Aurora Borealis

Chapter 18 - Fade to Ashes II

>> • LAUREN • <<

What greeted us first thing in the morning is too disturbing that we don't even have a moment to make a proper initial reaction.

East can't handle what she's been seeing, only managing to clasp her hands on her mouth. West is still in a confused state, with his brows arched. I can't help but to crumple my lips, making a sorry reaction while processing the situation.

"My gosh! Anong nangyari sa'yo, Tohru?!" mukhang naka-recover na si Wendy sa pagkakagulat at lumapit kay Tohru. Huli siyang dumating sa Archives' Section kung kaya't napukaw ng pagdating niya ang atensyon naming lahat.

Maski si Baldo na nakapirmi sa isang sulok ay hindi rin makapaniwala sa nakita.

"Hehe..it's.. nothing.." aniya at napakamot na lamang sa kaniyang batok.

"We're not idiots to buy that crap, Tohru." madiing wika ni Wendy at hinawakan siya sa magkabilang balikat.

"I told you, it's okay." giit niya at pilit na iginawad ang isang ngiti. His eyes are starting to squint into slits sorrily as his lips are can't keep up the bold dissimulation.

"I got caught.." he softly whimpered as he averted his gaze away from us.

"What do you mean?" the tension in Wendy's face retracted slowly, with her hands slipping down and away from Tohru.

"My brother.. he found the artworks.." his voice started cracking. He tried to found the next words but he can't, leaving him unable to make an audible sound. To leave his mouth gape open and close it afterwards is the only thing he managed to do.

Tears ran down slowly on his eyes as he fell down on his fragile, wobbling knees. Finally, he mustered up at least a slight strength to speak up again.

"He found the artworks...and burned it at the yard, in front of me." he squealed.

Seeing him like that crushes my heart into pieces. Some people may think that those were just mere artworks, and he can still make new to replace them, but we knew how important those artworks were for him. He cherishes every single one of it, be it a failure or a masterpiece, because he believes those artworks were part of his journey on where he is now.

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko at binigyan siya ng isang mahigpit na yakap. Hindi pa rin naiibsan ang kaniyang paghikbi kahit na noong nilapitan na rin siya nila West.

Humiwalay siya sa yakap, nakayuko at pilit na pinupunasan ang luha sa naglalawa niyang mga mata. We all knew that his brother is a cold-blooded man, but it didn't strike us that he could go this far into making his younger brother miserable.

May kung anong kinuha si Tohru sa kaniyang likuran. Inilapag niya iyon sa sahig. Hindi mapagsidlan ang paninikip ng dibdib na nararamdaman ko nang makita iyon.

"Sinubukan kong suungin yung apoy para bawiin yung mga papel.." aniya, "Ito na lang yung natira.."

I don't know what breaks me more, whether it's the artworks that Tohru managed to save despite the burns that it got when the fire licked it, or the fresh, reddened blisters and burns that covered his arms.

"I feel empty.." aniya habang tinititigan ang mga papel. "Hindi ko alam kung kaya ko pang magsimula ulit..."

This is what his brother wants. He doesn't want Tohru to pursue this career, so for years, Tohru kept on trying his best to hide anything about it from him. Naniniwala ang kaniyang kapatid na wala siyang mararating kung susundin lamang ni Tohru ang sarili nito sa paniniwalang mas mainam para rito na sumunod sa kaniyang sariling mga plano.

"You should." wika ni Wendy. "It's your dream. You shouldn't let your brother decide for you."

"He's my brother, and my life depends on him.. I can't just decide to oppose him right here, right now." walang kabuhay-buhay niyang tugon. "All I can do is to stop this, focus and finish my studies, and wait until I'm independent enough to start again."

"But—"

"Don't worry. Hihinto lang ako saglit, hindi ko naman kakalimutan na pangarap ko 'to." nag-angat ng ulo sa amin si Tohru at ngumiti. "Years are just a span of time, hindi natin mamamalayan na paglipas ng oras ngayon, dumating na pala yung tamang panahon."

Hindi na rin napigilan ni East na maiyak samantalang si Tohru naman ay unti-unti nang tumahan.

"Thanks for being with me. That's all I can wish for. Wag ka nang umiyak, East." pagpapatahan niya rito ngunit sa halip na tumahan ay lalo lamang itong humagulgol.

Sininop ni Tohru ang papel na tatlo hanggang apat na piraso na nakalapag sa sahig. "Maybe I should laminate all of these."

"What are you all crying for?" nakangiting wika ni Tohru. "Marami pa kayong ipapakita sa'kin tungkol sa documentation at photoshoot kahapon!"

Pinunasan ni East ang luha at agad na inilabas ang dalang projector. Nagtabi- tabi naman kami sa sofa habang abala sila East at West sa pagseset-up.

"Bro! Sali ka sa'min!" pag-a-aya ni Tohru sa nakadekwatro sa isang sulok na si Baldo.

"I'm not interested." masungit na sagot nito at ibinalik ang atensyon sa pagsusulat ng kung ano sa kaniyang notebook.

"I'll go get some more tissue." Wendy excused herself out and went outside to go get some.

Ipinlay naman nila ang video ng documentary na in-upload ng COSMOS Clothing Co. sa kanilang channel. Nangako ang mga ito sa amin na bibigyan nila kami agad ng magazine issue kapag na-imprinta na nila ito sa ka-kontrata nilang Publishing Company.

Habang nanonood, hindi ko maiwasang tingnan si Tohru na tutok na tutok sa panonood sa projector. My heart flutters by seeing him smile and laugh again.

"I should take notes about desi— oh, nevermind." kamot-ulong wika niya at nagpatuloy na lamang sa panonood. It must be too hard for him to restrain himself from doing the things that he likes.

But that's what friends are for, we need to make him feel comfortable and make him know that we're here for him, no matter what.

He's tough, I believe. Someday, all of these will only be a part of memory lane when he looks back from the lane where he is.