✔Something Out There

TRIGINTA QUINQUE

"Dmitri?"

"..."

"Hey, Dmitri!"

"..."

Malapit ko na itong matapos. I just need to connect the wires and...damn. Or maybe I should cut them?

"DMITRIIIII!"

Dala ng pagkabigla, naumpog pa ako sa monitor ng space capsule. Mahina akong napadaing sa sakit at tiningnan ang dalagang nakasilip mula sa pintuan. Napasimangot na lang ako. Damn, does she really need to yell like that? Mabuti na lang wala akong sakit sa puso!

"What in the name of asteroids, Nesrin? Ano bang ginagawa mo rito? You should get some sleep."

Pero hindi man lang siya natinag at mabilis na pumasok sa loob ng space capsule. Noon ko lang napansing nakasuot pa pala siya ng damit pantulog. An oversized shirt and  faded brown pajamas. Bukod dito, kapansin-pansing nakapusod ang kanyang buhok, a few strands framing her tanned face. 'She's not like the other girls I've met in New Eastwood.'

But a part of me was glad that she isn't. 

It makes her unique.

"You should get some sleep, too. Hating-gabi na, pero hindi ka pa rin tapos diyan. Kailangan mo ba ng tulong?" Bakas ng pag-aalala sa kanyang mga mata. Her eyes will remind me of the rich brown soil on Earth, pulling me in like gravity.

Noong mga sandaling 'yon, bigla kong naalala ang pinag-usapan namin ni Gabrio. Even the greatest scientists can't succeed alone.

Tumango ako at inabot sa kanya ang hawak kong plais. Hindi ko napagilang ngumisi, "Well, if you think you can keep up with a genius, then go ahead." Inirapan naman ako ni Nesrin, pero naroon na rin ang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi.

"Hmph! I've had enough experience with this kind of stuff. Palagi kong pinapanood noon si Tatay David habang ginagawa niya 'yong light beam. Whenever I get curious, he'd always entertain my questions...kahit pa madalas, hindi na niya masagot ang lahat ng tanong ko. Hahaha!" Agad ring namatay ang pagtawa ni Nesrin nang mapansin niya ang ekspresyon ko. She immediately covered her mouth and mumbled, "Oops. Umm... Sorry, masyado yata akong madaldal."

Pinilit kong ngumiti at ibinalik ang atensyon ko sa pinoproblema kong wires kanina.

"Nah, it's fine. It's just that..."

"Hmm?"

Huminga ako nang malalim, hindi pa rin lumilingon sa kanya. "It's just that, sometimes I think life doesn't want me to have a happy and complete family."

Normally, I wouldn't talk about my personal life with anyone in New Eastwood---kahit kina Erolle at Devika. Hindi ko alam kung dala lang ba ng antok o talagang kumportable lang akong kausapin si Nesrin. Either way, I find myself saying, "My Aunt Mathilde Lexington died, because she forgot to buy her oxygen bars. My grandfather, Sir Nicholas James, got executed during Execution-40 because he was too old. Now, the father I've lost for eleven years is missing in action... Hindi ko alam kung malas lang ba talaga ako o talagang nang-aasar lang ang tadhana."

Pagak akong natawa habang napapailing. "For a long time, I thought scientists are the ones who can save people... But I can't save anyone. Maybe I'm not a scientist. Baka ikinakahiya na nga ako ng mga ninuno ko."

Faex. Bad timing talaga na naalala ko ulit ang lahat ng kamalasang nangyari sa buhay ko. I stared blankly at the floor of the space capsule I've been working on for hours now. Ganito rin kaya ang pakiramdam ni papa noong higit isang dekada niyang hindi mapagana ang light beam? Totoo kayang nabale-wala ang training niya bilang assistant ni lolo dahil wala siyang "dugo" ng isang tunay na scientist? Damn.