When the Rain Stopped Falling

Chapter 14: I’m Just Happy

Chapter 14: I’m Just Happy

At bed, I tried to think of an explanation on how Nikolas managed to do all of those stuff. I imagined that he whipped up an intricate formula, knowing that he’s smart, to find the right combination to the lotto’s number but I don’t think it would be plausible. But could it be more realistic to what he had been saying about the future? I didn’t realize that I fell asleep while thinking about it until Leslie wake me up from arriving home.

“Elois, sorry to wake you up,”

“What time is it?”

Leslie checked her watch. “It’s 11:35,”

“Is there someone waiting for me?” I asked after I completely gain my attentiveness.

“No, well, are you expecting someone?”

I shook my head no. “Where have you been?”

“I took an instant audition,”

“Really? Audition to what?”

“A play. I can’t say the title yet, but it’s a play.”

“Oh good for you.”

“I’m not accepted yet though. They’ll gladly chime in if I am.”

“I hope you would, Jasper and I would surely watch you,”

“Oh yeah, I heard you and Jasper got stuck in flood. I’m sorry I couldn’t come into your aid by that time,”

“No it’s okay. We managed anyway,”

“So how’s my brother?”

“What do you mean? I think he’s just fine.”

“Elois, you know what we’re talking about. You and him? How’s he?

“Leslie, have you eaten yet? Maybe I’ll go outside and order some take-out,”

“You’re avoiding the topic,” briefly Leslie gasp then leaned closer to me “Come on, roomie, spill the beans?” she started to poke my belly rhythmically. “Did he just made his first move to you?” I tensely gave her my whooping what-the-what face, then she suddenly squealed and jump like a hungry mouse. “He did, doesn’t he? That son of a gun!”

“Leslie, I should go outside first. We’ll talk about this with my stomach full.” Leslie pouted her lips.

“Promise me then.”

“I promise.” I rolled my eyes. Honestly, she doesn’t seem to be girly on the outside with her intimidating aura and her clean and beautiful pixie cut of black shiny hair. But on the inside, she must be much “girlier” than me. I wonder how many knows that?

I let myself out of the house. By this time, at Bulacan, the streets were already as calm as it could ever be, and only the cicadas can be heard. But here in Manila, the streets were still full of people. The lights from different stores were spilling all over the place, it’s almost a pollution. As my stomach continue to grumble, it reminded me to go to the coffeeshop Nikolas introduced to me- the POW bookstore. From my apartment, it’s only a short walk after all. It took me just minutes before I got there even with a limp legs.

Because of my hunger, I didn’t bother to look up some books. Instead, I went straight to the cashier and ordered some take-out. I ordered pasta. Instinctively, somehow, I felt like I was being watched so I spun around the building and saw him. He was looking at me while wearing a worried smile. I took a step forward to him then another until I was standing in front of him. Nikolas bowed into his knees and brought out something from his pocket. That’s when I took a step backward. “Relax, honey. I mean Elois. It’s only band-aids.” It was a band-aid. He placed three of it to my wounds and oddly blew it gently. I didn’t know why I didn’t stop him because it’s weird. Maybe because my brain is overloading now since all of this seems too real even though it shouldn’t. He knew I was wounded and prepared for it. Even though I had forgotten about it.

“Are you really Nikolas from the future?”

“Correct. I’m the one.” he gave me his seat while he took one for himself.

“How?” I finally had the guts to ask. By asking this, I am now acknowledging that all of this- him time-travelling, is real.

“Long-answer or short?”

“What?”

“I always ask you that when you ask me to explain something. Do you want the long-answer or the short one?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe, long one?”

“Are you sure? Because it’s really long”

“Yeah”

“Okay.” he inhaled as if what he’s about to say is asphyxiating. A part of me wants to hear a long explanation on how he managed to pull off everything, that this was all part of a prank or a game. But his eyes tells me that I won’t hear that kind of explanation. What I’m about to hear is real, for him at least. “Time-travel had always been a puzzle to humanity ever since. The ability to turn back in time is an extraordinary and promising idea as it opens a multitude of pathways to science. In this time period, many scientists believe that time travel through the future is possible by achieving a speed greater than light but travelling back to the past is laughable. Do you know why?”

“Please just continue talking. My brain is still processing all that you’re saying,”

“Because of time-travel paradoxes, that’s why. Do you know what the Grandfather Paradox is? The Grandfather Paradox imposes a great conflict to travelling back in time. It tells a scenario where a time-traveller goes back in time to kill his grandfather from the past. Since the grandfather is killed, then one of the time-traveller’s parents would not exist and thus making him don’t exist either. Do you understand the conflict it ensues?”

I slowly gestured no with my head.

“Okay one more example but with slightly different variables. A scientist built a time machine so that he could kill Hitler to stop World War II from happening. So he went back in time and killed Hitler and was successful in foiling the war. But then, if the war didn’t happen in the first place then there would be no reason for the scientist to build a time-machine again in the future. Now, how did I overcame this paradox? Well, there are a lot of theories that smoothens such paradoxes such as multiverses- the presence of an infinite number of universes.” Nikolas took a sip of coffee. “Now, we get into your question. How? It is proven in this time period that in quantum physics, particles could go back in time, yes? But back in the day there is this theory that no one believed -- Hameroff and Penrose Orchestrated Objective Reduction theory. They say that our consciousness, our memory is caused by quantum vibrations held at the synapses of our neurons. Essentially, they are claiming that our consciousness works in the quantum level. If it works in the quantum level, that means?

He paused and waited for me to answer. “Um, it means, that consciousness could go back in time?”

“That’s right!”

Well, many scientist had always thought that time is quantifiable hence could be a subject to observation and experimentations. And so most of us thought that Hameroff and Penrose’s Orchestrated Objective Reduction theory, that our consciousness relies on quantum vibrations, was a huge bluff. But with the help of your knowledge adding to what I know, I learned that time could and possibly be a perception of the human brain.” My knowledge? I contributed to this madness? “The human brain is the one that ticks the clock of time and,”

“Wait a minute. Time is a measure of change. If time is only a concept of the human brain then that means no change is there at all without the grant of the person’s mind. That doesn’t make sense,”

“I know, that’s what I thought! But who’s to say that the object that change in any state is still the object before? Imagine two identical balls. One is in point A and the other is in point B. Human perception singles this two state as one and thinks that one of the balls move from point A to point B as time flows. But it doesn’t since there are two balls pieced together by the brain to make a single moving ball.”

“You mean it’s like in cartoons. Still drawings create an effect of animation?”

“Exactly. Now that it’s settled. I spent years of developing a neural transcranial lace that enables me to use the quantum vibrations of my neurons that holds the memory of the moment which in my case is particularly defined. I call it Nostalgia.

“Because of your sharp memory,” I interjected.

“Yes. You could say that. In simple terms, if I recall a memory, I could go to that time period and relive it. But my Nostalgia has a shorthand in terms of the availability of when I could use it. I could only go back in time if my past body is asleep since this is the state of the brain where it saves the memory of the day. Think of it as a gateway or a portal.”

“You reminisce about the past and poof you’re in this timeline? And now you’re using Cole’s body, your old body?”

“Yeah. And it’s kinda nice. I get to have this young looking body. I never thought I was this handsome before.” I squinted my eyes at him imagining an old man on a body of a teenager. It made me shiver so I digressed the thought.

“What does the future looks like?”

“It’s a lot better than this one in terms of the state of its environment.”

“Is there like flying cars?”

“No, there’s no flying cars. But humans of the future invented an imperfect A.I.”

“A.I.?”

“Artificial Intelligence. You know Jarvis from the old movie Iron Man? Well we kinda have one in the future. It’s a shame I couldn’t bring things from the future to here, I would have shown you.”

“And you’re my…”

“Your husband. Yes.” He said it a bit fast and a bit casual.

“How did that happen?” those words escaped my mouth. I tried to catch it back, lock it inside my head but it’s too late now.

“That’s a little offensive.” he snickered “What do you mean how? Don’t you ever think of me as your potential partner at this time period?”

“The Cole from the present? No, not at all.” Oh God, I need to shut my mouth.

“Really. So all this time, I thought you were madly in love with me,” I had no reaction to that but he laughed this time. “I’m kidding, honey. I had no interest on you before either but I know that I’m quite comfortable with you being around. Incredible, isn’t it? How people change?”

“Speaking of change? You speak and act differently from Cole from this time. What happened?”

“You happened. I changed for you. I began to learn how “normal” people would talk. I began socializing. I wore different clothes. I did everything I could. I studied all the things I have to do so that you wouldn’t be ashamed at me.”

“Why would I be ashamed of you?”

“Because I’m weird. Because I’m different. Because people thinks how stupid I look and how f****d up a freak I am. And when we’re together, I know that I embarrass you. I did it for you. I may not have been the perfect fit for you, but I’ve grown so much with you, I’d been entangled.” Nikolas’s hands on the table were trembling. He’s smiling but his words and his hands tells something else. I suddenly felt obligated to take his hand and say “I’m sorry, Nikolas,”

“No, please don’t think that I was forced by you to change. It’s more like I’m frustrated with myself for being so different, for being so bizarre, that I failed you.”

“No you haven’t failed me. Or the future me. I feel so honored that you did all that to change for me. Remember that.” Nikolas clasp on my hand then he looked at me in the eyes and I caught his gaze. I could tell the sadness in his eyes but also the gratefulness.

“Do you remember Elois, when you forced me to hold your hand and shake it?”

“At the tennis court? Yes I do” Nikolas clenched my hand harder.

“You know, I was feeling sensational. My heart beat raced. At that time I thought, I was scared because I might have contracted a disease from your touch but after some time I realized that I was feeling something else. I was so happy that I shared it to Jasper as soon as he got home. I know that it’s the start of something but I wasn’t quite sure.” Nikolas paused for a brief moment. I studied his face. The sharpness I once saw is now becoming mellow and comfortable. “Elois, I have a request for you,”

“What is it Nikolas?”

“Please be patient with me. There would be times that I would act oddly. There would be times that I would be difficult for you. The Cole you meet everyday, the Cole here in the present might be difficult to get along with but I want you to be patient, alright. He has a lot of things to change and it would take time.” While he was saying those things I imagined how Cole would be. As a response, I looked directly at his eyes and nodded.

“Nikolas, I have to be honest with you,”

“It’s not usual for anyone to know that someone is a time-traveller. Believe me, it’s a lot to take in. I know I promised you I would believe you if your prediction came true but doesn’t happen in a click. Add the fact that you’re saying that you’re my husband, it’s like you’re shoving a new life right now that I have to accept it. I might say that I can believe that you’re from the future but my husband, that’s on another spectrum of weird.” I can see on his face that he’s disappointed or offended. I continued. “Make me believe you, is that alright? Make me feel and know that what you’re claiming is true.”

Nikolas placed his hand on my face and brushed his thumb gently to my cheeks. “I would. I promise. I waited for this in 6 years, I could wait for more. I’ll prove it to you, okay. I’m just happy now that I could see you again. I really really am”