very same dream.

Once again, I thought that it was the light at the end of the tunnel, but it wasn't.

It happened the same way it did nung gabing mangyari ang aksidente.

A truck was speeding towards our car and the last thing I heard was my brother, again, screaming my name. . .

. . .

But this time, there was a different ending.

I was in the car with my brother, as he simply said,

"I can take you to the light. Alam kong pagod ka na."

"Pagod na pagod."  sabi ko. "Pero pano si mama?"

"You can hug her. Mararamdaman ka pa rin niya."

And so I did. I stood up, too scared to look back to where I had been lying, and went to the couch where our mother is peacefully sleeping.

Niyakap ko siya ng mahigpit sa huling sandali. Hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan ang kanyang mukhang nakangiti sa kanyang mahimbing na pagtulog.

"Tara."  I said, taking my brother's hand.

fin~

- MS. FAITH :)