Novels by ColineSG

Gian THE LOVELY THING ABOUT TRAVELLING is that no matter how carefully you plan it, that plan is always bound to go wrong. One time, I went to the north for a hiking trip which turned to hours of going back and forth to a river, fetching water for the people of some secluded village. It was worth it because they were all so sweet. And then just a few months ago, we had a school trip where we were supposed to attend a three-day seminar about building structures in a beach hotel. Guess what I learned? Music. I slept through most of the discussion, leaving me wide awake for late night walks. There was an old man who plays guitar by the seaside while drinking beer. He was kind enough to teach me the basics under the moonlight. And today, I went to the capital and somehow ended up on a stranger's kitchen, being interrogated under a scrutinizing gaze. "Have you never been taught that not touching anyt

AERA WHATEVER HELL broke lose today must be really impressive if it managed to stir an entire neighborhood at three in the afternoon. People are usually napping. There should not be any sign of life apart from the obnoxiously loud motorcycles that pass through occasionally. At the moment, occasionally means every five goddamn minutes. I sighed, putting down the book I was reading to take a peek at the balcony. Familiar faces were lounging by the sidewalk. A couple of middle-aged women were having what seems to be a heated discussion in front of a sari-sari store. From the third floor, I was unable to make out what they were saying. So much noise, and for what? A neighbor whose name I cannot remember suddenly looked up and met my eyes. That was my cue to step away. Having lost the sweet silence I was enjoying earlier, I decided to get back inside.I switched on the television on reflex before realiz

The life cycle of a butterfly lasts for an average of thirty days. In human time that was nothing. Aera can proudly proclaim that she was the most unbothered person on the planet when quarantine was declared. Staying at home, alone and in peace, has always been her thing. Now she doesn't have to make up any excuse to avoid social interactions. Because when a stranger knocked at your door in the middle of the night, asking for shelter amidst a crisis, there was simply no excuse to be made. Within that thirty days the butterfly would go through the craziest of cycles, starting as an egg enclosed within a shell that is both impenetrable and fragile. Gian embodies everything she hates about people. He's loud, too energetic, and always loves inserting himself in other people's business. Aera would make him leave if she could, and she tried for days on end. An apartmen