"Wait!" I shouted but the two men completely disappeared into the crowd.
Where am I? This place is completely different from the street where I was hit by a car. And, where the hell is that car? How come I was safe and unharmed after that intense hit?
I quickly checked myself. I was so shocked when I saw what I am wearing. An old-fashioned dress and shoes, I got a little bruised on my elbows but there's nothing more.
"Am I dreaming?" I slapped my cheek. It's just a dream. Yes, it is a dream and I need to wake up now! I closed my eyes and continue slapping myself.
I opened my eyes and I'm still stuck in this place. The people were now looking at me with confusion. They are now probably thinking that I am crazy. Yes, my right state of mind will be gone if no one can explain to me what the heck is going on?!
Am I really in 1950? The place looks old, and the people look so old too. What am I going to do?
I walked around, there are so many people around. This place looks like a market, they are selling different kinds of stuff. I gripped on my shoulder bag- wait! I have a bag?!
I opened it and saw the notebook that Grandma Sonia gave to me. I inspect the pages and find her teen photo. At the back of it was written her name and another photo was a man who looks like Dr. Dizon but the photo said it was Henry. So, I need to find these two. I saw this man earlier, the one who helped me.
"Hello!"
I nearly slapped the person who was in front of me with this notebook. She shocked the hell out of me.
"Hi," I greeted her back.
"I saw you earlier and I think you are lost or something. This is the first time I see you here in the market. Can I help you?" she said then smiled widely.
"Y-Yeah, I'm just wondering around then I got lost. Yes, yes, of course, you can help. Thank you so much. I need to find someone, and I have no single cent. And I need shelter in the meantime. Can you help me with that?" I swear I have never been so lost like this. This is so embarrassing.
"Sure, by the way, I am Cristel Dela Fuente. I am the daughter of the village's Chief, and I am willing to help with our visitors. You can come to our house and stay there. About the money, I can get you some work here and you can borrow money from me then pay it whenever you can," she said that and smile.
"Thank you so much, you are a big help to me. I am Aliyah." I extended my hand for a handshake. She gladly accepted it.
"Come on, I will introduce you to my Papa." She pulls me in some directions.
She was kind and so jolly. She trusted me that easily. I am starting to think now that people in 1950 are trustworthy and if I compare it to my time and got lost, no one will let me come to their home and trust me immediately.
"Papa, I met a friend!" Cristel shouted.
An old man with a thin beard smile at us. The people here are so warm. I think I would love this place.
"Good afternoon, sir. I am Aliyah," I greeted him.
"Nice to meet you, Aliyah. I am Nestor Dela Fuente. I think this is the first time I saw you here in our village, right?" He nodded.
"Yes." Because I was in 2020 a little while ago and now, I'm here, in the year 1950 and so lost.
"Welcome to our village and have fun," the old man said.
"Uh, Papa. She needs some help; she was lost, and she has nothing. I already offered her to stay at our house for a short time. I will help her to get work then she will pay us afterward, right Aliyah?" Cristel looked at me.
"Yeah, I just need some help right now. Thank God that I met Cristel and you. Your daughter is a warm-hearted person," I said. I hope he will let me stay in their house.
"Alright, you can stay in our house for free, no need to pay it. We are happy to help someone like you and my daughter looks so happy right now, I can tell. She finally got a friend."
After the old man said that, he bid his goodbye and went back to what he's doing before we interrupt him. Meanwhile, Cristel decided to tour me around their small village. I think this is our province before it was developed, it's been years though.
"You can buy a lot of stuff just for a cent. Right over there was our little park. You can play and chill out." She was so excited and looked so thrilled.
"About what your father said earlier, you don't have a lot of friends?" I asked her and it made her sad.
"Actually, a lot of people of the same age as mine here are not that friendly to me. They always avoid me for some reason. They always say that I am not one of them and I should be with someone as rich as me. I am not rich; my father is just our village's chief. I really don't care about his position, I never used that to be superior. My childhood was terrible because of that. And when I turned 18, I promised myself that I will not beg people to like or even love me. True people will accept me. I also wished that I hope someone will come to me and treat me well. And then you came, although you don’t really know me in the first place."
I sighed then sat beside her. "You can't force people to like you. Just be yourself. I will not think or treat you differently even I know that you are the village's chief's daughter." In my time, they will surely love you.
"Really, that's so nice of you. I think I already love you." She hugged me tightly.
I could feel that this is her first time to have a friend. She was so happy. I can't relate myself to her. I grew up in a healthy and peaceful environment, I have many friends and my childhood was so colorful unlike her.
So, this is my chance. It will be easy for me to find Henry and Sonia, I just wish they live here, too.
"Uhm, Cristel? Do you know someone named Henry Dizon?" I asked her.
She paused for a moment. "I know one, is he the one you are looking for. Oh, do you any relationship with him? Romantic? Hmm?" She smirked.
"No. Someone just asked me to find him. She was related to someone I knew. And last, how about Sonia?" Shoot! I didn't know her surname!
"Sonia? There's a lot of women here named Sonia. You know, Sonia was a popular name for girls. What about her?" Now, she's curious.
"Nothing, they are just some familiar persons, I need to find them. Can you help me?" I looked at her and smiled.
"You know, you are so mysterious. I saw how you stumbled earlier. Lieutenant Henry Dizon just helped you and you didn't recognize him?! You are looking for him, why? Did he steal something from you?" she asked.
"No, calm down, please. I will tell you in time. Not now, I promise." I spoke.
She just shrugged off her shoulders then pointed her fingers.
"Look! Lieutenant Dizon is over there, come on! Let's meet them!" she said then pulled my hand.
"Wait!"
I'm not ready yet, my goodness!
It was a big relief for me when her father arrived before we step-out of the park."Come one, ladies. Time to go home. I just finished my work. Where are you heading to?" Mr. Dela Fuente asked."We are just wanted to greet Lieutenant Henry Dizon and his friend." Cristel looked in the direction where we saw the two men. Oh, thank goodness! They are gone!"You can meet them some other time. We really should get going before the sun finally sets."It was so nice to have a simple life that you just need to walk from work to your house. I'm just wondering right now if I were here, what happened to the time where I truly live?"I will just lend you some clothes to wear." Cristel suddenly spoke which made me come back to my senses."Thank you," I answered."No problem." She smiled."Do you have siblings, Cristel?" I asked."No, I am an only child and that's lonely. I only have my mother to listen to my worries in life. My
I was staring at her the whole time. She is my grandmother, no wonder why we easily trust each other. She was my grandmother, I thought I will never see her because she died before I was born. I met her this time."May I ask how old you are, Cristel?"She looked at me. "I am 25 years old, how about you?" She continues to prepare my bed."I am 27," I answered her."You are older than me, I have a big sister now." She smiled."Yeah," I awkwardly smiled.Then I remember my grandma's name is Caridad Sanchez. Wait? What?"Cristel, may I know your real name?" I asked her."My real name is Criselda Dela Fuente, Cristel is just my nickname because Criselda sounds old," she answered.Oh, then she is not my grandma? But she likes my grandpa, but what if that Alfredo wasn't my grandfather? Same name, I think."Why do you ask?" She drifted her eyes on me."I just want to know. By the way, I really want to thank you and
I never imagined that vintage style looks good on me. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror as I turned around. Two hours before the party starts and I am here in Cristel's room getting ready. Cristel starts to put some light make-up on my face."This red lipstick will surely suit your dress," she said then put a color on my lips. This is a vintage make-up for me, and it feels so heavy and uncomfortable."Can I take it off?" I shyly asked Cristel because obviously, she put a lot of effort into my make-up."Why? You don't like the look I made for you?" Her face became sad."No, I-I just don't feel comfortable. It feels so weird wearing make-up." I lied. Honestly, the lipstick is burning my lips and it smells really weird. What company produced this lipstick?"Okay, but just the lipstick. The glittered-eyeshadow really looks good on you." She smiled. She gave me a cloth to wipe my swollen lips. It hurts.After hours of preparing, I am alread
I tried to look for Sonia in the whole event place, but I can't recognize her mask and dress."There you are Aliyah!"Someone grabbed my wrist then pulled me into the middle of the crowd. He wrapped his arms around my waist and slowly we dance to the music."What are you doing?" I asked him."I want to dance with you, is that bad?" Henry said then turned me around."I already said no, so why are you still insisting?" I creased my forehead."Can you shut up your pretty mouth? We are already dancing; don't worry I will let you go when we finished. You are so hard to get." He laughed then pulled me closer to his body.This is not right! I should stop him right away!"I need to go, Lieutenant. I have something to do," I whispered to him."Are you trying to escape to me? What is it? Maybe I can help," he insisted.No! No! This isn't going to work."Please, I really need to go. Cristel is probably looking for me,
I was very confused that night. So, it means that it is not very hard for me to make Henry and Sonia fell in love with each other. Lucky me!"Why are you smiling?"I looked at Cristel who is lying on the bed because of her hangover. She really went overboard last night."My head hurts really bad! I'm going to die!" she exclaimed.I sighed. "That's what you get, little miss. Here, drink this." I handed her the cup of strong coffee that was prepared by her mother."I don't like coffee, but do you think it can really help me?" she asked.I nodded. I know that because I'm a nurse in my time. After Cristel fell asleep, I went back to my room and examine Sonia's diary. Why didn’t she tell me that she is a childhood friend of Henry? I gasped when I realized something... Was Sonia already has feelings for Henry? If that is the case, this mission will be really easy for me and I can go back to the present in no time.I flipped the page o
"So, tell me, why are you pushing me to court Sonia?" he asked while we are taking the road to Sonia's mansion."I told you, I'm saving your asses from a miserable fate. Thank me later." I looked at him.There's a hint of shock in his eyes that made me laugh so hard. I totally forgot that I'm in the generation where women are angels. He was probably surprised hearing me talked like that."Who are you, lady? Why do you spoke like that? If someone hears you, they will think you grew up in the street," he said. I rolled my eyes."I always talk like that and there's nothing wrong with it. You are overreacting, man!" I playfully smacked his hard stomach. Oh, the abs!Stop it, Aliyah! You are a noble nurse and that not the first time you saw a naked body, you saw more than that. It is not supposed to be a big deal."Aliyah!""Aliyah, what?!" I shouted in shock. I immediately covered my mouth and looked around."Why are you shouting?"
I cursed Henry on my mind. Why the hell he kissed me?! In front of Sonia?! Really?!He is just smirking, and I just want to punch his face, actually, I can do it if Sonia is not watching just like now. I smiled awkwardly at her. Her face looked shocked because of what she saw earlier."It is not what you think, Sonia." I approached her. I thought she is out of town.She knotted her forehead, she looks confused. "Why do you know my name?" she asked me."Henry told me, you are friends, right?" I answered her. She looked at Henry."Hi, Sonia," Henry greeted her.I saw how Sonia blushed and my hope suddenly rejoices. I smiled and pulled Sonia near Henry."What are you doing, Miss?" Sonia pushed me.I didn't mind it at all. This is the start; I need to move fast."Sonia, Henry has something to say to you," I said then looked at Henry.I raised my eyebrow. He sighed. "Sonia, I think I have to ask you for the secon
In the whole day, I just stayed in Dela Fuentes' house, helping them do some errands. I spent most of my time thinking about how I could help Henry fall in love with Sonia without actually falling in love with me. I am not dumb nor blind to not notice how Henry stated his feelings for me. He even kissed me!It so impossible that he already has romantic feelings for me. We barely know each other, and we can't be together. I will leave this place soon; I miss my family already. I can't be attached to this place; I do not belong here. This is all just temporary."What happened to your stuff?" Cristel asked me when we finished cleaning her room."We already met Sonia and she agreed on Henry's proposal," I answered.She gasped. "What? They are getting married?!" she exclaimed."What? No, silly! Henry will court Sonia, first. I am looking forward to their marriage, though." I smiled.Cristel looked at me with curious eyes. "Why are you pushing tho