It wasn't supposed to be quiet, that room. I don't remember what time it is, but it shouldn't be quiet. Instead, all I heard were the same voice prompts and the same beeps. Ten numbers punched in, followed by three more. Repeatedly.

"This feels like Lost," I said to myself.

I knew nobody would be listening, so I just said it under my breath. I was too busy punching in the numbers, though. It was, oddly, a bit calming, at least until someone answered. I was hoping someone answered. Yet I thought, "why am I hoping for someone to answer?"

Soon, the ten consecutive beeps weren't alone anymore.

"Parang naaalala ko si Kevin kay James."

I think that's what she said. I don't know. Maybe it's Jim. I don't watch The Office. I only know Jim and Pam got married. But it can't be that. I actually thought they might be talking about me. It came out of the blue. Are they actually making fun of me? I'm just punching in numbers! You wanted me to punch in the numbers!

I don't really remember how the conversation went. The dialing went on, and it probably was about common friends, something I absolutely cannot believe. It happened before. It's always happened. Every time the headphones fail it happens. Well, I don't really have a reason to remember that conversation. That, and the whole thing was a bit of a hush-hush. My paranoia is suggesting they didn't want me to hear. Well, I was there, and I heard stuff.

She was laughing.

Every time the headphones fail it happens.

I was getting bored with dialing, unusual, since I don't get bored with cropping pictures. Thankfully, I had an excuse. I was down with the cold, still down with the cold, and I was feeling some of the gross bits coming out of my left nostril. I really had to go to the toilets, to blow my nose, to do my business, to let off steam.

"Pwedeng kayo muna mag-dial nito?" I went.

"Hindi na yan gagana," she answered. Disinterestingly, I must note. And I'm not making this up to push my point.

"Subukan n'yo na rin," I said as I stood up and walked out of the room. "It's not destiny. It's fate."

I laughed when I got out of the room. It was, I realized, an attempt to ape Lost's "don't confuse coincidence with fate" line. Perfect timing, when I laughed, the gross stuff did come out of my nostril, barely. But I figured nobody was listening anyway. I figured the conversation continued. And all those beeps went nowhere.