After Her Last Straw (Dream Series #1)

Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Hope
Zanashi

Three years later

I swiftly combed my hair using my fingers while examining my reflection in the mirror. I turned around once again to check if there's something that should be changed on my outfit. I've been doing this for hours and yet I was still very nervous. I took a deep breath, still looking at my reflection, before a smile appeared on my face.

"Aphra, dear. Nandyan na ang sundo mo.." nakangiting sabi sa akin ni tita.

Tumabi siya sa akin at hinawakan ako sa balikat. "You look so beautiful, dear. Talagang pinaghandaan mo ang araw na ito?"

"Of course, tita."

Sabay kaming bumaba ni tita. She kept complimenting me but my attention was on the man who's leaning against his car, his eyebrow raised and a sly smirk played on his lips as he saw my unusual look today.

Sandali akong binilin sa kanya ni tita bago siya nagpaalam sa amin at muling pumasok sa loob.

"Ang tagal mo naman. Talagang nagpaganda ka pa para sa akin, ha?" he laughed while pulling me into a tight hug.

I pushed him and rolled my eyes. "In your dreams."

"Ang taray talaga nito."

Inasar lang niya ako nang inasar sa byahe. Kung sa ibang pagkakataon ito, baka nainis na ako nang sobra sa kanya. Pero masyadong importante ang araw na ito kaya napapangiti na lang ako sa mga kalokohan niya. Hindi pa rin talaga siya nagbabago.

"Ilang container ba ng pabango ang binuhos mo sa sarili mo?" suminghot siya pero ang tingin ay nanatili sa daan. "Mukhang pagkakaguluhan ka ng mga bubuyog mamaya."

For the nth time, napairap na lang ako at natawa.

"Kapag ikaw ang naliligo ng pabango, naririnig mo ba akong magreklamo?"

He barked another laughter. He placed his left elbow on the side window and touched his lips using his thumb. His sly smirk turned into a genuine one this time.

"But really, you look extra beautiful today, Aphra."

I smiled at him.

"Thank you, Dylan."

I gazed at the side window and saw my reflection there. My eyes were coming into its life again, recollecting the brighter side that was gone for a very long time.

These past few years has not been easy for me. If there's darkness amidst darkness and a nightmare amidst nightmare, that would perfectly describe my life after he left me. 

Hindi sapat na sabihing hindi naging madali sa akin ang buhay na wala siya, dahil higit pa sa hindi madali ang pinagdaanan ko makaahon man lang sa bawat araw na lumilipas. My friends and tita saw how my life stopped functioning. It's like my body was perfectly fine but my insides were shattered and it took almost three years for me to reconnect those pieces.

For the first three months after he left, I could no longer distinguish reality from memory, memory from dream, and nightmare from reality. Para akong nabaliw. Hindi ako nakakausap nang matino, ni hindi ko maalala kung paano ako kumain at naligo sa mga oras na iyon.