Save Thy Lover [Completed]

Four

FOUR

"Hindi ako naniniwala." iyan ang paulit-ulit na salita ang narinig ni Namae mula kay Tala simula pa kagabi nang ikwento niya ang lahat dito.

Well, she already accepted her reaction dahil alam niyang hindi naman talaga kapani-paniwala ang mga sinasabi niya. Sino ba ang matinong tao ang maniniwalang nagmula siya sa hinaharap at humiling lang na mailigtas ang babaeng mahal ng kaniyang ama at paggising niya ay nasa harap na siya ng bahay ng ibang tao. So ridiculous!

"Nag-away na naman ba kayo ni Tala?" napaangat siya ng tingin ng marinig ang boses ng ninang Nikka niya. At katulad ng nakaraang araw sa tuwing sumasama siya kay Tala dito sa café na pinagtatrabahuhan nito ay binigyan na naman siya nito ng shake. This time, may libreng spaghetti na.

Nang sulyapan niya si Tala ay nakasalubong niya ang nagdududa pa rin nitong mga tingin. Napailing na lamang siya.

"Nope. It's just that, I opened up to her and she's still doubting me until now." sagot niya dito at pinagtuunan na lamang ng pansin ang libreng pagkain na nas harap. Nikka chuckled.

"Naku, ganyan talaga yan. Parating may trust issue sa mga tao." she sighed upon remembering the first day that they met.

"So, maiba tayo. Nahanap mo na ba ang taong hinahanap mo?" Nikka asked her. Namae stopped.

"Not yet." hindi niya maiwasang malungkot. Her time is ticking and she don't know if how long will she able to stay in this time and still, she haven't meet her father.

"I badly want to meet him the soonest time as possible." she desperately whispered and look up to Tala's direction only to make her world stop as she finally saw the face of the person she badly wants to meet.

"Dad... "

For the very first time in her life, Namae finally saw her father's smile. The smile that anyone can quickly recognize that there was no pretensions. The smile that full of sincerity and happiness.

Her sight started to blur as endless tears flow down from her eyes.

"Oh my God! Okay ka lang ba?" Nikka asked her but her voice doesn't seem to reach Namae. Namae's system was occupied by the sight of Chadd Stephan Vargas--her father that is now smiling genuinely as he was talking to Tala.

He's smiling for another woman and she felt betrayed. Hindi niya matanggap na sobrang saya pala ng ama niya ng mga panahong wala pa sila ng kaniyang ina. And she felt more betrayed knowing that he's smiling to a person whom she just considered a companion. Tala.

Then something struck her that made her chest heavy. Slowly suffocating her with the familiar pain that she felt when her mother died.

An idea came into her mind that made everything for her to be cleared, especially for the possibility that she might have a hard time to accept.

Tala. Why did she not thought of it from the beginning? She desperately wish to save her father's first love and ended up outside where she was living in.

Tala. She's her ninang Nikka's bestfriend and yet she never meet her. And the fact that her father's first love died before he met her mother.

Mas lalo siyang nanghina sa natuklasan. Bakit hindi niya naisip kaagad ang mga senyales na iyon.

"I'm so stupid," naibulong na lamang niya sa hangin bago tumayo at mabilis na nilisan ang café. Hindi na niya pinansin ang pagtawag sa kaniya ng kaniyang ninang.

May nakabangga pa siyang babae na papasok pa lang sana pero tuluy-tuloy lang siya sa pagtakbo. Hindi niya kayang lumingon. Hindi niya kayang makitang nakakakaya ng ama niyang ngumiti ng ganoon ka sinsero samantalang kapag kaharap ang kaniyang ina ay walang kahit anong emosyon ang mababasa sa mga mata nito.

"It hurts. I can feel my heart ripping apart for you mom." she cried as she continue to run with no specific direction.

"Juno..."

She heard her mother's voice that made her stopped.

"Hera..." she uttered and clutch her head as she tried to remember her mother but paled when she cannot remember her face.

"No. No. NO!"

Something is wrong. Something is not right. No matter how hard Namae tried to recall her mother's face, she still ended up failing.

"Why? Why can't I remember my mom's face? Why?! Fvck! Remember her please! Please! I'm begging you! Not my mom!" she desperately beg as she keep on smacking her head with her hand.

"Please, the memories are all that I've got! Please, spare them! Let me have them! Kunin niyo na lahat pero parang awa Niyo na huwag lang ang mga yon!" she pleaded while looking above the sky.

"Please spare my memories with my mom..." tears keep on streaming down her cheeks. Napaluhod na lamang siya sa sobrang panghihina.

She's not ready to let go of those memories. Not yet. All she need is time and after that, she's willing to leave everything behind.

She clutch her chest as she felt her heart being torn apart. Nasa ganoon siyang sitwasyon nang madatnan ni Tala.

"N-Namae... B-bakit ka umalis?" hinihingal at tila nahihirapan nitong tanong sa kaniya. Hindi niya ito pinansin at patuloy lang sa pag-iyak at paghampas ng ulo niya.

"Please, remember. I'm begging you!" paulit-ulit niyang utal hanggang sa naramdaman niyang may humawak ng kaniyang kamay upang patigilin siya sa pagsakit sa sarili.

Nag-aalalang mukha kaagad ni Tala ang bumungad sa kaniya nang inangat niya ang kaniyang ulo. Habol pa rin nito ang hininga, pawis na pawis katulad niya at namumutla.

Finally, she meet her. She had the time to know her. She should be happy because all this time, the person that she need to save is just next to her. Finally, she can change the future.

Finally... Finally...

"B-bakit? Anong nangyari? Anong naalala mo?" sunud-sunod na tanong nito sa kaniya na mas lalong nagpaluha sa kaniya.

"Every pain that caused by the one that got away." she whispered as she break down and that's when she felt a very warm embrace from the person who made them suffer for all those years that is full of lies and pretensions.

★•★•★