FICTION 64
LEFT IN TIME by Louise de Luna
(one) She comes and she goes.
It’s one of the constants in his life.
(two)
They met during summer, when the sun was high up in the sky and the electricity was out.
Martin was on his way towards home with a plastic of suka in his left hand another one filled with Coke bought with the change from his mother when he spotted her at the empty field beside their neighbour’s house. He felt the sweat roll down his back as he observed her under the harsh rays of the sun. She was wearing pink all over and pranced around the empty field with the most ridiculous slippers he had ever seen and he knew immediately that she was not one of them.
Outsider.
Martin frowned and squint his eyes to see her better. Light skin caught his attention and yep, she was definitely from out there. The fourteen year old scratched the back of his ear in mild irritation.
*** Diane was bored and felt stupid trying to catch dragonflies.
The young girl blew a sliver of her black hair from her line of sight in defeat. While she was here, dying of boredom her friends back in Manila were what? They were going out in amusement parks or even enrolled in summer activities. But Diane? No, Diane has to go home and enjoy the rural life, Daddy said. Diane needs to learn responsibilities, Mommy said. Ugh. “Did I get to have a say in it? No…” Diane’s voice grew mocking, “Apparently, I’m too young for deciding on what I want to do but definitely old enough to be left behind in this godforsaken place. Ugh.” The thirteen year old grabbed a rock and threw it to the landscape with the last of her strength. Parents. “Psst…” Diane ears twitched at the sound and looked around half-expecting a snake to fall from the tree she was under. Disturbed by the thought, Diane looked up the mango tree and saw nothing but rustling leaves.
Camouflage.
‘This is how I’m going die. A snake would fall down and I’ll get eaten whole. Great.’
“Psst...Oi. I’m down here.” Diane snapped her head towards the sound of the voice and saw a boy peering over her seated form. Not minding the fact that she might be being rude, Diane surveyed the boy from head to toe. From his messy bed hair down his sando with a whole on his shoulder to his basketball shorts and rubber slippers, he looked every bit like her cousin’s friends.