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Under the Camarines Sky: Time Travel
“Love knows no bounds, not even time—yet the ache of being separated by years turned Maria’s heartache into a bittersweet longing for a connection that felt both impossible and inevitable.”
~ Zoë Kaià
Somewhere in Camarines Sur, they had chosen an old church in Baao as the place for their long-anticipated meeting. Maria felt her heart racing as she approached the church’s grand doors, her eyes scanning the surroundings in search of Carlo.
“Where are you?” Maria spoke into her beeper, her voice shaky with a mixture of excitement and nerves.
“I’m here already,” Carlo replied, his voice sounding calm and assured.
Maria looked around, her eyes darting from person to person, but there was no one who matched the description. “Where? I can’t see you.”
“I’m wearing a white polo and rugged pants,” Carlo said, sounding puzzled.
Maria’s eyes moved quickly over the small crowd gathered around the church, but she found no one fitting that description. Frustration began to boil inside her. “I don’t see anyone here that looks like you, Carlo.”
After several moments of searching, Maria’s excitement began to fade into disappointment. She ended the call and decided to go home, her chest heavy with the weight of unmet expectations.
When Maria arrived back at her aunties’ house, her eyes were red, and her steps were sluggish.
“What happened, hija?” Aunt Dorothy asked, noticing Maria’s downcast expression.
Maria sighed, her voice thick with disappointment. “Our meet-up was a disaster,” she said, tears threatening to spill over.
Aunt Dorothy pulled her into a comforting hug, holding her tight as Maria allowed herself to release the emotions she had been holding back.
The next day, the beeper buzzed, Carlo’s familiar voice coming through, but Maria hesitated. She stared at the device, her emotions conflicted—disappointment mixed with longing. She tried to ignore it, but the thought of him lingered, refusing to be silenced.
“Am I in love with him?” Maria whispered to herself, her heart aching at the realization. “Why do I miss him?”
She couldn’t take it anymore. She picked up the beeper, her fingers trembling as she pressed the button.
“Hello, Carlo.”
There was a pause before his voice came through, filled with a mixture of hope and relief. “Maria, I’m so glad you called.”
“Let’s meet again,” she said, her voice firmer this time. “Tomorrow, at 8 am, at the coffee shop downtown.”
The next day arrived quickly, and Maria found herself at the small coffee shop, her eyes scanning the room for Carlo. She picked up the beeper, frustration building.
“Where are you, Carlo?”
“Maria…” Carlo’s voice came through the speaker, hesitant. “Today is February 14th, right?”
Maria sighed. “Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2024. Monday,” she replied.
There was a long silence before Carlo spoke again, his voice carrying an edge of disbelief. “No, Maria… today is Ash Wednesday, February 14th, 2019.”
Maria froze, her heart skipping a beat. “Wait, what are you saying?” Her voice trembled.
Carlo hesitated before answering, his voice soft but resolute. “I think… I think I’m in the past, Maria. It’s 2019 for me.”
Maria’s breath caught in her throat, her hands trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. “No… don’t tell me you’re from the past.” Her voice broke, the weight of his words crushing her.
Carlo’s voice crackled over the line, trying to comfort her, but the reality was too much. Maria ended the call, the beeper slipping from her hands as she let out a choked sob.
That night, as she lay in bed, Maria cried until she couldn’t anymore. The pain of their impossible connection gnawed at her heart.
A gentle knock sounded on her door. Aunt Menchie entered, her face soft with concern. “Hija, I’m so sorry about what happened. But you need to eat something,” she said softly, placing a tray of food on the bed.
Maria sat up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. The silence between them was heavy, until Maria’s voice broke through, barely a whisper. “Aunt, I’m falling for him.” She leaned against Menchie, her tears flowing freely once again.
Menchie wrapped her arms around her niece, holding her as Maria cried into her shoulder. There were no words that could make it better, but the warmth of her aunt’s embrace was enough to keep her from feeling completely lost.
And somewhere across time, Carlo held his own beeper tightly, staring at its screen, wishing more than anything to bridge the gap between them.
To Be Continued…
THANK YOU FOR READING!
(QUEEN OF PLOT TWISTS, AT YOUR SERVICE AGAIN!)
(P.S I just guess the dates, so if you're gonna look at it at the calendar, Please no!)
© SparklesZoe ✨️
~ Zoë Kaià
Somewhere in Camarines Sur, they had chosen an old church in Baao as the place for their long-anticipated meeting. Maria felt her heart racing as she approached the church’s grand doors, her eyes scanning the surroundings in search of Carlo.
“Where are you?” Maria spoke into her beeper, her voice shaky with a mixture of excitement and nerves.
“I’m here already,” Carlo replied, his voice sounding calm and assured.
Maria looked around, her eyes darting from person to person, but there was no one who matched the description. “Where? I can’t see you.”
“I’m wearing a white polo and rugged pants,” Carlo said, sounding puzzled.
Maria’s eyes moved quickly over the small crowd gathered around the church, but she found no one fitting that description. Frustration began to boil inside her. “I don’t see anyone here that looks like you, Carlo.”
After several moments of searching, Maria’s excitement began to fade into disappointment. She ended the call and decided to go home, her chest heavy with the weight of unmet expectations.
When Maria arrived back at her aunties’ house, her eyes were red, and her steps were sluggish.
“What happened, hija?” Aunt Dorothy asked, noticing Maria’s downcast expression.
Maria sighed, her voice thick with disappointment. “Our meet-up was a disaster,” she said, tears threatening to spill over.
Aunt Dorothy pulled her into a comforting hug, holding her tight as Maria allowed herself to release the emotions she had been holding back.
The next day, the beeper buzzed, Carlo’s familiar voice coming through, but Maria hesitated. She stared at the device, her emotions conflicted—disappointment mixed with longing. She tried to ignore it, but the thought of him lingered, refusing to be silenced.
“Am I in love with him?” Maria whispered to herself, her heart aching at the realization. “Why do I miss him?”
She couldn’t take it anymore. She picked up the beeper, her fingers trembling as she pressed the button.
“Hello, Carlo.”
There was a pause before his voice came through, filled with a mixture of hope and relief. “Maria, I’m so glad you called.”
“Let’s meet again,” she said, her voice firmer this time. “Tomorrow, at 8 am, at the coffee shop downtown.”
The next day arrived quickly, and Maria found herself at the small coffee shop, her eyes scanning the room for Carlo. She picked up the beeper, frustration building.
“Where are you, Carlo?”
“Maria…” Carlo’s voice came through the speaker, hesitant. “Today is February 14th, right?”
Maria sighed. “Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2024. Monday,” she replied.
There was a long silence before Carlo spoke again, his voice carrying an edge of disbelief. “No, Maria… today is Ash Wednesday, February 14th, 2019.”
Maria froze, her heart skipping a beat. “Wait, what are you saying?” Her voice trembled.
Carlo hesitated before answering, his voice soft but resolute. “I think… I think I’m in the past, Maria. It’s 2019 for me.”
Maria’s breath caught in her throat, her hands trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. “No… don’t tell me you’re from the past.” Her voice broke, the weight of his words crushing her.
Carlo’s voice crackled over the line, trying to comfort her, but the reality was too much. Maria ended the call, the beeper slipping from her hands as she let out a choked sob.
That night, as she lay in bed, Maria cried until she couldn’t anymore. The pain of their impossible connection gnawed at her heart.
A gentle knock sounded on her door. Aunt Menchie entered, her face soft with concern. “Hija, I’m so sorry about what happened. But you need to eat something,” she said softly, placing a tray of food on the bed.
Maria sat up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. The silence between them was heavy, until Maria’s voice broke through, barely a whisper. “Aunt, I’m falling for him.” She leaned against Menchie, her tears flowing freely once again.
Menchie wrapped her arms around her niece, holding her as Maria cried into her shoulder. There were no words that could make it better, but the warmth of her aunt’s embrace was enough to keep her from feeling completely lost.
And somewhere across time, Carlo held his own beeper tightly, staring at its screen, wishing more than anything to bridge the gap between them.
To Be Continued…
THANK YOU FOR READING!
(QUEEN OF PLOT TWISTS, AT YOUR SERVICE AGAIN!)
(P.S I just guess the dates, so if you're gonna look at it at the calendar, Please no!)
© SparklesZoe ✨️
