Time Capsule

Sleepless night

Glaiza's POV:

Monday turned out well, halos nakalahati na namin ang paglilinis sa bakuran ni Denise. I got home around 7 pm. Pagod na pagod ako sa buong maghapon na naglinis kami. Buti na lang mabait si Denise. It was time to relax and unwind, I filed the first check to my to-do folder, nilagyan ko ng paper clip sa taas. Then I kept the other checks sa safe box ko sa kwarto. I went ahead and had dinner sa daan so, naligo na lang ako at nagpahinga na. I laid in bed still wandering about Rhian Howell, where is she? Is she fine? Would I find her eventually? I asked Denise kanina kung paano kumuha ng visa sa amerika, pero nalaman ko na dual citizen pala si Denise, kaya sigurado akong iba ang proseso na pinagdadaanan ng mga dual citizens na gaya nya kesa sa mga purong pinoy na gaya ko.

Maswerte si Denise dahil dual citizen sya pero paano naman kaya ako makakapunta sa amerika para hanapin ang batang Rhian Howell? I thought of her as often as I could. Hindi ako makatulog ilang araw na, kagabi halos apat na oras lang ang naitulog ko. Hindi ko na alam kung bakit hindi ako makatulog gayong hindi ko naman kakilala ang batang Rhian Howell. Why am I bothered? Ugh! Dahil hindi ako makatulog, I picked up my phone and opened my Google Play Music App, I played songs from my playlist. I sat in bed as I listened to my playlist of sad songs.

Tinignan ko muli ang to-do folder ko, I looked at the check Denise had given me. Doon ko na napansin ang pangalan ng may ari ng checking account. It reads in block bold letters --- Rhian Denise R. Howell. Biglang kumabog ang dibdib ko, kinusot ko pa ang mga mata ko at baka nananaginip lang ako. But the check still read Rhian Denise R. Howell.

It must be Denise and Rhian are one. Pero bakit Limjoco ang apelyedong ginamit ni Denise? Bakit Denise Limjoco ang gamit nyang pangalan? Could it be? No! No! My mind didn't want to believe it. I picked up my phone from the bed and called Denise.

She picked up after two rings and said.

"Hello, Glai?" Nagtatakang sabi ni Denise.

"Hello, Denise. Pasensiya ka na sa istorbo pero may itatanong lang sana ako sayo." I said to her.

"Uhm, sure thing. Go with your question." She said on the other line.

"Yung checke mo kase mukhang mali ang pangalan na andito. Sigurado ka bang iyo ito?" I said to her.

"Yes, I am sure. That's my account. I go by the Limjoco surname dahil iyon ang married name ko. The reason why I haven't changed my name yet is because plano ko na ding hiwalayan ang dating asawa ko." She said with her voice laced in bitterness.

"Ah, okay." Was all I could say.

"Okay na ba? Sorry, I wasn't able to inform you." She said apologetically at me.

"O-okay lang." I said shakily.

"Yun lang ba?" She asked me, her tone gentle.

"Ah-ah. Yeah yun lang. Good night Denise." I said to her.

"Good night Glai, sweet dreams." She said.

"Sweet dreams din." I said to her.

"Bye." She said.

"Bye." I replied to her before I heard the line cut off.

Si Rhian at si Denise ay iisang tao lamang. Thank God she is alive, but she said she was married and would be divorcing her husband soon. I wondered yet again as to why she was going to divorce the guy. Lumaki kasi ako sa pamilyang buo at nagmamahalan ng lubos ang Nanay at Tatay ko. I went back to bed after the call, not sure if I would come out and say that I have fallen for her and her beautiful poetry. I think I already mentioned na nahukay ko ang Diary ngunit hindi nya alam na kanya ang diary. Sa kabilang banda pwedeng battered wife si Rhian, dahil hindi naman na ito naiiba, tulad ni Abby na binubugbog ng kanyang ka-live in partner noon, isang buwan nang buntis si Abby ng magdesisyon itong lumayas sa bahay nila ng kanyang kinakasama na si Marco. Tandang-tanda ko pa na humingi ito ng tulong sa akin noon para mahuli si Marco ng mga pulis. Ngayon ay bilanggo na ito, nabalitaan namin kamakailan lang na binugbog daw ito ng kapwa nya mga preso dahil nalaman nilang nambugbog ito ng babae. Pagtapos daw ay ginahasa ito ng dalawumpong bakla na preso.