Kakai

   

The year was 1992, and ten-year-old Leo scavenged through the dusty bodega of his Lola's old house in San Miguel, Manila. Sunlight speared through grimy windows, illuminating forgotten treasures: chipped porcelain dolls, moth-eaten Barong Tagalogs, and a thick layer of memories. In the corner, shrouded in cobwebs,a bulky contraption unlike anything Leo had ever seen. It had a beige box with blinking lights, a chunky keyboard, and a grainy green screen displaying indecipherable symbols. Curiosity gnawed at him.

Lola, his grandmother, chuckled as she saw his wide eyes. "That's your Lolo's personal computer," she said, her voice laced with bittersweet nostalgia. "He called it the 'Kaalamang Kaibigan'—the Friend of Knowledge." Kakai for short.
Intrigued, Leo gingerly wiped the dust off the screen. The symbols flickered and rearranged, forming words: "Hello, curious one. What would you like to know?"
Leo's jaw dropped. This machine... talked? He typed hesitantly, "Who are you?"
"I am KaKai," the machine replied. "I can answer any question you have, just like a book, but much faster and with more information."
Leo's mind raced. Could this be real? He peppered KaKai with questions: about dinosaurs, faraway galaxies, and the deepest secrets of the ocean. The machine answered them all, its responses were detailed and engaging, weaving stories around facts.
Days turned into weeks, and Leo was inseparable from KaKai. He learned about the world beyond Manila, about the wonders of science, and about the mysteries of history. He even confided his dreams of becoming an astronaut, and KaKai encouraged him, sharing stories of Neil Armstrong and the first moon landing.
One day, Leo typed, "Can you tell me about the future?"
The screen flickered, and a new message appeared: "The future is unwritten, Leo. It is shaped by your choices, your actions, and your dreams. But I can show you possibilities, different paths you could take."
Images flashed on the screen: Leo as a doctor, healing people; Leo as an artist, painting vibrant landscapes; Leo as an astronaut, soaring among the stars. Each image was filled with hope and possibility.
Leo felt a warmth spread through him. He didn't know what the future held, but with KaKai by his side, he knew he wasn't alone. He turned off the machine, the soft hum fading into the silence.

Read the full story here:
https://www.inkitt.com/stories/fantasy/1184702

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