Chapter 1

Messed up

From the moment I entered the wormhole—I never imagined that this would work. For about four months staying in a world where you don't know exactly what you mean there. You just messed it all. I did nothing good and I please myself to bring back the things to the way it was before. And I'm so sure that the last four months was still as it is.

I immediately took my phone and look at the calendar. I stayed in 2026 for about four months, my day started there on January 3rd and ended May 18th and I came back on the year 2017, January.

There have been actually a lot of things I got carry on from the future, from the easy things that developed and technologies arise. In future, it made everything easy for us but what hurts me was, the people I knew here wasn't the people whom I met there. Something doesn't connect or nothing at all.

Just like in the books I've read, in a multi-universe. If I'm on this earth, where I am actually come from is just a normal person who carries an ability of something special. Then on the other earth, I'm something like a celebrity or had a professional degree. Something like that.

There's a loop between the senses of it but when I get that straight, I knew everything has happened for a reason.

Agad ko namang hinanap si mama sa bahay pero nakakapagtaka lang dahil hindi ko siya makita dito. Maski sa kusina, sa kwarto nila ni papa at sa garden ay wala siya doon. Alam kong matagal pa naman ang uwi ni papa kaya panigurado ay naglilibang muna si mama kasama ang mga kaibigan niya.

Nagpalit naman ako ng damit, pagkabukas ko pa lamang ng aking closet ay nagulat na ako sa sari-saring damit doon. Sa pagkakatanda ko ay hindi ganito ang closet ko no'ng nawala ako. Pero dibale na dahil mas marami, edi mas okay kung gano'n. I pick a white jeans and blue faded top. Nagsandles na lang din naman ako. Pinusod ko naman ang aking buhok at kinuha ko ang phone ko.

Napangisi naman ako ng maalala ko na naman kung paano ko nakuha ang phone na ito.

My friends and I got a chill out tonight, obviously it's Friday! We'll watch some new movies that they've heard off has a good reviews from the critic. I didn't have much of a choice to agree, that's our night out!

I came first on our meeting place, there's many people waiting on line for their ticket while I'm just waiting for the two of them. Minutes after, they texted me to buy some tickets because they will be late for five minutes because I don't but tickets for the three of us, it will be gone sold out.

Luckily, I got extra money from my allowance. I bought our tickets and some snacks. I sat on the bench for a while when I notice a phone was left on it. I tried to search for someone who belongs to it. I get it and tried to call someone on the contacts and somehow, a message pops up.

"Keep it."

My forehead creased when I read the message, maybe it's a message to the owner and so I try to call some person on the contacts. And luckily, after some rings, someone answered it.

"Hello! Your friend left hi—" hindi ko pa man din natatapos ang sasabihin ko nang magsalita ang nasa kabilang linya kaya natigil din ako.

"Keep it. It's yours now." Then it hungs up.

Hindi naman ako makapaniwala sa sagot no'ng lalaki sa kabilang linya. I don't know what his reason for doing this kind of trick. Maybe prank lang ito at mamaya may lalapit sa akin na I'm on the camera. Like duh!

Few minutes, dumating na rin ang dalawa kong kaibigan. Chanya and Saki.

"Calia, c'mon! We need to catch up!" Chanya said.

Mabilis naman akong tumayo sa kinauupuan ko at lumapit sa kanila. Silang dalawa pa 'tong pinagmamadali ako, eh sila naman itong late. Dahil hindi ko rin naman kayang iwanan ang phone 'don, siguro isu-surrender ko na lang later sa lost and found.

Naghanap naman kami ng magandang pwesto. And so we find a three vacant seat for the three of us. Natigil din naman ako ng makilala ko kung sino ang makakatabi namin. Pinigilan ko ang dalawa kong kasama na maghanap na lamang ng ibang mauupuan kasi hindi ako magiging komportable the whole time kung siya ang makakatabi ko.

Pero hindi ko rin naman napigilan ang dalawa kong kasama. Lalo na si Chanya.

Nang makalapit naman kami sa kanila ay sa akin kaagad napunta ang mata ni Lyke. He offered the sit next to him. Pinagtulakan naman ako ng dalawa kong kaibigan at naupo na ako doon.

"Hi!" naramdaman ko ang biglang pagka-awkward ng atmosphere namin. Isama mo pa 'yong lamig ng paligid.

Nginitian din naman ako nito, "Hi! I didn't see that you're fond of watching romantic movies, huh?"

Napangiwi naman ako sa sinabi niya, "it's my friends choice."

Napakibit balikat naman siya, "you just have to enjoy it. You'll like it though."

"I hope, I will."

The film started, at first medyo komportable pa ako dahil nae-enjoy ko ang palabas. Until his hands flew into my hands. Agad ko namang inalis ang kamay ko sa kanya. Patay malisya naman siya habang hindi naman ako mapakali.

"Calia, are you two okay?" Saki asked, raising her brow.

"Ye—" and I got interrupted by him.

"Absolutely, yes, we do."

Nanahimik na lang din ulit ako. Hindi ko na rin naman nagawang tapusin ang palabas dahil mas pinili ko na lang na mag-cr. Naalala ko rin naman ang phone sa aking bulsa kaya naman dumiretsyo ako sa lost and found team at sinurrender ang phone doon. When they tried to broadcast about the lost phone. No one claimed it. And they tried to call some person on the contacts.

Few seconds, there's an incoming call on my phone kaya naman lumayo muna ako sa mga nag-aasist sa akin.

Nang sagutin ko naman ang tawag ay nagulat na lang din ako ng sila rin pala ang kausap ko. Napatingin naman kaagad ako sa kanila at napakunot noo naman sila sa nangyari.

"Pinagloloko mo ba kami miss? Seems like you own this."

Agad naman akong umiling sa sinabi niya, "hindi po talaga, promise."

"Miss, kunin mo na dahil ikaw rin pala ang natawagan namin." Aniya, "o tatawag kami ng security na may gagawin kang masama?"

Agad ko namang kinuha sa kanyang kamay ang phone. "Hindi na po, kukunin ko na po. Pasensya na."

Until that day, I still don't know who the owner of this phone is.

Nang mapadaan naman ako sa isang coffee shop ay nakilala ko ang kaibigan ko doon. Nakakapagtaka lang dahil hindi ko naman inaasahan na dito ko pa siya makikita. When in fact, ayaw niya sa ganitong lugar.

Pagkapasok ko pa lamang ng coffee shop ay nagkatinginan kaagad kaming dalawa. Doon ko lang din napansin ang suot niya. Naka-apron ito, hair net at may hawak na tray. Nilapitan ko naman siya pero agad naman niya akong iniwasan.

Mas lalo ko namang ikipinagtaka iyon.

"Chanya, wait." Tawag ko sa kanya at hinawakan ko sa siya braso. Hinarap naman niya ako, "kailan pa?"

She shrugged off my hand on her shoulder, "I'm working, Calia."

Naningkit naman ang mata ko sa sinabi niya, "working? Kailan pa?"

She rolled her eyes on me, "para kang baliw, Calia. Wait for me, five minutes na lang at break ko na naman. Gusto mo bang umorder?"

Napatango na lang din naman ako sa kanya at kinuha ang order ko. Naupo na lang din naman ako habang nagtataka pa rin kung bakit nagta-trabaho si Chanya dito.

She's one of the It Girls on our university. Maswerte nga ako dahil kaibigan ko siya dahil hindi naman siya namimili ng kaibigan. Just like Saki, she's one of the It girls too.

Ilang saglit lang din naman ay binalikan na ako ni Chanya na dala dala ang order ko. Inalis niya ang kanyang uniform at nakiupo din sa table ko.

"Kanina pa ako nagtataka, Calia. Bakit parang bago lang sayo na nagta-trabaho ako dito? But you know it for five months dahil madalas ka dito, with your usual order and table."

"Usual order and table?" tanong ko naman sa kanya.

Napatango naman ito, "Mocha Frappe and that table was your favorite all the time, kaya nga nakakapanibago na dito ang pinili mong table eh."

Gumawa na lang din naman ako ng storya dahil hindi ko talaga ma-gets ang mga pinagsasabi niya. "Yeah, I like something new."

Ininom ko naman ang frappe ko at sinuri siya. From the Chanya I know whose wearing make-ups and heels were different from the girl in front of me. Nakakapanibago talaga dahil hindi ko inaasahan na dito ko siya makikita na nagta-trabaho.

Hindi ko naman siguro 'to kasalanan diba?

"By the way, dumaan si Saki dito kanina kasama ang boyfriend niya."

Napataas naman ako ng kilay sa sinabi niya, "boyfriend?"

She nodded, "Yes, Lyke, pati ba naman 'yon kinalimutan mo na?"

Napailing naman ako, "I'm sorry..."

"What's wrong ba, Calia? Tell me..."

I shook my head and smiled, "there's nothing wrong."

Mayamaya ay tinawag naman si Chanya ng kanyang manager at may pinagawa sa kanya. Nagpaalam naman ito sa akin dahil mas kailangan niya daw pagtuunan ng pansin ang utos sa kanya ng manager niya. Umalis na rin naman ako ng coffee shop.

I thought everything was okay, until I found out that everything was messed up. Hindi maganda 'to. I ruined everything.

Pagkauwi ko naman sa bahay ay nagkulong naman ako sa kwarto ko. Tiningnan ko ang calendar ng phone ko. It's still the same day, I set back the time from the moment when I wake up.

My head hurts when I open up my eyes and as the sunshine glows on my face. My traveling came back after all.

It's 9 in the morning. I traveled 8 hours to know some answers.