The Adventure of One

Hallucinations

Ashara

Lumabas na ako ng kwarto matapos kong magkapag-ayos. Kagigising ko palang matapos ang mahimbing at mahaba-habang pagtulog...ulit.

Di pa rin ako makaget-over sa nangyari? Nawala bigla yung sugat ko?

HOW CAN THAT BE POSSIBLE?!

"Hyy naku, Ashara Neya Castro!" irita kong sabi.

Ako lang naman ang nandito, kaya ayos lang ang mag-ingay.

I went straight to the kitchen para maghanap ng makakain. It's already 12:30 in the afternoon.

This is one of my long sleeps, huh.

Ikaw ba naman, pagod na nga, nabugbog pa. Then, something unexplainable happened to my body. Binabagabag pa rin ako.

My back and my fists are still aching.

Crap!

Ba't ba kasi ang dami nung mga iyon? Nagkandabali-bali tuloy ako. Panigurado may part 2 ang gulong 'to. Si Turbo pa!

Don't even think that I'm a troublemaker because I am not. Turbo and friends started it, all I did was to defend myself, right? Kung hindi sila ang mabubugbog ko, ako ang papatayin nila.

It's been a week since kuya Teban went back to where he was. Siya lang naman kasama ko dito sa bahay after my mother passed away. When he left and go back to States, I started to live all by myself.

Our house is bungalow-type which is I like, malawak kasi tsaka madali ang pagtravel from one room to another. Ayaw ko noong malaki, nakakapagod maglakad ng mahaba-haba.

My mom decided to buy this house because this is what I like. How sweet of her, right?

I look for something to eat in the refrigerator. Hindi pa ako nakakapag-grocery. I almost found nothing in this refrigerator. There's a lot of water but no food? Great, Ash!

Two pieces of cake? Pwede na 'to. As long as malamanan ang sikmura ko.

I sat on the dinner table and started to eat. I was about to slice a piece of cake again when I heard my phone ringing.

"Oh!" I greeted without looking at the caller's name. Ni-loudspeaker ko 'to saka ko nilapag sa table. I continued to eat as I listened to the caller's voice.

"Anong 'oh'?" Someone speak over the phone and it sounds familiar. I look at the caller's name to verify it. My hunch went right. It's...

"Kuya Teb... It's you!" I greeted.

"Yup. I'm calling you awhile ago, you're not picking up. Why is that?" mapanuri niyang tanong.

I paused for a while. I'm dead.

Ayaw ni kuya Teban na tanghali gumigising. He's an early bird, kaya gusto niya maging ibon din ako. Aish. Ano sasabihin ko?

Bawal ko namang sabihin na 'Tinanghali ako ng gising,' baka masigawan ako over the phone.

'Ah... eh kuya, nalimutan ko kanina kung saan ko nilagay yung phone ko?' Tsh, sa kakagatin naman niya ang ganitong rason.

Di rin ako nagpaalam na pupunta ako sa racing field. Magagalit din siya kapag ganoon. I'm doomed.

Patong-patong na kasalanan mo, Ash.

"Ashara." I heard him calling me.

"Ah, kuya, ano kasi 'yon...kasi ano... busy ako, kuya. I went to school to finalized some papers which is needed for my 2nd year in college reqs, kauuwi ko lang, actually." I lied.

Maniwala ka, please.

"Ganun ba? I guess you're tired, Ash." he said with calm voice. I told you, he'll belie—"YOU THINK I'LL BELIEVE THOSE LAM ALIBIS?!" Nilayo ko ang phone ko sa akin kahit naka-loudspeaker lang ito.

Sumigaw lang naman siya over the phone. Su.mi.gaw.

Failed and doomed!

"Hindi...pero, kuya Teban, napuyat talaga ako." I said, trying to sound convincing.

A moment of silence.

"Ashara Neya, Don't tell me—" pumunta ka nanaman sa race field?

I continued what he is about to say, alam ko na naman kasi iyan.

"Yes, kuya. Ang galing mo manghula." I cut off his words. That's his favorite dialogues when ever he talks to me since he went back to his country and—newsflash, I'm used to it. Immune na ko.

"What the—! I told you—" to stop racing. Especially, I'm not there.

"Kuya Dame Esteban Castro, my favorite couz, I already told you that I won't stop it, right? Minsan na nga lang, eh. Actually, once a week na nga lang ako naglalaro, kaya pagbigyan mo na 'ko." panunuyo ko sa kanya.

"And once in every week ko rin malalaman na may sugat ka. If it's not because of the serious sadist racers cheating in the game, your wounds is because you end up getting in a trouble, is it?"

"H-hoy kuya! Are you saying that I'm always in trouble? Grabe ka naman!"

I heard him chuckle. "Don't tell me, wala kang sugat kahapon."

Oo nga, no. May sugat ako, marami.

"Meron pero—"

"See? That's why I want you to stop it, Ashara. You always end up getting SOME wounds. Don't get me wrong li'l sis, I'm proud of you, very proud...because your making your own name at your young adult age. But underground racing is kinda dangerous for you...you think?"

I heaved a deep sigh. He's making his point, again. "Fine. But atleast, not now. Magpapasukan na naman. I'll stop when the classes start. I promise." I assured to him, which is gagawin ko naman talaga. Mahirap ang college ngayon, 'yoko bumagsak. Never.

I heard a sigh over the phone. "Fine. I'll allow you. Just be extra careful, I'm not around to check on you." I smiled when he agreed. "By the way, how's my li'l couz?"

I smile plastered on my lips. Palagi siyang nagtatanong ng ganyan simula nung umalis siya. Though, nauuna nga lang yung sermon. Either he'll call me or text me just to check if how I was doing. "I'm good. Mago-grocery lang ako ngayon then diretso uwi. And don't worry big couz, I don't have a game mamaya, matutulog ako nang maaga."

"Good. Just be sure you'll do that bec—I'm sorry, Ash, but I have to go. I have an appointment with my patient." he excused. He's a doctor, that's why I understand kung magiging busy siya.

"I understand. Bye, kuya Teban. Take care. Kamusta mo din ako kay tita."

"Yea, I will. Bye, dear Ashara. Take care." I hang up the call tsaka pinagpatuloy ko na ang pagkain ko.

***

"Here's your change, maam!" Kinuha ko yung sukli sa counter tsaka lumabas.

I'm at the mall, kagagaling lang ng grocery shop. Malapit-lapit lang to sa bahay kaya di na ako nagpalit ng damit. A shirt and a city short will do.

Did I forget to buy something? I think, I did. Kinuha ko ulit ang grocery list ko para i-check.

Junkfoods

Crackers

Condiments

Instant noo—

"What the—" I paused as my heart started to pound faster and heavier than it should be.

Is this real? What am...I...seeing?

Y-yung mga tao, h-hindi gumagalaw, as in. What the hell is this?

Pati yung natapon na tubig, pati yung pag slice ng cake nung lalaki, pati yung apoy na nanggagaling sa isang resto, it stops. Everything stops except on me. Even the noise stops, the murmurs, the shout and the music stops. Silence ate the whole mall and hell, it's suffocating.

WHAT HAPPEN?

I tried to blink my eyes to confirm if I'm just imagining things. As I opened my eyes after the third blink, bumalik na lahat sa dati. May gumagalaw, nag-iingay at naglalakad na. It looks like nothing weird happen.

Nakanam—am I just hallucinating? Or I am.

Geez!

Napahawak ako sa ulo ko nang wala sa oras.

"Miss, baka naman gusto mo gumilid. You're blocking our way. Can't you see?!" A girl with an oh-so-red-lip-di-naman-bagay bring back every bit of my senses. She's with her, uhh, boyfriend? I think.

"My bad." I tried to sound sincere in saying that before they pass.

B-but what about that? Is it true? Is it possible? That...that the time will pause and play again. Am I okay?

"Ayos ka lang ba, iha?" Isang lola ang nagtanong sakin. She's on her mid-60s, if my hunch was right. I gave her a subtle smile. "Namumutla ka oh! Para kang nakakita ng multo. Boyfriend mo ba iyong kasama nung babaeng iyon? Aba't mga talipandas din, ano?" dagdag niya sabay turo doon sa dalawang kataong dumaan sa harapan ko.

Did she just think that I am connected to that persons? And worst, boyfriend daw? Ha!

"A-ayos lang po ako, 'nay. Hindi ko po kilala iyong mga 'yon." I said. "Gutom lang po ata ako." I reasoned out.

"O siya, sige iha, mag ingat ka! Kala ko kilala mo iyong mga 'yon. Ako'y mauuna na rin, ha?" ani lola. I nod as a reaponse.

Buti na lang di na ulit siya nagtanong?

Sunod-sunod na unusual things ang nangyayari sa'kin—except the boyfriend thing. First, my wound being healed fast. Second, the time being paused and played.

I took a deep breathe.

I need to calm down.

You're okay, Ash.

After that, I walk, as fast as I could, straight to the parking lot. I wanna go home badly. I need a rest. Just rest. Magkakasakit ata ako nito!

***

Date finished: March 22, 2021