Between the Stars (RE-WRITING)

A Glimpse: Chubby Ghelo

"Saan mo ba banda inihagis?" tanong ng naiirita ngunit maingat na tinig ng isang lalaki.

"Dito lang 'yon," sagot naman ng isang babae. "Wait. I found it--" Bigla ay napatili ito.

"Ano 'yan? Bakit ka sumigaw?"

"U-uncle... may... may..." Pagkatapos ay naramdaman ni Ghelo ang mga yabag.

"Oh, my!" singhap ng babae.

"Bangkay?" sabi ng lalaki. "Don't go near."

Ghelo could hear them clear but he could not speak. The uncle contacted help from emergency. The girl came closer to him and even touched his identification card that he was wearing.

"Uncle, look, he's a student. He's wearing a school ID."

"I said, stay away, 'nak!" saway ng lalaki.

Naramdaman niya ang paglayo nito kasabay na may kung anong matigas na bagay na nahulog sa tagiliran ni Ghelo. Napaungol siya.

"Uncle, he's alive! He flinched."

"Don't touch him, you might add damage to the situation. Let the experts handle this, I already called help."

May ilang sandali rin niyang narinig ang pagtatalo ng dalawa. Sapantaha niya, hinila ng lalaki palayo sa kaniya ang babae.

Moments later, siren echoed... And everything shut off.

***

Naglalakad si Ghelo. Pero malabo ang paligid niya. Bagaman para siyang nakalutang, patuloy lang siya sa paghakbang. It was like a long and endless journey. Wala siyang maramdaman....

Pero may naririnig siya. A girl's voice.

"Hi, Michelangelo..."

Mi-kelan-dzelo? The girl knew his name. And she pronounced it not like the rest. Only his mother would call him that way.

"Well, just want to be sure you're okay since we found you," patuloy nito. "Alam mo, earlier, I saw your mom crying. Gusto ko sana siyang lapitan, but I don't have the courage..." The girl trailed off.

Umiiyak ba siya? naisip niya.

"You're lucky to have a parent like her and I can't help but feel jealous. Siguro kung ako ang nasa hospital bed na 'yan, walang mom or dad na iiyak sa akin. Almost all my life, I live so far from them. You see how lucky you are? So wake up." She sighed. "Gumising ka, okay? Sayang," may ilang patlang din itong hindi nagsalita, saka nagpatuloy, "sayang cute ka pa naman kahit chubby ka." Natawa ito.

And her laughter was like a chiming little bell. It penetrated his heart.

"You know what? I'm actually looking for my locket necklace. Naihulog ko yata sa tabi mo. Kaya kung sakaling nasa iyo, can you return it? Wow. Funny, I threw it away yet, I tried to find it and I found you. Then I lost it again.... Maybe until we crossed paths once again? Until then, keep it for me."

It was like everyday he was hearing that voice in his deep sleep. She was talking to him, asking him to wake up.

And one day when he did, she was not there.

"Mom, may dumalaw ba sa akin dito?" iyon ang isa sa mga unang namutawi sa bibig ni Ghelo paggising niya. Habang umiiyak ang mommy niya habang mahigpit siyang yakap.

"Kami ni Philly. Bakit? Baka naman si Thalia."

Si Thalia? Napapikit siya. Ni minsan hindi niya narinig ang boses nito. Bakit nga ba siya nito dadalawin gayong ito ang dahilan kaya siya nabugbog-sarado. Dare lang ang lahat kaya siya nito pinatulan. Para patunayan sa mga kaibigan na patay na patay rito ang dating boyfriend nitong mayaman at siga sa campus. Ginawa lang siya nitong panakip-butas. Hindi alam ng mommy niya na humiwalay na siya rito nang malaman niya ang totoo. Pero kahit na umiwas na siya, nadamay pa rin siya sa galit ng dating boyfriend nito.

"Siyanga pala, may inabot sa akin ang doktor. Sa iyo raw ito?" Mula sa bulsa ng suot na bestida ng kaniyang ina ay may inilabas ito.

Isang locket necklace.

From then on Ghelo vowed to return it to the owner, but he was clueless where to find her. He did not even know her name or her face. The locket -- he couldn't open still. But he told himself, he wanted to meet her. And maybe it was crazy to think, over that span of time he already fell in love with her. When his heart was broken by his first love, Ghelo closed his heart -- and would only open it once he met "that girl" -- his savior. Meeting her would finally confirm his true feelings -- if it was because of gratitude or it was a love built in unexpected circumstance.

Destiny once let their paths cross, it would happen again -- Ghelo believed.

***