A Drop Of Black

Chapter 16: The End?

"Ali? Ali? Wake up. Ali, gumising ka!"

"Get me! out of here.." Now where the heck am I? "What happened?! Why am I in my room?! Why did you leave me back there?! Where did you go?!"

"Ali, kumalma ka muna, okay? Baka manghina ka nanaman." What do you mean? "Nawalan ka ng malay kanina. Dirediretso yung lakad mo kanina tapos bigla ka nalang tumigil. Tumakbo kami ni Tyrese papunta sa sayo at tinatanong ka namin kung anong problema? Nakatulala ka lang naman eh, tapos bigla ka nalang hinimatay. Buti nalang napadaan ang dad mo pagkatapos mong himatayin. Binihisan ka nalang din ng mga katulong niyo."

"Where's Tyrese?"

"Dinaan na siya sa bahay niya kanina. Alalang alala siya sayo. Ano ba kasing nangyari sayo?" I really thought everything was real. It just felt so real! I thought I was living the same day. Turns out, it was just a memory of what happened before. Maybe because of the same weather.

"Nothing. I was just tired, probably. Why are you here anyway?"

"Magsastay muna ako sabi ng dad mo dito hanggang sa humina yung ulan. Mabuti nalang at nagising ka. Akala namin kung ano na ang nangyari sayo." I remembered the insects.

"Where are the insects? Did you bring them? Are they still alive? Breathing?"

"Ali, you fainted! Sa tingin mo ba may pakialam pa kami sa mga insektong yun pagkatapos ng nangyari sayo? At kakagising mo lang, hinanap mo na kaagad sila? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Now all that hardwork came to waste." I even remembered that day because of those insects.

"Magpahinga ka nalang muna. Wag mo nang isipin yung mga insektong yun. Malamang sa malamang, patay na yun. Kukunin ko lang yung pinaluto ng dad mo."

"Where's Niya? Is she back?"

"Not yet. Sinundo pa siya ng dad mo. Baka kung mapaano daw eh. Masyado pa kasing malakas ang ulan." Now he's being a father. "Teka, kukunin ko lang yung soup mo."

"No." I stood up and wore my slippers. "I can handle."

"Op, jan ka lang. What's the use of me being your 'servant' kung ikaw yung kukuha nun. Dito ka nalang. Kailangan mong magpahinga." You can't make me stay here. "Subukan mo lang umalis. Bubuhatin talaga kita pabalik."

"Fine, chill." I went back to bed. He is really my servant, is he? "Quickly. I don't like to wait." He immediately went down.

Then I remembered what happened. Why did I remember that day? Does this mean, I really haven't move on? No. Of course I've moved on. I wouldn't call myself Ali if I still care about my past. I'm not Annie anymore. I will never go back to that stupid, poor self again. I have forgotten being Annie.

Orange came in bringing with him a tray of soup and water. "Pagkain mo." He put the tray on the side table. He got the spoon and filled it up with soup, noodle soup. He moved the spoon closer to my mouth.

"Hold it right there. What are doing?" Is he trying to spoon feed me?! "Orange, I'm not a friggin' kid anymore. I can manage. Now give me the fvcking spoon and move away."

"Edi wag." He handed over the spoon to me.

"Back off!"

"Oo na po. Ang bossy."

I got the bowl and ate the food, MYSELF. I don't need someone to spoon feed me like a kid. I finished everything quickly 'cause I was actually hungry. "Solved." I returned the bowl to the tray and drank my water. "What are you looking at?"

"Ang takaw mo." What did he say to me?! "Gutom ka siguro noh? Akala mo kung sinong matapang, patay gutom lang pala."

"I was hungry, you idiot! I'm not that always so shut up before I could beat you up."