29th of February

Cold air kissed my cheeks.

I’m so relieved that I finally had the chance to travel alone. Anyway, I’m joining a hike and camp, I’m with a tour guide and a group having their squad goals.

We’re here in the top of Bundok Misteryo, a perfect place to breathe and find oneself. My phone reads February 29, 2020, 4:20 p.m. I can almost see the sunset. The group of friends I was with seems so happy. They are having fun, taking pictures, and joking around. I just smile looking to them, remembering my set of own friends. 

I had already talked to some girls earlier, and I can say they are kind and pretty. They called me earlier to join them but I chose not to. 

The camp is in the distant with our tour guide and some of his colleagues, preparing our food for the dinner and some firewood for the bonfire. 

I sat in a big rock overlooking the sunset view. Smiling bitterly, flashes of memories flooded in again. 

I never remember anything it happens. I’m with a guy whose face is still a mystery to me. I just see glimpse of his face but not fully, sometimes I even forgot his features when I woke up. 

I close my eyes and repeatedly take deep sighs. I don’t want this. I don’t want to feel this empty just because of those empty memories. I’m here to escape and treat myself for my birthday today. I had a hard time convincing my parents for this travel; thankfully, they let me.

“Are you okay, Binibini (Miss)?” I open my eyes as I heard that manly voice.

Standing in front is a handsome man. He is so stunning in his simple old clothes. Wait, what?

He is wearing an old Filipino clothes for men, with all the Amerikana (Filipino men’s formal clothes). 

Wow, I never expected that there are people who still prefer that kind of style. But, from the way he dressed, he seems to be a young man from an elite family.

“Binibini? Are you lost?” he said, taking off his hat and placed it to his front and bowed down. “Anyway, Good evening Binibini.”

I repeatedly blink my eyes. Oh, he’s real, I thought it was just another imagination or flood of memories. 

“Kuya, are you attending a party? Or a cosplay?” I unconsciously asked him. (Kuya means Big brother, commonly used to refer an older man even to strangers)

“Huh? Forgive me Binibini, but I don’t understand you,” he confusedly replied.

“Oh sorry, never mind. Anyway, I’m one of those tourist, are you one of those tour guides? Is dinner ready?” I asked him instead. 

I think my fellows had already gone to the camp, how sad they forgot to call me to join them. 

I turned to him and all I got instead is a more confused look. “Binibini, I think it’s already late for you to roam around especially you’re a woman and alone.” 

 “I’m still enjoying the view; I will just follow you later. I can still manage myself,” I said dismissing his idea of shooing me to go to the camp. 

“It’s dangerous Binibini, especially alone and with …,” he was silenced for a while, and blushed. A shy type.

“With you? Are you planning to do something to me? Then I would shout for help,” my silly side replied to him, acting dramatically. 

“No, no. I don’t mean that way,” he replied defensively.

I laughed mentally as I watched his reactions. Nonetheless, I think he’s a good man.

I extend my hands to him and say, “Can you help me stand up? This backpack is so heavy.”

He just blushed even more. “I think it’s too much, being with a woman in this late night is not good. What’s more if I held her hands?” 

I think he’s still battling to himself, if he will help me or not; murmuring to himself. I just rolled my eyes and take off both traps of my backpack and stood up, then scoop it again.

“Hey Kuya. Are you still with me?” I said with a boring tone, waking him up.

“Sorry if I can’t lend you my hand because I’m not allowed to.” 

I don’t know, is he just a shy guy or a complete weirdo dressed in a weird clothing?

“Can we just go to the camp? Do you have a flashlight with you? I have mine, but it’s not enough to light us to the camp,” I said while finding my flashlight in the backpack.  

“Camp? Where is that place? I don’t know anything but that?” he answered.

“Are you making fun of me, Kuya? The camp is…,” I stopped as there no any sight of the camp. They must have already set up the bonfire, so there must be lights from it. 

“Are you referring to that bahay kubo (old hut)? Is it your home?” he said pointing to his left. I turned with my flashlight on, and saw an old abandoned hut; no camps, no bonfire and no one was there. 

No, it can’t be. I know it was just there a while ago. I turned again to find even just a glimpse of it. What the hell is happening!

“I think you’re lost, Binibini,” he finally concludes after a while. 

With all the tiredness from those haunted memories, stress, and the long hiking, I don’t know what happened next as darkness engulfed me. 

I wake up with a heavy head. I think it’s already eight in the evening, or not. A lamp was the only one that lights up the whole room. I roamed around my eyes; all I can see is an old-fashioned items and furniture with paintings and books.

I roam around admiring the paintings, seems like the painter love to paint landscapes. I saw a painting of the big rock I was sitting earlier and a painting of falls; they are all beautiful. 

A wood table calendar caught my attention. It was beautiful, carved, and furnished. I’ve always want this kind of thing but never really had one. It says PEB 29 1944 (February 29, 1944). 

I confusedly stared the numbers. I think the owner completely lost track of time. I tried moving the numbers; I think it just automatically changes. Cool.

 I stopped when suddenly someone came in.

“Hey!” I shouted as it was the guy earlier. “What are you doing here?” 

“Ssshh. Lower you voice, Binibini. You’re in my house,” he said.

I covered myself as I realized I’m wearing different clothes now, and angrily look at him.

“You’re mistaken, I asked Tinay to dress you, in fact, she’ll be here few minutes to serve your food.”

I spent the night with him. Don’t think anything silly, we slept separately. I was in his bed and he was in the floor in banig (buri mat). I also met Tinay, their young maid. She’s the only one knows about my existence. 

He said that people might get the wrong idea if they know he brought a girl in his bedroom; it’s not good to see both man and woman to be in a room alone. He had no choice, but to bring me here secretly because I collapsed and no place to go. 

“What’s your name?” I asked suddenly. I know he was still wide-awake. “I’m Mario Alcantara, you?” 

I giggled, his name was old as his taste. But, it’s close to mine, opps. 

 “I’m Mara Ysabella Gonzales, I just turned 20 today. Actually, 29th is my birthday,” I replied still staring to his wood table calendar.

“Really? I’m also 20, February 29 is also my birthday. February 29, 1924 to be exact. I can’t believe this,” he replied excitedly. 

I furrowed my brows. Is he serious?

“1924? Are you kidding me? Hello, for god’s sake, it’s 2020! Have you totally and insanely lost track of time?” We both sit and face each other.

“No. Look” he said and points to his calendar. “It’s February 29, 1944. And today, I just turned 20.”

I dig in to the pocket of my backpack placed below the side table to find my phone. I rolled my eyes as it’s already dead, obviously, they don’t have electricity here. 

I searched instead the papers I had with 2020 date on it. “Look, its 2020! I got these when I signed up for the hike and camp.”

He studied the papers for a while and said, “I think something’s wrong.”

I woke up as cold air embraced me from the open window. 

“Forgive me if I disturbed you, Binibini.” 

Mario was already standing beside the window; dressed in simple clothes with basket in his study table and some piece of clothes. 

“I can’t let someone caught you in here, so we’ll be leaving. I already fetch pails of water from the well. You should better prepare yourself,” he continued and drink his cup of coffee. 

I shrugged and do as he says. I took a bath and dressed up with the same old-fashioned baro’t saya, but much better than the last one. 

I went out and caught him staring at me. “Hey, Mario! Are you okay?” waking him up from idling.

 I glanced back to the table calendar. Oddly, it still shows PEB 29 1944, not MAR 01. I just shrugged the thought, thinking it already broke down. I believed it’s already 2020, and he keeps insisting that its 1944. 

“Ye..yes, I’m fine. Shall we go?” he said tensely, picking up my backpack and the basket, and went to the window.

 “What are you doing?” I asked while looking down to him from the window.

“We can’t use the doors, some people are already awake. It’s our only way out,” he said as he went down the ladder. 

He places all the baggage and starts to go up, “Here, you can have a grip in my arm.” 

We slowly climbed down the ladder, still gripping his arm as a support with my other hand to the steps. My clumsiness activated as we fell, when we are already two steps away from the ground. 

We’re both shocked as I fell on top of him. We stared for a while. I immediately got up as I realized what happened, fixing myself, and he does the same. We are both blushing out of embarrassment. 

“So..sorry,” I said, still can’t look at him.

“I..It’s okay. Let’s g-go,” he said changing the atmosphere. 

We went back to the mountaintop; we arrived exactly as the sun rises. He placed a mat and I prepared the food he brought in the basket. We sat, staring the enchanting view of the sunrise, eating breakfast together. 

“Do you know that I was born exactly as the sun rises?”

I turned to him and replied, “Really? I was born during the sunset. What a coincidence.”

 “I agree,” he said smiling. “It’s the most relieving view, isn’t it?” he continues as he turned to the view.

“Yeah, you’re right. It gives me the peace, and escape.” I agreed. 

 “My grandmother said before that unusual things happen during sunset and a happy memory starts during sunrise. It signifies happiness and you will experience that longest day in your life,” he paused.

“Somewhat agrees to her, but rarely it happens,” he continues. 

After the breakfast, we went to a mango tree still overlooking the view. He climbed to the tree to pick some. 

We ended up talking about my stuffs, like the flashlight, and whistle. I also showed my heart-pendant necklace, I kept in the backpack’s small pocket because I’m afraid it might get lost.

I don’t know why but I just felt the urged to give it to him, gladly he accepts it. 

Ignorance was all over his face as he inspects my phone, which makes me laughed.

He also draws a portrait of me smiling, in my notebook. After that, I’m chasing him as he don’t want me to see it yet until the day ends. We ended up into a mud pond; we laughed and smudged mud to each other’s face. 

“Wow. It’s so beautiful!” I said mesmerized by the view. We’re here in the falls. He handing the bread, “Have a bite first, Binibini.”

Weirdly, he still addressed me as Binibini (Miss). I think he was so formal and old- fashioned to address me that way, but I don’t mind; it gives me the kilig (blushing moment). He was also gentleman and handsome. 

He was fully clothed like me when we are flashing water to each other. He said it would be a shame if he would take off his top. 

We had a good time playing around and laughing, not minding what would happen next. It was like we were children having the time off their lives; a long time friends, catching up to each other; and a lover who makes memories together.

We went to the falls and let the water drops in our heads. Betting who can swam faster, or who can breathe longer underwater. 

Now, we are leaning in the rocks and staring as the water falls. “I know, we are still thinking the same thing,” I said.

“Yes. How weird that we believed we are born and lives in different time, but now you’re here in my time, 1944,” he agreed.

“You know what, I think its déjà vu . I think it already happens to me before. Sometimes, I had glimpse of memories that I’m not in my time, or I met someone that seems so unusual in my time. But sadly, I can’t really figure out what really happened and who’s that boy,” I said sharing my stories.

“Really?” shocked was written all over his face. 

“I also experienced that one. I met that little girl, I’m sure she was that same girl every time I had that unusual day. We met during sunsets, till sunrise came; I remembered that was one of those longest days, and I’m always with her. Suddenly, everything vanishes after the sun sets again.” 

He stopped as he realized something.

“Could it be?” we both said, staring to each other’s eyes again. “Your that boy?” I said breaking the silence.

“Maybe. But, how that’s possible? I have all the glimpse of memories about those days, weeks before my birthday, February 29, the day who just came every four years. That unusual day, I always met that girl,” he said.

“I also experienced the same thing,” I replied, shocked. He’s that guy?

“So, we are from different times. We’re here in year 1944, my time and, you’re from 2020. We both met every four years, or every birthdays as 29th comes,” he said concluding. 

“My grandmother is right. But then, everything vanishes after the next sunset,” he paused as we discovered what’s next. 

“And, we will forget again what happened until the next four years.”

We smiled bitterly to each other. “How sad it is?” I said with a faint voice.

“Yeah,” he agreed sadly. “How rude fate can be.”

Silence engulfed us again as we already figured out the mystery.

The memories that haunt me weeks and years before were true; they were not empty memories after all, but a sad reality with the right person. Sadly, we can’t be together. Yes, oddly as it seems, I’m having this weird feelings towards him, it just happened. 

After the long silence, we decided to go to their farm. No one was their because it’s siesta time (nap time), we harvest some apples, bananas and coconuts. We went back to the mountaintop and brought some of those fruits, while telling stories about our lives.

Another long moment of silence filled the air as we arrive, realizing that the sun is starting to set. 

“Can I have your hand?” he said. I confusedly accept his hand; I thought it was forbidden in their time? 

“You must be confused right now, but I’m afraid this would be the last moment or worst the last time I will meet you,” he said, sadness is visible in his face. 

“I like you,” he said.

 “No. I love you. Crazy, but I know from the start that I love you. I love that girl whom I always had those memories with. Memories that gives me happiness and at the same time sadness as it ends,” he continued, tears wetting his eyes.

We can’t help but felt pain. We can’t be together. 

Tears slowly rolling down my face.

“Memories that I will always treasure,” I replied. 

“Yeah, happy memories with you,” he said with a bitter smile. 

“I love you too. It might not right but I felt the same way,” I said bowing my head to our touching hands.

He placed a necklace around my neck, with an hourglass pendant in it. 

“My grandmother gave it to me before she dies. She said that I should give it to a special woman I want to spend my time and life with.” He smiled bitterly.

“I will treasure your necklace forever, so treasure mine.”

 “This is sad, but always remember my love, Mara,” he said as he slowly leaned closer, with our eyes closed.  

I felt his warm lips touched mine.

“Mara!”

I opened my eyes as I heard that voice and it was Patty, one of my companions.

“What happened? Are you okay?” she asked as she saw me in tears.

I confusedly wiped my tears. Weird, I don’t know what happened. Why am I crying?

Pain shots up in my heart. I don’t know what I’m feeling right now, there’s part of me is happy because something’s filled my heart but sadness at the same time as there’s a missing part my heart seeks to find.

I glanced to the rock I was sitting earlier, as Patty and I both tried to catch up with her friends heading to the camp.

I know I will find that missing piece again.