EPILOGUE

10 Years Later

“Ah! Ang sakit sa balakang!” Napahawak sa balakang si Cynthia matapos pulutan ang mga nagkalat na mga lapis at papel sa sahig ng classroom.

“Mind over matter. Mind over matter.” Ngumisi si Naomi na nilapag ang plastic box na may mga laruan sa lamesa. “Huwag mo masyadong isipin at tiyak hindi mo mararamdaman.”

“Twenty-six pa lang ako pero feel ko sixty years na ako.”

She smiled as she arranged the Brailled storybooks for her visually impaired students.

“Ahhh… hindi ka maka-relate kasi baby face ka.”

“Ewan ko sa’yo.” Natatawang nilingon niya ang mga estudyante niya nang hapong iyon na mga hearing-impaired. She motioned with her hands, ‘Don’t mind Teacher Cynthia, kids. She’s just hungry.’

Siniko siya ng kasamahan. “Oy! Anong sinabi mo sa kanila? Ang nakuha ko lang ay Teacher Cynthia.’”

“Sinabi ko lang sa kanila na kinagat ka ng butiki kaya panay reklamo mo.”

“Pero Naomi, ang galing mo magdala ng mga bata, `no? Lalo na sa mga katulad nila na may kapansanan.”

“Hindi naman kasi sila naiiba.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. Umupo siya sa isang maliit na upuan at binabantayan ang mga estudyante niyang may coloring activity. “You just treat them like normal kids with special needs. That’s all. Doon kasi nagsisimula ang insecurities nila kung pagbabawalan mo silang makipaghalubilo sa mga kaedad nilang walang mga diperensya.”

“Pwede ka nang mag-asawa.”

“Ha? Ba’t dumating diyan pag-uusap natin?”

“Magaling ka sa bata, maganda, mabait, masarap pang magluto… perfect wife material kumbaga.”

Naomi looked outside the window as she leaned her cheek on her hand. “Wife material, huh?”

“Nao, ang dami nang nanliligaw sa iyo pero lahat sila binasted mo. Nasa marrying age na tayo, `no.” Umupo ito sa tapat niya. “Sayang iyong seaman na manliligaw mo. Sino nga uli ‘yon? Direk? Drake?”

“None of the above. Si Declan.”

“Ah, Declan pala. Sayang `yon! Gwapo, mayaman at higit sa lahat… seaman!”

She shrugged. “Wala pa sigurong nakakakuha ng kiliti ko.”

“Weh? O may hinihintay ka lang talaga.”

Tumayo na siya nang may isang estudyante ang nagtaas ng makulay nitong papel. Good thing her students can’t hear Cynthia being noisy and nosy at the same time.

“Ha! May hinihintay ka ngang talaga” Ngumisi ito. “Sino `yan, ha? Sino `yan! Childhood sweetheart mo na pinangakuan kang pakakasalan ka kapag nakapagtrabaho na siya?”

“Hindi. Hinintay ko lang na pumunta sa Pilipinas si Chris Evans para pikutin ko.”

“Baliw.”

Tumawa siya nang lumukot ang mukha nito.

HINAWAKAN NG ISANG bulag na estudyante ang kamay ni Naomi nang magsiuwian na kinahapunan. Naomi kneeled infront of the little boy and pinched his cheek – a reassuring sign that she sees him. “Mag-iingat ka pauwi, Ian.”

Ngumiti ito at tumango. “Ikaw rin, Teacher Naomi.”

Guiding him towards his grandmother waiting outside the school gate, she smiled at the old woman. “Magandang hapon po, Ma’am Melba.”

Ito na ang nakagawian ni Naomi tuwing hapon. Ang isa-isang hinahatid lahat ng mga estudyante niya sa gate para masiguradong ang kaligtasan at seguridad ng mga ito.

Nagulat siya nang may nilahad na isang kahon ng tsokolate ang ginang.

“Para sa iyo, Teacher Naomi. Kakarating lang kasi mula sa Saudi ng Mama ni Ian. Pinabibigay niya ito sa iyo.”

Malugod niya iyong tinanggap. “Hala… m-maraming salamat po.”

“Laking pasalamat niya kasi na naging pasensiyosa ka rito sa apo ko.”

She patted little Ian’s head. “He’s one of the most behave students I have.”

Nang makaalis na ang mag-lola ay sinundot siya ni Cynthia sa tagiliran. “Ikaw na talaga. Nasa’yo na ang lahat~” kanta pa nito na lumabas sa gate.

“Diretso uwi ka na, a!” Pahabol niya.

Slowly, the school the two-storey building went quiet as parents and guardians fetched the kids leaving Naomi alone with her thoughts.

Umupo siya sa duyan na gawa sa sinabit na gulong sa ilalim ng puno. She pushed her feet against the green grass slowly.

After getting her license as a professional teacher for kids with special needs, people think Naomi already has it all.

Pero sa kaibuturan ng kaniyang puso ay alam niyang may kulang.

Naalala niya ang tanong ni Cynthia kanina.

‘May hinihintay ka, ano?’

Naudlot ang pagmumuni-muni niya nang may bumusinang kotse.

Austin, already an architect, rolled his car window down. “Libre sakay, Naomi!”

Natatawang umingos siya sabay tumayo. “Gusto mo lang tanungin ko kung bakit bago na naman ‘tong kotse mo.” She peeked inside and waved at her younger sister, Hope, sitting beside him. “Hi, Hope.”

Ngumiti ito at kumaway sa kaniya. She gestured to her to ride with them.

Umiling siya. “Mas may kumpiyansa ako sa bike ko kaysa sa kotse ng nobyo mo.”

Hope and Austin are already on their fourth year of their relationship. Hope is a fashion designer who greatly promotes diversity in the modelling industry by hiring persons with disabilities as her models. She works weekdays at the big city and comes home on weekends.

Tiningnan niya ang lalake. “Isauli mo nang maaga ang kapatid ko, a. Mag-mo-movie marathon pa kami niyan.”

“Ha? Pero monthsary namin ngayon.”

“Araw-araw naman kayong magkasama.”

“Iba ngayon. Espesyal na araw namin ngayon.”

“Postpone ninyo.” Pagbibiro niya. “Sige na, sige na. Alis na kayo.”

Hope gestured with her hands. ‘Sure ka, Ate, hindi ka sasama sa amin?’

“At ano maging third-wheel? I’m good.” She tilted her head towards her parked bicycle.

Austin looked at his expensive wristwatch which he obviously bragged to her. “Uhhh… isasauli ko siya mga alas-onse sa gabi.”

“Ma-snatch sana relo mo.”

Nang umalis na ang mga ito ay sinundan nalang niya ng tingin ang papalayong kotse.

Laking pasalamat niya kay Austin dahil hindi nito sinukuan ang pihikan niyang kapatid at mas minahal pa nito ang babae higit pa sa inakala nila.

Naomi hit her bike’s break gently and stopped infront of the convenience store. “Hi, Coco!”

The seventeen-year-old teenager smiled and waved at her from the cashier booth. “Ate Nao!” Lumabas ito sa counter bitbit ang isang paper bag ng mga grocery items. “Here’s the things you texted me earlier.”

“Thank you.” Tinanggap niya iyon at pinasok sa basket sa harapan ng bike niya. “Magkano lahat?”

“Five hundred twenty lang po, Ate.”

“Ang lolo mo, asan?” tanong niya sabay naglabas ng pera.

“Andoon sa loob. Nanonood ng balita.”

Chiroco’s grandfather, who gave Naomi her first fortune cookie, died seven years ago. Austin, Chad, Hope and Naomi feared at that time that the convenience store might closed down due to the debts the family incurred because of the old man’s unpaid hospital bills.

But out of nowhere, an anonymous donor helped the family out their financial misery.

Walang tanging nakakaalam kung sino iyon kung `di ang lola lang ni Coco.

Pumasok ang dalaga sa tindahan para kumuha ng sukli.

Nakita ni Naomi ang isang maingay na pamilya na namimili sa loob. It’s Chad and Zaina’s family of five.

Napangiti siya.

Chad is a bank manager while Zaina is a happy full-time housewife.

Nakakatuwa lang isipin na si Austin ang patay na patay kay Zaina noon pero kay Chad pala ang endgame ng babae.

Indeed, each of them have their own separate lives now.

Pagkarating niya sa eskinita papaliko sa kanilang bahay ay bumaba si Naomi sa bisikleta para hilahin nalang iyon habang naglalakad. 

She stopped and looked up the hill to view the mansion covered by trees.

Matapos kumain at maglinis ay sumilip muna sa labas ng bintana si Naomi bago nagpadala ng mensahe sa bunso na mauuna na siyang matulog at pumasok nalang sa backdoor kung uuwi na. She then switched of the lights and went upstairs.

Hindi agad siya natulog.

On her desk, she tired herself marking the colored drawings of her students.

With only her desk lamp lighting her room that night, the white curtains of her window swayed along the gentle breeze.

Dala ng lamig na dulot ng hangin ay napalingon siya sa bintana.

She then stood up, crawled on her bed and sat beside the window to view the velvet night, sky. “Kumusta ka na?” tanong niya sa kawalan at tumitig sa kumikidlap na pulang ilaw sa himpapawid na alam niyang ilaw sa buntot ng isang eroplano. “Do clouds really taste like cotton candy? Can you catch one star and store it in a jar for me?” She giggled at her own childish thoughts.

Niyakap niya ang mga tuhod.

It was only after their highschool graduation she came to knew that Hunter didn’t enroll at the prestigious Woodridge and pursued a university that offered aviation courses despite his parents’ reluctance.

She felt so proud of him for fighting for his dream.

She never heard anything from Hunter since then. Alam niyang pwede niyang kamustahin ito kina Austin at Chad pero mas pinili niyang huwag nalang.

They promised they’ll work hard to achieve their dreams and that is what she did and what she believed in.

Does she have suitors? Yes, she does.

Does she have crushes along the way? Yes, she does.

But no one left an impression on her like that Chinito guy whose eyes disappeared whenever he smiles.

‘I miss you, Hunter,’ she whispered in the wind.

KINAUMUGAHAN AY NAGBIBISIKLETA si Naomi papuntang trabaho nang mamataan niyang matao ang kalsada sa harap ng convenience store nang araw na iyon. “Anong meron?”

Doon palang niya nakita na namumutiktik ng mga pulang puso at lobo ang loob ng tindahan. Red cut-out cupids designed the windows.

“Pebrero na ng apala ngayon, `no?” 

Is it the fourteenth?

Napangiti siya nang makita si Aling Dolor at Coco na namimigay ng mga libreng Fortune Cookies sa mga dumadaan at pati na rin sa namimili na siyang nakagawian na ng tindahan tuwing Pebrero.

It feels like déjà vu seeing students laughing as they ate their cookies and read their passages inside.

“Ate Naomi.”

Hindi niya namalayan na lumapit na pala si Coco sa kaniya. “H-Hmm?”

May nilahad itong basket. “Kuha ka ng isa.”

“Fortune cookie? A-Ah, huwag na. A-Ang tanda ko na sa mga ganiyan tsaka baka kung ano na naman ang laman niyan.” Daming magagandang puwerhisyong naidulot ang Fortune Cookies na ito sa buhay niya.

“May espesyal pa naman akong ginawa para sa iyo.”

She peeked inside the basket and saw a single pink fortune cookie. Bigla siyang nakonsensiya. “Iba ang trip mo ngayon, Coco, a.” Dinukot na niya iyon.

Ngumiti lang ito nang malapad.

She cracked the cookie apart then ate the crumbs while unfolding the passage. “Hmm…” Nagsalubong ang kilay niya. “Are these Chinese characters? I can’t read Chinese.”

Coco peeked at her quote. “It reads. 'Wǒ zàijiā'.”

“You read Chinese? What does it mean then?”

She looked down when something hit the back tire of her bike.

It was a soccer ball.

Bumaba siya sa bisikleta at pinulot iyon. “Kanino ‘to —” She froze when the ball felt familiar to her – the color and even its weight. “Wait. T-This is…”

“我在家 (Wǒ zàijiā)” speaks a deep baritone voice behind Naomi.

Napasinghap siya at agad natutop ang bibig para ikubli ang paghikbi niya.

That voice… Oh, how she longs to hear that voice. Though of different timbre now, she knew who owns it.

Her heart knows who owns it.

Dahan-dahan siyang pumihit paharap sa lalakeng nakatayo sa likuran niya.

Hunter, on his crisp white pilot uniform that frames his well-built body, grins at her.

His contagious smile... 

His notorious Chinito eyes... 

They're all back.

She blinked away her tears. “H-Hunter?”

“我爱你 (Wo ai ni).” He then raised his hand, showing a silver ring on his finger. “Naomi.”

Doon na siya napahagulhol.

It was their wedding ring on that fateful February fourteen, ten years ago.

It is still shining as if it was built to last.

Just as their love for each other that withstood the test of time and distance.

- END -