Between Two Worlds

Chapter 4

"You okay?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, but the tablet." Tinuro ko ang tablet na tila lumilipad sa himpapawid. Tumingin naman siya sa gawi kung saan ako nakaturo.

We seem like a frozen human waiting the tablet to land perfectly in a good spot but I think, we are all messed up.

The ground is inclined so I should expect that the tablet will fall until it lands in a flat surface.

"Shemay!" I cursed. We don't know what should we do. The holographic tablet is bravely hanging on to the edge of the cliff. It was stucked there and maybe, maybe we will be here in this forest for a lifetime.

I asked him for something usable in this kind of situation but he said, he already used the rope while getting foods a while back. We are really messed up!

"I had an idea!" he bursted, showing his teeth widely.

"And what was it?" I shrugged. My forehead even creased because I don't know if his plan would work on this situation.

"You still have your radar right?"

"Y-yes."

"Does anyone in your family also had that thing?"

"Of course! We are the most influential people in our town, especially my grandfather," I said before letting out a bitchy look.

"Then, we can use it to track your family's house!"

"H-how?" Nag-aalinlangan kong inabot sa kanya ang radar na bigay sa akin ni Lolo. I was hesitant at first but I think, that's the only way to go back and find our way home respectively.

Ibinaba niya ang bag niya at naupo sa lupa. Pagkatapos niyon ay may kinuha siya sa bag niya na parang screwdriver at may kinalikot sa radar.

"W-wait, what are you doing?" I asked. I don't trust him because I've never seen him doing such thing. That is only thing that my parents gave me before they passed away and could reminisce those happy memories with them.

Robert is kind, I buy his good deeds, but I slightly doubt him this time.

Kinakabahan akong tinitingnan ang ginagawa niya sa radar ko at habang hinihintay siyang matapos ay napapakunot ako ng aking noo.

Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto ay natapos na rin siya sa pagkakalikot o kung ano man ang ginawa niya kanina.

"So, what's up?" tamad na tanong ko. Natatakot na rin ako na baka masira ang radar na iyon ng kung sino man.

"I-I think, I messed up your radar," pilit ang ngiting saad niya habang napapakamot sa likod ng kanyang ulo.

"What the—! I trusted you! Everything that could remind my parents is all gone now!" Uminit bigla ang dugo ko at wala akong nagawa kung hindi ang hablutin sa kanya ang radar ko.

Tiningnan ko ang radar at ang pagkairita ko ay dahan-dahang nawala. I stare at him out of confusion.

"I'm just joking," he said grinning his teeth widely. Aba't nagawa niya pang magbiro sa sitwasyong ito?

"Really? At nagawa niya pang magjoke?" I murmured.

"May sinasabi ka ba?"

"Wala, wala. So what are we gonna do now?" pag-iiba ko ng topic.

"Have you seen that red dot?" tanong nito kaya't tumingin ako sa hawak kong radar.

"Yes, wait, why is this have an image of my house?" takang tanong ko rito.

"That is what I fixed earlier. It is too old and can't turn on its map type which is the satellite so maybe I fixed it up," maikli niyang litanya.

"You know, you're creepy."

"W-why am I become creepy?" Hindi ko siya sinagot bagkus ay tumalikod ako pagkatapos niyang magsalita. I take a glimpse with the radar and started to walk.

"Hey, wait for me." Lumingon ako nang bahagya. I saw him stood up from his seat and wore his backpack. Dali-dali siyang naglakad habang dinig ko naman ang malakas na pagpagaspas nang mabilis ng mahahabang d**o.

Nalungkot ako bigla sa mga iniisip ko. Maybe after this day, we will be part our ways and we don't get in touch again. In short, today is our last day together.

I stopped my feet from walking. I don't know where he was heading after today. He is from the future, (if that’s really true) so, he doesn't have his own home.

What if he also from the present and travel to the future and went back again to the present? Iwinasiwas ko na lang ang nasa isip ko at hinarap siya.

"Hmm, may I ask you a question?"

Tumigil siya bago nagsalita. "Sure."

"W-where are you heading?" I said, stuttering.

"Aa, eh-" napakamot siya sa ulo.

"Hm, I donʼt think time traveling really exists but I think you are new here in the city? So what if you go with me?" It may seem awkward but I pull an urge to ask him that.

"To be honest, while fixing your radar, the location that your house was, is the same location of mine.”

"W-wait, what? Maybe your house is just nearby or in the same neighborhood as mine," pagbibigay ko ng suhestiyon. It is unbelievable that our house is neither the same nor its location.

"Siguro nga," he agreed and nods yes.

"Don't worry, I will just tell Lolo that you helped me from this hell and I know that he will understand. Baka pwede ka munang tumuloy sa bahay."

"T-talaga? S-salamat kung ganoon." Bahagya siyamg ngumiti at sinuklian ko rin siya ng isang tipid na ngiti.

"Don't thank me. You saved me so I just wanna help you out too."

"Okay, let's get going."

Tatalikod na sana ako pero bago iyon ay may pinindot siya sa kanyang suot.

He shone with blinding light so I blocked the light with my arm. Hindi ko alam ang nangyayari pero tila isa iyong nakamamanghang imbensyon.

Mayamaya ay unti-unti nang naglalaho ang nakakasilaw na liwanag kaya inalis ko na ang brasong tumatakip sa aking mata kanina. I don't know what did he do or what has happened but seeing him again makes my mouth and eyes flung open.

I might say that he is usually from our city. From head to toe, he is now wearing a cap on his head, a white T-shirt, his burgundy jeans changed into ripped jeans and a simple white rubber shoes. I might say he is now in the 21st century.

"W-what d-did you d-do?" I asked with my creased forehead. Napakamot naman siya sa kanyang batok nang itanong iyon.

"Just to change outfit?" He shrugged like he doesn't have a clue of what has happened to him.

"O-okay!" I agreed. Napangiti na lang ako at nagsimula nang tahakin ang daan.

"Tara na!" yaya ko habang siya ay nakatayo pa rin mula sa kanyang tayo.

"Tara na!" ulit ko at tila bumalik na siya sa kanyang ulirat at patakbo akong nilapitan. "Bakit parang naging tulala ka diyan?" tanong ko.

"W-wala. Hindi ako makapaniwala na ganito pala ang kasuotan ng inyong panahon."

Hindi ko siya sinagot bagkus ay ngumiti na lang ako at tinahak ang daan na itinuturo at ipinapakita ng hawak kong radar.

Lolo, wait for me. I'll be there soon.

***

We were here in front of our house. I can't imagine how happy am I right now. Finally, I am back. I will finally see Lolo and told him everything what happened to me when I'm not around. Finally...

Two steps... One step... I can pretty feel the loneliness of the house. Maybe because I wasn't here long enough to make it become haunted.

My excited hands freely clicked the door knob. It was locked. I doubted it because Lolo never locked the door.

I pressed the door bell and an eye scanner gone out from it. Itinapat ko ang aking kaliwang mata at pagkatapos ay mabilis din itong bumalik sa kung saan ito lumabas kanina.

The door started to open and I began to ask myself why this man from my behind what I did earlier made his mouth flung open.

"You also had this in the present day?" He asked in disbelief. "Just great!" he added.

"Also? You mean, you had this in your unexisted time too?" I asked him full of confusion. It is still questionable because I don't believe in time traveling and such.

"Of course! My neighboorhood all do have it! You can check it if you want to come with me in the future. However, the capsule I used can't be used anymore," he boastfully said.

What he said made my mind baffled again. When we first met in the forest, I never saw him coming out from what he used to call 'capsule.' Siguro ay naglalakad lamang siya nang mga oras na iyon nang ako'y naaksidenteng nahulog mula sa matayog na parte ng gubat. Time capsule and time travel isn't real, though. Iwinasiwas ko na lang iyon sa aking isipan.

He let out a deep breath. "Pagod na ako sa kakalakad papunta rito, kailan ba tayo papasok sa mala-mansyon mong bahay?" ani niya na parang magkaiba ang layo ng daang nilakad namin.

"Siguro nga oras na para pumasok, pagod na rin ang mga paa ko." I just felt my leg numbed as I said those. Ngayon ko lang naramdaman ang pagod. Maybe because I'm excited to see Lolo so I never felt tired while we are heading here.

"Let's go!" aya ko sa kanya. We started to walk from the cold flooring.

Hindi mababakas ang kamanghaan sa mukha ng kasama ko. Maybe theirs are more grand than ours.

Dalawang palapag lang naman ang bahay namin kaya madali lang libutin ito. First floor is the dining, guest room and a bathroom. Second floor is where our rooms placed. Lolo's room is at the left side while mine is at right.

Ipinakita ko sa kanya ang dining area, pati na rin ang kwarto ko at hindi man lang siya nagulat. Of course, if he really from future, it was a past for him so nothing in this room could make his mouth flung open, but I still doubt about him, being a product of the future.

Nalibot na namin ang buong bahay ngunit hindi pa namin makita si Lolo. Nasaan kaya siya? Ibinaba ko muna ang bag ko ganoon din ang ginawa ni Robert sa may couch ng salas.

Alam ko na kung saan naroon si Lolo at sa tingin ko ay naroon siya dahil kapag may pasok ako ay lagi siyang pumupunta roon dahil sa sobrang pagkaboryo.

I take my jacket with me and told Robert to stay in the dining room but he insisted. I can't even leave him on the other room available because eventhough it was nothing special for him, all of the things here are all precious to me. They are all from Mom and Dad's belongings so I never let people touch them.

I approached the bookshelf behind the stairs. Tinanggal ko ang ilang libro doon and clutched the steering wheel. It was not just a steering wheel because it needs to be rotated with a combination of letters.

I started to flip it from left to right.

* * * * * * * *

Lolo and Dad is too strict when it comes to private places so they designed this secret passage from people who want to steal their researches. Siguro maiintindihan naman ni Lolo ang pagpapapasok ko sa taong kasama ko ngayon. I will just tell him that "he saved my life" period. Maybe it would convince him to offer his help with this man.

The bookshelf started to slide in the left side and an elevator began to show itself. We enter on it without hesitation. Before entering, it needs to scan my pinky finger so I tap my finger on it.

Sabi ni Lolo, Maskelyne Family all have access with this passage. Lolo's pointing finger, Dad's middle finger, Mom's ring finger and mine is pinky finger. He also said that there is someone with access for the thumb part but he never told me who is it.

I tap the -1 floor which is our underground laboratory. Kahit na hindi kalaliman ang kwartong ito, malamig na ang temperatura sa loob kung kaya't nagdala ako ng jacket. Aside from it, narito rin ang mga inventions and researches para sa experiments nina Lolo pati na rin nina Mom and Dad.

Makalipas ang ilang mga segundo ay nakababa na kami ng elevator. My eyes began to search for what am I looking for.

I started to open the big door where Lolo always stands by or if he's busy doing his research. Humiwalay naman sa akin si Robert and I think he's helping me to find who am I looking for.

Too many bundle of papers can be seen over his desk. Flasks, tubes, microscopes, old computers and especially his lab gown are the things can be seen inside. White color also dominates the whole room.

I search him inside it but the feeling of emptiness started to withdraw inside me. My heartbeat unstoppably beating fast. I can't help myself to let go of the water to flow under my eyes. “He’s not here?” I asked myself.

Hindi ko man lang matingnan si Robert nang diretso. Robert entered the room too. I averted my gaze as if I am embarrassed so I bent down my head and cover my tired eyes with the hoodie of my jacket. I don't want people to comfort me because it adds the pain I'm feeling right now. Mas lalo lang sasakit ang nararamdamn ko kapag may taong umaalo sa akin o tumatapik sa aking balikat.

"A-are you o-okay?" Robert said with a hint of concern in his voice.

Lalapit na sana siya mula sa tayo niya kanina pero bago pa siya makalapit nang tuluyan ay pinigilan ko siya na lumapit sa akin.

"Don't! Please!" babala ko sa kanya. Hindi ko mapigilang umiyak dahil hindi ko kaya na hindi makita si Lolo sa loob ng isang linggo. Mom and Dad already left me. Ayokong pati si Lolo ay mawala rin sa akin.

Iyong kanyang ngiti at presensya ay sapat na upang ipagpatuloy ko ang aking buhay. Ito ba ang sinasabi niyang pagiging independent? Dapat ba talagang wala siya sa tabi ko?

Pinahid ko ang mga luhang kanina pang tumutulo mula sa aking pisngi gamit ang likod ng aking kamay. Hindi ko namalayan na nasa harap ko na pala si Robert.

"Iiyak mo lang. Kung iyon ang magpapagaan ng iyong loob, ilabas mo lang," wika niya at iginaya ang aking ulo sa kaniyang dibdib habang hinahagod ang aking likod.

"Diba sabi k—" pinilit kong bawiin ang aking ulo ngunit idiniin niya pa iyon sa kaniyang dibdib.

"Hindi ko kasi kayang may taong umiiyak sa harap ko," paliwanag nito sa malambing na boses.

"Bakit kasi ganoon? Akala ko, magkikita na ulit kami?!" tanong ko sa kanya ngunit wala akong narinig na sagot mula sa kanya.

Lolo, nasaan ka ba?

Itutuloy...