Capitulo Cincuenta y dos

Tulala at hindi makapaniwala. Maxwell was staring hard at the cold hard floor. Pinipilit niyang i-digest ang mga impormasyong inilahad ng kaibigan ni Kallyra.

He don't want to believe it. It was like a fantasy and it was so unreal. But it explained why he had those weird dreams. As it turned out, it was really his memories, he lived in the past and he don't belong in that place like he always felt. The reason he don't feel attached to anything in that place because none of it are his.

He was right, si Kallyra lamang ang tanging nag-uugnay sa kaniya sa panahong inalisan. But what makes him elated is the fact that Kallyra love him, he is her Lucas, and she was his.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember all those memories he had with her. He couldn't help but smile and he could feel his heart beating loudly. He could see her smiles and hear her laughter. Mas lalong lumaki ang kaniyang ngiti ng maalala ang hinabi nitong kwento tungkol sa buhay nito upang linlangin siya.

"Negosyante ako, nanggaling ako sa Pranses at nag-iisang anak ng sundalo kong ama, ayaw ng aking ama ng anak na babae kaya madalas ay nakabihis akong panlalaki at tinuturang gumamit ng baril hanggang lumaki ako, kamamatay lang niya noong isang buwan, dahil wala na kong pamilya, naisipan kong ibenta ang aming bahay at maliit na lupa upang magsimula ng negosyo dito sa Pilipinas upang buhayin ang sarili ko. Sinabi ko na ito sa iyong ina. Merong mga nagnakaw ng mga kalakal ko ng dumating ako sa Maynila at nalaman kong dinala nila dito ang mga kalakal sa batanggas kaya napunta ako rito, may mga nakilala akong mga taga-bundok at nagmagandang loob silang tulungan akong hulihin ang mga magnanakaw pero bigla na lang kaming hinabol ng mga gwardiya sibil at pinagbintangang mga rebelde."

Napailing si Maxwell at pinigil ang pagtawa subalit natigilan ng may biglang pumasok sa isip. "F**k..." mahinang mura niya. "I am more than 300 years old, I am a f**king legend." namamanghang palatak niya.

Ashton chuckled. "Welcome to the club buddy." napatingin si Maxwell dito, was he preserved in a cold block of ice as well? Parang nabasa naman nito ang tanong niya sa isip.

"We both slept for almost a hundred years in this ship, and I have done it twice with your wife." nagkibit-balikat ito.

Kumunot ang noo ni Maxwell. He did not like the way the man said the last sentence. Although he understood what it meant but his choice of words is making him growl in protest. He decided not to reprimand him this time because he told him stories about his wife.

"You said you know where I could find my wife?" he asked in agitation. He was scared and excited at the same time.

"Kallyra gave me her research with regard to Parallel Universe and-----"

"Okay, spare me with the details please." kaagad niyang putol dito. Dahil kaibigan ito ni Kallyra ay may pakakapareho ito sa ganitong bagay, kapag nagsimula ng magdiscuss ng tungkol sa mga research o kahit anong may kinalaman sa propesyon nila ay tuloy-tuloy lang at walang pakialam kung naiintindihan ba ng kausap ang mga sinasabi they even like to use jargon that sounds like chinese words to his ears which he coudn't understand. "So how can I find my wife?"

"You like calling her your wife so much, I heard your girlfriend said that the marriage was not really notarized." nakangiting puna ng kausap.

He glared at him. "Kallyra is my wife." matigas at nanghahamong singhal niya. If he was a dog he would show his fangs.

Itinaas nito ang dalawang palad na tila sumusuko. "Fine." lalo lamang lumapad ang ngiti. "Okay, I will set the program, if you want to go where she was at, I'm sure she went back to the time when you first met, but the chances are slim. As you can see, this was just her theory, no one can tell if this will work, if you are lucky then you will be the second person to travel through time using a well written research and elaborated theory."

Mataman itong tumitig sa kaniya na tila sinusukat ang kaniyang kagustuhang makita at makasamang muli ang babaeng minahal niya mula sa nakaraan, ngayon at hanggang sa hinaharap.

"We are not sure if she was really there, she was probably sent to a different dimension, or she was... not able to make it."

"There is no other way anyway. I would rather be dead than to stay here and do nothing. She is the only reason why I'm here so I don't hesitate, there is no need to think about it. I will follow wherever she goes."

"Then you have to be ready in 3 hours, my friend will perform a surgery to remove the chip on your nape and I will find someone who can help us with the program."

"Thank you." ang tanging nasabi ni Maxwell. Mabilis siyang nagpaalam sa kaibigan ng asawa at nagtungo sa kaniyang silid. Pabagsak na nahiga siya sa malambot na kama at itinakip ang kaliwang braso sa mata. Pagkatapos ay pinatong ang kanang kamay sa dibdib upang maramdaman ang tibok ng puso sa loob noon.

He felt like his chest was about to burst out anytime because of the emotions that bubbling inside.

Nagagalit siya dahil naiwan siya, he was sad for knowing everything so late,

he was happy because she love him, he was nervous, scared and excited about the possibility of seeing her and be with her again.

"I will see you again... my love." he declared softly. Then he closed his eyes and think of those treasured memories again.

********

Malakas na naman ang hangin at tila nagbabadya na naman ng malakas na pag-ulan hindi pa man natutuyo ang maputik na lupa. Sumasayaw ang mga dahon at mga puno na tila nagsasaya.

Kallyra opened her arms wide and took a deep breath. She can smell the sweet scent of forest and the smell of rain in the air. Naroon siya sa itaas ng puno sa gitna ng kagubatan. She wanted to be alone where she could find peace in her heart. She closed her eyes and feel the droplets of rain on her small face.

Unti-unti na siyang nababasa subalit hindi siya nilalamig. She was enjoying the cold instead. Her closed eyes trembled a bit and tears drop from the corners of her eyes. Maririnig ang mahihinang hikbi na humahalo sa tunog ng ulan na lumilikha ng isang malungkot na musika.

Subalit nabasag ang musikang iyon ng mga kaluskos sa paligid. Mabilis niyang iminulat ang mata at alertong nagmasid sa paligid.

She could faintly hear foot steps a few meters away from where she was at, at hindi lang sa isang tao ang mga naririnig niyang mga yapak. And then she saw a group of men running with their rugged and wet clothes, their feet was bare and there are lots of wounds in their fragile and skinny bodies.

Ang pinaka matanda sa grupo na sa tantiya niya ay nasa bilang na dalawampu ay nasa edad singkwenta hanggang pitongpu. At ang pinakabata ay nasa edad na sampu. The kids were not even crying despite their terrible condition, they were running as fast as they can with their small legs. But she can see the helplessness in their eyes and she can sense the intense fear around them.

Then she heard the faint sound of gunshots and people shouting. After a few minutes a group of soldiers came to her view, pinuputol ng mga ito ang mga sanga at mga halamang humaharang sa mga daraanan nila.

Kallyra grab the black veil from her neck and used it to cover half of her face. Nang malapit na ang ilang mga sundalo sa punong kinaroroonan niya ay marahan niyang hinugot ang dalawang espada. She was more comfortable using it than those guns in this era, reloading it was very time consuming and dangerous.

She quietly jumped from the tree branch and slash her swords to the three unsuspecting soldiers. Hindi na niya tiningnan ang mga ito matapos lumapag ang paa niya sa maputik na lupa at mabilis na umusad patungo sa susunod na biktima.

The sounds of their cries were swallowed by the heavy rain. The trees were restricting their moves and the rain and leaves was hindering their sight making it hard for them to attack. They were blindly shooting anywhere at tila wala ng pakialam kung natatamaan ang mga kasama.

"¡Regresa! el diablo ha venido!" 'Atras! Dumating na ang demonyo!'

"¡Corre rapido!" 'Atras! bilisan niyo!'

"Fue el diablo!" 'Nandiyan na ang demonyo!'

"¡Monstruo!" 'Halimaw!'

'¡Dios ayudanos!' 'Diyos ko iligtas niyo kami!'

Sigaw ng mga sundalo at mga gwardiya sibil. Hindi mapigilan ni Kallyra ang pagtaas ng sulok ng labi. Hindi niya alam na ginawan na pala siya ng bansag ng mga duwag na mananakop.

Ngunit wala siyang pakialam, kahit na tugisin siya ng mga ito ng walang katapusan wala siyang pakialam. Her life has no meaning and she was ready to die anytime, so might as well help these people that Lucas loved and so she will be forgiven once they met again in another world and in another time.

Hinayaan na lamang ni Kallyra ang mga umatras na sundalo at hindi na humabol pa. Pagal ang katawang isinandal niya iyon sa malapad na puno.

Hinayaan niyang linisin ng ulan ang mga tilamsik ng dugo sa damit at balat. She let the rain wash the blood on her swords as well.

Her wounds are healing quickly because of the age-freezing drug. It was running through her veins like a virus. It quickly repair the damage cells and replace the old ones, leaving her no scars and keeping her youth appearance.

She closed her tired eyes and tried to remember him until she was lost in those memories again.