Opposite

Chapter 18

It was like dying for the second time when Harlow spoke these words: "Sorry, but I think that would be impossible."

Tyson did not really know how to feel about it, but he somehow had a mini drama. Ibig sabihin ba niyan ay may pagtingin siya sa dalaga, kahit kaunti lamang?

He sat down on the ground filled with bermuda grass and put down the paper he was holding.

"Oh," Harlow said, "ba't ka naupo? Anong trip mo?"

"Medyo masakit lang ang pinarinig mo," he replied as he held his chest and showed her an emotion of paining.

"Parang loko 'to," Harlow chuckled.

"Biro lang," he giggled. "Just takin' a rest. Okay lang ba?"

"Ah yes, sure. Let's just continue walking when you feel okay na."

"Won't you sit beside me?"

"H-huh?" B-bakit?" Her cheeks burnt in redness.

"Baka gusto mo ring magpahinga?"

"Ah, okay."

Harlow did sit beside Tyson. The moment her butt touched the ground, an electric current seemed to flow to her nerves.

She closed her eyes abruptly as her hands were shaking. Parang siya lang itong nagsabi na imposible na maging silang dalawa, ngunit sa kinikilos niya'y tila sinasalungat niya ang mga sinalita niya.

Tyson however, was so calm looking at the pink, bright skies. Obviously he didn't like pink, but the skies really attracted him. He wonder how many seasons did Heallven have. Gusto niya ring maranasan ang iba't ibang kapanahunan ng bagong mundong kaniyang ginagalawan.

Compare to the Earth, Heallven hit different. Pagdating pa lamang sa kalikasan ay angat na ito. Mas lalo pang umangat pagdating sa mga ugali ng tao.

He was still looking up the sky when he spoke. "Let's talk about life."

"Life on Earth?" Harlow asked.

He nodded.

"Okay, you go first."

He hemmed. "Well my life on Earth is nothing so important."

"Why?"

"Ewan ko rin. Pakiramdam ko lang talaga wala akong nagawang maganda sa mundo," he said. "I'm a CEO of our company, at si Dad na mismo ang laging nagsasabi sa akin na wala akong ginawang maganda, lalo na para sa kompanya."

Harlow looked at him, sincerely listening.

"Life is so f*****g uncomprehending."

"But do you regret living your life?"

"Of course I do," he answered. "Why is that they didn't ask for my permission first before they made me?"

"Oh-oh..."

"My life on Earth was so boring, if only you know."

"So do you feel happy kasi nasa ibang mundo ka na?" Harlow asked. "I mean, n-new environment, new people, new life."

"I still don't know. But somehow I feel happy because I met you."

Harlow's world seemed to moved slowly when she heard those words from him, lalo na't unti-unti itong tumingin sa kaniya, until their eyes met.

The wind started to collaborated with their mixed emotions, and the leaves started falling as well.

Then, there was silence...

Not until an old woman approached them, the serenity was broken. The two both turned their gaze at the woman who was holding a basket of fruits.

"Magandang araw sa inyo," the old woman said. "Pasensya na sa istorbo, ngunit baka gusto niyo ng makakain?"

Then, the two looked at each other, communicating through their eyes and asking whether to agree or disagree with the woman.

"Kung ibibigay n'yo po sa amin 'yan, wala na kayong kakainin," Harlow said as he gazed at her again.

The old woman softly laughed. "Marami pa akong pagkain sa bahay. Batid kong gutom na kayo, kaya tanggapin n'yo na lamang ang alok ko," she said. "Huwag kayong mag-alala, ganito talaga ang mga mamamayan ng Heallven."

They had no choice so they accepted the offer. Besides, they were hungry already and they had no foods left from their bags.

The woman gave them all the fruits including the basket then left after receiving gratitudes.

Nang makaalis na ang matanda ay hindi maalis ang ngiti sa mukha ni Harlow. If Heallven was a world of benevolence, she would rather die forever.

"Imagine being with people like her, like them," she said as she wandered her eyes and looked at the people passing by.

"Yeah, malayong-malayo sa tunay na mundo."

"Sinabi mo pa."

"Going back," Tyson said. "How about your life? How was your life before?"

"Actually, I'm happy with my life, a-and..." A tear suddenly flowed through Harlow's eyes down her cheeks, hanggang sa sinundan na iyon ng marami.

Tyson wiped her tears on her cheeks using his hands.

"Sorry," she cried. "Nami-miss ko lang talaga sina Mommy at Daddy."

Then, she gone wild. Sunod-sunod sa pagpatak ang mga luha niya kasabay ng kaniyang matinding paghikbi.

Tyson hugged her and comforted her.

"I missed them so much," iyak niya habang nakayakap kay Tyson.

Patuloy lang sa pag-iyak si Harlow habang patuloy rin siyang pinapatahan ni Tyson.

Ilang minuto rin silang tumagal na gano'n. Hindi biro ang mamatay. Dying meant leaving the world and your love ones. For her, dying meant being selfish because once you die, you would no longer express your care to those people you value the most. You would just see how they feel, probably, but you would not let them see how you feel.

But still she was grateful because in her short time on Earth, she lived her life to the fullest. She had no regrets, at kung mayroon man, iyon ay ang hindi nakaganti sa detective na pinag-iinitan niya ng dugo.

When she was a bit fine, she continued talking and telling stories about the way she lived. She told Tyson the things she loved, including shopping and doing make up. She told him her sweet side, but not yet her wild side. She even told him her relationship to her parents and to her best friend Maddie, na sobrang missed niya na rin. Her relationships we're good and fine fortunately.

"You're so lucky to have them," Tyson said. "How I wish I was like you."

"There's no way to feel jealous. Naniniwala ako na kahit hindi gano'n ang pinapakita ng parents mo or hindi talaga sila showy, trust me, mahal na mahal ka ng mga 'yon."

Tyson sighed and looked up at the sky again. He was holding his tears and trying not to cry because he was a man. But thoughts gone wrong when he couldn't control his emotions anymore. Men do also cry.

This time, it was Harlow who comforted him. The lady knew he also missed his family and friends, he was just trying not to show.

Para silang pinagsakluban ng langit at lupa. Until next life, there was pain and grief. Bakit hindi na lang puwedeng purong saya naman ang maranasan?

When they were done with their own dramas, they realized they needed to continue their mission, their journey. Since they needed and wanted to still know everything about their new world, they have to be determined to accomplish the given tasks to them.

But before they could even continue, their quest, they prepared themselves first and their materials. They put all the fruits inside their bags and collected drinks from the water tap. When everything was fixed and ready, that was the only time they started walking again.

As aforementioned, the next destination was to Willow Village.

Going to that village was not easy for them. They had to climb mountains just to reach their destination.

Habang nasa daan ay minsan na rin silang naligaw. They tried asking random people where to go, but no one of them could give them exact location. Then they came up to an idea that the people maybe were ordered not to help them with their mission.

"Maybe that's right," Tyson said. "Pero kung ano man ang rason, kailangan pa rin nating magpatuloy. I know it's hard, but please don't give up, okay?"

"I won't," Harlow replied.

As promised, Harlow didn't lose hope, until they reached the Willow Village. It took them three days to arrive there-- three mountainous days.

Unlike the former villages they went to, Willow was different. The people there were wearing traditional clothes. The houses were antiques. It was like an old world, an old time.

Harlow couldn't believe her eyes were seeing these. She felt like being sent from the past. She did not like history, but looking at it at actual was different. It moved her.

Tyson, on the contrary, was a bit confused with the village. Perhaps because he wasn't used to it.

They walked through the village until they reached a shed. There, they took a rest and ate since they were so tired. Gladly, may natira pang prutas at kaunting tubig, but they knew these wouldn't be enough.

Tyson opened the bag and offered Harlow an orange. Madali namang tinanggap iyon ng dalaga.

While Harlow was eating, Tyson was just looking at her. Honestly, naaawa na rin siya sa dalaga, but he was too shy to show his care for her.

Sarap na sarap sa pagkain si Harlow nang unti-unting mapansin ni Tyson ang pagkaputla niya. Parang may kakaiba.

"Are you okay?" Tyson asked.

Harlow looked at him and didn't speak even a single word. She forced to smile a bit, until some time...

she dropped the orange.