Soledad

Kabanata 5

Hindi siya nakaimik nang matuon ang tingin niya sa babaeng ngayon ay ilang hakbang ang layo sa kanya. She mentally estimated the woman's age to be around her age of late twenties.

"O bakit para yata at ikaw ay nakakita nang multo?" Pabirong wika nito na nakatingin sa kanya.

Her eyes roamed not the woman's face but the clothing she wore. Nagulumihan siya sa suot nitong baro't saya. Though it was of simple design than the ones she saw on display at the second floor of the old house. Wala naman silang nakasalamuhang babae na nakasuot nang baro't saya sa loob nang lumang bahay.

"Ano ang nangyayari sa'yo, Soledad?" Ang patanong na wika nang babae na ikinakunot nang noo niya.

Soledad? Mas lalo siyang kinilabutan at namawis nang malamig.

"Hin-hindi ako si Soledad." Ang tanggi niya na ikinakunot na nang noo nito. The woman's face had the expression of disbelief as she looked at her face. It was as if Solea was merely joking at her.

"Ikaw ay maaaring nahihilo lamang kaya iyan ang iyong nasasabi." The woman dismissed what she just stated. "Halina at nang maagapan na ang pagdurugo nang iyong ilong. Ano ba ang iyong pinaggagawa? Iyo bang naiuntog ang iyong ulo kung saan? Dapat na mag-ingat ka kung gayon." Litanya na nito na lumapit na sa kanya upang akayin paalis sa lugar na iyon.

"I am serious, I am not Soledad!" Paninindigan ni Solea sa babae. Hindi rin siya nagpahila rito nang akayin na siya nito upang maglakad. Ito ang magulo sa kanilang dalawa. Who in the world in their right mind would dress up in clothes from a bygone era. Maiintindihan pa niya kung may pagtitipon o programa na kailangan na magsuot nang national costume. Even when it was an occasion or a program, she doubt that people nowadays would consider wearing the national costume. She was sure that the modern formal trends in clothes would appeal more these days.

Who would not?

A sudden thought crossed her mind. It was like heaven and hell fell on both sides crushing her in the middle.

Oh God! Do tell me that this is not what I am thinking! She never did experienced this before. She was always an overseer to the paranormal events she had encounter ever since, it was the first that she could interact with a paranormal entity.

How could that be? Ang may pagtatakang tanong niya sa sarili.

Damn it! Hindi pa rin tumitigil sa pagtulo ang dugo sa kanyang ilong. She also felt light headed and cold.

"Soledad, ako ay naguguluhan na sa iyo. Ano ba ang kalokohan na ito na naisip mong muli ngayon? Nakuha mo pa na magsalita sa Ingles."

Hindi na lang umimik si Solea. She did not want to waste her breathe trying to prove that she was not Soledad. This was just a sick play of her mind. Iwinaksi niya ang mga kamay nitong nakaagapay sa kanya. She then turned to the stairs going down to the second floor.

Whatever! Oras na makaalis siya sa lugar na iyon ay makababalik na rin sa normal ang lahat. This was just a split-second memory of the old house she happen to unintentionally attract. She would be back to New York days after and all she saw here would just remain as an unbelievable encounter.

Her light headed feeling taken its toll on her. Her steps faltered on the second step of the stairs going down to the second floor. Ang kanyang kamay ay walang lakas na humawak sa balustre nang hagdan, dumulas lamang ang daliri niya roon.

Shit! Solea braced herself from the impact of falling.

The last she heard was the name of Soledad being called in panic before her head hit the stair's steps.