Crossing Love Lines (2022)

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

LEI

"The number you're calling is out of reach. Please try and call again later."

This is the third time. Bakit kaya hindi na naman sumasagot 'yun? Nagkibit-balikat ako. Her nose is probably buried into another one of those crime fiction books. Too busy to notice that I'm calling her. Hays.

Despite that, I found myself smiling as I imagine her cooped up in her newly bought bean couch—which she boasted about a few days ago since she only got it for a steal price of 200 pesos—with her face lighting up at the hardbound book she's currently reading. Kahit na ang tagal na naming hindi nagkikita dahil naging abala ako sa pag-aaral ko bilang med student, nakatatak pa rin sa isipan ko kung gaano siya kasaya kapag mga libro ang kaharap niya, kaya nga ginawa niyang trabaho ang hobby niya.

Sunshine Alvarez, nicknamed as Shine, is a book lover turned bookshop owner and she is also my one and only girl best friend. She's been with me since the tough years of a teenager's life—high school. Wala sa intensyon ko ang kaibiganin siya o ang mapalapit sa isang babae noon, pero gaya nga ng kasabihan, may mga pagkakaibigan lang talaga na bigla na lang nangyayari. We're the living proof of that proverb.

Well, being her best friend isn't that bad. I came to realize this as we became closer and as years went by. Mas naiintindihan ko ang mga bagay-bagay sa perspective ng isang babae dahil sa kanya. Our friendship is also purely platonic which makes it even more rare and worth keeping. And since she's a girl who's open on talking about basically everything, I could share my thoughts and feelings with her, knowing I won't be looked at as less of a man just because I'm open to talking about my true feelings regarding things.

Naputol ang pag-iisip ko nang tumunog ang cellphone ko. Akala ko ay si Shine na ito, pero napakunot ang noo ko nang makita ko ang pangalan ng tito niya sa caller ID. Huminto ako sa paglalakad at tumingin sa paligid. Ilang lakad na lang ay makakarating na ako sa bookstore ni Shine. I wonder why her uncle is calling me.

I cleared my throat and answered the call, "Hello po, tito? Kamusta po—"

"Lei..." Ngayon ko lang narinig nang ganito ka-seryoso ang boses ni tito. Hindi ko maiwasang mag-alala, pero bago pa ako makapagsalita ay naunahan niya na ako.

"Kailangan mong pumunta rito sa ospital. It's Shine."

Even the smile in my eyes that I had earlier quickly dulled at what he said.

***

"Witnesses say it was a car accident. Nakita nila na nawalan daw ng preno ang sasakyan ni Ms. Alvarez at iniwas nito ang sasakyan niya sa papasalubong na truck." paliwanag ng isa sa mga pulis na nandito sa hospital room ni Shine. "Pero..."

Nilibot ko ang tingin sa buong silid. Bukod sa dalawang pulis na nandito at kinakausap kami, nandito rin ang tita at tito ni Shine, si Fallon na girl best friend niya, at si Axel na sa pagkakaalam ko ay ex-boyfriend na niya... at sa wakas, si Shine na natutulog sa kanyang hospital bed.

Parang tinutusok ang puso ko sa nakikita ko. I studied medicine to prevent anything bad from happening to her again, but I couldn't do anything right now. I feel helpless... Mula high school, lapitin na ng disgrasya si Shine. I'd mostly come across her with a sprained ankle, and sometimes I would even be the one bringing her to the clinic whenever she suddenly fainted. Mabilis siyang mapagod at mahina ang katawan niya kaya hindi rin siya masyadong naging close sa mga kaklase namin na laging magkakasama sa practice kapag may events sa school. There was also that one time when she couldn't stop reading piles and piles of books to the point of exhaustion because she feared she wouldn't have enough time to read them all. Dahil mahina ang katawan niya, natatakot siya na maaga siyang mamamatay. My heart twisted when she said those words, and so, I promised myself that I would become a doctor and I would help her whenever she's having trouble with her health.

Pero puro lang pala ako salita. She experienced something dire like this, and I couldn't do anything. Nandito lang ako... walang magawa habang nakatingin sa kanya, umaasang magigising siya kaagad, kahit na...

"Can we just... not talk about any of this right now?" Tumayo si tito Dan. He gestured towards us. "Lahat kami na nandito, marami nang iniisip. We don't need another recap of what happened—"

Umalma ang pulis. "Pero importante ho ito, sir—"

"She's in a coma!" Hindi na napigilan ni tito Dan ang sarili at napasigaw. Tears formed in his eyes. It must be hard for him. He already lost Shine's mom, tita Dayana, and now he almost lost his niece. "24 years old pa lang siya! She's just starting her own life—"

"Kaya nga ho mas dapat ninyong malaman ang totoong nangyari. Hindi aksidente ang nangyari sa pamangkin ninyo."

Natigilan ang lahat sa narinig. Kahit ako ay agad na napatingin sa isa pang kasamang pulis na ngayon lang nagsalita.

"Anong sabi ninyo? Hindi aksidente ang nangyari kay Shine?" naguguluhang tanong ni Axel. We all couldn't believe what we were hearing.

The police officers' faces turned grim.

"May rason po kami para maniwalang may sumubok pong pumatay kay Ms. Alvarez."

Hindi aksidente, kung 'di attempted murder?

Pero sino? Sino ang gagawa nito kay Shine?

—

Author's Note:
Please feel free to let me know of your thoughts! It would be appreciated lalo na't magagamit ko iyan to improve my writing :>