Ta La La

The train station was filled with faces of anxiety and excitement while his was inexpressive. As he sat silently on the bench, a loud scream echoed and there was catastrophe. People gathered around the corner beside him. Men just uttered silent words while women burst into cries of fear. But he just sat there and noticed instead, a man in white tuxedo heading towards him with a sweet smile. He stretched out his hand and said

"Leo, come with me. Your time has arrived."

"But sir, I don't know you." he replied.

"That doesn't matter. You have a lot of explanations to do."

The young man kept on talking but he could not comprehend his every word. He started to feel cold when the young man held his palm. Suddenly, everything went mute, and then total silence and peace enveloped him. He felt that he was levitating and he wanted to shout but he couldn't.  He and the man were heading to some very bright tunnel. Then there was a loud banging at the door.

"Leo! Leo! It's already 8 o'clock in the morning and yet you are still in bed."

He immediately got up from his bed and let out loud and fast breaths. Drops of sweat fell from his forehead. "What was that?"  he asked himself. He had the dream again. In fact, he has been dreaming it for four years now and he does not know why he keeps on dreaming the same dream.

Fortunately, Ms. Lydia has come again to his rescue when she banged his room to wake him up. Ms. Lydia became his guardian when his parents decided to migrate to the United States. The physical absence of his parents took a toll on him. He became astray and rebellious. His parents stopped sending him money the moment they knew his vices - drugs and alcohol. Ms. Lydia could not fathom what he had become.

Later that day, Leo went into his usual rendezvous. While walking along the cold pavement of Santo Tomas, a little boy caught his sight. The cold wind that swept the dried leaves on the street and the flickering light of the street lamp posts gave him a cold chill. But the boy stood still under the tree and was sharply staring at him. Curiously, he went near the boy and slowly asked,

"What's wrong little boy? Are you lost?"

"Leo, do you know where you are going?" asked the boy.

"How come you know my name, little boy?" he uttered in surprise.

"It's my duty to look over you Leo. Again, do you know where you are going?"

"Of course! I'm heading home!"

"No Leo, you are not heading home, you are going the wrong way!"

"Oh! Dear boy. I have been walking this street for 20 years."

"I know, and for 5 years, you have been wasting your life."

"Hey! Who are you to tell me I'm wasted? Get lost, kid!"  

And he started to walk away but the boy held his right arm and said,

"Leo, you are really heading the wrong way.

"Listen..."

But the boy was gone. Leo was stunned. He pinched himself to wake up from what he thought was a dream. But he felt his hard pinch. Everything was real; the boy, the sharp eyes, the lamp posts, the dried leaves and the flickering light. He ran as fast as he could until he reached his friend's house. His panting was heavy and his cheeks red, when Alfonso, his friend, opened the door. He noticed Leo's face and asked,

"Hey Leo, what's wrong with you? It seems like you've seen a ghost."

"I did, Alfonso. I saw a ghost!" He stuttered, still panting.

"Oh you freak! Stop fooling around. Why don't you buy us beer and let's start the session?"

"Good idea Alfonso. Where is Trixie? I need my shot!"

Trixie, his ecstacy dealer, came down from the stairs with bags of ecstacy in her hand.

"Guess who's gonna on high tonight". She teased as she sat beside Alfonso in the sofa. Meanwhile, Alfonso went outside to buy bottles of beer and a bottle of vodka.

Six minutes later and Leo, Alfonso and Trixie were feeling high already. They intoxicated themselves with beer, vodka, took some pills, danced wildly with the loud rock music playing over the radio, screamed and shouted at the top of their lungs, unmindful of the neighbors.

Eventually, Leo got up from his seat and went into the  dark alley between the houses to pee. When he was about finished, a little girl passed by and said in low voice,

"Time is running out, Leo!"

Leo turned his head but the little girl was gone already. He swiftly zipped his pants and ran towards Alfonso. He sat on his chair and gulped his 9th bottle of beer. He held the bottle of vodka and he half-emptied it.

"Hey man, slowly!" said Alfonso.

But Leo did not listen. What was important to him at that fleeting time was to be drunk then sleep.

Then his phone beeped. He read his text message and it read,

"Please meet me at the train station. I need to talk to you. Please come as soon as possible."

Leo ignored the text message. He thought that it was stupid to entertain a message from a stranger. Instead, he took his third pill of ecstacy and drank the last bottle of beer.

Ten minutes passed and his cellphone beeped again. It contained the same text message. Leo ignored it completely. He kept on going wild. He again requested Trixie to give him his last pill of ecstacy. After Leo took in the pill, he drank the remaining vodka from the bottle. Then his phone rang loudly. Leo picked up his phone and answered.

"Hello. Who's on the line?"

"Leo, stop what you are doing and meet me at the train station."

Leo was mesmerized. The voice he heard from the phone was subtle and refreshing. It was a man's voice but it was cool to the ears. He unconsciously put on his shoes and coat and drove Trixie's car to the train station.

Finally, Leo was at the train station. The place was crowded with people. How could he possibly know the person who called him from this throng of people. He decided to sit on the nearest bench and lit a cigarette. 

Suddenly, a woman screamed. There was horror in her face. Then the woman was crowded with curious onlookers. There were loud murmurings but Leo ignored them. Then he heard the same subtle voice from behind.

"Your time has arrived Leo. You have a lot of explanations to do."

The young man held out his hand and everything turned silent. Leo was so confused because he was compelled to take the hand of the mysterious man in white tuxedo suit. Without a word, together they headed to the bright tunnel. They rose higher and higher to the bright space. When Leo looked down, he saw the crowd below. When he got a peek at what the crowd circled, he saw a man lying on the floor, lifeless, with a stick of cigarette still stuck between his fingers. He recognized the gothic letters tattooed on the man's arm.

It read, LEO CAMTAL.