ONE WEEK of boring, tedious school days has passed and Autumn already felt so haggard. Hindi dahil sa mga gawain sa school ang nagbibigay ng stress sa kanya kundi ang kanyang mga panaginip.
Autumn was having the same dream for one week already. It was the same stadium, the same beings, the same carvings and she would always end up falling all over again.
Ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na nagiging pareho ang panaginip ni Autumn sa buong isang linggo. What she was curious about was what would happen to her in her dream after falling in that pool of people with black hair.
She gave out a sigh as she continued to sit and wait for Caleb to pick her up. It was Friday, last day of school for that week and Autumn feels that she could greatly use some rest. Habang hinihintay ang lalaki ay naglabas siya ng notebook. Out of nowhere, she started drawing the place that she saw in her dream. Hindi naman siya kasing-galing ni Caleb sa pag-sketch pero alam niyang kahit papaano ay may 'say' naman siya.
After a few minutes had past, she heard a honk. Nang iangat niya ang tingin ay nakita niya ang pamilyar na Ford Everest sa harap niya. It was Caleb's. Dali-dali niyang itiniklop ang notebook at isinilid iyon sa kanyang sling bag.
After mounting the car, Caleb greeted her with a kiss on her cheeks. She smiled at him.
"How's you day?" he started driving.
Nagkibit-balikat lamang si Autumn. "Same old, same old," tipid niyang sagot. Tinanaw niya ang labas ng bintana, the traffic was heavy since it was a 'bit past five in the afternoon and most of the working crowd are on their way home.
"Is there something wrong?" Bahagya lamang siyang tinapunan ni Caleb ng tingin at ibinalik din agad sa daan ng umusad ng kaunti ang mga sasakyan.
Autumn was a little bit doubtful if she should tell Caleb about her reiterating dream for the past week now. Kung hindi siya magsasabi kay Caleb, eh, sino pa ang pagsasabihan niya? It's not like telling him would send her to jail.
Isa pang buntong-hininga ang pinakawalan ng dalaga bago binuksan ang kanyang bag at hinugot doon ang notebook kung saan siya nag-sketch. "Actually I have, Caleb," she said as she held firmly on the notebook.
"Oh my God! Please don't tell me that you're pregnant and you don't know who the father is." Nanlalaki ang mga mata ni habang diretso ang tingin sa daan.
Natawa si Autumn ng wala sa oras at hinampas ang binata gamit ang notebook.
"What? I'm just tryin' to lighten up the mood. The tension's suffocating," nagpipigil ng tawa na sabi ng binata.
"Whatever. And no, I'm not pregnant." Itinutok ng dalaga ang tingin sa mala-pagong na usad ng trapiko. Maybe this is the right time to share this with Caleb. "I'm having the same dream for one week now. I don't know how could that happen but I'm also trying to figure it out."
Natahimik ng ilang sandali si Caleb. "When did this started and what was it about?"
"It started last Monday early morning. Remember the time when I called you up early that morning?" Tumango ito. "I was woken up by that dream. Sa panaginip ko ay isang malaking stadium or arena or whatever that was. Nasa isang mataas ako na bahagi ng stadium. It was overlooking down below. Sa ilalim ay punong-puno ng mga tao. All of them had this black hair like yours. Most were males and few females. There were thousands of them, Cal-."
"Describe to me what the stadium looked like," putol nito sa kanya habang diretso ang tingin sa daan at nakakunot ang noo.
"T-the stadium was colored gold, silver and something copper-ish. The ceiling looked like a bowl, turned upside-down. On the wall of the stadium were carving and images of fighting creatures. I can't make out what they exactly looke like, pero parang angel yung isa at parang alien looking naman yung isa. There were hundreds of carvings on the wall. Most of the carvings depicts peace and less brutality," paliwanag niya rito.
"What happened after that?"
"Ahm, may tumunog na napakalakas na trompeta na para bang sa mga dingding mismo ng stadium nanggagaling 'yong tunog. Napakalakas pero parang ako lang ang naiingayan dahil hindi ko nakitang nag-react kahit man isa doon sa mga libo-libong tao sa ibaba. They just stood there, alert, na para bang may hihintay silang lumabas. Pagkatapos, may naramdaman akong malakas na enerhiya na humihila sa kain papalayo sa lugar na iyon. Na para bang pinapaalis ako. Sinubukan kong labanan pero namali ang aking tayo at nahulog ako pababa. I was falling on the mass of people down below. Tuwing darating ako sa eksenang iyon, bago pa man ako tumama sa pinaka-ilalim ay nagigising na ako.
"That same dream repeatedly plays in my mind for the past week, Caleb. I would like to think that it wasn't just a dream, but a nightmare," she ended. Ipinakita rin niya kay Caleb ang ginawang sketch ng lugar sa kanyang panaginip.
Ilang sandali na hindi nagsalita ang binata at naka-focus lamang sa pagmamaneho. Lumuwag na ang daan at dirediretso na ang maneho ni Caleb papalabas sa city proper.
Five minutes have passed and there was still no response from the guy. "Caleb?"
"I'm still thinking about your dream."
Tumango-tango siya nang biglang may maalala. "Oh by the way, I forgot to mention one important part of my dream."
Caleb gave her glance. "Ano?"
"The symbol. The same symbol that you have in your tattoo. It was hanging like a chandelier on the ceiling of the stadium. It was big. Care to talk to me what that symbol exactly means? Alam kong hindi totoong family symbol siya."
Matagal bago ito nakasagot. "It must've appeared on your mind since you were so eager about it for the past few days before your dream started. Hindi ba at napag-usapan na natin ang tungkol sa symbol na iyan? I told, it was a family symbol."
"Why do I have this feeling that you're not telling the truth, Caleb?" She faced him fully as he pulled up in front of Autumn's house.
"Naiisip mo lang iyan dahil nakita mo ang simbolong iyan sa panaginip mo at naiisip mo kung ano ang relate niyan sa paulit-ulit mong panaginip," sabi ni Caleb. "Kakausapin ko si Mum at baka may maitulong siya tungkol diyan sa panaginip mo. And talk to your parents about it para hindi ka masyadong ma-caught up. For now, take a rest. I know you're quite stressed out in school. Weekend bukas at pwede tayong magliwaliw para maalis naman sa isipan mo ang mga bagay na iyan. Will that be okay?"
Kahit gaano man kagusto ni Autumn na pag-usapan nila ng binata ang tungkol sa simbolong iyon ay hindi na niya ipinilit ang paksa. Tumango siya at binigyan ng pilit na ngiti si Caleb.
"Good. Pumasok ka na sa bahay niyo at maghanda sa pagtulog. Freshen up."
She pouted at his tone. He sounded so much like her mother and father mixed together. "You sound like my parents."
"I'm not your parent but your guardian. Baba na. 'Punta ka sa bahay mamaya kung gusto mo. I'm just a spit away." He kissed her forehead before she got out of his car.
EQ0߱8
BINABASA MO ANG
THE WATCHERS TRILOGY: Caleb (book I)
Romance"One day, he just woke up realizing that Autumn wasn't just his Mortal Half, she was his other half." Some angels are meant to walk amongst us. Some have a purpose to fulfill; a duty to uphold; and a human to protect. But what will you do if you rea...
