Chapter 6: Unexpected Tragedy

And it did work! After I found the same clock tower in the past with Noelle's help, I was able to go back to the present. I thought it was amazing. Who would've thought that something like this could really happen? My ancestors were just amazing.

And when I came back, hours had passed since I was gone. Mag-uumaga na rin, so I immediately got in the car and headed home to the Dela Torre mansion.

"Sir Julian!" Manang's face was shocked when she saw me.

Hindi ko rin inaasahan na pagbalik ko ng mansyon ay nagising na pala ang mga tao.

"What happened here, Manang?" I asked as soon as I got out of the car.

The household staff hurried over to greet me.

"Saan ka ba nanggaling? Sobra kaming nag-alala sa'yo!"

"Tiningnan ka kasi ni Manang sa kwarto mo para mag-check sa'yo, pero wala ka na roon," Rose said.

I turned to Manang. "I'm sorry, Manang. I was just out..." I just realized I got caught. I sighed.

"Sir Julian, nasa phone ang Mommy mo." Rose handed me the phone.

"Mom—"

"Julian Ellis! Where have you been? Bigla ka na lang daw nawala sa kwarto mo d'yan? I've been calling your phone, but you don't answer."

"I'm sorry, Mom, I left my phone in my room."

"Bakit saan ka ba nanggaling? Bakit bigla ka na lang nawala sa kwarto mo sa kalagitnaan ng gabi?"

"Mom," I ended up trying to explain to her. I just told her that I wanted some fresh air, so I went out... in the middle of the night...

Halos papasikat na ang araw nang natapos ang tawag ko kay Mommy. Dad also talked to me over the phone after my mom. Afterward, they wanted me to go back to Manila after what happened.

"Your mom panicked earlier, Julian. We thought you went missing. She doesn't know what to do," Dad said over the phone.

"I'm really sorry, Dad," I sighed.

After that, I immediately packed my things and prepared to go back to my parents. I had to see my mom and properly apologize to her. I just realized how worried I made her.

Gusto ko pa sanang pag-aralan ang mga records, pero kailangan ko nang bumalik ng Manila ngayon. Isa pa, I'm also excited to see someone back there.

I will meet Noelle when I'm back in Manila.

"Matutulog po muna ako, Manang," I told them.

She nodded. "O sige, maghahanda na rin kami para sa pagluluto ng agahan. Gigisingin ka rin mamaya para kumain."

I just nodded and went upstairs.

While I was in bed, I kept thinking about what happened. It wasn't a dream, right? It must have really happened—that I went back to the past. Because after all, it still feels real now that I've returned.

Well, I will know for sure once I'm back in Manila and get to see Noelle. I will talk to her, and she will prove to me that we indeed met in the past. And I will make her tell me about what I told her back then—that I came from the future.

"It's all right, Rose. Don't cry. Babalik pa rin ako rito. When I'm not busy in Manila, I'll come here, okay?" I tried to give her a reassuring smile.

I don't know why she's crying now after knowing that I'll be leaving. But I guess it's because she's still young and a little too emotional.

"Mag-iingat ka, Sir Julian."

I nodded at her with a smile.

After I said goodbye to the staff at the mansion, I got into the car. By the way, Joey picked me up here in Santa Mariana. He was sent by Mommy to fetch me.

"Hey, Joey. Were you bored while I was away?" I smirked at my bodyguard/driver.

He started driving, and when he looked at me, he smiled. "Parang kahapon lang nang sinamahan din kita sa lugar na 'to dati. Naalala mo pa? High school ka pa noon," Joey said.

I was taken aback by what he said. But I just confirmed that the time travel really did happen. Because it was Joey whom I asked to bring me back here to Santa Mariana, and that's why I was able to go back. While it didn't really happen in the original timeline...

"What happened back then?" I asked because I only left him in the Dela Torre mansion. Then I was the only one who went to the clock tower. I remembered we arrived in Santa Mariana at night, so I just waited a few hours before it turned midnight and imagined going back to the future.

Joey shook his head. "Hindi mo na tanda, nag-prank ka pa sa akin noon."

"What?"

Joey shook his head again while driving. "Muntik na akong mawalan ng trabaho noon dahil bigla ka na lang nawala. Hinanap ka pa namin sa lugar na 'to noon, pero hindi ka na talaga nakita. Galit na galit na ang Mommy mo noon. Tapos nalaman na lang namin na nasa Manila ka na pala."

My lips parted. It was probably my... other self? I don't know exactly how to explain it. But probably, after I got back here in the present time, my original younger self was already where he should be. That's probably how it works. I should do more research about this.

"Sorry 'bout that, Joey," I apologized.

"Ayos lang. Bata ka pa naman noon. At nang magkita uli tayo sa Manila dati, parang wala ka pang maalala sa nangyari na inutusan mo ako magpunta rito. Pero siguro natakot ka lang din noon na mapagalitan pa lalo ng parents mo," he said.

Well, like I said before, hindi naman talaga sobrang nagagalit sa akin ang parents ko, at madalas ay nag-aalala lang din sila. But it was probably my other original past self, so that version of Julian has no memory of what really happened. After all, I was the future Julian who only time-traveled back there.

"Julian!" Niyakap agad ako ni Mommy pagkakita niya sa akin nang bumaba na ako ng sasakyan pagdating ko sa bahay namin.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"It's all right now, son. Ang importante ay nandito ka na ngayon, and you're safe, right? Wala namang masamang nangyari sa'yo?"

Umiling ako kay Mommy. "Wala po. I'm perfectly fine, Mommy. Why are you and Daddy here in our Manila house?" Bumaling din ako kay Daddy na nakasunod lang naman kay Mommy sa pagsalubong sa akin.

May bahay din kasi kami rito sa Manila since I've mostly stayed here for my studies and university, aside from my apartment or condo too. But Mommy and Daddy work in the Mayor's office at a different place, and we also have our main house there. Iyong mansyon naman sa Santa Mariana is mostly my grandmother's. She's the last Dela Torre, I know, before she married my lolo. And they are my mom's parents. Kaya kahit sina Mommy ay hindi na lumaki sa Santa Mariana. I just learned that it was only my grandma who told them to let me rest at the Dela Torre ancestral house in Santa Mariana.

Should I go and meet my grandma too? Baka may alam siya tungkol sa records at sa sikreto ng mga ninuno niya.

Pero iba ang sumalubong sa akin pagkabalik ko ng Manila, and it was already the news about Noelle's sudden death caused by an untimely accident...

I was so shocked to know about it.

It was an unexpected tragedy...

Pagkabalik ko, hindi ko siya agad nahanap. Then I remembered Chloe, so I went to see her and talked to her. At siya ang nagsabi sa akin at nagdala sa akin sa burol ni Noelle...

I was shocked. I didn't know what to do or say.

"Nagulat ako na hinahanap mo sa akin si Noelle ngayon, Julian. Akala ko ay alam mo na rin ang nangyari sa kaniya... Pero naalala ko na hindi rin naman pala kayo talagang naging magkaibigan."

I looked at Chloe. She smiled sadly at me. She had also been crying because of her friend's death...

Parang hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. Hindi ko inaasahan ito. Walang may nakapagsabi sa akin na mangyayari ito. Was it my fault that she died? Because I went back in time? But it's already been a few days since Noelle's accident happened...

I don't understand. My head was starting to ache. And I can feel my frustration building up. I can't accept this. There's no way that Noelle could just die like this.

Chloe sighed. "Isang beses mo lang naman siyang kinausap noon. At pagkatapos ay hindi mo na siya kinausap pa ulit."

I looked at Chloe with my eyes slightly widened.

Then she excused herself because she needed to attend to the other people na nakikiramay din doon sa pamilya ni Noelle...

Then I started thinking about it all while I was left alone there.

We already met in the past, but Noelle wouldn't have known about this—about her accident...

Unlike me, she didn't come from the future, so there's no way she'd know about her untimely accident that led to her death now...

And... I didn't know as well...

I didn't know that this would happen to her. And that's because Noelle was... she was someone I didn't know before! Damn it!

I gritted my teeth.

Lalo akong nagagalit, at para rin sa sarili ko, dahil kung hindi pa ako nakabalik sa past namin, ay hanggang ngayon, maaring hindi ko pa rin siya kilala! Although she knew me. She knows me enough that she immediately believed me back then when I told her that I time-traveled to our past. But I was the one who was so uncaring! And who didn't even care to know a little more about the people around me.

And Noelle was one of those people. She was just so close to me. She's even our club's student manager. But I didn't know her. I couldn't even remember her.

Regret slowly rose in my chest. I felt hot because I was getting angry, mostly at myself.

I remember that I was just excited to meet her again. And to talk to her about the things that happened. But now, how can I even talk to her when she's already gone...

I looked at the lonely coffin in front of me. Naririnig ko rin na umiyak ang Mommy ni Noelle habang nakatayo siya roon sa harap ng kabaong ng namatay niyang anak.

I gritted my teeth again. Then I stood up and left the place. I couldn't handle it. I felt like I wanted to cry because I felt lonely, but at the same time, my tears just wouldn't fall because I was more angry and regretful.

If only I could turn back time—no, yes. Yes! I can definitely turn back time!

Pwede akong bumalik sa nakaraan namin. I will meet Noelle again. And I will tell her and warn her about her accident in the future. So that it won't happen.

That's right. I will go back in time once again. And I will save Noelle.

I won't let her die.

I went back to Santa Mariana. And I'm here now again in front of the tall clock tower. And I did the same thing as before. I waited for the time until it hit exactly twelve midnight. I closed my eyes as I imagined where I should go. I would go back to where Noelle was. Where she was still alive and smiling at me...

I won't lose that smile. No, never.