a/n: Warning! I won't promise this story to be easy to grasp and understand by technicality relating to the pool of ideas about reincarnation plus time travel plus bloodlines, but the emotions remain the same, and so inspite of you being warned and still would want to continue beyond this point. Let me ask you for your wide understanding and even wider imagination.
xo ~ K
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Genesis, the mainly narrative first book of the canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Literally means, the origin or coming into being of something.
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Hi! I know by now you're really intrigued about this story, well I am too mainly because it is a story about my life, everything in and out of it even the few circling above and below would be told in my point of view, in my own discretion. So maybe I should apologize to you, whoever you are who's really curious or who didn't read or didn't mind or worse didn't understand the author's note. I apologize to you an able soul and surely on their right mind before reading because my life is not a piece of cake or a walk in the park, I am not perfect either. But then most of the things in this story will be written on my perspective so I guess I have to be friend you or you have to be friend me, either way I need you to stay quiet and just read and understand.
I know, I hear you what a boring way to start a story right? But what can I do, this is life, my life and not everything in life could be exciting, full of love, happiness and ecstasy. Sometimes life is as hard as your geometry exam, often times it's just a badass motherf*cker always winning and everything was written by victorians, and then there are still other times when life is undefined. Like mine. It can be really ugly and painful but I could do nothing but bear with it.
I know I can tell you right here right now on this certain paragraph how this story will end but then this chapter's title should've been revelations or apocalypse, but it's not, this chapter's called genesis for some reason being, so this is surely not where my story ends.
Obviously it is where it'll begin, and since I am the narrator of my own story, I'll try hard to be really honest and transparent about everything, and the first thing I'll be honest to you about is the beginning where I can control time, and everything is perfect. By the way I'm Jade Howell.
P.S.
To save you from trouble, since I promised you transparency, here's the first secret of this story. It's divided into three different but equally relevant time frames. Two time frames are linear and follows the successive principle of time itself, it has a beginning and an ending we are yet to unravel. First is the Some Time Before, the time line where I met Althea before she met Kathleen. Second is the Some Time After, where I met Althea after she met Kathleen. And then there's my favorite the third one, the loop hole, Some Time During, it is my perfect little world where I can control time; but only in the matter of minutes or I'll be lost in the void forever, meaning to say I'll die in my real timeline if I stay too long during. So, there you have it, if you're still a little baffled here's a sample, now good luck reading.
Some Time During
"Babe, can you come down first before you shower and hear me play?" Althea called out from the first floor of our condo unit, she's really nervous about her first piano recital happening in the fortnight so she tends to practice five-seven hours a day.
"Babe aren't you tired yet? You just came in from class." I worried, yes we're still college students Althea studying to be her dad's successor while I'm taking up culinary arts. We're studying in the same university. We've known each other for four years now and been together for three, so by the second term of our freshmen year in college we decided to live together since we're out with our families.
Wait, let me back up a bit so I could tell you how we magically met.
It was the first of August some time during my freshmen year in high school, I was a member of the volleyball varsity team; the junior captain and we were having our training at the open court surrounded by one storey laboratories and the old music building students doomed to be haunted, since according to our school's history it was one of three buildings first built in the school grounds almost eighty-eight years ago.
The paints of the walls were already faded, parts are bubbled because of the rain, the glass windows were brittled by heat and cold and dust. The only source of light it has during night time is the incandescent light at the ground floor in front of the piano room.
We were practicing spikes and receives when Sally my best friend and the team's libero missed Batchi's spike, for the record Batchi's our best spiker so no doubt. But the ball landed on somewhere near the music building and my all my team mates stopped and dropped what they're doing.
"Who's going to get the ball?" Wila rolled her eyes at Batchi who's idly standing beside her who looked at my direction and smiled like an idiot.
"Get another ball Batch, I'll get it later just another more hour of drills." I ordered
After the high intensity drills we decided to call it a day, it was only five in the afternoon, while they were all putting the balls and the net we used for practice Sally reminded me of the one ball Batchi 'dumbly' spiked too hard and got lost in the haunted music building. Batchi scowled and they narrowed their eyes on each other.
"Stop before you two fight again. Remember the last time we're taking the net down just last week's practice and you ended up ripping it?" I reprimanded knowing how feisty both Sally and Batchi are, they're both in my circle of friends so I can tell them straight about everything.
"I'll go get it, you guys return the others at the gymnasium, I'll just meet you there." I said and they looked at me like I'm some kind of superhero going to save their asses from enduring the 'haunted music building' they're fond of calling.
I tugged on my ponytail to free my hair, before I slang my duffle bag on my right shoulder and my towel on my left. I was picking on the tapes on my fingers while I was walking towards the building when I thought I heard an out of tune piano key being repeatedly tapped, I slowed down and looked around if the ball was around there somewhere but it was not.
"How hard did Batchi hit that ball really?" I exasperated, I don't get easily scared though but I can be easily surprised. I continued to walk down the hall, and the faint tapping on one piano key suddenly laid out a few more notes. And I stopped in front of the piano room, but the sound coming from the piano didn't stop.
I quietly ushered closer to the door of the piano room and listened, someone was playing an odd song something I never heard before among my father's collection of classical music. I used my hand to clear the dust on the doors glass to see who is playing.
And the more I wipe on the glass the clearer I see who's inside. The piano was old, the top part that's suppose to be covering it was gone, the black paint of it's body was already tattered and you can already hear the age of the exhausted instrument by the vibration of each keys.
My eyes moved from the piano to the pianist, who happens to be a girl, just about my age, her hair was dark brown, pulled into a loose ponytail her fringe is lousily clipped to the right. The sun was setting behind her so only the outline of her nose was visible, she wearing our uniform, looking clean and freshly ironed at dusk. And then I noticed something beside her on the piano stool, our volleyball. I slightly pushed on the door by accident when I saw the thing I was looking for but I didn't know that the door was already ajar it didn't support my weight and in one quick movement the door was pushed wide open banging on the wall behind it and the pianist jolted back from her seat in utter shock.
"Oops. Sorry." I said
"Who are you?" She frowned and I lagged when I get a better view of her face. She has full and maintained eyebrows, thick lashes, dark brown anime eyes, plump lips, softly chiseled jawline and a prominent collarbone slightly showing from the two opened buttons of her blouse.
"I-uhh-ball." I stuttered and she raised an eyebrow.
"I – I mean the ball beside you is mine." I shyly said, I am usually straight forward and confident but there's something in her eyes that's trying to tell me otherwise.
"Oh. Here." She shortly answered as she swiftly stood up from the piano stool and took the ball, walk towards me and I realized we're of the same height so no matter what I do, my eyes will meet hers.
"T-thanks. You play?" I asked as I took the ball from her, she walked back towards the piano stool and sat.
"You want to see for yourself?" She asked, poker face and all.
"May I?" I hesitated and she tapped on the space beside her. I almost reluctantly moved to where she was, I dropped my duffle bag and the ball on top of it and sat beside her.
"I heard you play a while ago, the song what is it called?"
"It was nothing. I haven't fully mastered that piece. But I can play you another one. My own arrangement of she's always a woman to me." She offered slightly smiling.
"Yes please." I encouraged.
"Right, don't laugh if I ever make a mistake." She warned
"Or what?" I teased
"Nothing, I'll just lose on bar on my self esteem." She confessed
"I won't, I promise." I assured her
"Thanks." She said before turning to the piano keys in front of us.
After a few seconds of silence, the pianist started to let her fingers touch and do magic with the black and white keys of the Yamaha piano. I know the song so I was able to follow the melody even though she add a few things only she can do. She's great, her hands looked perfect on the keys, they're long and slender and graceful. She stopped halfway and I thought she was through but I was wrong,
She can kill with a smile
She can wound with her eyes
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child but
She's always a woman to me
Because she suddenly started singing. Her voice was gentle but her husk has a certain edge. I looked at her and her eyes were closed. And I wonder how she was able to do that, her eyes closed while her fingers dance across the keys.
She can lead you to love
She can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth
But she'll never believe you
And she'll take what you give
Her as long as it's free
She steals like a thief
But she's always a woman to me.
She continued singing and there was I feeling myself slowly closing my eyes too.
Oh, she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh, she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind
She stopped singing and let the melody do its magic until she tapped the last note. She looked at me and smiled.
"Thanks for not laughing, by the way I'm Althea, Althea Guevarra." She said offering her hand to me.
"Thanks for letting me intrude your personal practice. I'm Jade Howell." I smiled back as I shook her hand.
Now let's go back in our condo.
"No babe, please? Are you getting tired of hearing me play?" Althea pouted, I walked towards her and bend over to hug her from behind.
"Play for me a thousand times over and I'll still be swooned." I said before kissing her cheek, she laughed shortly.
"Biased." She accused
"Whatever come on, play now so we can shower already." I teased as I sat beside her, like I always do when she wants me to listen to her play.
"Right. So this is my own composition and this one's called - -"
Some Time After
"Jade? Hey Jade. Are you okay?"
"Hey what happened?"
"You passed out while we're having a meeting with Althea and Kathleen."
"Oh."
"Althea was so worried about you. What happened?"
"Nothing, I just didn't feel fine when I woke up this morning though."
"You should have yourself checked, Althea moved the meeting about the wedding. She said she'll call you later after their visit to the possible venues."
"Right, okay I better go home for now Sal. I'm sorry I'm just really tired."
"Sure, could you drive?"
"I'll just take a cab."
"You better be. Come on I'll hail a cab for you." Sally said as she took my bag and assisted me to get up from the couch, I wobbled a bit. We're waiting for a cab when my phone vibrated. It was Althea.
From: Althea
Hi Jadey? You okay? Aren't you telling me something? Sally told me you're a bit disoriented and moody with decreasing appetite the passed few days. Have you had yourself checked? I can come with you if you want to? Please answer. I'll drop by your place later. Rest well.
To: Althea
I'm fine now, Sally's helping me take a cab.
From: Althea
At the shop? I'll drive by I'm close. Stay there.
"Jade cab's here."
"Althea said she'll drive by, she's close."
"Oh, She told me they'll be visiting five possible venues?"
"I don't know either, she just texted."
"Jadey!" Althea suddenly beamed from the entrance of my flower shop.
"Hey." I weakly smiled
"You still look shit."
"I feel shit."
"Is there something you're not telling me? Seriously Jade? I'm your best friend." Althea teased, but the last word still has this bitter after taste.
"I want food." I lied.
"Sure, we'll get you food." Althea instantly reacted.
"I'll be in-charge with her now Sally." Althea turned to Sally asking for my bag Sally was still holding.
"Take care of her, Althea." Sally smiled
"I will. When did I fail on taking care of my best-est friend?" Althea beamed again rubbing salt on my wound.
I let her guide me to her car, she opened my door and like she always does, buckle my seatbelt for me.
"Sally told me you'll visit five venues today with K."
"We were supposed to do that, but she threw a feat of tantrums when I defended you from her."
"Defended me?"
"When you fainted, she's the first to conclude that - -"
"That?"
"Tell me Jade are you seeing your ex again?"
"David?"
"Yeah?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Would I lie to you?"
"No, of course."
"What did K say?"
"She thought you were pregnant."
"What?!"
"That's exactly what my initial reaction was, and you know K, she's always jumping into conclusion, so she comes back to me with that look she always does when she's telling me it's my fault? You know that right." Althea slightly laughed.
"Yeah I know." I agreed.
"So you're not pregnant?"
"Althea?! If I am you be the first to know."
"Promise?"
"Yep, it's as if there's a huge chance that I'll be. I'm not even in a relationship."
"I'm just scared to lose you Jade."
"What?"
"I know I know, I told K about this feeling, which sparked another argument. But then it's just there, I'm scared of losing you, I'm scared of losing my best friend Jadey."
"Don't you think that's kind of selfish?"
"I know. I'm sorry. It is selfish of me to keep you to myself when I'm just a friend. Maybe I'm just protective of you that even just the idea of you going away with someone else cuts."
"Althea you're being paranoid."
"Maybe, all this wedding preparation and Kathleen being herself is slightly unnerving me."
"Why don't you relax a bit?"I offered putting my hand on top of hers on the gear shift stick. She instantly holds on to me.
"You relaxes me, that's why when you replied I drive by as fast as I can."
"You're crazy."
"You're my only family now Jadey. Without you I'll be lost." Althea revered and I almost wish she could say that to me again a little more romantically but I know that's not gonna happened, not in this timeline.
This is the timeline where she falls to anyone but me. The timeline I dreaded, but also the timeline I couldn't actually escape from. I'm trapped here, destined to watch the love of my life get married to someone else who takes her for granted while she only sees me as a very trustworthy and dependable best friend worst almost like a sister. If only I could find the way back or the way out I'll give anything, but the solution to my problem is as lost as the timeline where I met her first before she met Kathleen.