The Soulmate

Chapter 3

The morning breeze sets in her bedroom. She woke up alone, recalling the truth unraveled right before her eyes last night. It is all she can recall, running back and forth in mind the image of him with another woman is killing her softly inside. The pain thrusts deeper into her heart though she silently hopes that it was just a nightmare. And Timothy still loves her so but an empty side of the bed slaps her the reality that it's no longer her. He didn't come home, she thinks about him sleeping with that other woman. Spending their night together like they did before everything turned like this. Tears flow down to her cheeks. She can't help it. The dreams they built together, plans they made for their future, places they talked about for their anniversary; all of it disappeared into thin air. Her head aches badly but she needs to get up. It won't be of great help if she just stays on the bed the rest of her day. The deafening silence around depicts sadness in her. Each corner used to remind her of happiness with him. It was an almost perfect relationship they had, she never had dearth of love and affection at him but nothing really last in this world. The door clicks open, Timothy is crestfallen, entering. She pursed her lips, wordless. It inflicts a painful sting of truth as she intently stares at him. He passed by her without any word and that clenched her heart.

"Won't y-you say anything? Ganito na lang ba?", she leans on the countertop as he makes a cup of coffee.

"So you're just gonna ignore me?!", she added when Timothy remains completely silent.

"Timothy, ano ba?!", she raised her tone out of anger but he remains speechless.

She scoffs, crossed arms. "That's it?! You're not gonna say anything?! How long have you been together?! One year?! Huh! You have the audacity to kiss me ... hug me like everything is alright! Like all of this is nothing! Timothy, I gave you all that you asked for. Lahat-lahat naibigay ko na and yet ... I wasn't enough for you! San ba ako nagkulang?! Tell me!"

He turns, fronting her but remains to say nothing. It irritated her, Timothy never ran out of words to say though he is at fault. He knows how she hates silent treatment. "Say something, Tim! Don't just stand there! For Pete's sake, I'm your wife! Whatever shortcomings I had it should be me filling it all! Was I that occupied of my career?! I always find time naman for you, Tim! Kahit pagod ako I assure to satisfy your manly needs! You never heard me complaining of your lapses as my husband! Ako na lang parati yung umiintindi pero I never blurted it out on you! Even if I was jealous of those women flirting on you but you never heard me saying anything! Tell me, where did I go wrong?! Tim, say something kase hindi ko na alam! Ang sakit na!" She sobs but he seems to hear nothing. No words could give comfort to her but she wants to hear anything from him rather than silence evolving around them. Timothy turns his back at her and that reached her limit. An empty cup on the table broke into fragments when she grabbed and threw it on the floor. It caught his attention that he turns to see the fragments scattered.

"Now you noticed me!", she shouts at him but Timothy roams his eyes around instead.

"Lea?", he searches for her though she is just glued standing few feet from him.

"Timothy, I'm here! Ano ba?!"

"Love, are you here?", he asked, still roaming his eyes around the dining room.

It ignites her curiousity, Timothy seems to not notice her. Her heart pounds faster that she could almost hear her own heartbeat. "I'm here! Tim, ano ba!? Is this a joke?! I'm serious!". She walks near him and reaches for his arm but he startled. "Tim, it's me. What's happening?!".

"Lea, are you here?", he asked.

She is so confused and edgy. "Tim, I'm here! Can't you see me?! You're frightening me! Nandito ako! Tim, stop it! It's not funny!". The heater clicks off but she quickly took his cup and throws it to see his reaction. Timothy gaped, slowly taking steps backward and ran outside the house.

"Timothy!", she chased him but he quickly drives his car away. It grows confusion and fright all at once in her. She couldn't savvy any of these. Her heart pounds even faster when she tried to talk to passersby but her hand just passes through them. She can't touch them.

"Excuse me! Sir?! Maam?! C-Can a-anybody hear me or see me!? Miss?!", she sobs with full of fears in her heart. Her mind tries to recall what exactly had happened yesterday as she walks alongside of the street but to no avail. The busy people walking the street don't seem to notice her or hear her screaming for help. She passes through them like an air, invisible to the naked eyes. Nobody could notice her, she assumes her lifeless body is just somewhere. Lying cold and pale, she can't accept the fact that her life ended so sudden. Hundreds of people are passing by but she feels so all alone with a heart broke into smithereens. It has been hours had past but she has nowhere to go. The sun disappeared below the horizon and darkness sets in the sky. She stares at the million stars up above with tears flowing from her eyes. It is just her in this place with no one to run to. Silently, she prays to just completely disappears in this world and tag along the blows of the wind. It is pointless to walk in this world along with alive people when nobody could even see her.

Just when she thought it was completely over, a car honk at her that she startled and exclaims. A man stepped out from the car with his so familiar face, a light of hope grows into her. It is him, Ariel Aguilar, the professor back in that university she attended a seminar from.

"Ikaw na naman! Huh! Kung minamalas nga naman", he told her.

"You ... can see me?", she drawn herself near him.

He raised his hand to stop her, "Ops! Miss, diyan ka lang! Do not come near me. Baka pagbintangan mo na naman ako!"

But she tried still to touch him. Her heart could almost jumped out from the chest in happiness when she can feel his skin. "I can touch you!"

His forehead creased, he scoffs, "Miss, are you high? Okay ka lang? Ang lakas ng tama mo! Anong...", he got cutt off when she suddenly throws herself into him, crying.

"I'm afraid", she bawls, tightly hugging him.

He's frozen standing there, hearing her crying. It sends an odd feeling creeping through his veins. His mind says to push her before anyone could see them but his heart found warmth in her tight embrace.