manunulat

Kung mayroon mang pinagsisihan si Eron ngayon, iyon ay ang hindi niya paghabol kay Lily. If only he could go back in time, he would do anything to make her stay—she would probably be watching the fireflies with him every night for the past years until tonight.

Ngunit hindi na niya mababalikan ang nakaraan kaya ngayon wala siyang ibang magagawa kundi tanggapin ang parusa ng tadhana sa kanya.

But how great it would have been if he wasn't immature back then? He would probably live with Lily in their condo; being furent to Suka, his cat. It would be really great to sleep beside her, laugh with her, drink, study and even cry due to their exhausting courses. Lily would be a great student nurse—if only she was still here.

Mag-aapat na taon na nang mawala si Lily pero hanggang ngayon, wala paring balita ang mga pulis. They concluded that Lily might be dead—which almost crashed Eron in pieces. He closed all the doors and did not let anyone in. Tinalikuran niya ang pamilya niya, ang mga kaibigan niya, at ang buhay niya.

Halos talikuran niya ang mundo. Kinulong niya ang sarili sa kalungkutan kaya halos malaglag siya sa pag-aaral. Mabuti na 'lang ay kahit papaano, natutunan niyang bumangon. He started to study but his family and friends still thinks it's an unhealthy habit that he's using as his defense mechanism. Hindi na nga niya pinapabayaan ang pag-aaral niya pero halos doon naman tumatakbo ang mundo niya—at syempre, kay Lily.

Patuloy pa rin naghihintay si Eron.

Pero minsan hindi niya maiwasang isipin na... what if he's waiting for something that will never be back?

It pains him when he's thinking about it because it's Lily. Nangako siyang kahit na anong mangyari ay si Lily pa rin ang pipiliin niya; Nangako siyang maghihintay siya kahit gaano pa katagal; He promised everything to Lily... but how long can he still take it?

Masakit man aminin, pero ang minsan na pag-iisip niyang sumuko ay nangyayari nang madalas.

Dahil madalas... napapagod na siyang mag-isa sa mundong puno ng pasakit at pagdurusa. Mas masarap na may kasama.

Eron slowly opened his eyes when he realized he's been praying the wrong way.

Napailing-iling siya sa kawalan para iwaksi ang tumatakbo sa isipan pero sa pangalawang pagkakataon, mukhang natalo na naman siya ng tadhana. Mukhang huli na bago pa niya mabawi ang kahilingan.

A loud weeping echoed around the Arroceros Forest Park as if a wild animal has been disturbed. The fireflies scattered around the place were alarmed by the crying voice that made them fly away. Tila natatakot sa nakakagimbal na pagtangis ng kung sino man.

Napakurap-kurap si Eron na kahit medyo kinakabahan sa naririnig ay pinilit parin na sundan kung saan nanggagaling ang boses.

The weeping voice was mumbling something...It's like a name that wasn't audible enough for him to apprehend.

Eron continued walking through the dark forest track. His only light is the flashlight on his phone that's why he couldn't see the way clearly.

It took him a few minutes before he finally found stairs towards an elevated walkway that was just finished around last year.

The weeping voice was coming on top of it so he didn't hesitate to walk up the stairs with a heart beating so fast—probably because he was worried that coming here might be a bad idea.

Who knew that that thought would vanish as soon as he stepped up to the top floor?

Everything went faster as if his thoughts joined the fireflies flying around the air. His eyes drifted to the girl seating on the bench chair alone, crying with both palms on her face.

The young man couldn't gather his thoughts while looking at the helpless young girl. He didn't know that a person can see his reflection without even looking at the mirror. She's just like him.

Dahil sa malakas na hangin, maingay na kaluskos ng mga dahon na nalalaglag mula sa mga puno sa paligid ay nagising ang diwa ng dalaga. Her red eyes soaked of tears gazed at the young man.

Their lifeless eyes finally met each other.

Sa gitna ng pagmamaneho ni Seungcheol sa lugar na malapit sa Taft Avenue at DLSU campus ay patuloy na tumutunog ang cellphone niya na nasa bulsa. He immediately took it out and handed it to Dk who's seating on the shotgun's seat.

Nagtatakang tinanggap ni Dk ang cellphone ng kaibigan habang naghihintay na magsalita ito.

"Can you check who's texting me, Dk?"

Hindi na nagsalita si Dk at ginawa na 'lang agad ang pakiusap ng kaibigan. Ilang segundo muna ang lumipas bago siya nagsalita.

"Sabi ni Yi slash Cali, may bagong tweet raw si Rei. Should I check it, Cheol?"

Hindi nagdalawang-isip na tumango ang nasa driver's seat.

Instead of opening the blue app on Cheol's phone, Dk took out his phone to check Rei's tweet from his own account.

"It's a picture, Cheol. Kamay ata ni Reilee na may hawak na, ano 'to? Alitaptap?" Dk showed the picture to Cheol who immediately took a glance at it.

Agad na tinigil ni Cheol ang kotse sa tabi ng coffee shop, para 'lang mas makita ang larawan.

"FUCK! I knew it!" Bulalas nito. "This is all about Caden again!"

Napakunot-noo si Dk na nalilito. He doesn't understand what Cheol was trying to say, even Reilee's tweet is so unclear to him.

"Yang.... at Alitaptap?"

"Yang is what she calls Caden. It's from a Ying-Yang Chinese Philosophy. At iyong alitaptap, it's symbolizing the soul of our departed loved ones; Reilee and Caden believe in such things."

Dk was a bit shocked and amazed at the connection that Reilee and her boyfriend have. He knew Caden on the court that's why he couldn't imagine he would believe in such a folktale.

Ying........ Yang.......Fireflies.

No one could imagine how deep the love between the young couple was.

Kaya siguro ganito na lamang sila kahirap na hanapin ang nawawalang si Reilee.

Because no one can understand Reilee better than Caden.

"Is there a location on her tweet?" Dk suddenly asked.

Bigong umiling-iling si Cheol na walang ibang nagawa kundi ang tumulala at paulit-ulit na magmura sa isipan.

Where the fuck is this place?

Ang mga alitaptap ay patuloy na lumilipad sa paligid, tila hindi alintana ang kadiliman sa lugar, dahil nandito ang mga alitaptap para magbigay liwanag dito.

It's just really amazing how love can make these fireflies light up—malaking pruweba na balewala ang kadiliman sa liwanag ng pagmamahal.

These fireflies flicker because they're with their true loves. Nakakamangha, kahit gaano pa sila karami ay natagpuan pa rin nila ang minamahal nila.

Eron wonders if that is also possible for him. That even how many years—will he still find Lily? Will he still find his true love?

True love. Lily is his true love. Kahit pa marami ang nagsasabi sa kanya na bata pa lamang sila ni Lily nang magkakilala, naniniwala pa rin siya na si Lily ang true love niya.

Naniniwala siya dahil narito ang mga alitaptap na silang saksi sa tunay na pagmamahalan nila ni Lily.

Everything was perfect...or maybe, almost perfect.

Nang gabing mawala si Lily, hindi naging maganda ang nangyari sa kanilang dalawa. They had a fight for the very first time throughout their 5 years of being in a relationship (during the time that Lily went missing, they were in their 5 years already)

Ano nga ba ang rason ng pag-aaway nila?

He couldn't even remember.

Ang naaalala 'lang niya, they fought really hard which made Lily walk away. He felt guilty that he let her walk away—not knowing that that would be the last time they will see each other.

If only he could turn back time, he would stop Lily. If he could go back...he wouldn't let her leave like that. If he could only go back and make things right—maybe, Lily would still be here beside him.

Maybe, his true love would still be here.

Arroceros Park is known as the "Huling Gubat ng Maynila."

Eron loves to visit that park even before he met Lily because he's fond of plants, trees and forests. That's why he chose biology as his course of study because he wants to invent something that can help the environment. Madalas siyang pumunta rito noon dahil sa dami ng mga buildings sa Maynila, ang parke na ito na lamang ang natitirang gubat sa lugar kaya naman madalas siyang nagvo-volunteer para magtanim ng mga puno at halaman.

When he met Lily, they started to come here to plant together—until this place became their favorite.

Sa lugar na ito sila nangako sa isat-isa. This place holds a lot of memories; where Lily said yes; where they had their first holding-hands; first hug; first kiss—and lots of first times.

This place is where their love started; unfortunately, it is also the same place where their love ended.

Ended.

It sounds funny for Eron because the truth is their love never ended—or maybe not yet?

Almost four years since the last time Eron saw Lily's face. Almost four years since that night happened—the first time they fight—the last time they saw each other.

Almost four years since Lily went missing.