A Thousand Wounds

Wound 18

Wound 18

"Are you okay?" Cleyton asked after he placed me on a bench near Luisiana Lake.

Marahan akong tumango. He took the seat beside me and stared at the lake in front of us. I followed his gaze, and together, we admired the view.

"So tell me, why are you crying?" he broke the silence after a minute.

Umiling lamang ako sa kaniya bago yumuko upang itago ang namumulang mga mata.

He sighed with my mummed retort. "You can always share your troubles with me, my queen. I won't judge you nor say something inappropriate. I'm just here to listen."

"W-Why? Why would you do that for me?" Inangat ko ang aking ulo at nagtama ang aming mga mata.

"Because it's hard for me seeing you like that.." he whispered.

The way his eyes glistened in gentleness shook all the barriers I have guarded my heart. With the warmth of his stares, I bared myself.

"Umalis na ang pinsan ko. Iniwan niya ako," mahinang wika ko.

He bit his lower lip as he averted his gaze.

"Alam ko namang may atraso ako sa kaniya pero bakit kailangan pa niyang umalis. I'm sad.. and hurt. I don't know, but I feel like I'm all alone now that she left me."

Nang ibalik niya ang kaniyang tingin sa akin ay ako naman ang napaiwas ng mga mata. I stared at the glittering water of Luisiana Lake in front of us.

"She's more than a cousin to me. She's my sister and the one who truly understands me. She's always there for me, and because of my lapses, she grew tired of me."

Hindi ko mapigilang mapahikbi sa damdaming bumabalot sa akin. My eyes got blurry as tears covered my sight. "Was it my fault? Am I to be blamed that we became like these?"

He sighed deeply. "No, it's not."

Sa kaniyang sinabi ay napaharap ako sa kaniya. Inangat niya ang kaniyang palad at inilapit sa aking pisngi. Napapikit ako nang marahan niyang pinunasan ang aking mga luha.

"I'm sorry that you have to deal with this. It's my fault that I was a coward. It's me who caused the stain in your relationship," he said apologetically.

"Kung sana'y naging matapang ako para harapin ang nararamdaman ko sa iyo, wala ka sana sa sitwasyong ito. If only I went directly to you and confessed my feelings, then I would not have resorted to the alternative of finding someone," he continued.

"I got afraid that you'd dump me. I have seen how you rejected a couple of guys in the past years, and it frightened the hell out of me. Kung sila nga na mas nakahihigit sa akin ay kaya mong tanggihan nang walang kakurap-kurap. Ako pa kaya?"

His words stunned me. I opened my eyes, and I met his gentle orbs.

"You are so gago kasi," komento ko na siyang nagpanguso sa kaniya.

I bit my lower lip when I found him cute with his pouted lips. I pushed the thought aside and went back to our serious talk.

"Why, of all people, you chose my cousin?" I asked.

"Maybe because she reminds me so much of you. But I promise you, my queen, I did not know that Nina was your cousin when I approached her." The sincerity in his eyes told me that he is telling the truth.

Mas lalong dumiin ang kaniyang paninitig sa akin. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry that I focused my feelings on your cousin when from the beginning, you are the sole owner of it."