Kronack Crown

Chapter 1

THE BUS had traveled three hours when Kalisz's cellphone rang. Kumunot ang noo niya bang makitang hindi ito rehistradong numero.

Sino naman kaya 'to?

"Hello?" she answered after swiping the answer button.

Kalisz heard a grumble from the other line before hearing a baritone voice.

"Is this Kalisz Roman?"

Napataas ng kilay si Kalisz nang hindi man lang nag-hello o hi ang lalaki. Pero mabilis din siyang natigilan at kinabahan. Her heartbeat got stronger because of worries. This could be someone from her past but... it could be someone else.

Fudge! I shouldn't have answered the call!

Shaking her head, Kalisz asked instead of answering the man. "Why?"

The other line was quiet for a few seconds before she heard a deep sigh.

"I'm Kronack. The... Uhm, the friend of Auri's brother," pakilala ng lalaki.

"Oh..." bulong niya nang makilala ito. Now she's confused about why he's calling her. "Uhm...yes, it's me," she replied. "Why?" she asked, confused.

Narinig niya ang marahas na pagbuga nito ng hangin bago sumagot.

"I just want to tell you that neither of the two siblings will fetch you at the bus station. They had an emergency but don't worry. I already called someone to fetch you," anito habang naririnig niya ang ingay mula sa papel.

"Okay..." Kalisz answered, drawling.

Kalisz heard the shuffling of the papers come to a halt and the background from the other line became quiet. But she could still hear a low rumble from his breathing. A few seconds passed and the man spoke again but not after sighing.

"A man with a whiteboard where your name will be written will be waiting in the bus station. He will take you here," he informed her.

"Okay," sagot niya ulit.

Wala kasi siyang ibang masabi. Hindi rin niya alam kung may dapat ba siyang itanong.

Then she heard the man murmur something but it wasn't clear what. So, she shrugged it off and didn't ask.

"That's all," anito at basta na lang pinatay ang tawag.

Napatitig na lang si Kalisz sa cellphone niya habang hindi makapaniwala.

Wala na nga 'hello' o 'hi', wala ring 'bye'.

Naiiling na lang na ibinalik niya sa bulsa ang cellphone.

"People sometimes," Kalisz mumbled under her breath.

Binalik niya sa panonood sa labas ng bintana ang atensyon at isinuot ulit ang kanyang headphone. She loves to watch the scenery outside while traveling. It's calming, interesting, and entertaining.

Ilang minuto siyang nasa ganoon nang muling tumunog ang cellphone niya. Nang tingnan niya kung sino iyon ay nakita niyang si Auri ang tumatawag.

"Hello, Au," Kalisz greeted, smiling lightly.

"Hi, sweet Kalisz. Saan ka na?" tanong nito.

"Sa bus."

Auri huffed and Kalisz could imagine her friend rolling her eyes. "Lugar?"

"Uhm... 'di ko alam, eh," sagot niya.

Hindi niya kasi pinagkaabalahan na basahin ang road sign. She was into looking at nature that she didn't mind reading the road signs.

"Ganoon ba... By the way, I called to tell you, may emergency ako kaya si Kuya ang susundo sa 'yo," anito. "Okay lang ba?" tanong nito.

Tumango siya kahit na wala ito sa harapan niya.

"Ayos lang." Tapos ay sandali siyang natigilan. "Tumawag 'yong kaibigan ng kuya mo sa akin," imporma niya.

"Sino? Si Kuya Kron?" nagtatakang tanong nito sa kanya.

"Mm-hmm," Kalisz hummed in response.

"Why?"

"He told me someone will fetch me and it isn't you nor your brother."

"What?! Why?! Where is my brother?" malakas na tanong nito na may kasamang inis.

"I don't know. He told me you had an emergency and so is your brother," she answered.

"Ugh! Ano na naman kaya pinaggagawa ni Kuya! Grr..." yamot na saad nito.

"Don't be upset, Au. Someone will fetch me... that's what matters." She tried to calm her friend down. "I'll be fine."

"Yes, but it's still upsetting. Naku talaga!" nanggigigil na saad nito bago bumuntong-hininga. "How's your travel anyway?" maya-maya ay tanong nito sa kanya.

"Ayos lang. I'm comfortable and entertained," Kalisz replied surely.

"I'm happy to hear that. Ingat ka, huh? If something happens that will halt your travel, like engine failure or whatever, just call me. Okay?" anito.

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, sige. Bye, Kalisz. I'll call you later today," paalam nito.

"Bye, Au. Take care."

Nang maibaba ang tawag ay hindi niya mapigilang mapangiti.

Auri has become a very kind and caring friend. Like Dessert, Auri has managed to enter the invisible wall she had built to isolate herself from other people—emotionally and physically. Her two friends were so caring and sweet that it's hard not to let them in and be part of her life.

But she knew, part of her was still preserving and didn't want to be an open book. She's still afraid to be known for who she really is. She never shared anything about her personal life with anybody. And sometimes, she wonders if her friends don't feel cheated. She knows them—they had shared their past and a few of their secrets—but she, on the other hand, couldn't even share an ounce of her past.

Every time they would ask her, she would just ignore them or stare at them blankly. Until it came to the point that they just stopped asking about her life—her past. Maybe they got tired or understood that she didn't want to talk about her past or her life at all.

Whatever their reasons, Kalisz still hopes that someday, she can also tell them everything about her—share it. Talk about it just like how they share and talk about their life with her.