I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE you’re back, Anak…” Mama said over a hundred times. “I can’t wait for you to come home.” I looked down at her hand gripping mine. Napangiti ako sa lambot at higpit ng pagkakahawak niya. She caressed it softly with her jeweled fingers and I lifted my gaze at her, still amused at how she’s unstoppable with complimenting her eldest son. “Marami akong ipinahanda sa mga kasambahay natin,” dugtong niya, ang tono ng boses ay nasasabik. “We also prepared your room yesterday… and the other day.” She giggled. “Lahat ay pulido, walang alikabok!” I smiled emotionally. “Thank you, Ma. But you know, I can’t hang out in my room habitually anymore. Now that I’m a busy man. I have to establish my name, my own brand.” “Why? Are you leaving immediately tomorrow?” I chuckled at her tone, hinting of irritation. “Of course not. But I’m only telling you that because you don’t have to work so hard cleaning my room. Trust me, I can do it.” “You really are a
I TURNED MY CAR carelessly and braked beside the road. To my madness, the back of the vehicle almost lifted, like there was some metal string pulling it from above. Sa pag preno ng kotse, habol-habol ko ang aking hininga. Bumagsak ang noo ko sa manibela dahil sa sobrang pagod at galit. Pinaghalo-halo na. I gritted my teeth, remembering how I absconded from that poisonous home and wreaked havoc on the road. What am I even thinking? I barely came out alive from the academy and here I am, almost fleeing myself to death, speed driving and overtaking ruthlessly on the highway. Sinasampal ako ng pagkadismaya. All of this… It wasn't in my plan! Gusto ko l
I TOOK A STEP FORWARD. A single step. One with a big impact. One that leaves a trail. Hindi ko alam kung ano itong pinapasok ko. Just two thoughts clashing against each other. Should I hold her and come back to her life again or step back and leave all the work to the police? Pero muli akong humakbang. My mind keeps telling me to quit involving myself, but my soul… It keeps luring me towards her, ordering me to mind her business. Dapat nga ay hindi na ako tumakbo pa rito. Dapat ay hindi na ako nangingialam sa pamilya nila. Sa kanya. But what am I even thinking? Rushing here to find myself useless. Leaving all I sacrificed to move on for this sole cause. Hindi naman ako kamag-anak. Wala rin naman akong mapapala sa mga pulis. So what am I doing here? Simply because I can’t help but involve myself again. Alam kong marami nang nangyari. We have lost each other in the past. We aren’t connected in one way or another. She had already pushed me. Pero ano pa ngayon at tinutul
MABILIS AKONG tumayo noong bumukas ang pinto sa kaliwa. Iniluwa niyon si Shanta, na kakatapos lamang maligo at magbihis. I licked my lower lip when I saw her outfit. She's wearing a black dress with a bell-like long sleeves. Noong unti-unting bumaba ang tingin ko sa paa niya, my brows raised in amusement. She's now wearing black heels with a pointed golden tip. I thought she'd choose to wear flats dahil iyon ang sinusuot niya dati. But preference aside, she looks good on it. I don't know if it's appropriate to say, but Shanta going to her father's funeral with that sophisticated look is like a surprise party, a big comeback. "Let's go?" I asked her. She still hadn't met my eyes since last night. Hindi ko maintindihan ang nararamdaman ko pero parang biglang nag-init sa loob ng isang aircon-centralized na condo. "Are you… done?" I asked again, quite tensed that she looks so dashing and freshly fragrant in front of me. I unconsciously closed my eyes when her
I CURSED under my breath and sprinted my way to a man who just got out of his neon car."Give me your keys," I said, catching my breath from the chaos. I waited for the keys on my hand. Nagtagal ang ilang minuto at hindi ko pa napasakamay iyon. Bahagyang tumaas ang tingin ko sa lalaki. I wanted to scream at him for delaying such a thing. At nang magkatagpo ang mga titig namin, natigilan ako. He was already looking at me with visible confusion in his eyes. Pero kahit ganoon, wala akong panahon para sa reaksyon niya."Damn! Emergency… Just hand me your keys and we're all good."The stranger stepped back, definitely hesitant to hand me his keys. How dare he refuse me when it's an emergency. His car is no way nearer than mine. Hindi ko lang masakyan ngayon dahil tinakbo ni Shanta."Listen…" I murmured, then took a step forward towards him. "The heiress… of this late Chairman Ferrucci whom you're refusing… She just ran away. For this matter, you don't want his disappo
MY ARMS CAUGHT Shanta's belly the minute the waves threw her offshore. She was coughing constantly, weakly gasping for air due to long submission to water. "Shanta…" I muttered painfully. Pareho kaming napaupo sa dalampasigan. Yakap-yakap ko siya habang kinakalaban kami ng mga alon. She was sitting in front of me, weak and depressed, while my arms locked her waist, chaining her so she could never go anywhere… so she can never do harm to herself. "Shanta…" I swallowed hard while I sniffed her damp hair. "W-Why do you have to do that? Hmm? Please don't do that again. Okay? Hindi ko kaya." "Ahhh!" She screamed grievously. "Ang Papa ko! Ibalik niyo ang Papa ko! Ibalik n-ninyo!" Her voice cracked.
WHILE SHANTA asked to be left alone in her room, I decided to stay in their mansion for a while just to make sure I'd be there immediately to rescue her in case of emergency. Pero sana ay wala siyang gawing masama. We just arrived from the Coolidge Mental Care. Napanatag naman ang loob kong walang ginawa o sinabing masama si Kachina sa kanya. Ako lang siguro ang nag-iisip niyon dahil sino ba namang tao ang ipapahamak ang kanyang pinsan? "Wala na po ba kayong nakalimutan?" I asked the cooks about Shanta's favorite foods on the tray. "Can I take these upstairs already, Manang?" "Saglit lang, Hijo…" anang matandang babae at lumapit sa akin. She placed a medicine kit and water on it. "Kuha ko na ang riseta ni Miss Dalmi. Ito ang ipainom mo sa kanya pagkatapos niyang kumain
FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS, I never got tired of assisting in Shanta's treatment. Sa anim na buwang iyon, ilan din ang sessions na pinasukan namin. Some days are bad, but most are successful. Sa bawat araw ay unti-unting nakikipag-usap sa amin si Shanta. At araw-araw din akong dumadalaw sa kanilang mansion. Ngunit may mga araw na doon ako natutulog. It's because she had meds that need to be taken at past midnight. Hindi rin naman nakatira doon si Tita Shantanel. Kuya Dallas also boarded a few weeks after his father's funeral. Kumbaga, ako ang nag-aasikaso sa pagpapagamot ni Shanta because everyone of them is busy. They find time, yes, pero mahirap silang makabisita sa kanya. We both understand dahil may sari-sarili na kaming buhay. Pati ng mga kaibigan namin.