SOLEMN
Hindi kona alam kung ano pa ang gagawin ko. Up until now i am still so confused. Really confused, to the point na hindi ko na alam kung ang ano pa ang dapat kung isipin.
It's frustrating, just to be honest.
Even though I think that I have everything under control, nakakabaliw lang talaga isipin ang mga nangyayari. Nasa kasal lang ako kagabi then now...
Arghhh.
The only thing I know is wala na ako sa mundo ko. Hindi ko alam kung nasaang Dimension ako napunta ngayon.
This is making me go insane. Totally,
Dagdagan pa na dapat ko pang hanapin yung pasyente, 'ko' daw.
I'm tired.
Really tired.
He said she's my responsibility since she's going to be in my care. Like what? I don't even know her, tas sasabihin niya yon?
Her first name, middle name, surname, face, age, home address, phone number, and more. Kahit saan dito wala akung nalalaman sa kanya.
Informations about her? Lol. Kahit is wala talaga. Nagmumukha lang akung tanga dito.
Kung hindi lang talaga ako pinagbantaan nung doctor kanina, I won't really do this. He's scary, really. Papatayin ba naman ako?
One thing.
Pano ko naman hahanapin yun?
Wala kung lead o kahit impormasyon man lang kung nasaan yun.
Konti nalang talaga.
Konting-konti nalang....
Mawawalan na talaga ako ng bait.
I WISH I could think that way, but I can't. Wala akung ibang magagawa but to stay calm and focused, that's the only way I think to keep my sanity in.
Though I can say that kahit sa isang araw lang. I started to learn to slowly accept my current situation. I can't be weak on times like this.
I slowly learned to accept the fact na hindi na ako si Solemn kundi ako na si Ejie... I was trapped in a body of a rebellious son I guess? Nevermind.
Unbelievable and unrealistic it may seem, but it happened. It did really happened.
Kalahating oras na kaming nasa byahe ng kasama ko. Tanong ng tanong siya kung saan kami papunta, but I didn't mind her. She's so noisy.
Really noisy to the point that I want to put a tape in her mouth. A black durable sticky tape, that i'm sure would really keep her shut for the meantime. Until I solve this problem.
"Saan ba kasi tayo papunta? Ejie? Sumasakit na lalamunan ko kakatanong sayo?"
I rolled my eyes,
"If could you just shut up? Hindi sasakit ang lalamunan mo."
"Eh pano ako tatahimik kung ayaw mo akung sagutin."
Nagkibit-balikat ako...
"Ok fine! I'll tell you."
I saw a smile lingered on her face the moment I said that. A smile of victory plastered on her face.
"I'm looking for someone...."
"Who?" Kampante at umayos na siyang umupo sa kanyang upuan, katabi ko.
"I'm looking for someone who's name is— A...?
Nakita kung napakunot ang noo niya. I don't even know what to say...
"Ahh...?"
"I don't know..." I give up.
Nakita kung lumaki ang mata niya, sabay paulit-ulit a bigay ng suntok sa kilirang kamay ko.
"Hey stop! Stop that! Gusto mo bang madisgrasya tayo!?"
"OMG Elijah, hinahanap mo tapos hindi mo kilala? Tanga kaba or nagtatangatangahan lang?"
"I don't know, okay. M- My father told me to look for her."
Good thing she stopped hitting me.
Tumigil ito at matamang nag-isip. Lumaki ulit ang mata nito, I guess it means that she know who i was looking.
Hope so...
"Yung babae ba na dapat na aalagaan mo!" She said with her widened eyes looking at me.
"Hmm, yes." I turned my gaze at her. Hope she knows her.
"Hala, ba't nawala?"
"Why you asking me that? I don't even know. I'm currently looking for her right now, right?"
"Oo pero- ano kasi.... diba dapat ka meet-up muna dapat yon kagabi pa?"
Yes, dapat sanang ka puntahan ni Ejie kagabi. But he did not, now it left me with this problem, that I have to solve.
"Wait, Solace yung pangalan non diba?" She said.
That's what i'm looking for. So she can also be useful and helpful sometimes, huh?
"Yes," I agree, though not sure about it.
"Papunta ba tayo sa Bahay nila?"
I nodded.
Medyo malapit narin kami sa bahay nung babae, based on the waze. SinceI used waze to make my everything easier, to find her location very easier.
From what I have observed Ang mundong ito ay iba sa mundong pinagalingan ko. Even though both of the worlds are advanced and already have adapted technology, the places here are really different. Places in this world doesn't exist in the world where I came from.
Minutes of driving we arrived in front of a house. Tahimik ang lugar even though medyo marami-rami ang mga bahay dito, maybe it's because it's nighttime? Tanging malamig na simoy ng hangin lang na humahaplos sa aming katawan ang naririnig kung gumagawa ng ingay, pati rin yung mga tahol ng aso na hindi ko alam saan nangaling.
I stopped the car after I parked it, may parking lot na malapit lang dito. Designed I guess, for the Pendleton family.
Both of us unfastened our seatbelts and got out of the car then started walking through the girl's house.
As we reached the gate, I pressed the doorbell in the gate. A funny thought suddenly came in my mind.
Should I say doorbell or should I say a gatebell? Nevermind.
Ilang pindot ang ginawa ko pero walang sumasagot. I rung the bell again and this time, may nakita kaming babaeng may katandaan na lumabas. Patakbo itong tumakbo paunta sa lokasyon namin.
"Anong kailangan nyo iho, iha? Anito. Pansin ko sa boses nito na galing lang ito sa pag-iyak. Am I really that observant? Maybe...
"Ahm-um. Magandang Gabi manang— hinahanap po sana namin si Solace yung babaeng nakatira dito." Nakangiting alanganin na sagot ng kasama ko.
Nakita kung biglang natigilan yung matanda. Nakota kung bumalatay sa mga mata nito ang lungkot at pagkabahala.
"Ka— kaano-ano niya- kayo?" Putol putol na ani nito.
"Ahm, pinadala ho kami ng Doctor niya- Mr. Pendleton..." Sagot ko.
"Hala!" Dinig kung ani nito.
Nakita ko namang aligaga nitong binuksan ang gate at dali-dali kaming pinapasok. Sinabihan kami nito sumunod sa kanya at tinungo ang daan papunta sa loob.
Pagkapasok namin, isang napakagandang painting agad ang bumungad at sumalubong saamin. A painting of a very beautiful girl, smiling while holding a bouquet of flowers. She's wearing a Skyblue dress habang nakalugay ang buhok. Naagaw nito ang atensyon ko, it feels like I was hypnotized by it.
I was lost in thought ng bigla akung tapikin ng kung sino. Yung matanda kanina, she offered me to sit.
Nakita kung may isang tasang kape na nakalagay sa lamesa, kita ko ring sumisimsim na ng kape yung babaeng kasama ko. I was really mesmerized and antonised by that painting, it made me lose my focus na dahilan kung bakit hindi ko akalain na matagal na pala akung nakatutok dito.
Umupo ako at sinimulan ring inumin yung kape. A hot cup of cofee is best for a very cold weather. Nakita ko rin siyang umupo.
"So sinasabi niyo iha, iho na pinadala kayo ng Doctor?"
"Yes po." Ani ng kasama ko, sabay simsim ulit ng kape.
"So pinadala ba kayo ng Doctor para hanapin siya?" Tanong niya.
"Yes."
She was silent....
I turned my gaze at the old lady the moment I heard her sob, napansin rin ito ng kasama ko kaya dali-dali siyang lumapit dito at dinaluhan.
"Parang awa niyo na... P- Please hanapin- n-nyo siya..." Umiiyak nitong ani. I think she couldn't control her emotions anymore.
"Please hanapin nyo yung alaga ko! Kagabi pa iyon nawawala." She said still crying. For her to act like this, then that means that girl must be really important to her.
"Please calm down, yes hahanapin namin siya. But first, we need to get some informations." Ani ng kasama ko. Habang hinahagod ang likod ng matandang babae. Nakita ko namang sinubukan nitong ikalma ang sarili.
"Sige." Anito habang sinusubukang tigilin ang pag-iyak.
"So could you tell me what happened?" I asked.
Because of this situation, nagmukha naakung PI or detective dahil sa paghahanap ng isang nawawalang tao. It's just too funny to think that from being a Resto manager, a cook. I just suddenly woke up as a Doctor, doctor na kahit isa ay walang ka-alam-alam or background sa posisyong ito. Now in this situation, I became a detective at tagahanap na naman ng nawawala... So it left me with the thought- What's next?
"Nangyari to kagabi. Naghahanda lang ako ng pagkain niya ng bigla biglang pagdating ko sa kwarto niya ay wala na siya. Wala ng tao." Humihikbi nitong ani.
I continued to listen.
"Tinawagan ko kaagad yung Doctor niya, pati na yung tatay niya. Galit na gali ito nung malaman. Tanging si Madam lang hindi namin sinabihan, yung asawa ni sir, dahil may sakit ito sa puso at baka kung malaman niya ang nanyari ay baka atakihin pa siya sa puso. Nasa ibang bansa sila ngayon kaya ipinagkatiwala muna nila ang anak nila sa Doctor. Kaya kay Doc ako agad rumesponde ng malaman kung nawawala na pala siya. Sabi niya gagawa siya ng paraan pero napakadelikado kasu dahil may sakit siya at baka mapano pa siya. Nagsumbong narin kami sa pulisya pero bukas pa sila maghahanap dahil kailangan na 24 hours pa daw bago nila hanapin. Nagpadala narin si Dir ng mga tagahanap pero hindi parin ito nahahanap." Mahabaniyang usal.
I just can't understand na sa dami ng taong pwedeng utusan ng Doctor na magahanap ay ako pa talaga. Dagdagan pa na maynaghahanap naman pala dito. Sa pagkakaalam niya Doctor yung anak niya, si Ejie. Hindi tagahanap ng nawawala.
It is because his angry? Or it is because he blames his son for it? Or maybe because he wants his son to show his worth?
Whatever the reason is wala nakung pakealam. I better go and shut up. Finding her is the best thing I could do para maayos na ang lahat ng problemang kinsasangkutan ko ngayon kahit in the first place hindi ko ito problema. I was just dragged in this never-ending problem.
"Do you have any idea kung saan siya pwedeng pumunta?" I asked.
"Wala talaga, pasensya na. Pwede kayong pumunta sa kwarto niya at baka may mahanap kayo, nasa taas lang ito sa second floor, yung pinaka-unang pintuan."
Napatango nalang ako. Wala akung magagawa kung wala talaga siyang alam.
Better, I should just go to her room and check it out, baka may mahanap pa akung pwede kung magamit.
I turned my gaze to the Astherielle, tahimik lang siyang nakikinig. Patuloy niya paring dinadaluhan ang matandang babae na ngayon ay umiiyak na naman.
"Ejie, ikaw na ang mag-check sa kwarto. Ako ng bahala sakanya." She said referring to the old lady.
I nodded.
Nilakbay kona ang daan papunta sa kwarto. It's in the second floor so I guided my way there. Seconds past of looking I finally found the door the old lady said.
Dahan-dahan kung binuksan ang pinto ng kwarto, a certain feeling suprised and welcomed me.
The feeling.... of-
Loneliness, Sadness, Suffering, Hatred
The room is filled with those, it's full of those.
The whole room is engulfed with those feelings.
As i've entered the room it's the
moment, I felt something. Something that is not new to me and is more horrible than what I feel when i'm still in my world.
A feeling of Melancholy...
A feeling of sadness and grief.
That I think...
If I won't shake that feeling. I'm scared that It might comsume me wholely..
****
Love Gatekeeper,