Sunshine

XLIV

IT’S been another ordinary day for everyone, or for most at least, except probably for those who has a big day coming and to those who did not made it until today (rest in peace). The sun still shone on its highest and is still angry, everyone sweating and snapping, sometimes swearing. But since it still could get hotter, everyone was still thankful for today’s weather. And a sunny day is still better than a hard rainy day for everyone who has to go outside. Today is still a good day.

And when people are out and about places are visited and people are met, both old and new. People go to places either with their usual or new purpose and goal meeting another people in the process. Some places are frequently visited, most are full of people while some are just being passed by. It’s just that there are just places that we don’t go without an actual purpose there. Because it’s not a place where you can have fun or find fun in general.

Located in the outskirts of the city is a place called Kahilom Orphanage. It’s a place not really visited much, but if one do it’s both their life changes and they change a life. It is one of the places in the world where it gives only that― change. It is as if it’s a place only made to cater that.

How would one describe an orphanage? What does one think when they see the place that comes in white paint now all chipped thanks to the constant weather change (in this instance) every time they pass by? How does one perceives this place the most? A happy place? A place of hope?

In a place where one could consider a haven for kids is a place that’s actually very sad― since the kids there, though left there with various reasons either different or not so different actually with each other one thing’s for sure. That they are kids that their adults can’t take care of. They are bunch of unfortunate kids who had an adult who left them in others’ care because they are not capable to raise them. Were they adults who taught giving a life to a child is enough? Were they adults who’s definition of “giving a life” is simply giving birth? Too many kids died inside because they weren’t raised well.

Still these children went on with being kids, ran and played around like they had the most fun and enjoyable life like they always been. Their cries and laughs were still shallow and over shallow things and reasons. But this certain two kids must have failed to stay as one. They only watched while sitting on the corners hugging their knees, silently judging the kids who, unlike them, failed to realize they are “unloved” and they shouldn’t be “laughing”.

“You know why they left you here?”

Ask the little boy to the girl next to him. They are the kids who only chose to watch instead of playing. They are of the same age. They were quiet all along until the boy broke this silence.

“They say my mom died while giving birth.”

“Then you weren’t really unloved.”

“At least I know my Dad did not love me enough to take care of me in my Mom’s stead.”

That gave an indefinite silence to them, their ears ringing with the sound of laughter from the other kids playing on the yard. They’re not watching them anymore and their eyes stared on their feet, head low.

“What about you?”

“I don’t know. No one knows. I was just left by the gate with nothing even a simple note.”

Then silence again.

No one knows how these kids got the grasp of their reality in the most sad way. Were there some adults who told this to their faces? Or did the world failed to lie to them enough? Were the people in it too unkind? With kids who failed to stay as kids, who is the one to blame?

Finally they thought of asking each other’s names.

“My name’s Olivia. My Mom gave it to me. You? What’s your name?”

“Juan. A lame name given by the nuns.”

THE sun is high up as it always been, its rays stronger than ever like it’s determined to convert the entire country into a big oven. Today’s a very cruel day to run especially when you’re not prepared for it at all and Juan Valencia knows that exactly. He cursed under his breath when he started to smell the sweat reeking out of him. Then cursed once again, now dedicated to the barely functioning air conditioner of the taxi he’s in. But he did not made it too obvious in courtesy to the elderly driver.

“Please drop me off here. Thanks.”

The white taxi pulled over immediately. Juan bid his thanks again and went out of the car. He looked at it drive away before facing the building where he, out of gut feeling told the taxi driver when asked to where is he to. Though he is not even sure why that “gut feeling” told him to go to Astra Apartments. Juan took a deep breath and walked to its entrance, glancing to the direction of the reception area. The woman who tended there wasn’t present. He immediately ran up the stairs. When he reached the hallway of the first floor he started to walk normally, observing.

Astra Apartments is for sure a deserted place during daytime. No sounds can be heard on the apartment units even until he reached the third floor, and he haven’t encountered a single living thing on his way except for insects that bothered his ears. If only the sun weren’t this high Juan would have thought he suddenly got dragged inside a horror film.

Finally Juan reached the last unit of the third floor, next to a different set of stairs that lead to the back side of the apartment. He stopped at the unit’s door, taking a deep breath in. Something’s been telling him to turn the knob and so he did.

It clicked open.

The door he’s been dying to open since the moment he lifted his feet is now laid to him, only a single pull is needed to do but Juan just remained standing there frozen for the moment. He once again took a deep breath, now unsure how many of those before he finally pulled the door. He stepped inside.

The unit doesn’t receive that much sunlight so it was dark even when the door was left open. Juan roamed his eyes around the place, then fixed it on the corner. He sighed again when he finally figured out a shadow from there. This time a sigh of relief.

“I knew you’ll be here.”

Juan saw the shadow shrieked, almost jumping from its sitting position. He watched as it panicked to stand up and walk towards him. They can finally see each other face to face.

“Police Corporal?” Juan saw the eyes of the woman in front of him grew big below her uncombed hair as she spoke. Those eyes stayed round as almonds. “What brings you here?”

Juan stayed staring at her. Now he doesn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to explain. He failed to practice any line on his way because worries got the best of him. In the end he just said whatever words his tongue could bend, mind not really functioning.

“It’s me Juan, Olivia”

And he thought that was stupid. Juan immediately searched for words to explain but Olivia already spoke.

“You remembered?”

Those words both silenced them. It was just like the silence they always had in between their conversations when they were kids.

“I never forgot.” Juan said. But he let his eyes say those instead of his tongue. “What are you doing here? Your girlfriend’s worried.”

“Was she the one who told you I’ll be here? But she doesn’t know this place.”

“Of course it wasn’t her.” Juan roamed around his eyes once again, looking for a chair to sit on. But the apartment was bare. It’s obvious it was abandoned already. In the end he ended sitting on the floor, leaning his back on the wall.

“I don’t know too how I managed to guess you’ll be here. I guessed I knew you enough.”

“You just made me laugh.” Olivia said but there wasn’t a laugh or any sound similar to it heard from her. Still Juan went along.

“Yeah, right. I’m pretty much good at making people laugh.”

It went quiet again. In the apartment where Jun visited once as police officers looking for Peter Saragoza.

In those silence Juan wished the previous tenant rest in peace.

THE day slowly ended, of course in the way as how it’s supposed to end. The strong sun just simply tire itself out and took off work today. In the process the sky it’s leaving turned to a beautiful shade of orange. It’s sunset, finally. Some says.

Though the sky is not visible on the dark apartment unit 309 of Astra Apartments, the people there, who stayed on the other side of the apartment apart from each other they still imagined the sunset sky the right way. Maybe it’s true that the sky don’t look different each time. They just feel different. Or maybe it depends on however you chose to perceive it and how it managed to fascinate you.

Not long after total darkness enveloped the apartment as it got dark outside. It was becoming harder for them to see each other. But it didn’t mattered since they know they are just across each other.

“I’m sorry. For pretending I don’t know you.” Juan broke in the dark. His voice echoed making his voice seem louder than it actually is. “For pretending I don’t recognize you.”

“I did the same, Juan It doesn’t matter.” Olivia replied, then the usual silence again.