Liz’s eyes were round as saucers. She was shaking her head, scolding her.
“She died in a car accident three years ago.”
“She wasn’t supposed to be in that car.”
Then everything went dark. But she could still see her eyes. And her voice echoed in the darkness.
“He was devastated….kawawa naman.”
“And they were planning to get married.”
“Gaby was her name.”
Kim found herself in a car with people she didn’t recognize. She didn’t know who was driving but they were going too fast. They were speeding on a desolate road. It was dark. Then they were falling….falling fast. She screamed but no voice came out. “NO!!!”
She was rudely awakened as she hit the floor.
Rubbing her right arm which cushioned her fall, she mentally chided herself for falling from bed. The last time it happened was way back during grade school. She stretched her upper body and glanced at her bedside clock. 6:00 AM.
Closing her eyes, she tried to remember her dream. And then she remembered her talk with Ate Liz last night. Her reverie was interrupted by muffled sounds of someone puttering around the kitchen.
“Ang aga naman ni Pards.”, Kim thought. She stood up to take a quick visit to the toilet and then decided to see what her friend was up to at this early hour.
“Good morning, my love.” It was Xian monopolizing their kitchen. He and Matt have duplicate keys to the girls’ condo, and vice versa. They were reserved for emergencies… and for avoiding what the boys call “grumpy-girlfriend-due-to-disturbed-sleep-brought-on-by-doorbell-ringing” syndrome.
Kim sat on the bar stool, her hands cupping her chin. “Ba’t ang aga mo?”, she asked.
Xian approached her and kissed her forehead. “May lakad tayo diba?”
“Saan?”
“Ipapasyal natin sina Ate Liz sa KL Tower, remember?”
“Pwede bang pass muna ako?” Kim yawned.
He shook his head and took a good look at her face. “Mukhang puyat ka ha. Eto, coffee ka muna.” He proceeded to make her a cup.
She sipped her coffee while watching him chop some onions and garlic and then dice some potatoes. An opened can of corned beef sat near the stove. He was at ease in the kitchen and he had the talent of whipping up tasty dishes out of seemingly incongruent ingredients. Sauteed corned beef was a no-brainer for him.
“Xi?” She hesitated.
“Hmm?” He dropped the chopped garlic into the hot oil.
“Happy ka ba?”
He shot her a quick glance, his brows furrowed. “Happy saan?” The onions came next.
“Sa atin.” She paused. “… sa akin.”
“Oo naman!” His voice was emphatic. “Teka nga..”
He dropped the potatoes into the pan, added some water, closed the lid, then turned to approach her. He stood at the opposite side of the bar and reached out to hug her. With his long arms, he still managed to interlock his hands behind her back.
