Watermelon Dreams

Angel

“Will you be alright?” Nag-aalala ang tono ni Lola Esmeralda.

Umi smiled faintly. “Wala ka ring dapat ikabahala.” Sandaling pinagmasdan ng mga ito ang isa’t-isa. “Kailangan ko ng umalis. Hindi na ako maaaring magtagal pa.”

Olivia tried to peer on her friend. Ate Umi appeared exhausted. There’s droplets of blood on her white shirt. Was she hurt?

“May kailangan akong asikasuhin, Essie. Mag-iingat kayo. May paparating na unos.”

“Kagagawan ba ito ng mga Kon...”

“Oo,” putol ni Ate Umi.

“Have some breakfast. You must be starving.” Lola Esmeralda broke her out of her reverie. She motioned for Ate Annie, one of their helpers, who was carrying a breakfast tray.

Olivia waited for Ate Annie to leave them alone before speaking.

“Kilala nyo po si Ate Umi, Lola.” It wasn’t a question. Her Lola nodded. “Alam nyo pong sya ang kumukuha ng mga ubas natin?” Another nod. “Do you know that she could fly?”

Her grandmother smiled. “Enough with your questions. Kumain ka muna. You haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

Olivia’s stomach growled in response to the aroma coming from the freshly baked bread. She didn’t realize how famished she was until the delicious chicken soup danced on her tastebuds. She finished her meal quickly.

Gusto na nyang makita si Ate Umi para mapasalamatan nya ito ngunit laking pagkadismaya nya nang sinabi ni Lola Esmeralda na hindi nya maaaring makita ang kaibigan ng araw na iyon.

“There’s a storm coming. She can’t see you,” her Lola explained.

Nagtaka si Olivia dahil maganda naman ang panahon. Tirik ang araw at maaliwalas ang kalangitan. Hindi sya eksperto kaya hindi na lang nya kinontra ang Lola, na noo’y may pag-aalala pa rin sa mukha nito.

Her Lola Esmeralda must still be shaken with what happened to her, Olivia thought. She felt the same way but she was curious about about Ate Umi.

Malakas ang kagustuhan nyang magtanong sa Lola nya ngunit ipinagpaliban nya lalo at mukha talaga itong balisa.

Nang sumapit ang alas tres ng hapon, kumulimlim ang kalangitan. Panay ang pag-ihip ng malakas na hangin, tila mababali ang mga sanga sa puno.

Mas gumuhit ang pag-aalala sa mga mata ng Lola nya nang pumasok ang malakas na hangin mula sa bukas na bintana at nilipad ang ilang mga gamit sa kusina.

Bago kumagat ang dilim, dinig na dinig ang pagsipol ng hangin. Humahampas ito sa mga bintana kasabay nang napakalakas na ulan.

Lihim na nagpapasalamat si Olivia na hindi nawalan ng kuryente kagaya ng pinangambahan ni Ate Annie. Tahimik na kumain ng hapunan sina Olivia. She tried engaging her grandmother on a conversation but she was unfocused.

“Matagal nyo na po bang kilala si Ate Umi, Lola?” Hindi na natiis pang tanungin ni Olivia habang nakahiga sa kama ng Lola nya.
She decided to stay with her Lola that night. Hindi sya natatakot sa bagyo. Gusto lamang nyang samahan ito.

Alam nyang nababahala pa rin ito dahil kahit tahimik itong nagbabasa ng Reader’s Digest sa tabi nya, hindi nito nililipat ang pahina. Her grandmother’s mind was elsewhere. She must be worried about their farm. Karamihan sa mga pananim nila marahil ay masisira dahil sa lakas ng bagyo.

Isinara ni Lola Esmeralda ang binabasa nito at tumingin sa kanya. “She’s a friend who lives nearby.”

“Is she an angel?”

Umiling ang Lola nya. “But she’s an angel to me.”

“Is she a goddess? Or superhuman?”

Natawa ang Lola nya. “No, apo.” Worry was back on her face.

“Lola…” Bumangon si Olivia at umupo. Marahan nyang hinawakan ang kamay nito. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I promise to be stronger so I can fight bad guys.”

Napatitig sa kanya si Lola Esmeralda. Marahan din nitong pinisil ang kamay nya. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Iha. Walang may kasalanan dahil hindi natin alam ang mga mangyayari.”

But Olivia knew that her Lola was saddened that Ate Aika betrayed them.

“Read me a story, Lola. Please,” Olivia politely asked. Gusto nyang madistract ang Lola nya sa iniisip nito.

Nang tumango ang Lola nya, inabot nya rito mula sa side table ang copy nya ng Tom’s Midnight Garden. Ilang beses na nyang nabasa ang librong iyon pero hindi nya pinagsasawaan.

While her grandmother was reading, Olivia secretly wished she could be like Tom, who was being transported magically from his present time to Victorian era grounds.

Sana pagbukas nya ng pintuan patungo sa back porch nila, mapunta sya sa mala-paraisong lugar kung saan nya unang nakita si Ate Umi.

Hindi sigurado si Olivia kung anong klaseng nilalang ang kaibigan nya. Kung diyosa ba ito o engkanto. Pero nakakasiguro syang hindi ito ordinaryong nilalang. Ibig sabihin din nito, totoo ang Watermelon tree.

Despite the howling wind and heavy rain pounding on the roof, Olivia got excited. She prayed for the storm to stop so she could see Umi. She planned to enter the woods. If she’d get lost again, it was the least of her worries that night.

Her Lola’s voice was soothing that Olivia’s eyes started to droop slowly but she was suddenly jerked to consciousness when she heard wind chimes.

Olivia was wide awake all of a sudden. Her eyes caught the wooden wall clock. It was past 1AM. She’d been asleep for five hours.

Nakatulog na rin ang Lola nya habang nakaupo at nakasandal sa headboard ng kama. Tom’s Midnight Garden was facedown on her lap. Her Lola’s hands were lying on top of it.

She heard the chimes again. It wasn’t soothing this time. It made her heart pound in fear. Ate Umi immediately sprung on her mind. For some reason she was afraid for her friend.

The chimes didn’t stop. It was like an emergency alarm. It seemed that she was the only one hearing it. Her Lola remained asleep. She slipped off the bed slowly. She quietly left the room and followed the sound.

When she reached the living room, she noticed that the wind seemed to be calmer. It was no longer hammering against the wide window.

Olivia almost jumped and screamed in fright when she heard a very loud crash coming from the back porch causing a slight tremor.

Mas lumakas ang tunog ng mga wind chimes. Nagmadali syang nagtungo sa pintuan palabas ng likod-bahay.

Bago pa man nya marating ang pinto, huminto ang nakakaalarmang tunog ng wind chimes. May liwanag na sumisilip sa mga siwang ng pintuan.

She didn’t know what was out there. It could be a burglar but with a thumping heart and a slightly shaky hands, she opened the door.

Olivia was blinded by a very bright light. It took few seconds before her eyes adjusted and saw the ruined porch. Woods were broken and splinters were scattered before her. Half of the porch’s roof was destroyed.

But what shocked her was Ate Umi, who was kneeling on the mud struggling to get up. Her long hair was disheveled and damp from the soft falling rain. Blood was trickling down from the left side of her mouth. Her usual light brown eyes were orange and her whole body was surrounded by light.

Umi had large pair of red, yellow, orange and black metal wings on her back. She was clad on a warrior dress of red and gold, there was a tattoo of a dragon-like bird with the same color on her right arms. It started to disappear before Olivia could recover from her shock. Her friend was back to her usual white shirt and tight faded blue jeans. Umi’s eyes were light brown again and the light around her faded. “Olivia…” Umi looked worn out.

Before Olivia could speak, Umi lost consciousness.