Chapter 3:

I only got to stare at the unfamiliar one who was seated on the stool beside my bed despite being confused. He was holding my hand while his eyes are closed, whispering words that left me dumbfounded, unable to perceive any of it. 

When I woke up from the feeling of rushed coldness on my chest, he was the first person I took sight of. Until my eyes drifted to my father and Tito Yael who were both watching him solemnly. My father didn’t even notice that I was already awake. Besides, I feel so frail to utter a single word to tell. My forehead creased as I start to recall what happened. My eyes fell leisurely to my body, remembering that I was drowning before I passed out. And… a figure of a man showed up. His hand extended to reach me.

Was it him?

The man that I saw in the forest?

“Stay still.”

I flinched a little when the unfamiliar man spoke after I tried to move. His words were as if a spell that I unwillingly obeyed! My eyes widened before my gaze went upon to my father. Nakatingin na rin siya sa akin, malumanay ang ekspresyon habang namumungay ang mga mata.

Bumalik ang tingin ko sa lalaki. I shifted my head a little to view him more. His features look young, but I’m assuming that we’re the same age. He was wearing a simple polo shirt that hugged his toned body and black jeans. Dahil nakatungo, agad kong napansin ang matangos niyang ilong at ang mahahabang pilikmata. Dumako ang tingin ko sa kamay niyang nakahawak sa akin. Umawang ang labi ko noong makita kung gaano kaputla ang aking kamay! It looked even more paler because he was tan.

“S-Sino ka?” I asked in a weak tone.

Kumibot ang kaniyang labi na tila nagpigil siyang ngisian ako. Akala ko ay mag-aangat na siya ng tingin ngunit nanatili ang kaniyang atensyon sa aking kamay. Because I was somehow weirded out, I tried to pull away my hand but he only gripped on it tighter. Kumunot ang noo ko at bumaling kay Papa para magsumbong ngunit inilingan niya lamang ako na parang sinasabi na hayaan ang lalaki sa kung ano mang ginagawa.

Ano bang ginagawa niya?

“You’re thinking too loudly,” he once more talked. Bahagya akong nagulat noong paglingon ko’y nakatingin na pala siya sa akin. Isang malambot na ngiti ang dumapo sa kaniyang labi. “Calm down.”

“S-Sino ka?”

He snickered. “Just a son of an osorio, nothing special.”

“Huh?”

“Anak,” si Papa. Umupo siya sa kabilang side ng kama ko at kinapa ang aking noo. “Masama pa ba ang pakiramdam mo? May masakit ba? Sigurado ka bang napagaling mo na ang mga sugat niya, Cassiel?”

“Tito, stop calling me from that name. It’s Siel,” tugon nito. Dahan-dahan niyang binitawan ang kamay ko at nahihiwagaan kong tinitigan ito dahil unti-unting bumabalik sa dating kulay ang aking balat. Kung kanina ay nanlalamig ako, naging normal na ang pakiramdam ko ngayon. “And yes, the spell I casted was bare minimum but her wounds aren’t that fatal. She’ll survive.”

“Anong bare minimum?” sabat ni Tito Yael. “Nalunod ‘yan at hinila pailalim ng mahika ng isang aniela, paanong hindi fatal?”

That Cassiel guy just casually shrugged his shoulders and said, “If it was, Papa, she would’ve woken up three days from now since her energy has yielded from the water mage. But see? It wasn’t even an hour since you brought her back here and she’s already awake.”

“Check mo ulit!”

“Papa,” he sighed frustratedly. “I’ve studied my tien for more than a decade now. Ikaw, ilang taon mo na ring hindi nagagamit ‘yang sa ‘yo kaya hindi ka na sanay katulad ni Tito Simone. In conclusion, who’s an expert between the three of us? Me.”

“Aba’t-sinasabi mo bang matanda na ako!?”

“Hindi mo napalaki nang maayos ‘yang anak mo,” ani Papa.

Cassiel groaned and glared at my father. “I just healed your daughter, for your information. I should be receiving a thank you message instead.”

“Hindi mo deserve,” insulto ng tatay niya na masama pa rin ang tingin sa kaniya. “Tinawag mo kaming matanda na.”

“For Seraphine’s sake, Papa. You’re already 113 years old!”

Ano… Ano raw?

“Mas matanda ‘yan sa akin!” Tinuro ni Tito Yael si Papa na siyang tahimik na sinusuri pa rin ako.

“He lived outside the barrier, the time outside isn’t controlled by the fallen angel.”

“Gano’n ba ‘yon?”

Umismid si Cassiel. “You’ve learned nothing from your classes before. That’s because you always slacked off and visit the river para mamboso.”

“Aba!”

Hindi ko alam kung sino sa kanilang mag-ama ang babalingan ko ng tingin habang nagbabatuhan sila ng mga salita. Namamangha ako sa aking nasasaksihan. Kahit kalian, hindi ko sinagot si Papa ng ganito. Kahit sa mga panahong galit ako o nagtatampo. Paano niya kaya nagagawa ‘yon? Wala ba siyang respeto sa tatay niya? O normal na gawain na nila ito simula pa noon?

“Sa labas kayo mag-away, naiingayan ang anak ko sa inyo.”

Parehas silang natigilan sa pag-aaway at kunot-noong bumaling kay Papa. Umawang ang labi ko sa mangha noong mangyari ‘yon. Their resemblance didn’t even falter despite of their age differences. Ang anak ni Tito Yael na si Cassiel ay tila carbon copy niya lamang, mas pinabata nga lang. From his eyes until his lips, they mirror each other’s features. Kung ganoon, ano kayang namana nito sa Mama niya?

Cassiel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest looking so pissed about something. Pinigilan ko ang mangiti sa aliw dahil doon. Ang attitude naman nito.

“I still haven’t received a thank you message.”

Papa recoiled. “Kaladkarin mo na ang anak mo palabas dito, Yael.”

“What?” pikon na tugon ni Cassiel. “Ridiculous! This is probably why your wife ran away.”

I quickly turned my gaze to my father so I saw how he got stunned after hearing that. Something was punching my chest because of the sudden pain I felt that I held my breath for the tension.

Never once I have ever mentioned about my father’s love concern because I know that I’ll only blame myself for it. I am ashamed to even remark it and scared that this topic will hurt him. Wala akong alam dahil noong nagkamalay ako sa mundo, mag-isa lang siyang inaalagaan ako. Kaya wala akong alam tungkol sa naging buhay niya bago niya ako nakita, bago niya ako kinupkop. Na kahit pamilya niya ay wala akong kakilala.

Sometimes I assume that he left them to take care of me. Oftentimes I believe that they left… because of me.

I never asked. Ano bang karapatan ko para itanong ang tungkol doon? He never opened up about it so I’d rather not ask him in fear of offending him. Wala akong karapatan mag-demand ng sagot lalo na kung hindi naman siya handang pag-usapan ito.

“Cassiel, ‘yang bunganga mo. Gusto mong tahiin ko ‘yan?” panenermon sa kaniya ni Tito. “Umuwi ka na nga!”

“What? I won’t even receive foods?” patuloy nitong reklamo. “Kahit tinapay lang?”

“Mayroong miryenda sa baba,” pag-imik ni Papa. Nanatili itong nakatungo habang marahang hinihilot ang kaliwa kong kamay. “Magpakabusog ka.”

Cassiel cleared his throat. “It doesn’t have poison, yes?”

“‘Wag mong hintaying lagyan ko.”

He grimaced before he took a step back. Saglit pang dumapo ang tingin niya sa akin bago tumalikod at tinapik ang balikat ng Papa niya at saka lumabas na ng kwarto.

Kwarto… nasa kwarto ko na ako.

“Maayos na ba ang pakiramdam mo, ‘nak?” muling tanong ni Papa at malumanay na ngumiti sa akin. “Walang masakit?”

I was hesitant at first to shake my head because I was reminded of the wound that I obtained from the rock after I leaned on it. But when I looked at both of my hands, there was none. I was debating if I should tell it or not since I’m still processing everything that happened.

Pakiramdam ko’y panaginip lang ang lahat ng nangyari ngunit hindi ko magawang kalimutan ito, lalo na’t nararamdaman ko pa rin sa balat ko ang lamig ng tubig noong mahulog ako sa lawa. Ang hapdi ng sugat na natamo ko mula sa matulis na bato, ang nangingitim na itsura nito ay tanda ko pa rin hanggang ngayon. At higit sa lahat, ramdam ko pa rin ang haplos ng lalaking nakilala sa gubat.

Ngunit paano? Paano nangyari ang lahat ng iyon?

“Pagpahingahin mo muna si Rouze, Simone,” ani Tito Yael at tinapik ang balikat ni Papa. “Siguradong pagod pa ‘yan. Nagamot na naman ni Siel ang mga sugat niya.”

Papa heaved a deep sigh before he nodded. Something tugged my heart a little when I saw his eyes tearing up out of worry. Napasimangot ako at agad siyang nilapitan para yapusin.

“Ayos lang po ako...”

He hugged me back and stroked my hair as a sign of comfort. Papa sighed and nodded once more, assured this time that I am truly okay now.

Kumaway ako sa kanila ni Tito Yael noong paalis na sila at parehas nila akong nginitian bago isinara ang pinto. Agad akong bumangon sa kama noong mapakinggan ang mga yabag nilang lumalayo na at mabilis na lumapit sa bintana ko para buksan ito. Idinungaw ko ang aking ulo at inilibot ang paningin sa paligid. Hindi ko alam kung anong inaasahan kong mangyari Ang masaksihan ba ang bola ng liwanag muli, ang maramdaman ang malakas na haplos ng hangin, ang mahulog sa bintana at matagpuan ang sariling nalulunod sa lawa, o ang makita siyang muli? Gusto kong patunayan na hindi ako nasisiraan ng isip. Gusto kong patunayan na ang mga nangyari ay hindi lamang isang panaginip. Dahil sigurado akong nangyari iyon.

Sigurado ako.

But this time, nothing appeared. The blanket of darkness from the night seized to hide the wonders that I saw. I’ve only got to see the dullness of my surroundings, there was nothing else to explore my spectacles.

Disappointed, I sighed and took a step back from the window. I stared a little longer outside until the creeps of it shuddered my belief. I walked out of the scene leaving half of my sanity tied in a leash and was held by either hallucination, a figment of a dream, or hope itself.