Wakas
It's been a month since the last time I saw the appearance of Laurence. We don't get any contacts about them and I don't also know what Laurence's condition right now. I am still in pain but I must continue living.
The void in my heart was still in there, since the time that he left me. But I can make this void into something beautiful. I can manage to do wonderful things on my own. I miss him more than he thinks. Araw-araw ay ipinagdadasal ko na sana ay maging maayos ang operasyon niya. Okay lang na hindi niya ako maalala basta ang importante ay mabuhay lang siya. I want him to live so that I can see his familiar smile again.
I treasured all the gifts that he gave me. I continue my passion like how I continue my life. Pinagpatuloy ko ang pagtatrabaho sa PhilArts kasabay ng pag-aaral ko.
Humiga ako sa kama at bahagyang nagpahinga. I put my hands into my head and slowly closing my eyes. I feel so exhausted. Napabaling lang ang tingin ko sa bintana nang biglang bumuhos ang malakas na ulan. The rain softly taps on my window. The summer got ends and It makes me saddened as I realize that the sun won't be able to rise again.
"Hoy! Nakatulala ka na naman!" Aimee shouted that makes me startled.
Ang sarili ko naman ay biglang bumalik sa reyalidad. Sandali akong napatigil at tininganan ang kasama. Nag-alalang tumingin naman siya sa akin. I smiled at her.
"You think about him again?" she asked in the midst of it.
I despondently looked at her. "Wala may naalala lang." sagot ko nito.
She shrugged. "Okay, let's go to eat our lunch." saad nito at hinila ako galing sa pagkaka-upo.
Hindi ko namalayan na limang taon na pala ang nakalipas simula nangyari ang lahat ng iyon. His smile unconsciously popped my head. How are you, Laurence?
Me and Aimee were working in the same field. I graduated with Bachelor in Fine Arts, major in Painting. Laurence does me a favor, so I did it. Though, I didn't regret choosing that kind of course. Because of that, I find where I truly fit, at sa sining ng pagpipinta iyon. Nakilala ko lalo ang sarili ko nang nag-aral ako sa kolehiyo.
Ganun din si Aimee, nagulat nalang ako nang nagkita kami sa pinagtrabahuan naming kompanya. Okay rin naman ang mga kaibigan niya, may sarili na ring mga trabaho. Hannah became a song composer in the Star Magic company. Yves is working as a manager of a boy group. Torce works in Advertising market agency in Batangas. While Adi, he passed away.
Nabanggit lang rin iyon ni Aimee sa akin. Tinanong ko kung anong nangyari, and she said Adi was suffering a cancer. Nasasaktan ako sa mga nangyari lalong lalo na si Aimee at ang grupo. It'll never be easy for them to live. Aimee was still in pain, kaya iniiwasan ko nalang magtanong about sa kanila.
"Ako na ang o-order, anong gusto mong kainin? The usual?" she asked while looking at the canteen.
I nodded. "Yes." sagot ko.
Sa limang taon. Madami na ang nagbago. Pero nagawa pa rin naming maging matatag. We didn't give up even though we got hurt. We didn't end our life but deep inside we lost our souls. We stood up and start from the beginning again.
Dumating na si Aimee dala ang mga pagkain namin. I thanked her and we were silently eating our lunch. Aimee didn't change at all. She's still the Aimee I used to know before.
"Grabe ang init! Tirik na tirik ang araw sa Pilipinas mga madlang people!" she vocalized habang pinapaypayan ang sarili.
Natawa ako ng bahagya dahil sa sinabi niya. I looked at the sky, the sun started to shines so bright again because It's almost summer. Laurence, are you still the sun who gives light and overshadowed the darkness in the life of people? I do hope so.
I want him to be happy because that's what he truly deserved. He lifted my own spirit and swallowing me up. He helped me during my hard times, that's why he deserves happiness. Laurence, kung nasaan ka man ngayon, sana ay masaya ka.
I tried to search him in my social media accounts but I find nothing. Yung old account niya sa facebook ay hindi na niya ginagamit, yung contacts ko about sa pamilya niya ay hindi ko na rin matawagan. I didn't even received a single information about him, and that's the biggest pain I ever received. Hindi ko alam kung buhay pa ba siya o wala na. Hindi ko alam kung ano na ang nangyayari sa kaniya. Wala akong alam.
Everytime that our door knocks, my heart is full of hope that It was Laurence. It should be him, pero wala e, sa limang taon kong paghihintay walang John Laurence ang nakikita ko maski anino.
"You're not paying attention again." Aimee said in between of my thoughts.
"I-Im sorry." tanging nasambit ko.
Napabuntong hininga naman siya. "Gusto mo ba siyang pag-usapan natin?" nag-aalala niyang tanong.
Sa araw-araw naming pagsasama ni Aimee ay mas nakilala ko siya. Siya yung tipo ng kaibigan na mas uunahin niya ang taong malapit sa puso niya kaysa sa sarili. By the ground of her rebel looks, she have this soft heart that can makes you comfort and warm. Mas napapalapit ako lalo sa kaniya.
"The questions about him keeps on racking my head." and then I chuckled bitterly. "Sa tingin mo ano na kaya ang nangyayari sa kaniya?" bigla kong tanong.
Napa-isip naman siya. "Sa pagkakakilala ko ni Laurence, may nakita ako sa kaniyang kakaiba. Hindi siya basta-basta sumusuko. And I think he survived from the operation." she answered honestly.
Napangiti naman ako sa sagot niya. "Sana nga," I whispered.
"Okay, siguro naman pwede na tayong magpatuloy sa pagkain?" she said with amusement.
Tumawa ako ng mahina at tumango na rin. After we ate, we go back to our works. Habang nagpipinta kami ay biglang dumating yung manager namin. He greeted us at maya-maya pa ay may inanunsyo siya.
Sinabi niya na may bagong bukas daw na museum at kami ang napiling mag-tour sa mga taong papasok doon sa susunod na araw. At isa kami ni Aimee sa napili. The next day, we go to the museum to behold and do our practice when we tour the people. We were wearing our usual uniform. Sabay kami ni Aimee sa pagpasok ng museum at namangha agad ako sa nakita. There are lots of paintings and sculptures inside in the new museum.
"Woah," react ni Aimee nang nakapasok kami.
It was early in the morning kaya medyo malamig lamig pa ang simoy ng hangin. Kami muna ang nagmamasid sa museum bago i-tour ang mga tao bukas. Our manager teaches us on how to do the proper positions and the words to say when we're going to be a tour guide.
Inilibot ko ang mga mata ko sa malaking museum. Biglang may kumuha naman ng atensyon ko. It was a painting in a way of surrealism. I unconsciously walked towards in that painting. My hands are trembling and my heart is accelerated again.
I gazed my hand in the painting. It was me. The painting was me.
It was very similar to my picture that was taken by Laurence five years ago. Bigla ko namang naalala kung saan ito nangyari. Ito yung mga panahon na gumagawa kami ng by pair activity sa dagat. The outfit of mine, the background, the alluring sunset, I'm sure that It's really me. Hindi ako pwedeng magkamali.
I looked down the paint where the artist's name and the title were located. My eyes automatically slipped a tear while reading the short details.
The Girl in my Dreams by John Laurence del Real
My mouth is trembling at nanghihinang napa-upo ako sa sahig. I bite my lips to stop myself from crying but I can't. My tears can't stop from dropping.
"Laurence, you are alive. You survived." I said in between my sobs.
There I realized that the best thing that happens in my life is I wasn't even looking when I found him. Hindi ko hinangad na magkaroon ng kaibigan pero bigla bigla nalang siyang pumunta sa buhay ko. He is my serendipity. I stood up and wiped my tears. I already made my mind. I'm ready to follow him. I'm now ready to seek my own serendipity.
***
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Seeking Serendipity
Random[COMPLETED] A story about friendship, hope, passion, adventure, and dreams. The art of finding the unsought in music, but what if the rhythm can no longer be traced? What if the song can no longer be played? Would she forever be deaf in finding her...
