Chapter 3

It’s 8 in the morning but she can feel the heat of the afternoon as she walks on the sidewalk,

Mayari stood in front of a tall building, this is her first day as a writer intern at Moonlight’s publishing house.

She took a deep breath and walked towards the crowded hallway of the building and nervously reached the elevator buttons.

Unfamiliar faces greeted her as the elevator door opens, she grabbed her phone and turn the volume up to ease the rising tension in her chest. She’s nervous and excited at the same time.

Elevator reached the 7^th floor where she was supposed to go. The door opened and there goes the people who will work with her for the next months.

She stood on the corner while waiting for their team leader.

Minutes passed and the elevator opened again and a man his age came out from it. He looks familiar…

“Apollo?” she called the guy and the latter look behind him to see if she was talking to him.

“Mayari, remember? Classmates tayo sa Cinematography and ikaw yung nag-suggest ng magandang angle nung isang araw sa shoot," nakangiting bati ni Mayari, saglit na napahinto si Apollo at tila inalala ang sinabi ng huli subalit hindi niya maalala ito.

Napa-irap na lamang si Mayari nang mapagtanto niyang hindi siya nito maalala at iniba na lamang niya ang usapan.

“Magwwork ka rin dito?” tanong niya, Apollo just nodded.

Hindi na muling nagsalita si Mayari. Maya maya lamang ay lumabas na ang team leader nila, pina-iwan ang mga gamit nila sa locker at pinapasok sa training room.

Umupo si Mayari hindi kalayuan sa instructor subalit may distansya mula sa mga kasama habang si Apollo naman ay nasa sulok ng kwarto naka-upo at malayo sa kanila.

Everyone in the room was obviously older than them. Twenty-four is the closer to their age.

“Sir, would you mind moving here? Parang masyado ka kasing malayo sa’min diyan sa pwesto mo," biro ng kanilang trainer kay Apollo. He stood up then sat beside Mayari.

Mayari just looks at him then rolled her eyes.

After 4 hours of lecture, their instructor told them to go to the 10^th floor for their I.D’s.

“Sabay na tayo magpa-I.D?” tanong ni Mayari kay Apollo, tumango lamang ang huli.

Tahimik lamang sila sa loob ng elevator hanggang sa makuha nila ang kanilang mga I.D, naisip ni Mayari na ayain si Apollo na sabay na lamang silang mag-lunch dahil nauna na ang mga kasama nila.

Sa hindi malamang dahilan, magaan ang loob nila sa isa’t isa. Hindi lamang ito pinapansin ni Apollo sapagkat hindi siya sanay na may babaeng kaibigan—hindi siya sanay na may kaibigan.

Habang kumakain ay nagsimula nang magkwento si Mayari tungkol sa kung pa’no siyang nakapasok sa publishing house at kung ga’no katagal niya itong hinintay.

“Ikaw? Ba’t ka andito? Mukha ka namang mayaman. Mukhang namang hindi mo kailangan ng part-time," tanong niya kay Apollo.

“My Dad just asked me to. Ayoko naman talaga but I kinda enjoy writing," He answered

“Huy! Ayan yung pinaka-mahabang nasabi mo ngayon araw. Ang galing!” namamanghang sabi ni Mayari

“Ginawa mo naman akong bata," Apollo said and slightly formed a smile.

“Cute mo pag naka smile ka, you should often do that,” Mayari said.

“Crush mo ‘ko?” tanong ni Apollo at pumangalumbaba.

“Hoy! Ang kapal ng mukha mo. Sinabi ko lang na cute ka pag nakangiti,"

They both laughed. Ngayon lang naramdaman ni Mayari na mapalagay kasama ang isang taong hindi niya kilala.

8 hours passed and they both finished their first day, Apollo immediately left and Mayari stayed at the near coffee shop, she doesn’t feel fine. She decided to let her brothers stay at their aunt’s house… hindi niya rin alam kung magagampanan niya pa ang pagiging ate sa mga ito, wala na siya sa sarili.

She stayed in an abandon building’s rooftop near her school. She badly wants to end everything but she’s the only person her brothers have, kaya mas pinipili niyang sumubok araw araw.

“Would you jump?” a familiar deep voice said

“Oh? Anong ginagawa mo rito?” she asked Apollo

“Can you imagine leaving everything behind?” Apollo ignored her question and just look at the sky

Parehas silang nakatingin sa kawalan. Mayari was surprised with this side of him. Parang kahapon lang ay hindi sila aware sa existence ng isa’t isa at isang araw pa lang silang magkasama…

It feels like I’ve known him for a while now, Mayari thought.

“Kung hindi ko iisipin yung mga taong maaapektuhan? Siguro matagal ko nang ginawa,” saad ng dalaga

“Do you believe in heaven?” he asked

“Hindi, but I’m hoping na meron,” she smiled, thinking about her parents.

“How’d you know about this place pala?” Mayari changed the topic

“I used to hide here. When bullies from grade school are chasing me, tumatakbo ako rito. They see this as haunted but this was somehow my safe place,” Apollo said.

“Lalim mo rin eh no?” nakangiting saad ni Mayari

“Umiinom ka?” tanong ni Apollo at inilabas ang apat na bote ng beer mula sa bag

“Occasionally," sagot ni Mayari at tinanggap ang isang bote na inabot ni Apollo

Apollo looked at the sky.

“When I was a kid, I used to believe that at the end of the sea andon ‘yong moon,” he chuckled

“Hoy! Ako rin, gusto kong pumunta sa moon dati kasi sabi ng mommy ko pinangalan daw ako sa Goddess ng moon,” mayabang na sabi ni Mayari

“I was named after the God of sun,” Apollo smiled

“Hoy seryoso ba?” he just nodded.

“You want to try something crazy?” Apollo asked with a smirk

“Wag mo ‘kong titignan ng ganyan Domingo ha!” biro ni Mayari at bahagyang niyakap ang sarili

Ngumiti lamang si Apollo at hinila si Mayari sa isang kwarto sa ikalawang palapag. Puno ito ng basag na pinggan, iniabot ni Apollo ang isang pinggan mula sakanyang bag kasama ang isang marker.

“Anong gagawin ko rito?” Mayari asked

“Just write everything there. Kahit ano, kung anong iniisip mo, kung saan o kung kanino ka galit. Kahit ano. Lahat ng nagpapabigat sa nararamdaman mo,” nakangiting sabi ni Apollo at sinimulan nang magsulat sa kanyang pinggan.

Kita sa dalawang nage-enjoy sila sa kanilang ginagawa. Lalo na si Mayari, mas magaan na ang nararamdaman niya ngayon.

“Then? Ano nang gagawin natin?”

“Basagin mo, ihagis mo sa paraang gusto mo,” turo ni Apollo “Advice lang, hagis mo siya using your non-dominant hand. 'Yong malakas na malakas, mas nakakawala ‘yon ng galit,” dagdag pa nito

 Sabay nilang binasag ang mga pinggan. Pinagmasdan lang ni Apollo si Mayari na tuloy pa ring sumisigaw matapos niyang basagin ang plato niya.

“Feeling a lot better?” Apollo asked

“Yeah, thank you,” she sincerely smiled at him.

Bumalik sila sa rooftop at inilabas ni Mayari ang kanyang telepono.

“I made this playlist para lang dito sa lugar na ‘to. Para tumulala, para mag-isip,” saad niya at nagpatugtog

Magdamag lamang silang naupo at tumingin sa kawalan. Hindi na rin nila namalayan ang oras.

“It’s past 10, you should go home na,” Apollo said to Mayari

“Ang conyo mo ha!” Tinawanan lang siya ni Mayari “But no, I don’t feel like going home tonight. I just want to escape for a while, ngayon ko na lang ulit naramdaman yung ganitong klase ng peace,” dagdag pa ng dalaga

“So am I,” pag-sang ayon ni Apollo

“So, what are we going to do?” she asked

Nagkibit balikat lamang si Apollo.

Maya maya’y naramdaman nila ang unti unting pagpatak ng ambon, agad na sumilong si Apollo subalit tumingala lamang si Mayari at dinama ang ulan. Tumayo pa ang huli at bahagyang sumabay kasabay ng musika

“What are you doing?” sigaw ni Apollo

“Dancing, like no one’s watching,” she said and continue dancing, Apollo shook his head then joined Mayari under the rain.

Mayari feels safe.

Alas tres nang umaga ay nagkayayaan na rin silang umuwi, bago maghiwalay sa sakayan ay hinarap muli ni Mayari si Apollo.

“Hug,” nang walang anu ano’y niyakap niya ito.

Wala nang nagawa si Apollo, hindi na rin siya nakabitaw pa. Naisip niyang baka kailangan ito ng dalaga at isa pa matagal na panahon na rin simula nung may yumakap sakanya katulad nito. It feels warm.

Matapos ay ngumiti na lamang si Mayari sa kanya at naglakad na patungo sa kasalungat na direksyon.

Mayari immediately went inside her room the moment she got home. She cried again and look at her parent’s picture. Everything’s falling apart now. Ngayong araw niya lang din naramdaman ang ganitong klaseng pahinga.

She grabs her notebook and starts writing down on her diary…

“October 7,

I hang out with a stranger today. It feels weird but refreshing at the same time. Sa araw na ‘to gusto ko lang may makasama na hindi ako tinatanong kung ayos lang ba ‘ko, gusto kong may makasama na hindi ako kilala, na hindi maninibago kung may weird sa kilos ko. Gusto ko lang huminga nang isang araw kasama 'yong isang tao na walang alam sa kung anong istorya ko. Gusto kong mapag-isa pero hindi literal na mag-isa, gusto kong may kasama physically pero gusto ko ring hayaan iyong nararamdaman ko. 'Yong hindi ko kailangang magkwento o mag-explain. Pagod na ‘ko. Malaki ang itinulong ni Apollo sa araw na ‘to, kung ano man ang pinagdadaanan niya… alam kong darating 'yong araw na magiging ayos kami parehas, sana.”

She put her pen down and lie down. Kakaibang pagod yung nararamdaman niya sa mga nakaraang araw, pagod na hindi nadadaan sa pagtulog o pahinga.

Pero alam niya kahit papa’no… nakapagpahinga siya sa araw na ‘to.