Ci and Rei (ON-GOING)

VI

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"Seryoso ka bang nakita mo talaga na parang bumagal ang oras habang nagsasayaw kami?"

I swiftly nodded at Laurie who's leaning on the doorway. I am preparing our breakfast now while it's still early. 10 AM pa 'yong class namin at eight palang ngayon kaya natutulog pa si Eli. I saw it as opportunity to open-up about it with my best friend.

Halos hindi ako makatulog ng maayos kagabi kakaisip ng nangyari. It was unexplainable so I didn't bother telling the others. Nakakatawa dahil ako mismo ay dina-doubt na 'yong sarili ko.

Did I really experience it?

Pero totoo nga ang nangyari kagabi. She confirmed my questions saying I really did just stop dancing last night, staring at nowhere weirdly and a bit scared of they-don't-know what.

"Rei... parang ang imposible lang kasi. Maybe you were just too happy..." hindi niya na rin alam ang sasabihin.

Napabuntong-hininga ako. Maybe. Maybe I was too happy and wanted to capture the moment. Maybe it was all just in my head.

"Hindi ko rin kasi naaalala na nag-slow dance tayo..." dagdag niya.

At first I even thought they tried to prank me. But I swear... it's just too impossible. You can't move your hair slowly from flying in your turns... the music can't just automatically slow their melody in nowhere... and all in the same time.

Pero baka nga sa utak ko lang lahat ng iyon.

"Don't think about it too much for now." Aniya at nginitian ako, pinapagaan ang loob. I know she's doubting my words too. Darn.

It was just so weird. I couldn't just brush it off my mind like that.

"Okay." sambit ko. "I guess I was just too happy." sabi ko nalang.

"Good morning!"

Sumulpot bigla sa tabi ni Laurie ang ngiting-ngiti na si Eli. Bagong gising lang.

"I smelled something delish!" her eyes sparkled. Napangiti nalang ako.

I placed the bacons and omelette I cooked on the counter. Tinulungan din nila akong mag-prepare hanggang sa kumakain na kami. Meanwhile, Eli didn't shut her mouth from narrating her absurd dream. Nakakatawa nga iyon kaya maingay kami sa table.

"–then I was brought to a playground!" she spat. "You're not gonna believe! Nakita ko lahat ng unveils doon. May mga naglalaro sa swings, sa slides and sa spinners. As in every Agora was there!" tinuro niya pa ako habang pinipigilan ang tawa. "Mas nakakatawa dahil nakita kitang nahulog sa seesaw, Reina!"

I felt my cheeks heated. Kahit panaginip lang 'yon. Nakakahiyang isipin.

"Umiiyak ka noon. Then..." her smile slowly vanished. "Then it immediately rained. Dark skies poured out violet and red raindrops."

Natigilan ako. May napagtanto.

"Dugo?" Laurie confirmed my thought.

Nagdalawang-isip pa si Eli. "I don't know. But it was bloody red."

It bothered me. Hindi naman lingid sa kaalaman ko na repleksyon ng reyalidad ang mga panaginip. And hearing that, made me have a bad feeling.

"What else did you see?" tanong ko. Tumingin naman siya sa kung saan at nag-isip.

"Because of the heavy rain... of course nagsitakbo daw tayong lahat para maghanap ng masisilungan," aniya. "But then a man appeared. He was wearing a mask under his sunglasses."

"Sunglasses while raining?" Ani Laurie.

Nagkibit-balikat naman si Eli. "Ewan."

"Then what happened?" I asked, still curious about it. "What else did you see? Nakilala mo ba ang lalaki?"