Strings of Memory

Epilogue

A Lullaby for Goodbye

A dream?

I looked around, but all I could see was white. Nothing else. Everything was pure white.

Naglakad ako, pero parang wala namang nangyayari. Hindi ko alam kung umuusad ba ako o hindi, kaya tumigil na lang ako at muling nagpalinga-linga.

Until... I heard a familiar voice. A voice I missed so much.

"I've been waiting for you."

Lumingon ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses at doon ko siya nakita. Standing just a few feet away from me, wearing our school uniform.

"Wynther."

My heart started to pound. Loud and fast. Halos patakbo akong lumapit sa kanya at mabilis siyang binalot sa isang mahigpit na yakap.

I don't care if this is a dream or just a hallucination. I don't care. Ang mahalaga, nandito siya. I could hear her voice. I could touch her.

Naramdaman ko ang marahan niyang pagtapik sa likod ko, pero hindi ko siya binitiwan. Mas lalo kong hinigpitan ang yakap, and she must have felt what I was feeling because she hugged me back just as tightly.

We stayed like that for a long time until she tapped my back again.

"Tama na. Sumosobra ka na sa tsansing," natatawa niyang sabi.

Napakunot ang noo ko pero binitiwan ko rin siya. Tinitigan ko ang mukha niya. It didn't change. She still looked the same as before, smiling brightly at me.

"Miss na miss mo naman ako masyado. Sobrang higpit ng yakap mo e," biro niya bago tumawa.

"Yeah," seryoso kong sagot, patuloy pa rin ang pagtitig sa kanya.

She stilled at my response, and I saw the faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Wow. Hindi ka na nonchalant ngayon," she teased, but I didn't answer.

I just stared at her. As if trying to memorize every little detail about her. Every inch of her face. Because I knew that once this dream ended, I wouldn't be able to see her or touch her like this again.

I knew this was just a dream. Because she was here—smiling at me like nothing was wrong. She looked so alive. Unlike the day I saw her lying in that coffin.

Her smile slowly faded when she noticed how intensely I was looking at her.

Napalunok siya bago humugot ng malalim na hininga.

Muli siyang ngumiti. "Let's take a walk," at inilahad niya ang kamay niya.

I reached for it, slowly intertwining our fingers. A shiver ran through me the moment our skin touched, making my heart race faster and my stomach twist.

Napatitig siya sa magkahawak naming kamay, and I saw the emotions swirling in her eyes. She took another deep breath before giving me a soft smile and meeting my gaze.

"Let's go."

And so we walked. Hand in hand.

Habang naglalakad, the scenery suddenly shifted. From pure white, biglang nagbago ang paligid into something I was familiar with. We were now near our condo unit.

Kahit nagtataka sa nangyayari ay wala akong sinabi. Mas hinigpitan ko lang ang hawak sa kamay niya—afraid that I might lose her.

Nagpalinga-linga ako. And that's when I saw... myself.

I was walking while looking at my phone, completely unaware of my surroundings.

Kumunot ang noo ko. This scene looks familiar.