Malik
I went to see Sari early the next day.
It was a weekend and we didn't have to see each other but I was a bit bothered by teasing her about those intimate moments we were seeing lately.
"O, bakit ka nandito?" She greeted me. She wore her hair down and I could see different streaks of color on the strands; her shirt was a yellow and neon green dyed one paired with shorts with pink, blue and neon purple.
"Good morning to you, too! May naiwan pa bang kulay sa rainbow o kinuha mo na lahat?" I said.
She stuck her tongue out. "Iniwan ko pa yung red at orange."
Laughing, I handed her the breakfast I made from ingredients we took home from the village of Lola Meding and Lolo Tuning. "Peace offering."
"Huh? Why?"
I shifted my weight on my feet. "Ano kasi... about me joking about what we're seeing? I don't mean to offend. So... sorry kung sakaling I made you uncomfortable."
"I appreciate that, Malik. Thank you. No, I wasn't offended, but thank you." She blushed before she added, "You're right... parang... parang... alam mo na."
Yes, mukha talagang masarap.
"It's a bit strange nowadays, Sarimanok," I confided. "Dati kasi parang nanonood lang ako ng TV. I'd see things and then mawawala na."
"And now?"
"I feel it. I could swear I remember that first kiss with her. Is it the same with you?"
She seemed to ponder on it. "Not so much. It's just that the memories seem so vivid these days."
I frowned. I'm not sure what it meant. Like I told Sari, I felt a lot of what the Datu was feeling.
That first kiss.
The first touch of Sari's skin.
Even cool wind that blew on one of the days that the Datu waited for his Sari to appear at the tree where they usually met.
"Malik? Are you okay?"
Sarimanok's voice brought me back to the present. "Oo naman. Okay lang ako. Guni-guni ko lang siguro." I bid her goodbye. "O, sige. Enjoy the food ha? Balik na ako sa bahay."
I turned to walk back to my house but she called, "Twerk-It-Like-Malik! Do... do you want to join me for breakfast? Tulog pa kasi sila Nanay eh gutom na ako."
I smiled at her and jogged back, spending the entire morning with her — annoying and teasing my favorite Sarimanok.
As we ate, we discussed this peculiar situation we were in.
"You know, I thought that if ever we had a past life, we'd be mortal enemies. Yung parang... leaders ng magkalaban na gang," she shared.
"Talaga? Ako, I thought we'd be twins. Ang daming parehong nangyayari sa atin eh... and parang laging may connection yung situations natin."
Sari nodded. "Oo nga 'no? Minsan hindi ko pa din alam kung maniniwala ako sa mga sinabi sa atin."
"Me too," I admitted. "But... it's really these visions that make me believe. Nagtataka lang ako why we still keep seeing these after nalaman na natin yung kwento."
"Do you think we should be together?" She asked. "Para magkaroon na ng happy ending si Datu at si Sari?"
I had pondered this a few times since we were told the story. "Hindi naman siguro kasi won't that be unfair sa atin?"
"How do you mean?"
"Like I told you, kahit naman may part sa atin or yung souls natin had a past life, iba pa din sila at iba pa din tayo. May ibang dahilan siguro... we just don't know it yet."
Sari was silent.
"Besides, kung maiinlove ka sa akin, ayoko na dahil nainlove yung kaluluwa mo sa Datu dati. Marami pa akong traits na ka-in love in love!"
She threw a piece of tissue at me. "Kapal." After a pause, she said, "Siguro it's best that we're not in a relationship 'no? Because that would be so confusing if we really loved each other or if it's just this past life that keeps us connected."
"WE'RE NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP????"
"MALIK! Be serious."
I laughed. "Oo na. Oo na, but yes. You're right. Buti na lang one-sided lang yung pagmamahal mo sa akin."
"You are unbelievable."
"Yes, unbelievably gwapo," I shot back. She rolled her eyes. "Noks, never ka ba nagka-crush sa akin?"
She blushed. "When we were twelve."
"Talaga?"
"Yes. Nagkamali ka one time. Yung secret admirer letter mo para dun sa crush mo, nailagay mo sa bag ko. I read it and I just... I didn't know you could be so sweet so I pretended that it was for me."
I looked at her wistfully. "That was my first heartbreak you know? Sobra niya akong pinahiya nung binasted niya ako."
The girl made fun of me in front of our whole batch when she rejected me and I felt really bad about myself.
"It's bad," I told her. "But, I'm glad that was the time na natapilok ka at natapunan mo siya nung paint materials mo for art."
Sari looked sheepishly at me. "Sinadya ko yun."
"Di nga???"
"Sabi ko sa'yo crush kita nun eh."
"Yiiiiii! Kinikilig —" Whatever I wanted to say was cut off by an image that came unbidden.
It was an intimate time between the Datu and his Sari and the man was very pleased with how Sari was touching him.
And I could feel it in my...
"I have to go, Sari. Bye."
"Malik, wait!" Sari called out, also panting. She had seen the vision, too.
"Wag kang lalapit! Diyan ka lang. Uuwi na ako. Bye."
Then, I hobbled as fast as I can back home.
*
That night, I again pondered about our situation as I lay on the grass facing the stars. Something about this didn't sit well with me but I couldn't put a finger on it yet.
Kung may mga diyos pong nakikinig sa akin, kung ano man po ito, pwede po bang mag-wish? Sana po huwag yung masasaktan ulit ng matindi si Sari or yung soul na nasa kanya ngayon. Ang tindi na po nung pinagdaanan nung kamukha ni Sari eh. Tapos si Sari... wala naman po siyang kinalaman sa mga nangyari before.
I waited for an answer.
But, for tonight, there wasn't one.
