Let's meet at 6:20 PM

Life isn't measured how long it is. Life is too short to cut those priceless moments, but it's life. Whether we like it or not, our fate in the end decides.

Love conquer everything, love that makes our whole life memorable. But love ruins, love gives pain- an excruciating pain.

***

Darkness, all I can see is darkness. My hands and my whole body's trembling. I can't see anything.

"Tinuveil," I heard someone is sobbing beside me, her voice sounds familiar but I don't know who she is. Rinig na rinig ko ang mahina niyang paghikbi na sinasabayan nang paghaplos sa ulo ko.

"The operation went successful." My mind filled with a confusion hearing voices without seeing anything.

Am I blind?

But why I doesn't remember anything?

"He'll forget some memories, pero babalik pa naman. Naapektuhan lang ang utak niya ng nagkalat na cancer cells. But all in all, I'm glad that the patient recovers quickly." After hearing such, I feel like drowning into a deep ocean. Parang may humihila sa akin pababa nang malaman ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ako makakita sa ngayon.

I tried to reach for my face and I felt that it is covered with a bandage.

Why? What happened? Why do I feel this sudden emptiness in my heart? I must be happy even though I can't remember anything about this so called operation. Bakit parang may kulang?

But I calmed myself, maybe when I'm fully healed I'll finally feed my curiosity. Dahil meron sa loob-loob ko na may hinahanap, pakiramdam ko ay hindi ako kumpleto.

***

Days passed and slowly I feel better. Except a dream that always haunt me everytime I close my eyes.

A beautiful view of sunset and... A familiar girl.

"Anak, gising ka na. Nandito na si Doc, finally gagaling ka na nang tuluyan." I heard her sobs.

I don't know but I felt something strange, I should be happy right?

I closed my eyes when the doctor slowly remove the bandage in my eyes. It took minutes when I can finally sense a light, but I remain my eyes closed.

It's a different kind of feeling, it feels like I'm stuck in a long slumber and now I finally woke up.

I followed the light and turned my head on my left side where the light is coming from.

I slowly opened my eyes, my vision is blurry, but I can see different colors, colors of-

A sunset, a beautiful sunset.

A smile crept on my lips as I looked outside the window. The doctor beside me didn't say a thing and he just did let me look everywhere I want.

My brows furrowed when I saw a girl riding a bike. Her long hair is dancing with the wind. She looked so happy looking at the wonderful view. Biglang nag-iba yung pakiramdam ko at parang gusto ko siyang lapitan.

I keep my eye on her as she stopped her bike and looked at the view. Sa paraan kung paano siya masiglang bumaba sa bike at tumakbo sa mabulaklak na lugar ang nakakuha ng atensyon ko.

I don't know but my heartbeat raced and I feel like it's thumping so hard when she suddenly looked at my direction.

My vision is slowly getting better as she waved her hand so I simply waved back. That simple gesture made me smile genuinely, alam kong kilala ko siya. Ang masakit lang ay wala akong mahanap na ala-ala sa utak ko kung sino nga ba siya.

"Anak?" I saw a woman standing beside me and recognize her as my mother.

"Maayos na ba ang pakiramdam mo?" she asked so I just nodded in response.

I looked outside once again but I didn't see any traces of the girl. Only I could see is a garden full of flowers and a familiar tree house in a huge narra tree beside a small lake.

A tear escaped from my eyes, and I don't even know why.

"Anak." My mother immediately hugged me. I don't know why I'm feeling this, but one thing is for sure, it has something to do with the girl I saw a while ago.

***

I felt the cold breeze of wind embrace me for the first time that my mother let me go out for a walk, it's been a week but I still need to protect my eyes from any infection so I wear my eyeglasses.

My mouth formed an 'o' when my eyes landed on a mesmerizing view. I feel amused by the setting sun and its ray on my face.

Bigla na lang akong nanlamig at parang gusto ko umiyak nang makita ang isang bisekleta. Why am I feeling this way?

My head started to ache when flow of memories rushed to my mind. The scenery, the familiar laughs, two persons talking, a monitor that keeps on beeping- no, it can't be!

I ran as fast as I could until I got home. Diretso ako sa kwarto ko at kinuha ang isang sulat. My mother gave me this letter the day that my sight gets better. At first I don't care about it, but now I feel like I'm dying just to read what's written inside.

I hurriedly come back to the place, the sunset is slowly turning into perfect fascinating view.

My tears began to fall. Naninikip ang dibdib ko habang hawak ang isang nakatuping sulat.

Hindi dapat ako nakararamdam nito kasi hindi ko naman alam kung bakit, pero mayroon sa loob ko na gustong-gusto umiyak dahil sa matinding kawalan.

Mariin kong ipinikit ang mata ko nang bumuhos ang napakaraming luha.

And then there I saw a girl, a girl who's always present in my dream. Her smiles and the way she talks, the way she laughed and how beautiful her smile is with her dimples on the corner of her cheeks makes me feel complete. But why does it seem that I don't feel that thing again?

I opened my eyes and stare at the paper that I'm holding, It's a cream colored paper with some flower accessories filled with glitters, the effort can be seen while looking at it.

My tears are steaming down my face but I still managed to smile.

My hands are trembling and my eyes are blurry because of tears as I opened the letter.

My heart thumps so fast and I can't even say a thing. My feet were stucked on the ground and my peripheral view keeps on roaming around trying to find someone.

I looked up and wiped my tears away.

Ano ba 'tong nararamdaman ko?

Hindi ko maituloy man lang ang pagbabasa sa takot na lamunin na naman ng sakit. Dumapo ang tingin ko sa wristwatch ko-6:19 PM.

Hindi ko alam pero parang hindi ako mapakali, pinagpapawisan ako ng malamig at nanginginig sa hindi maipaliwanag na dahilan.

Tila tumigil ang pag-ikot ng mundo ko, tuloy-tuloy ang daloy ng mga alaala na nagpasakit sa ulo ko.

My tears streamed down my face again, but this time I cried hard.

I now remember everything...

I looked at my watch and bitterly smiled as I read the words written outside the folded paper.

6:20 PM- I burst into tears while looking at the orange sky. A sunset. The witness of our undying love.

The letter written in cursive form, It's really her.

Us every 6:20 PM

-love, Leana.

With my blurry eyesight, I looked at the sky and said,

"We're here. Like what we've promised, 6:20 PM. Let's meet again."

***