I could hear a very familiar sound. It was the 4:00am music alarm of our wall clock. Ang makulit na tugtog na iyon ay hudyat na kailangan na naming gumising magkakapatid para pumasok.
"Uy gumising na kayo diyan?!!! Mamaya malampasan kayo ng unang byahe ng jeep! Tanghali na kayo makakapasok!" It was my mother. Yung normal na pagbubunganga niya kada umaga dahil wala sinuman sa aming magkakapatid ang marunong magkusang bumangon.
"Hoy! Magsigising na sabi kayo! Bubuhusan ko kayo ng tubig! Isa! Dalawa..."
What kind of dream was it? Her voice sounded realistic. Bumabalik ba ang mga ala-ala nang pagkabata kapag namamatay ang isang tao?
"Hoy gumising ka na rin diyan!" Someone was kicking my legs. Parang totoo dahil nasasaktan ako.
I slowly opened my eyes. Nakita ko ang aking Kuya Richard. Kinukuskos pa ang kanyang mata. Magulo ang buhok. He looked very young. Maybe 17 or 18?
"Kapag di ka pa bumangon diyan, uubusan kita ng ulam!" Then he turned his back and left the room.
Tumingin ako nang diretso. Napansin ko ang kulambong nakakabit sa higaan ko. Ang aking kulambong dati ay madalas kong kinakatamarang ligpitin dahil naiinis ako sa texture.
Where was I? Did I visit my childhood house before going to heaven? I clearly remembered what happened a night before. I died in a car accident.
"Hoy Deanery! Babangon ka ba o hindi? Sige huwag ka nang pumasok matulog ka na lang buong araw!" bunganga ulit ni Mama.
I moved my hands. Shook it.I touched my face. My skin felt real.
Napabalikwas ako ng bangon. I was in our old bedroom. I saw the double deck belonged to my brothers which was parallel to my bed. I finally confirmed na nasa lumang bahay nga namin ako. Lumabas ako ng kwarto. Nakapatay pa ang ilaw sa maliit naming living room. Ang kusina lamang ang tanging maliwanag.
I walked right through the open door going to our kitchen. I saw my whole family. Ang bata pa ni Mama. Wala pang masyadong wrinkles sa mukha at hindi pa gaanong mataba. My father was drinking coffee. He looked very healthy at kakaunti pa lang ang puti ng buhok. My kuya was starting eating breakfast as well as Heaven who was I think still in his grade school.
Napangiti ako habang pinapanood sila. I suddenly missed our humble yet happy days.
"O Deanery mabuti naman at bumangon ka na! Akala ko ay bubuhusan na talaga kita ng tubig," my mother said while frying egg.
Nahiwagaan ako. Did she just talk to me?
"Ano?! Tatanga ka na lang ba diyan o mag-aalmusal ka na?!"Pinandilatan niya ako.
"A-Are you talking to me? Can you see me?" I uttered with wider eyes.
"Ay si ate paenglish-english pa!" halakhak ni Heaven.
"Baka nanaginip na lumaki siya sa Amerika!" iling ni Kuya Richard.
I looked at them. "Hindi nga? Nakikita niyo ako?"
"Natural. Ano ka multo para di namin makita? Pumarito ka na sa mesa," my father said.
I quickly approached my mother. Hinawakan ko siya. I could feel her flesh. "Ma, ako nararamdaman mo bang hinawakan kita?'
"Aba siyempre!"
Kinapa-kapa ko ang aking katawan. "Buhay ako Ma! Buhay ako di ba?"
"Susmaryusep! Ano bang pinagsasabi mong bata ka! Binangungot ka ba?" parang kinikilabutang sabi ni Mama.
Mabilis akong nagtungo sa salaming nakasabit sa tabi ng banyo. I screamed after I saw my reflection. I also looked very young.
"Bakit ano na naman yan?!"tarantang lapit sa akin ni Mama.
BINABASA MO ANG
MAGICALLY YOURS,
RomanceDeanery Mortel was a single woman with fat pocket. But despite of wealth and success, she was secretly empty inside because of a man she let go. Her life was full of 'what ifs'. One day, she died and the next day she opened her eyes living in her pa...
