Begin Again - A KaRa (Mika Reyes & Ara Galang) Fanfiction

Thirty-Five (Finale)

Nawawala si Ara? Ano?!

10:48 na. In 5 hrs, posibleng aalis na siya papuntang Singapore. Kailangan ko nang magpaalam sa kanya. PERO WALA SIYA? ABA, SINONG MAG-AADJUST?

I got up and immediately changed my clothes. Hindi na ako nagbook ng Uber or Grab. Nagtaxi na lang ako at pumunta sa bahay ni Ara. Because, possibly, baka nandun lang siya. Baka natutulog. Or, baka nag-iimpake na....

No. I can't even think about it. If Ara leaves, it'll hurt like hell. Pero kung 'yun yung gusto niya, then I'll just have to accept it.

I know that I'm still hoping, though, that maybe, all my efforts will pay off. Maybe she'd finally want to stay.

Pero for now, ang gusto ko lang ay makita siya. Sana nandun siya sa bahay niya.

Finally, I arrived at Ara's house. The alley was dark and so was her house. Walang naka-on na ilaw, but I tried to ring the doorbell anyway.

Walang bumukas na ilaw. Walang akong narinig na footsteps. Walang nagsabi ng "Sino 'yan?"

But I did't want to accept it. I'm sure nandito lang siya... imposibleng wala siya rito... hindi siya nawawala...

"Ara?" I called. "Ara, si Mika 'to!"

I rang the doorbell like crazy. I knocked the door until my knuckles bled. I was starting to get desperate.

"Ara?" I called again. "Nag-aalala Mama mo, akala niya nawawala ka."

Maybe she was. Ara was missing--but I couldn't seem to accept it. I don't want to accept it.

Pumunta ako sa window at sumilip. All I saw was darkness. I breathed deeply and went to the sidewalk to ride a taxi to the Lumiere Factory, kasi 'yun lang yung iba kong naisip na place. Kaso walang dumadaan, so nagbook na lang ako ng Uber. Medyo matagal at medyo nahirapan akong magbook kasi late na. In the end, I was able to book an Uber when it was quarter to 1:00.

Walang tao sa factory ngayon, I'm sure security guard lang nandun. But I still wanted to try. Pupuntahan ko lahat ng pinuntahan naming places if it meant finding Ara in the end.

As I was on my way to the factory, I felt nothing but anxiety. What if I don't find her before she leaves? After two years pa ba kami magkikita?

I arrived at the factory and I was right--no one was in sight except a security guard sleeping on his desk. I woke him up.

"Kuya, kuya," I said. His eyes opened and once he saw me, he assumed an upright position.

"Ano po 'yun, ma'am? Sorry po, nakatulog lang po--"

"Nakita mo ba si Ara? Ara Galang? 'Yung manager dito?"

He thought. "Ah, si Miss Ara?" Napakamot siya ng ulo. "Parang wala naman... hindi ko po siya nakita ngayong gabi e, ma'am, sorry."

I nodded. God Ara, where the heck are you?

I checked the clock and it was 1:18 AM. 4:00 AM ang flight niya. Ugh, nasaan ba siya?

I decided to text Tita Betchay.

To: Tita Betchay

Tita, I'm looking for Ara po. Wala po siya sa bahay niya at wala rin po sa factory. May idea po ba kayo kung nasaan siya?