Chapter 9

Sola’s POV

“Ganda!” Malapad ang ngiti ni Rough nang makarating kami sa pinaka-tuktok ng bundok kung saan dating nakatayo ang bahay ko. Napangiti na lang din ako dahil alam kong mas maganda ang nakikitang mga kulay ni Rough kaysa sa akin. It’s still 5:30 in the morning. He keep on asking me to watch the sun to rise.

Kinuha ko lang ang basket sa kaniya bago nilagay sa silong ng puno. He said that I’ll treat him but in the end he was also the one who cook the foods.  

Matapos naming maayos ang mga gamit, bumalik kami sa may cliff. I don’t really see the colors at all but I don’t know why it feels more different now. Why does it seem to be much prettier than it is when I was in my world? There’s just three colors but it’s more colorful than before.

“Sola,” tawag ni Rough kaya agad akong napatingin sa kaniya. Bahagya akong nagulat nang kuhanan niya ako ng litrato. Sinamaan ko lang siya ng tingin but he didn’t really care at all. He was just busy looking at my photo.

“I don’t know why you always have that sad expression on your face…” sambit niya habang nakatitig sa akin. Agad naman akong napataas ng kilay dahil sa sinabi nito.

“What the you mean?” Kumunot pa ang noo ko sa kaniya.

“You always look like you’re just seeing us an entertainment. Tila isang clown lang sa circus, teleserye lang sa television at performer sa theater,” he said while his brows are both frowning now.

“You’re just overthinking it.” Dinaan ko na lang ‘yon sa tawa kaya napanguso na lang siya.

Inayos niya na lang din ang canvas na kaniyang dala. He wanted to paint so I let him. Napag-usapan din namin na hindi kami mang-iistorbo sa isa’t isa sa ilang oras namin dito.

Pinanood ko lang naman si Rough habang nagsisimulang magpinta. He’s really talented as how I describe him to be. I don’t even think that I did justice on describing him.

“You said you’re going to paint me? Why are you just staring? I know I look good but you’ll end up falling for me if that’s the case,” natatawa niyang saad kaya napatawa na lang ako nang mahina.

“You’re really thick-skinned, aren’t you?” Pareho na lang kaming napatawa bago ako nagsimulang magpinta. Some part of my brain slowly feeling guilty that instead of thinking a good scenary while looking around here, I’m here wasting my time enjoying things that won’t do me good once I’m already back on my world.

Matagal lang kaming dalawang nakaupo roon. Both of us our enjoying the peaceful place. It’s the same place as my house but ut feels so different.

Napangisi na lang ako sa sarili nang matapos. Kita kong napasilip si Rough sa painting ko. Ang malapad na ngiti niya agad ang bumungad sa akin.

“Is that us?” tanong niya habang nakatingin sa aking painting. It was two people in the cliff while there’s a bunch of foods and both are busy painting. It was us. Or maybe not really the two of us because it’s the owner’s body to begin with.

“I want to take it,” aniya na napanguso pa. Inirapan ko siya roon. I can’t really display in on the owner’s room so I’ll just take a photo. That if I ever go back to my old life, hopefully, I can look at this colorful photo.

“Really?” Ngumiti pa siya sa akin kaya tumango ako. I just took my phone before taking a picture of the painting and him.

“You change your phone?” Kumunot pa ang noo niya habang nakatingin sa cellphone ko na iba sa modelo ng cellphone ng may-ari ng buhay na ‘to.

“No. It’s just my extra.” Hindi naman na siya nang-usisa pa. I always take this phone with me dahil pakiramdam ko’y isang araw lang ay aalis na rin ako rito.

He immediately smile nang itapat ko sa kaniya ang camera. Natawa na lang ako nang mahina bago kumuha ng litrato kasama ito.

Ni hindi na namin namalayan pa na palubog na ang araw dahil sa kwentuhan na kung saan-saan nagtutungo.

“Your eyes seems alive right now,” aniya kaya natawa ako nang mahina.

“Do my eyes looks like they are not?” Sunod-sunod naman ang pagtango niya kaya pinagtaasan ko siya ng kilay.

“Care to explain?” tanong ko.

“Hmm, maybe you just look so different from the pictures na pinakikita ni Auntie sa akin. Your eyes are full of live right now na tila ba kahit tignan lang kita sa litrato’y punong-puno ng buhay ‘yon,” aniya pa kaya napakibit na lang ako ng balikat.

“That girl is lucky. Having all the things that I keep on wishing for when I was a kid. She have all of those things… Family, friends, money and the normal life I never had…” Hindi ko na namalayan pang naibulalas kaya kita ko ang pagkunot ng noo sa akin ni Rough.

“What do you mean? Why do you talk like you’re not the past you?” aniya na bahagya pang natawa sa akin. Seryoso ko naman siyang tinignan.

“Will you believe me if I tell you that I’m not the Sola that use to live here? That I cane from another world?” Nahinto naman siya roon bago napakunot ang noo na napatitig sa akin. Mayamaya lang ay napatawa na lang ito nang mahina.

“Are you already hungry or are you sleepy? Do you want to go home now? I’ll cook you another dish,” he said before messing with my hair. Napangisi na lang ako dahil kung ako rin naman ang tatanungin, iisipin ko ring nasisiraan na ako ng bait.

We didn’t go home yet. Nagtungo pa kami sa isang malapit na restaurant. My other mind keeps on asking me to do my own work but the other side of me wanted to enjoy my life.

Nang makauwi sa bahay ay agad din naming nakita si Hugh na siyang nasa labas ng gate ng apartment nila. Both Rough and I just greeted him. He was snobbish and looks like he’s sulking kaya napakibit na lang kami ng balikat ni Rough.

“Next time again?” tanong sa akin ni Rough nang ihatid niya ako sa tapat ng apartment.

“Hmm, I’ll think about it,” pabiro kong saad kaya napanguso siya at naningkit pa lalo ang singkit niya ng mata.

“Just kidding. We’ll do.” Pinitik ko pa ang noo niya kaya pareho kaming natawa.

“Good night, Gov,” he said before winking at me. Hinintay niya lang akong makapasok bago siya umuwi. Napangiti na lang din ako nang makarating sa loob ng bahay. It was really warm when I’m with him. He have a lot of energy and whenever I’m not feeling to talk, he won’t force me at all. The silence between the two of us is not awkward and not uncomfortable.

Unti-unti nga lang nawala ang ngiti mula sa aking mga labi nang makapasok ako mula sa loob ng kwarto. Right… This is not my life at all. Ni hindi nga ako pupuwedeng maging masaya dahil hindi naman ito akin umpisa pa lang.

Walang kahit anong akin sa mundong ito. Maski ang katawan ko’y hindi rin akin.

Napangisi na lang ako bago inalis ang suot beret. I even tried to immitate the owner of this body way of wearing her clothes. Yes, I always want to wear this kind of clothes too but this is not mine. Not at all.

Nahinto lang ako sa pag-iisip ng may kumatok mula sa labas. Akala ko’y nagbalik ulit si Rough but I saw Hugh on the front door wearing his grim look.

“Hey?” Kumunot ang noo ko habang nakatingin sa kaniya.

“Where did the two of you go?” tanong niya sa akin.

“Uh, I just grant his wish. We had a picnic.” Ngumiti pa ako sa kaniya dahil usapan naman namin na nagiging magkaibigan kami. The owner of this body likes this guy so much so I can’t just cut him out easily.

And Hugh is also a character that I made. I feel bad for him. He’s still fine right now but when the girl he likes rejected him and, life became not living for and his cousin tried to end his life, he lives in misery all his life. I don’t know if it will happened—Wait. Cousin. Ending his life?

Right. It’s Rough. Napapikit na lang ako roon. I want to change it all. I want them to have their happy ending this time.

That’s why the next few days, I did my best to help Hugh first. If he was the first one who’ll see Neela at her lowest, I think she’ll like him rather than Justin.

Neela from ‘Halfway’ let go of the guy she likes after 2 years of dating him. Justin saves her from the loneliness. He saves her from agony. He was there when Neela was on her lowest. And Neela was depending on him for those 2 years but as they grow individually, they grow apart too.

Both Hugh and her will have the benefits for this. For Justin, he’s a piece of shit to begin with.

“A hot shit piece of shit.” Hindi ko na namalayan na nabulalas ko na pala ‘yon. Paano’y nasa harap ko na si Justin. He’s really handsome. Wala rin naman kasing pangit sa nobelang ‘to, kahit ang mga side character na average lang naman ang description ay may katangi-tangi ring mukha.

“Hi,” bati ko kay Justin bago siya hinarang.

They are in the same schoold and even room ni Neela but Justin is not interested with anything except for his basketball. But when he met her throwing all the ball in the gymnasium when he was supposed to rest, he started to get interested with her.

“Who are you, Miss? Move aside. I’m planning to rest.” Why do this people always thinks that they are the main character for the way they rudely speak? Well, he is. But can he speak nicer?

Napairap na lang ako roon.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Pampliego but do you want to drink first?” Ngumiti ako at tinignan pa ang aking orasan. It’s already time for Neela crying on the gym now while Hugh is on his way there.

“Do you like me, Miss? I’m not interested with you so move aside.” Plastik akong ngumiti. Medyo mataas din pala talaga ang tingin ng mga character sa sarili ng mga character na sinulat ko.

“Yes, we’re interested! We hope that you can come here in our foundation day. We want you to help us in our department. We’ll definitely treat you if you’ll give free hugs for students,” ani ko kaya napangiwi ito. Tinignan niya pa ako na para bang nasisiraan na ano ng bait kaya awkward na lang akong natawa roon.

I don’t even know why I’m acting as a cupid for those two. I said I just want to have a peaceful life but why I’m even getting involve with them?

Unti-unti nga lang ako napatayo nang maayos nang makita ko si Hugh at Neela na lumabas mula sa gym. Kumurba ang ngiti mula sa mga labi ko but looks like Hugh is already bad mood again.