Inception
AZALEA
I rushed off to the parking lot, as soon as Philip told me about it, not minding those people I left without a word. It's only Papa George that I can think of. My mind is surrounded with fear, anxiety and negativity. I cannot let this happen. It's Papa George's life at stake.
He's the reason why I am still alive. Papa George brought me a new life.
Philip opened the door of his car for me to get in. Mabuti nalang at naka-sunod siya agad sa akin matapos kong maglakad ng mabilis pagkarinig na pagkarinig pa lamang sa balita. Pagka-pasok ko sa sasakyan, mabilis naman niyang isinara ang pinto at madaling nagpunta sa driver's seat.
Alam kong hindi lang ako ang nag-aalala rito, pati na rin siya dahil una sa lahat, siya ang totoong apo ni Papa George. Sampid lang naman ako.
While we're on our way, I cannot help it but remember that time...
I'm in the middle of the bridge. All I could hear is the whispering wind and the sound of the waves underneath that is matching the cold air.
Tic. Toc. Tic. Toc.
I looked at where was the sound came from. There's a clock saying that it's already 10 seconds before midnight.
Am I in London? Standing in the middle of the London Bridge and looking at the Big Ben?
Ting. Ting.
12:00 Midnight.
"Happy Birthday to me." I greeted myself knowing that no one would ever greet me.
I lost my family, my friends and now I'm lost in an unknown city.
Do I really have a family in the first place? I didn't know who I am now. Am I still the Azalea Ortiz that grew up with Helena and Francisco Ortiz? Ang Helena and Francisco Ortiz na walang ginawa kundi gawin akong alipin. Ngayong alam ko na ang katotohanan ay pinalayas na nila ako. I have nowhere to go. Even my friends, or should I say, "so-called" friends told me to go away so I ran and now, I didn't know where I am.
I stood at the side of the bridge where there is a metal fence that prevents me from falling. I felt the cold air against my skin. Buti nalang at hindi gaano kalamig. I don't have anything at this moment.
Why can't I just end my own life? I'm all alone now.
I stood against the metal fence. I felt its coldness against my skin.
No, I can't just end my own life. This is a sin.
I take a look at the water below. I don't have family, I don't have someone to lean on, but still, I want to continue my life. I want to find the lost pieces of myself.
Step back now, Az. Step back.
Beep. Beep.
I was startled, my foot slipped and I fell.
"Ah!"
Splash.
I felt the cold water against my skin. I don't know how to swim.
I don't want to die. Please, let me live.
Naramdaman ko ang sakit ng pagkaka-bagsak ko. Buhay pa ako. Nakakaramdam pa ako. Pinipilit kong umangat mula sa pagkakalubog sa tubig ngunit hindi ko magawa dahil sa sakit ng katawan ko. Huling ala-ala na mayroon ako noong oras na iyon ay ang pagkakatama ng noo ko sa isang bato.
I WOKE up with a heavy feeling, my whole body is in pain and I can't even move. What's happening?
I tried to remember what happened, me-falling down on that bridge and feeling hopeless. How can I still be alive?
Suddenly, heard some whispering-no, noises becoming louder and louder.
I still don't have the courage to open my eyes.
Who are they? Who's with me?
Does my Mama and Papa found me?
Gosh, Azalea, they threw you away and you expect they would look for you?
I slowly opened my eyes.
"She's awake."
"Oh, come on, umalis na tayo bago pa niya tuluyang buksan iyong mga mata niya."
Their whispers are now clear enough. What are they talking about?
I slowly opened my eyelids. It was blurry at first but I can see heads of many people.
"Ayan na nga, gising na."
"Tara na kasi."
"Sigurado ba kayong makikita tayo niyan?"
"S-sino kayo?"
My vision gets clearer. I managed to see them clearly. What shocked me is their appearance. Tao ba sila? Asan ako?
"Gising ka na." Someone beside me spoke. I faced him. He's normal. Maybe, I was just hallucinating? I looked at the other side, and no-I am not hallucinating. I blinked my eyes, thinking that this is just a product of my imagination.
Para kasi silang multo.
Wearing their hospital gowns, pale but a bit blue skin and their dark eyebags.
"Asan ako? Sino kayo?" I asked the man beside me.
"You're in a hospital. At ako lang ang naandito." I was shocked when I heard what he said.
Hindi ito puwede, nananaginip pa rin ako.
"Hindi, sino sila?" I asked. Tinuro ko iyong mga tao sa gilid na tila ba nadagdagan pa.
"Oh, w-wait, you're saying... I'll just call my grandpa." I shook my head. Ano? Iiwan niya ako? Pero hindi niya nakita ang aking pag-iling at dali-dali nang lumabas.
"Azalea, tulungan mo kami."
Hindi, panaginip lang ito lahat. Hindi maaari.
"Azalea..."
"P-Paano niyo nalaman pangalan ko?"
"Azalea, kailangan namin ng tulong mo..."
"Hindi..."
"Azalea..."
"Lubayan niyo ako!" And with that, the door opened and I felt a needle piercing through my skin. I'm sleepy and everything turned black.
Nagising dahil sa mga boses na naririnig ko sa paligid ko. Did I had a dream? What was that?
"What are you trying to say, Philip?" Asked by a man's voice-a man in his sixties probably.
"She can see them. She can see those souls." Said by a familiar manly voice. I tried to open my eyes. Nakakita ako ng dalawang bulto ng tao na nakatayo at nag-uusap. Isang pamilyar na bulto at isang taong halatang may katandaan na.
I know the guy. He is the guy in my... dream?
So, that wasn't a dream? What about those creatures? Was I hallucinating?
"Papa," the young man, in a spanish accent, "ako lang iyong naandito kanina. How come that she was referring to other persons aside from me?"
What? Am I in a dream again?
Baka nananaginip lang talaga ako, na lumayas ako, napadpad sa hindi kilalang lugar, nahulog sa tulay at ngayo'y nasa hindi kilalang silid-sa ospital.
I closed my eyes, trying to remember the 'dreams', if those were really dreams.
Bluish faces. Dark eyelids and eyebags. Cold atmosphere.
How come that I can even feel the temperature in my skin if that was a dream?
I sighed as I finally opened my eyes. I roamed my eyes around the room, gone now the unwanted creatures. Possibly, that's a dream. Really a dream.
They are ghosts and ghosts aren't real, right?
Napalingon sa akin iyong dalawang taong nag-uusap sa tabi ng hinihigaan ko.
"S-sino kayo?" I finally managed to say. The young man looked at the elder and the elder nodded.
"I'm Philip Kingston," the lad replied. Kumunot ang noo ko. Bakit ba ako naandito? Sino ang nagdala sa akin? Sila ba? "I'm his grandson," referring to the old man, "he's George Kingston, and I was the one who brought you here."
Siya iyong nagdala sa akin dito? Kaya ba lumitaw siya sa panaginip ko? Paano nangyari iyon?
I tried to remember the things that happened in my dream. The last thing that happened was the feeling of a needle piercing through my skin.
Muli kong nilingon ang mag-lolo sa harapan ko. Paano naman nila ako natunton?
Sinubukan ko ng umupo. Agad din namang umalalay sa akin si Philip para makaupo ako ng maayos. Nararamdaman ko ang sakit ng katawan ko at may kaunting kirot pa sa may ulo ko.
Napatingin muli ako sa paligid ko. Ganitong-ganito ang hitsura ng lugar na kinalalagyan ko sa panaginip ko. White walls. The smell of disinfectants. Chilling.
"What's your name, young lady?" Asked by the old man.
"Azalea..." tanging iyon lang ang nasabi ko. Paano'y hindi na rin naman ako sigurado sa katauhan ko. Hindi naman talaga ako si Azalea Ortiz.
"So, Azalea, do you still remember how you ended up here?" The old man, Mr. Kingston, asked. I didn't answer.
"Papa, it's too soon for that. Let her rest her mind for a bit." Tumango na lamang ang matanda habang ako'y napatulala nalang. Resting my view to the wall in front of me. From my peripheral view, I saw the older Kingston shook his head and the younger nodded. What kind of language do they have, huh? Philip sat in the sofa near the food cabinet and the older stood up beside the door and leaned on the wall.
I just stared at the wall for how many minutes, thinking. What about these persons inside this room? Should I trust them?
"Azalea..." I looked at Mr. Kingston who called me. "Are you aware?" My forehead etched with that question. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng panlalamig.
"Aware of what?" Mr. Kingston shook his head and looked his grandson who just shrugged.
"Nevermind. We aren't sure anyways." Again, I felt that chilling sensation. Nakakarinig din ako ng mga ingay. Kakaibang ingay. Nanggagaling sa hallway? Hindi ba bawal mag-ingay rito sa ospital? Nakakarindi!
"B-bakit ang ingay?" Tanong ko dahil hindi na ako maka-tiis.
"Anong ingay? Tahimik naman." Muling kumunot ang noo ko. Nagkatinginan silang dalawa. Bingi ba sila? The voices that I can hear was too loud. It is echoing across the corridoors.
"Azalea, I knew that this thing would happen." I can't stop frowning. I just can't understand a thing! Nagtatanong lang naman ako kung bakit maingay.
"Hindi ko maintindihan." Hindi ko mapigilang maibulalas.
"Later on, you'll understand. We'll just be here. Now, tell us your story, Azalea. We can bring you back." Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ko.
I realized that it's all happening right now.
"Wala na akong babalikan." I muttered. Mr. Kingston shook his head, disagreeing. "I can't go back. I continued."
"Azalea, we'll help you, we'll help you but you need to face it. You need to face them."
"Them?"
And, what he meant was those specters.
They knew that it would happen. And now, I have to face it. That change is a challenge, a mission and I have no other choices but to face and conquer it. That's what I've been doing for over a year now but, I haven't thought of it as a return of a favor unlike what Papa George told me.
Philip stopped the car in the main entrance of a familiar hospital. I saw one of their family drivers waiting. Probably, they were instructed to wait for us.
Binuksan ko ang pinto ng sasakyan nang bumaba si Philip. Agad din naman niya akong sinalubong pagkabukas ko ng pinto ng passenger seat. Pinagmasdan ko ang establisyimento sa harapan ko. Images, aside from familiarity flashed upon me.
Nakita ko sa gilid ng mga mata ko ang pagmamadali ni Philip na ibigay ang susi ng sasakyan sa driver pagkatapos ay ang pagyaya niya sa akin pagpasok sa loob.
I took a deep breath and started walking. Nagdadasal akong walang makasalubong na kahit anong kaluluwa kahit na alam kong malabo. Hindi ko pa kayang humarap sa kanila lalo na at andito kami sa ospital na ito para kay Papa George.
I saw one right after we entered. I remained calm and just focused on my way. And there is another one, right after.
"Are you alright?" I heard Philip asked me and I nodded. In the corner of my eye, I can see that they are looking at me. Because I've been dealing with them for almost a year now, I learned that they can sense and 'detect' humans who can see them. Since I can't deal with them right now, I focused myself on my way to Papa George's room, taking all the courage to do so without fear of some creepy faces that I spotted. Really?
Hindi ako ang dapat alalahanin dito kung hindi ay si Papa George.
Nakarating kami sa hallway kung saan naroroon ang mga kwarto para sa nasasabing "V.I.P's". Hindi na ako nagtaka kung bakit. Una sa lahat, mayaman naman sila at pangalawa, isang importanteng tao sa bayang ito si George Kingston.
Huminto kami sa tapat ng isang kwarto na may hindi kalakihang pinto. Nakakarinig ako mula rito sa labas ng mga usap-usapan mula sa loob. Maaaring nasa loob sina Aunt Regina at Uncle Greg na siyang mga anak ni Papa George.
Binuksan ni Philip ang pinto. Tama ang hula ko na nasa loob sina Aunt at Uncle. Nasa loob rin si Nana Sela.
"Oh, andito na pala kayo." Bati ni Aunt Regina. Tumango lang ako at saka bumaling kay Papa George na nakahiga sa kama at may ilang aparatong nakakabit sa kaniya. He's unconscious.
"How's he? What happened?" Nagkatinginan sina Uncle Greg at Aunt Regina pagkatanong ni Philip.
"He's already fine. Stable na rin ang lagay niya. Ang kailangan lang nating gawin ay iwasan ang mga bagay na nakakapagpasama ng loob niya." Uncle Greg answered, leaving the second question behind.
Something's odd. They are keeping the reason from us. Hindi ko mawari kung bakit pero nararamdaman ko, may tinatago sila mula sa amin, lalo na sa akin.
-CZ-
edit: it's been so long!! how are y'all?? i am sorry for being lost (sorry for being a lazy ass). LOL. i want to thank you guys who's still there up to now. thank you so much!!
#ATOLS