In Another Life

2: Destiny's in our hands, my foot!

Eisley

My mom and her best friend, tita Berna, were waiting for us at the airport. I wasn't going to introduce Tyrese to my mom, but no one was picking her up, so she suggested I'd give her a ride.

She ended up coming with us. I wasn't used to this. I never had to introduce a girl to my mom that's probably why my mom and tita kept on giving me weird glances. I never had a girlfriend because I had not really liked anyone.

Except for her.

On our way to Tyrese's destination, they never ran out of things to say. If they weren't telling stories about themselves, they would tell jokes that I couldn't understand.

I pretended I was asleep so that I wouldn't be included in their endless conversation.

"Knock knock!" She looked so enthusiastic.

"Who's there?" Mom and tita asked in unison.

"Europe."

"Europe who?" sabay ulit nilang tanong.

"No, you're a poo!"

They all laughed.

Was that supposed to be a joke? I didn't get it. I didn't think it would be funny even if I did get it, but Tyrese... this girl. Her laughter was contagious. She would laugh until her eyes would get teary and her cheeks become red. She could make my mom and tita laugh, too.

She's weird.

She's like a ray of sunshine.

If she could make my mom laugh this hard, then I would never regret introducing them to each other.

My mom obviously knew I was only pretending to sleep because whilst my head was leaning against the window with my eyes closed, she leaned closer to me and whispered, "I like her."

I opened my eyes, my forehead furrowed. "Ma."

"Gising ka na!" Tyrese clapped her hands. "Oh, it's your turn."

My mom and tita Berna laughed. I was confused. My turn to what? I ended up staring at her, asking her in my mind what it was all about. I didn't have to say anything because she understood me. Could she actually read my mind?

"It's your turn to tell a joke!"

If I asked her to stop talking, would she be able to do it? I couldn't imagine her not talking, though. "You're very, very talkative," I told her.

She just laughed at me. "IKR?!"

Was she allowed to be this happy?

"What?"

"I know, right?!"

"Huh?"

"IKR means 'I know right'. Sorry, nakalimutan kong sa Mars ka nakatira. Huminga siya nang malalim at bumulong, "KJ naman nito."

KJ? I wanted to tell her to speak properly and talk in a way that a normal person could understand, but what if I was the one who was not normal?

When we got to her former nanny's house, all of us were surprised because our house was just next to her destination. We knew ate Gloria since she was my mom's friend and our neighbor. Tyrese would stay there for two days and spend time with ate Gloria, then she'd stay in Bev's condo until the wedding.

"Tadhana nga naman," my mom said out of nowhere, nudging me.

"Baka magkatuluyan kayo niyan," tita Berna added. She even winked at me.