Some Time Before
"Jade Tanchingco? Are you kidding me?"
"Do you really think I'd joke about this love? This is our life why would I do that?"
"I'm sorry, it's just too much has happened today."
"I'm sorry too love, you need rest." Althea said as she guided me to the couch.
"Have you read any of the letters?" I asked, as she walked to the kitchen to get me a glass of water.
"Not yet, I just traced how old they are. The first letter was written back in 1515."
"What year is it now?"
"2085. The first letter was written 570 years ago. The latest letter was written somewhere in 2015. It was the shortest and it was also unfinished."
"The timeline on the other side was still 2016."
"Yeah we're - -"
"We're in a mess."
"Jade, rest for now. I'll start reading the letters. But come on, let's have dinner first because I cooked your favorite." Althea smiled, and just her smile relaxes me.
"What would I do without you." I sighed, making her chuckle
"You are bounded to me for life, we are the definition of forever Jade, so you wouldn't be able to imagine life without me." Althea winked
"Good, cause I wouldn't wanna imagine that timeline either." I confessed, and she kissed me.
"I couldn't believe, I just put you to rest a while ago and now here you are kissing me. I might as well go mad." I uttered, making her laugh
"I could just only imagine how your brain works love, how this rewind and time hops and travelling can occur in one able body. And just imagining how you could live with that is already tiresome." Althea revered
"I know exactly the reason, I'm still sane." I smiled
"What?"
"You mean who, you." I said lightly poking her cheek as she blush.
"And I love you so, people ask me how - -" Althea started singing as she pulled me into a slow dance, making me laugh, the first time since the time hop happened on the other side.
"I missed you laughing like that." Althea whispered close to my ear as she continued to sway us, old school style.
"This is better than any prom dance I had in the past."
"Good. I mean great. Because I dance the best right?" Althea teased
"Yes the best dancer. I'm already starting to think that maybe while I'm not here, you're taking dance classes." I accused
"Seriously?!" Althea exclaimed
"Yeah why not? Are you seeing anybody else? A dance instructor perhaps?" I continued teasing
"Oh god you're impossible, you know well that no matter what I do, I'll always end up with you, so why would I waste time seeing anybody else when all I wanted to see everyday for the rest of my life is you Jade?"Althea revered looking into my eyes, just the way I wanted her to, just the same way she did back in the timeline where I needed to euthanise her.
And I thought what if I didn't left Althea behind after she succumb to depression there? Maybe she would've fallen in love with me in the long run. But it wouldn't be fulfilling at all, knowing I caused it.
Some Time After
"Hey Jade, you're looking better."
"Thanks Batchi, how are things with Wila and business?"
"Great, we're taking it one client a day and they're coming more often now, you're right about putting up an events business."
"You are just good at handling business, that's the secret."
"By the way, Althea said you'll be driving with her and Kathleen to one of your farms?"
"Yeah, for the flower picking, you know K, she wants to see it for her to believe it that Violets are not blue." I joked
"Ahuh, she's the seeing is believing type." Batchi agreed and we laughed.
"Wow, you're laughing now. Progress." Althea suddenly beamed from behind us.
"Yeah, it's not like Jade's drepressed or something right Jadey?" Kathleen turned to me and I just smiled.
"You ready to bolt Jadey?" Althea turned to me
"Yeah, I'll be driving."
"Are you sure you can?"
"Of course, it's not like I'm too depressed to do anything." I said before walking out of the café, hearing Batchi's supressed giggle.
I walked straight to my car, slip behind the steering wheel, once in I turned the music on the stereo loud enough for neither of them to start a conversation with me. I put my things on the front passenger seat just so Althea couldn't sit beside me. I know she noticed it but I pretend I didn't.
They sat in the back, Kathleen's not trying so hard to keep her hands by herself, Althea's trying to control Kathleen's advances and I tried hard enough not to pull on a sudden stop that'll cause Kathleen to bang her head against the front passenger seat.
Good thing the flowers Kathleen wants for her bouquet and general arrangements can be found in our farm in Tagaytay so we didn't have to drive all the way to Baguio. And while we're driving along Tagayatay road, I spotted an abandoned establishment strategically located by the cliff facing the beautiful view of the Taal volcano. My eyes were glued to the empty establishment mainly because it almost looked familiar to me and the closer I drive by the more vivid my memory of the place became. And we as directly pass by it, a vision came into my eyes by surprise causing me to pull on a sudden stop and as expected Kathleen bump her head on the front passenger seat.
"Aww! Jade seriously?!" Kathleen exasperated
"Jadey are you okay?" Althea worried
"I- uhh yeah, I just thought I saw someone I know."
"Someone you know in the middle of nowhere?" Kathleen rolled her eyes at me, and Althea instantly reprimanded her.
"Are you sure you're fine? I can drive us and you can just tell me where we're going?" Althea offered
"No, it's fine. I'm fine." I countered, letting go of the brake and gradually accelerating. And that's when I realize where I saw the establishment. It was in my last dream.
After forty-five minutes of driving we reached our farm by the foot of a mountain, we were welcomed by my employees. While I let Althea and Kathleen roam around the farm I checked on the office and talked to my manager and over-all care taker to know the updates and things like that. It actually felt like the first time I ever did that, but the knowledge my memory supplied me proved that I must have been doing this for five years now, considering my age and the year I started taking charge of the things in our family business.
"We're settled with the sunflowers Jade as the main flower, and you can just blend it with other flowers." Kathleen said as I approach them by the small café connected to the garden.
"Okay, I got it. Anymore specifications?"
"I want them in full bloom that's all." Kathleen said while sipping coffee.
"What about you Althea?" I turned to Althea who has been a little quiet since we arrived.
"I'm good with the sunflowers too Jadey. I'm just impressed with your sunflower fields. It's beautiful."
"Thanks, it's my mother's favorite part of the farm."
"Tita Clara of course no doubt about that." Althea smiled and I did too.
"So you're good to go?" I asked
"Sure, it's also getting late, I still have yoga class tonight." Kathleen said standing up right away and walking passed me, I was about to follow her out when Althea pulled me aside.
"Althea what is it?"
"I had a dream last night."
"What happened?"
"I dreamt that, Kathleen cheated on me for the second time, and she left. And then I became a drunk and then a depressed prick, and then it was too much for you to handle me, so you left, and then I got into an accident, and when I woke up I thought I have already woken up but I wasn't. I couldn't move my body and the next thing I knew, I was asking you to end my life." Althea detailed and I knew exactly what she was talking about and I didn't know it'll somewhat reach her even through a dream.
"Althea, is this why you're distracted the whole time?"
"Kind of, it's unsettling. My whole life played right before my eyes and it didn't end well."
"Whatever that is it wouldn't happened in real time, don't you know what they say about dreams? They're the opposite of reality. They happened contrary to what they seem to imply. So you shouldn't worry about anything. Maybe you're just restless and stressed about work and the wedding. Try to relax a bit." I explained
"You think so?"
"Yes, I really think so. And no matter what happened what did I promise you?"
"That you'll never leave me?"
"That I'll never leave you, so chill will yah." I smiled and she did too.
Some Time During
"She dreamt about her alternate reality."
"Really? And what did you tell her?"
"That dreams are the opposite of reality and things like that."
"Good save. By the way while you're away I thought of something we can do with the letters."
"What is it?"
"Instead of reading them, why don't we use them to travel back in time? You said you were able to go back in time because of Althea and Kathleen's photo taken from the past."
"So you're saying why don't we travel using the letters, and go back in the exact years they were written?"
"Yeah."
"But there's a thousand of them letters Althea."
"Let's make a pattern, we'll travel with a fifty year difference. Like we'll start in 1515 and the next one is on 1565."
"What can the fifty year difference do about it?"
"That's statistically how long you can wait for a true love or a soul mate to come on your way."
"How did you know?"
"I didn't, I just believe."
"What if we're able to do that and we accidentally change something?"
"I do believe that we're in a free timeline. You're the time master here. So what do you think?"
"You'll travel with me?"
"If you can take me with you I will."
"Right, let's try. Take the oldest." I said, Althea walked over her table and took the last letter beneath the stack and sat in front of me again.
"I'll hold this and you clutch on my hands, no matter what you do never let go. I can't lose you some time I've never been to."
"Of course, I know. I'll never let go." She said pretty determined.
"Right okay." I affirmed, looking on the letter from 1515 and started concentrating.
My breathing slowed down same with my heartbeat. And the same spinning around happened like before, Althea tightened her hold on both of my hands as everyting around us moved and buzzed. I shut my eyes until there was silence again.
"Oh my god." I heard Althea gasped and let go of me and when I opened my eyes.
"Love." I gasped too seeing her hair longer pulled in a loose bun, she's dressed into a maiden's clothing the one worn by Belle in the fairytale Beauty and the Beast.
"You've got to be really shitting me!" Althea beamed as she looked outside of the window. And we both broke into laughter. We were only stopped when another set of Jade and Althea burst into the cottage we are in. We hid behind the bookshelves.
"Oh shit." Althea cursed and when I looked I saw the other set of us making love.
"If we're here and there's another set of us how is that possible?" I asked
"Damn Jade, even back in 1515 you're hot. Literally."
"Shut it!" I beamed a little too loud and we looked over the hot couple who looked exactly like us but they're not budging.
"They didn't hear you love."
"They're not hearing us. But can they see us?" I asked
"Let's see." Althea suddenly jump out of our hiding place and in front of the couple who's in the middle of the deed.
"Althea!" I hissed
"They're not seeing us love. Come on let's go we're not staying here until they finish are we?" Althea said, and I deeply sighed before going out from our hiding place.
"Come on, Jade's about to climax." Althea giggled, we were about to go out when Althea stopped me.
"What is it?"
"Someone's coming this way, he's holding a gun."
"Lock the door!" I said
"Help me!" Althea said as she motioned to lock the barn door. I helped her with the heavy lock and with the loud latching sound we were able to stop the guy from coming in. The couple suddenly stopped what they're doing and ducked behind the couch not facing the window.
"Althea! Are you here?!" We heard the guy outside called out.
"Althea?!" The guy continued to call out as he look through the only window where we're hiding.
After the guy in a soldier's uniform left, the other Jade and Althea fixed themselves, they promised to see each other again tonight and kissed before Jade left first.
"Why can't they see or hear us?" I wondered looking at Althea who's sitting on the couch, we're right in front of her.
"Maybe because they're the real Althea and Jade in this lifetime."
"But we were able to save them from that guy holding a gun. They seem to be really scared of him."
"Maybe they're having an affair. And that guy is someone significant."
"What are we going to do?" I asked
"Let's wait." Althea said
The other Althea suddenly jolted up and rummage her bookshelf for a parchment, and I remembered the laminated paper I was holding, and when I looked at it, it's blank. Nothing was written on it.
"Love look at this." I said showing Althea the laminated paper.
She took it and looked over to her other self. She walked behind the other Althea who's slouched on the table intently writing on the paper.
"Check this out Jade." Althea said, and when I looked at the paper Althea was holding, the words were slowly appearing one by one as the other Althea write them.
"Wow."
"Yeah. Wow."
"Do you think we should follow her until tonight?" Althea asked
"If we're holding the letter 570 years after, I'm sure something bad happened."
"Are we stopping it?"
"We could do that."
And so we waited until dusk came, Althea left the letter under a book on top of the table. We then followed her to where she's going. And then she stopped when the guy from earlier confronted her.
"Althea."
"What are you doing here?"
"You need to come home now. Your parents are worried of you."
"No. I'm not coming with you."
"And what would rather do? Be the mistress of that woman? That Jade?! You could've been married to me living a wealthy life but you're choosing to be a degenerate!"
"You don't know what you're talking about." Althea brushed him off and walked passed him. He tried holding her back but Althea gutted him hard and ran. After he recovered he ran after her and we did the same.
Althea was pulling me, but we're far from catching up to them. And then they suddenly slowed down the guy pulled out a gun from his back and aimed it to Althea and Jade.
"Jesus, he's going to shoot one of them!" Althea hissed
"We gotta do something." I panicked, but even before we could react we heard a gunshot. The guy ran towards the different direction and we saw Jade crying over Althea.
I was shocked and all I could think about was turning back time. And so I did, I balled my hands hard as I tried rewinding what happened, I saw everything run in reverse and stopped just before the guy could shot anyone of Jade and Althea.
And while I was rewinding, my Althea has already found a fallen branch, she then whack the guy on the back of his head hard and there was a cracking sound and the guy dropped unconscious on the ground.
The other Althea and Jade were startled but they checked on the guy, Althea took the gun and was about shoot the guy but Jade stopped her. Telling her she doesn't have to do that and they could just escape now and never be apart again.
Althea held my hand as we stood right in front of ourselves and watched, Jade on the other side held Althea's hand and took the gun from her. They kissed, and as they did a strong force tugged from my back and when I open my eyes again, Althea and I are back in our condo both breathless and covered in sweat.
"Jade your nose is bleeding!" Althea panicked then I felt my head reeled and everything went black.