I was wearing a black pagong necked T-shirt, a light brown overcoat, jeans and black boots. I carried a bag which was hung on my shoulder.
PUBLIC LIBRARY. SINCE 1905
Read the board. I walked towards the huge wooden door in the front and pushed it open. It opened into a huge room with shelves instead of walls. The shelves were filled with books big and small, thick and thin. I looked around to see if I could find the book I was looking for, but it seemed like I had no luck. Just then something caught my eyes. There was a shelf placed at the far end and it was labeled ‘NEW ARRIVALS’ I looked at the books. A smile spread on my face. I finally saw what I was looking for and walked over to have a look at the book.
‘Dream and reality sa pamamagitan ng Arnold Wilson. A complete guide to dreams and what it means in reality.’
I took the book and walked over to a mesa near the entrance where an elderly man sat.
‘I would like to have this book please’, I sinabi ipinapakita him the book and trying to sound as sweet as possible.
Slowly the man picked up his spectacles from the mesa and wore it. He took the book and looked at his cover, then he looked up at me. ‘You can’t take this book’
‘What? Why?’.
‘It’s a new arrival’
‘But this is a library’, I protested.’ I thought we could take any books.’
‘Yes, but not from the new arrivals section, you can read it here if you want’
‘Urgh! This is lame’, I muttered. I walked away and got out of the library. ‘I’ll buy that book’, I decided.
I crossed the road and walked along the footpath. I knew there was a book tindahan near by, but I didn’t know where exactly. That’s when a red board caught my eye. ‘Marion’s books’ ‘Bingo!’
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I was lying on the kama with the book opened in front of me.
‘Let’s see, silhouette…..silicon……silk…….i muttered to myself as I ran my fingers through these words. Silver, got it! Silver signifies sorrow. It says you may lose someone or something very close to you. It also signifies elegance.Silver also signifies realization. I closed the book with a snap and thought about the silver fairy I had seen. I opened the book and decided to look up mga engkanto this time. I flipped a few pages and found the word.
‘It signifies Miracle, beauty and happiness’. That’s all that was written. I suddenly remember I had seen and elf and not a fairy. So I turned to E and looked for elf.
‘Elephant….elevation…….eleven……elf’ I muttered. Elf usually denotes mischief. It can also signify children or happiness. I closed the book again and heaved a sigh. I still had no clue about what my wierd dream meant.
Wait, I thought, maybe I should look up arrows. When I did I found out that it denotes an unexpected happening, which is usually painful.
‘Amanda, mom asked you to come down for dinner’ sinabi Susie, my elder sister.She was standing sa pamamagitan ng the door with her usual smile. Susie and I don’t get along very well. I think it’s mainly because we have entirely different characters. ’You have to come now’ saying this she left the room.
That’s when I realized it was almost seven. I had spent a lot of time pagbaba the book and I didn’t notice time fly by. I picked up the book and kept it in the shelf with the other books. I got out of my room and went down the stairs into the dining room.
As usual everyone was seated in their usual places. I sat on the chair susunod to Susie and glanced at my mom. She was looking at me like I had done something wrong.
‘What?’ I asked.
She looked at me like I was supposed to read her mind and understand .
‘Oh, right’, I sinabi and got up. I washed my hands and sat down again. My sister was talking about her school. But I didn’t listen to that, I never listened to a word she sinabi (mom’s cooking was enough punishment). I never listened to my mother neither; I guess that’s why she likes my sister more. I was in deep thoughts. I was thinking about nothing else but the strange dream I had last night. What did it mean anyway? I was going to lose someone dear to me? But such a person doesn’t exist…And what did mischief mean? And what was the unexpected happening? Suddenly, I remembered something. I was going shopping tomorrow. Prom’s just a few days away….But I don’t have enough money to buy a gown. I had spent the last part of my allowance on the book.I had made up my mind to ask my mother….great! Like she’s even gonna let me go to the prom, or shopping…But still I decided to ask. So, I cleared my throat for attention.
‘Um…..I was wondering if I could go to the prom…..’, I asked timidly. I heard my sister giggle.
‘Who’re you going with?’ asked my sister, stifling a laugh.
‘I’ve not decided’, I said, getting really annoyed.
‘Or, hasn’t anyone asked you?’ Sneered Susie.
‘Shut up, Susie!’ I growled.
‘That is no way to talk to you sister!’ sinabi my mom sounding very seriouse and supporting Susie as usual.
‘You haven’t answered my tanong yet’, I said, starting to get irritated.
‘Go if you want to’
That’s all I wanted to hear. But there was one madami tanong I needed to ask.
‘Um….i have to go shopping tomorrow, to buy my gown, so….ur…….I needed money’
‘You can’t go out tomorrow’, sinabi my mom.
‘And why is that?’ I asked loosing my patience.
‘It’s going to be 10 years since you father died tomorrow’
‘So?’ I asked trying to sound stern. I felt my sister nudge me and I knew I shouldn’t have asked that.
My mom glared at me, her eyes suddenly turning cold. ‘Finish you hapunan and go to kama Amanda. You won’t go out of this house tomorrow, there is no arguing!’
I got up and kicked the dining mesa hard. A few glasses and Susie’s plate fell on the floor and shattered into pieces. Susie squealed and got up from her chair.
‘This isn’t fair’, I screamed. ‘You wouldn’t let me go to sleepovers, you wouldn’t let me go camping, you never let me go shopping with my friends! What is this, a prison?! I’m sick and tired of this! None of this would have happened if dad wa—‘
‘You keep your mouth shut young lady’, sinabi my mother pointing her forefinger at me, ‘or you’ll spend the whole buwan in your room, you wouldn’t even go to the prom! ‘
I screamed and ran up the staircase. I banged my door open and closed it shut behind me. I kicked everything on my way and lied down on the kama crying. I spent the whole night crying, it was mainly because of anger that I was crying, it wasn’t sadness. I cried and cried and finally fell into a deep dreamless, peaceful sleep, forgetting all my sorrows.
To be continued….
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