Echoes of Love, since 1898: A Love Transcending Time and Reality

Chapter 13

4 Years Later

Semicolon; Keep going on. My story isn't over yet.

Life has been sucky, but at least I've got a chance to get away from the palace. I have no idea how I manage myself without the help of my parents with my finances. But I could say that I am now free from them.

What makes me different from four years ago is that I can finally stand on my own two feet without asking for help from someone else, but that excludes my cousin, Cleo. She helped me overcome everything that life was throwing at me.

I have learned to survive by moving on and accepting the fact that everything that happened to me will always be remembered. However, there is still no concrete evidence that what happened to me way back in 1898 was real.

What makes me hold on to it is the bracelet that I am always wearing. She gave it to me. No doubts.

"Earth to Z!" Cleo snapped at me. She's always been bothering me here since I started to work as a delivery woman in the coffee shop. It's close to the school, so there's no need to worry about transportation or time.

"What are you doing here right now?" I asked her while waving my eyebrows.

"I thought we were going to buy some school supplies for tomorrow. Aren't you excited for our first day? Like, duh!" Cleo said. She's the only one who's excited for our first day, 'no! I mean, why would I be excited? There's nothing else new.

"Cleopatra Henrietta Anne Windsor Conrad, may I remind you that, ikaw lang ang excited pumasok 'no! Kung hindi mo ako hinila para aralin pa 'tong course na wala naman akong kahilig-hilig." Reklamo ko sa kanya. It's true! Hinila niya ako sa course na hindi ko naman gusto para raw may mapagtanungan siya. Kung hindi ko lang kailangan ng tulong niya nung mga oras na 'yon.

"Elisheva Alexandra Zendaya Van-Arsdale Windsor, wala kang choice kundi samahan ako because...ako ang pinaka-maganda mong pinsan. Entiendes?" I raised my eyebrow to her. Pinagsasabi nitong bruhang 'to?

"Stop calling me by my full name, baka may makarinig sa'yo." Pananaway ko sa kanya. People have no idea about my identity. I can't be known. Nagtatago nga ako diba? Hays!

"Okay, fine! Anyway, I'm so happy that you are speaking English or Taglish, but not the pure Tagalog. You were so annoying back then. It feels like you were living not in your year because of your wordings. You sound like a professor who proposed a Tagalog only, no to English!" I laughed at her because of what she said. I remembered that day na nakabalik na ako from year 1898, it was so disaster, as in!

Flashback

"Welcome back, my dear cousin!" Rinig ko nang minulat ko ang aking mga mata.

"Nasaan ba ako?" Tanong ko sa kanya.

"You were unconscious when we found you. You were sleeping for like 12 hours, I guess?" Sagot niya sa akin. Anong 12 hours lang 'yon? Eh, ilang araw kaya akong napunta sa panahong iyon.

"Anong pinagsasabi mo dyan? Ilang araw kaya ako nawala 'no! Tsaka, anong petsa na ba ngayong araw na 'to?" Pagpapahayag ko sa kanya at sinundan ito ng tanong. May saltik ata 'tong si Cleo, eh. Hindi alam kung paano magbilang ng araw.

"The hell are you talking about? You're so weird! Nadagdagan lang ang edad mo dyan, and here, you are talking nonsense. Psh!" Mataray niyang saad sa akin. Teka, nalilito na ako sa mga nangyayari. Hindi ko alam kung sino bang may saltik sa amin. Posible bang ako talaga? nahawa na ba ako sa ama ko? 'wag naman!