The flash strikes as the sun’s about to settle down to let the world sleep. The heavy traffic has no excuse. Many people are still awake, some are outside; either commuting or looking for a pasalubong, some are staying at homes preparing for last supper of the day. On the scale of one-hundred percent, fifty percent of people are waiting for today’s news while forty-nine percent of it are having no interests, so they scroll down at social medias to see smeared, and half-witted dancing videos. Then, the remaining one are for those who likes to sleep. It seems that ghosts may lurk and haunt, no matter if it’s a city, a rural area, or residential; observing people going home or staying at strip clubs- in a naked eye, everyone cannot see nor believe.

‘Those are only owls.’, most people will mention it anyway and it’s going to be repetitive.

People nowadays are commonly known as night owls, and expect that ninety-nine-point-nine percent of them will wake up at ten o’ clock a.m.

On the middle of A. Pablo st., there was a couple of people chatting; recalling what happened at the cafeteria four hours ago. Smiles and memories are included- The day is already done yet the chat isn’t. Moving on the next topic, as Christino and Alexandra walking down the street while sipping their leftover espressos, he suddenly bumped Xandra on shoulder in no particular reason as she almost fallen. Surely, the common decision to make is take revenge- Alexandra don’t understand a single joke so she made everything and anything seriously.

“Hoy!” he tapped his shoulder and cover it with his right palm. Exhaling in exaggerated way, he looked at Xandra with madness; His eyebrows glued each other, and the left eye of his moves up and down. Let’s say it’s just sarcastic.

“Aray ko… My shoulder is turning red. Pause.”, he added. Still, Alexandra can’t get it.

His acting is pretty obvious, but because she is fond on feeling guilty, Xandra is thinking twice if she will say “…sorry.” in a serious way or sarcastically or she will just walk away.

Alexandra can be deceived undeniably. A worry expression came over to her face. She pat Christino’s head; stuttering to mention a thing and suddenly he points at her and started laughing. The sensitive Alexandra left him between the open-and-shut street lamp and an old rusty wooden bench, softly wiping her crybaby tears. Christino stood up and don’t know what happened. Crickets make some noise and fireflies and moths fighting over the nearly broken last man standing lamp.

“It’s just a joke.”, as he raised his hands and make a face palm, “Pikon.”

The sound of silence goes loud, then the weather is about to feel worse, somewhere at the city with flickering lights, she is within the stores that were almost closed; buying a croissant for midnight snack while working. No one can entertain her because all of them will mark an early closing, a schedule that they’re doing since last month until today. It was implemented by the owner of the mall, just to keep safe especially for youngsters who does window shopping or pagala-gala at evening. Ended up nothing to bring at home and immediately sit at the comfy without changing home clothes; she is lying down the sofa, currently at the mood of reading and starts to pick up something on bookshelves atop the couch…

The bookmarked page, 46, and the forty-six poem…

Cotton Skies, by Shane Magtoto

The free song just landed before me,

And that wandering sound is waving

I gazed the cotton skies smile above

The daffodil blew and creates sparkle

As I discovered, it’s like heaven

Descended to lands and mighty sea

The happy birds above are angels

Color blue and white are cotton skies

A Collection of Five Hundred Calming Poems is the most favorite book of Alexandra ever since child. She grew up reading the book to have a sense of tranquility. Instantaneously, a yellow headed man came over inside the house, removing his dusty old shoe and placed on a shoe rack. Sat on floor like a child then removing his socks with black stripes. Alexandra doesn’t mind him, for how many times she needs to remind him not to slam the door or she’ll buy a door knob or the whole door.

“You always think like a child.”, she replied softly.

“I do and I miss being an annoying kid.”, his answer is very questionable if he doesn’t want to do what Alexandra told him or Tino just forget something. Still, Alexandra has patience.

“Look,” he stares at Xandra minding her own book, “it may be unfunny to you but… I was joking.”, still Alexandra didn’t notice him.

“Okay... Nobody cares.”, mimicking his friend’s voice while he is rubbing his hands fighting the cold breeze from the windows. The curtains are dancing as the wind blows very strong. The ticking of the clock can be easily heard- The room is very silent- The outside world is peaceful atlast, except for the kapitbahay who opened their karinderya and always play the karaoke at night.

“Shall we practice how to ride a joke?”, Christino questioned.

Alexandra heard it right, she closed and placed the book at her tummy and look at Christino. Her expression that she is ready to play makes a double doubt if she will make herself cry again. Ten minutes later and Alexandra is forcing herself don’t show a drop of a tear. It seems that she’s fighting and stopping the habit of being very sad if losing.

“That’s the spirit. Now, we will begin the rou--“, the opening remarks for the round two is rapidly hold back because of Alexandra.

“Can we just… Um… I’m sleepy. I hav-a-lotta things to do tomorrow. *yawns*”, she began being a sleepyhead as she climbed upstairs and went to her room. Inside her bedroom, Alexandra lean the door and happily jumping. The curious Christino followed the tracks and he placed his ears at the front door.

“Nakalusot na rin ako!”, the joyful spirit stand up the straight faced body as she jumps, and jumping- Jumping over the bed, the noise keeps banging the room.

Christino grinned and left Alexandra having a self-celebration. She trounced the heaviest and worst mission. It was a victorious accomplishment for her. The night changes, the starts above might build constellation. He is looking thru the window, memorizing different types of constellations and making his own shapes. On the other hand, Alexandra is having a mimir; dreaming that how she can investigate the future cases. The busy bee go back to his desk continuing recording his almost fifty students’ seatwork and assignments.

Four o’ clock, early in the morning:

Today is the day that I’ll mark at my calendar that summer vacation is

about to begin. I will miss my grade 10 students. I hope we can have

a reunion… Keep up the good work, kiddos. Follow your dreams.

A letter was forgotten to place inside a pocket- the sleepyhead attorney rose up and makes her coffee as she noticed a small piece of paper with bunch of letters. She went to the living room, checked the shoe rack and the umbrella stand. There was a sign that Christino already went to school. Immediately, she ran and in the search for a jeepney. Fast and furious run was being noticed by everyone at school.

*Knock! Knock! Knock…*

The ninth knock received a response. It was Christino who serves the open door. He gasps as seeing Alexandra’s suit is lousy and not well ironed; she is not wearing shoes, a pair of pink tsinelas.

“You just came over here for what?”, the worried and shocked teacher responded. Alexandra requested lend Christino’s hand and placed the folded letter.