Elora's POV

Once I got home, I tried to calm myself down but I couldn't keep still. My pulse didn't slow down ever since I left the Coffee Project. I tried pinching my forearm just to make sure I wasn't dreaming or having a very wild illusion. However, to no avail, everything was still so vivid to me.

Umiling ako at sinubukang itanggi sa sarili ang nangyari. Pumikit ako habang ilang beses na huminga nang malalim.

"Elora?"

My eyes snapped wide open when I heard my mother's voice. I found her right in front of me, wearing an apron. She had a puzzled expression on her face.

"Ayos ka lang ba?" nag-aalalang tanong niya sa akin at lumapit. "Parang namumutla ka na naman. Are you feeling lightheaded?"

I forced myself to smile so that she wouldn't worry about me. "I'm fine, Mom," I assured her. "I just got a bit dizzy because of the UV. Nakahihilo po iyong amoy."

She slowly nodded, accepting my reasons. "If that's the case, you should go up to your room first and rest," she said. "Nagluluto pa ako ng hapunan natin. Tawagin na lang kita kapag nakauwi na ang daddy mo para sabay-sabay tayong kumain."

Still smiling, I nodded back. "Okay po. Thanks, 'mmy."

Mabilis akong umakyat patungo sa aking kuwarto. I couldn't help but feel a little regretful, though. It was rare for my mom to go home that early. I wanted to bond with her and help cooking our dinner. Kaya nga lang ay wala ako sa sarili. I wouldn't be able to focus. I might just ruin our dinner.

When I got inside my room, I quickly went to take a quick shower and changed to my cotton shorts and tank top. Habang pinatutuyo ang aking buhok ay nahagip ng tingin ko ang backpack. I recalled hiding my phone inside it, thinking that it was cursed or something.

Turning off the hair blower, I picked up my bag and sat on the bed. After a heavy sigh, I pulled my phone out from the bottom part. I pressed the power button to turn it on. While waiting for it to reboot, I just stared blankly at the screen. My reflection was even slightly visible until the lock screen finally appeared.

I carefully pressed on the passcode to unlock the phone and watched the notification headers pop on top of the screen. I was anticipating that one notification which didn't come. I even checked the Alter app but Elrond didn't try sending me a message after the mind-boggling video call I had with him.

Kinagat ko ang aking ibabang labi nang muling bumalik sa akin ang lahat. The shocked and confused look on his face told me he wasn't acting. His reaction was so genuine. But I still couldn't wrap my head around it that I felt like I was being played at.

How come we're in the same place but we can't see each other? And why does the Elrond I met back in Jack's party can't recognize me at all?

Pakiramdam ko ay sasakit na naman ang aking ulo sa pag-iisip ng kasagutan. Every time we would try to find the answer, we would end up getting more questions than what we already had. It felt like we were back to square one. It almost seemed like it was impossible to get to the bottom of it. Para bang habang buhay na magiging palaisipan sa aming dalawa ang mga pangyayari dahil walang makapagpapaliwanag sa amin n'on.

However, I refused to let that happen. I wanted to know the reasons why things happened the way it did. Hindi ko hahayaang matapos lang ang lahat sa ganoon.

I opened the message application and drafted a text for Karina.

To: Karina
Karina, I'm sorry for asking this favor but can you please ask Jack to set me a casual meeting with Eli?

I was about to send the message when I stopped last minute. Binura ko ang aking tinype at saka ibinaba ang cellphone upang mas makapag-isip nang mabuti. Medyo hindi rin ako komportableng gamitin ang kanyang palayaw. It was awkward to use his nickname but I had decided to call him Eli, in order not to confuse myself with the Elrond I know.

As much as possible, I wanted to solve the problem on my own. Ang totoo rin niyan ay hindi pa nawawala ang hiya ko kay Karina. At the same time, I wasn't really close with Jack. Baka hindi rin pumayag si Eli kung sakaling gustuhin ko mang makipagkita sa kanya.

But if I really wanted to be enlightened, I needed to start with the Elrond whom I met at the party. Although there were already a lot of signs, kailangan ko pa ring makasigurado na talagang hindi siya si Elrond na nakakausap ko sa Alter. And in order to do that, I had to talk to him.

I opened my Facebook app which I rarely do to stalk him on social media. As soon as I typed his name on the search bar, his personal account appeared on top of the list with only a few friends but thousands of followers. I clicked on it right away to check his profile.

I heaved a sigh out of relief. I was glad that he didn't set his profile in private. But when I scrolled down, it seemed like the opposite. He rarely posted on his account. Hindi rin siya pala-share gaya ng iba. His updates were mostly his pictures. He's a private person.

Pursing my lips, I searched for his other social media accounts and successfully found his Twitter and Instagram. Out of all the information I gathered, Eli was studying in the same university as Elrond. They also took the same program―Civil Engineering. But when it comes to their personality and hobbies, I could pick up differences. Even the way they dressed and carried themselves differed.

The Elrond I was familiar with loves playing games, reading manga, and staying at home. On the other hand, the other one seemed to be more inclined with sports and outgoing. He looked athletic, too. He has pictures playing basketball. I figured it must be his favorite sport.

Bumalik ako sa Facebook nang wala akong masyadong mahanap na personal information niya mula sa Instagram at Twitter. Another difference I found was the place of their residence. Just like me, Eli's from Manila while Elrond lives in Quezon City. Muli kong tiningnan ang kanyang mga photos, lalo na ang mga naka-tag sa kanya.

Some people might think that I was being creepy for stalking him, but I had no other idea how I'd silence these disturbing thoughts inside my head. While scrolling on his tagged images, I stopped abruptly when I found someone very familiar to me.

Napaupo ako nang maayos at pinindot ang photo. It looked like a family photo of Eli. Since he was wearing a toga, I was sure that it was taken during his graduation from senior high school. Hindi nga lang 'yon ang unang nakaagaw ng pansin ko.

I zoomed the picture to look at the woman beside him carefully. Biting my lower lip, I tried to remember when and where I saw her. Napatingin ako sa succulent na nakapatong sa aking study table. Naningkit ang aking mga mata habang nakatingin doon na para bang doon ko makukuha ang sagot. And to my surprise, I really did.

My eyes widened in realization. "Galadriel!" I exclaimed.

I can't be mistaken. She's the same woman who gave me the succulent. She just moved into our neighborhood months ago. That explains why Eli lives in Manila.

While I was trying to put the puzzle pieces all together, I was once again stuck at some point.

"But... she's supposed to be dead already..." I whispered to myself when I recalled Elrond's story about his family.

He told me that his mother died years ago. He even introduced the new members of his family to me. Parang naging malapit na nga ako sa kanila dahil sa daming kuwento ni Elrond tungkol sa kanyang pamilya. The memory I remembered the most was when they went out for his stepbrother's birthday.

I released a deep exhale as I looked at the person who posted the photo. Kumabog naman ang aking puso nang makita ang pangalan at ang caption.

Galadriel T. Revilla:
Congratulations to our future engineer! Your daddy and I are always proud of you.

She's really Elrond's mother. I don't mean to be rude nor do I wish for her to die but... why is she still alive if Elrond told me she passed away when he was in first-year college?

It was very frustrating. Just like every time I would try to get close to the truth, I have only pushed farther away. On top of that, I even had to deal with another unsolved mystery.

"Elora."

Napa-angat ako agad ng tingin sa pintuan. Dahil hindi iyon naka-lock ay sumungaw ang ulo ni mommy mula sa labas nang buksan ang pinto.

"Your father's home. Luto na rin ang dinner," sabi niya. "Kain na tayo?"

Setting aside stalking and investigating Eli, I smiled and nodded. Iniwan ko ang aking cellphone sa kama. Ako na mismo ang humila kay mommy pababa sa hapag kung saang nandoon na si daddy at naghihintay sa amin.

*****

THE next day, around eight in the evening, I was walking in our neighborhood while carrying a box of cheesecake from Conti's. I headed straight to the house on the corner lot which was once unoccupied. Nakabukas na ang ilaw sa bahay, hudyat na mayroong tao sa loob.

Katatapos lang naming kumain ng hapunan nang nagpaalam ako kay mommy na ibibigay ko ang isang buong cheesecake sa aming kapitbahay na nagbigay noong succulent. A client gave it to her as a sign of appreciation. Hindi mahilig sa matamis ang aking mga magulang kaya wala silang balak kainin 'yon. My mother took it home for me, instead of sharing it to his colleagues.

At first, I wanted to eat it. But then, I realized that I could just give it to our neighbor. Iyon ang aking naisip na plano para makausap ulit ang ina ni Eli. Wala namang problema si mommy roon. She even encouraged me to do it in order to thank her for the succulent.

And so, standing in front of their gate, I braved myself to press the doorbell. Nervousness started to creep into my heart. Halos dalawang minuto rin akong naghintay sa labas bago nagdiwang nang makitang si Mrs. Revilla ang lumabas.

She looked slightly suspicious, but when she saw me, her eyes lit up. She quickly opened the wicket gate and greeted me with a smile. "Oh! Hindi ba't ikaw iyong nakatira sa puting bahay? Iyong pinagbigyan ko ng halaman?"

I smiled and nodded. "Elora po ang pangalan ko," pakilala ko sa sarili. "Thank you po pala ulit sa succulent."

She chuckled and shook her head. "No problem, no problem."

My lips parted a bit while looking at her. When she laughed, I couldn't help but remember Elrond in her. They shared some similarities, especially the shape of their lips.

"But what brings you here?" kuryoso niyang tanong. "May kailangan ka ba or may maitutulong ba ako sa 'yo?"

Napailing ako at ipinakita sa kanya ang dalang cheesecake. "Gusto ko lang pong ibigay sa inyo 'to."

"Ha? Para saan naman?"

"Bilang pasasalamat po roon sa succulent," dahilan ko. "I became really fond of it..." That wasn't a lie anymore. Talagang nakatuwaan ko ang pag-aalaga ng succulent dahil wala masyadong kailangang gawin.

"Nako! Hindi na kailangan pero salamat, ha?" Nahihiya siyang ngumiti at tinanggap ang cheesecake.

Ngumiti ako pabalik. "Walang anuman po."

"Nahihiya talaga ako―ay! Alam ko na!" Para siyang mayroong naisip. "Pasok ka muna sa loob. Samahan mo akong kainin 'to. Do you still have things to do?"

Maagap akong umiling. "Wala po."

"Halika, kumain muna tayo sa loob," aya niya sa akin.

I willingly came inside with her. For a moment, I forgot being socially awkward and shy. The outcome was even better than what I expected. I just wished to speak with her again. I didn't imagine her inviting me to their house.

Although we had been living in the neighborhood since I was born, that was my first time going inside a neighbor's house. The interior was pretty modern just like what my parents did for our house.

"Upo ka muna riyan," bilin niya sa akin at inilahad ang malaking L-shaped na sofa. "Ihahanda ko lang itong dala mo at magtitimpla na rin ako ng maiinom natin."

"Sige lang po. Salamat po," magalang kong sabi.

Dala-dala niya ang cheesecake nang pumunta siya sa kusina. Naiwan ako sa living room. I quietly sat on the sofa when I noticed the frames displayed on the side table.

There was an even more recent family picture of three, different from what I saw on Facebook. I leaned closer to check the photo closely. Right next to the family picture were two more frames of baby Eli and a wedding photo of the married couple.

Not able to keep my hands to myself, I lifted the frame with baby Elrond. His cheeks were so chubby in the photo. Ngiting-ngiti pa siya kaya mas lalong tumambok ang pisngi, hindi katulad doon sa tipid niyang ngiti na parang napipilitan sa family picture. Looking so jolly, he resembled the Elrond I met on Alter more.

The corners of my lips lifted upwards while staring at the photo. It warmed my heart. I wanted to take a picture of it, but I stopped myself from doing so, especially when I heard footsteps coming my way.

Maingat kong ibinalik ang frame sa dating posisyon. Naabutan ako ni Mrs. Revilla na ginagawa 'yon. Ngunit kaysa magalit dahil pinakialaman ko ang kanilang gamit ay napangiti rin siya.

"Ang cute-cute niya, 'no?" she proudly asked while placing the dessert on top of the center table.

Tinulungan ko siya sa paghain. Kinuha ko ang dalawang baso ng juice sa tray na dala niya at maingat na nilapag din sa lamesa.

"Thank you," she simply bid.

"You're welcome po."

Once she was seated beside me, she looked at the frame again. Muli siyang napangiti habang tinitingnan ang litrato.

"Uhm, is he your son po?" I hesitated to ask her a question, in which I already knew the answer.

Tumango siya. "Ang cute niya, 'no?" ulit niya sa tanong sa akin kanina.

Napatango na rin ako. "Bunso ninyo po?"

Shaking her head, she chuckled. "He's my only son," she replied and pointed at the family photo. "That's him eighteen years later."

Binalik ko ang tingin ko sa sa mga picture. Ngumuso ako at pinigilan ang sariling magsalita.

"Noong bata siya, sobrang kulit-kulit niya. Gusto niya rin na lagi akong kasama. Napaka-clingy na bata." She laughed while reminiscing Eli's younger days. But when her laughter faded, her eyes were somewhere distant. "Ngayon, uhm, medyo malayo na ang loob niya sa akin dahil sa trabaho. He's closer to his father now. Lagi kasi akong nasa site. Minsan lang ako makauwi nang maaga kagaya ngayon."

My lips parted when she willingly opened up about her unstable relationship with her son. I didn't know what to say. Pero kahit papaano ay naiintindihan ko ang nararamdaman ni Eli. Lumaki rin akong medyo malayo ang loob sa magulang. But I still craved their attention every time.

"Uhm..." Mrs. Revilla awkwardly laughed. "I'm sorry if I'm being such a downer."

"Okay lang po, Mrs. Revilla," sabi ko. "I understand. It only means you care about him that much."

Ngumiti siya at tumango. "Hindi ko itatanggi 'yon," sabi niya. "Pero sana ay Tita Galadriel na lang ang itawag mo sa akin. Masyadong pormal naman ang Mrs. Revilla."

"Hmm... Sige po," nag-aalangan kong sabi.

"Maiba nga tayo, ilang taon ka na pala?"

"Nineteen po."

She gasped a little, but then she suddenly got excited. "You have the same age as my son!"

I know...

"Saan ka nag-aaral? Fourth year ka na rin ba?"

"Opo. Sa Far Northern University po ako nag-aaral," I replied. "I'm taking Literature."

"Magkalapit lang kayo ng university ng anak ko! Sa University of St. Aquinas siya nag-aaral. Civil Engineering naman ang kinuha niyang kurso dahil sabi niya noon ay gusto niyang maging katulad ko," tuwang-tuwa niyang pagkukuwento sa akin.

Just like what Elrond told when we talked about our parents, his mother is also an engineer like my father.

The more I got to know Tita Galadriel, it felt like I was being pushed closer to the truth. Even if it wasn't really huge progress, I was glad that I was going in the right direction.

Nag-usap pa kami ni Tita Galadriel habang kumakain ng cheesecake. Isang slice lang 'yon ngunit kay tagal bago namin naubos. I found myself comfortable hanging out and talking to her. It was like meeting Elrond all over again but as Eli. Ganoong-ganoon din ang naramdaman ko sa kanya noong una. Siguro ay namana niya sa kanyang ina ang social skills niya.

Habang nasa gitna ng pag-uusap ay bumukas bigla ang kanilang pintuan. Agad akong napalingon at nagulat nang makitang pumasok si Eli sa loob. When his eyes met mine, his forehead creased. He was about to say something but Tita Galadriel spoke first and approached him.

"Eli, bakit ngayon ka lang? Kumain ka na ba?" tanong ni Tita Galadriel sa anak. "Nakakain na kami ng daddy mo. Iinitin ko na lang ang ulam kung nagugutom ka."

Eli didn't answer her. His eyes were all on me. Medyo nailing ako sa talim ng kanyang tingin sa akin. Bahagya akong nag-iwas ng tingin sa kanya.

"Ay! Nga pala!" Lumapit sa akin si Tita Galadriel at inakay ako patayo upang iharap sa anak. "Si Elora, kapitbahay natin. Magkasing-edad lang kayong dalawa! Nakatutuwa talaga."

Mas lalong napakunot ang noo ni Eli. "Kapitbahay?"

"Oo," simpleng sagot ni Tita. "Nagdala siya ng cheesecake bilang pasasalamat sa succulent na binigay ko noong lumipat tayo. I invited her in to eat with me."

Walang salitang humakbang si Eli palapit sa amin. He grabbed my forearm which took me by surprise. Even Tita Galadriel looked as shocked as me.

His jaw tightened when he turned to his mother and said, "I'm taking her with me. Excuse us."