Maybe, Probably 1

Kabanata 31

Kabanata 31

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I couldn't stop crying even if Gabriel was trying so hard to calm me down. Paulit-ulit siyang bumubulong sa tenga ko na hindi ko naman naririnig dahil sarado ang isipan ko.

Mahigpit ang hawak ko sa dulo ng damit niya habang nakatago ang mukha ko sa dibdib niya. His hands were all over me, hugging me tightly, making sure that no one would be able to see how messed up I was.

It's funny how I even forgot that we were still in public, surely lots of people are wondering on why we were standing in the side of the road, hugging. Baka isipin nilang ang lalandi namin dahil dito pa talaga namin ginagawa ang bagay na 'to.

"Gabriel..." I called weakly, with my voice shaking. "Hmmm?" He hummed softly and caressed my hair.

Bahagya akong humiwalay sa kanya at tinitigan siya sa mga mata. His eyes softened the moment our eyes met. He pursed his lips as he roamed his eyes on my face and cupped it.

A lone tear escaped my eyes as I continued to stare at him. "You hate my family, right? You hate them just like how those people hate them." Napakurap siya.

Umawang ang mga labi niya upang magsalita ngunit tinikom din niya agad ito nang walang ni isang lumabas na salita sa mga labi niya. Hirap siyang bumuntong hininga, his eyes couldn't meet my eyes now.

"H-Hindi—Hindi naman sa gano'n. Galit ako... sa kanila pero—"

He frustratingly sighed and bit his lip when he couldn't even make out a proper sentence. Napatingala siya at pumikit ng mariin.

"Please tell me honestly, Gabriel, I won't get mad. Hindi ko sisirain ang relasyon natin nang dahil lang sa galit mo sa kanila." I softly said, thinking that he must've been thinking about my feelings.

"Honestly, I can't blame you for hating them. They're evils. They did various things that ruined their name themselves. And because they are my family and I'm bringing their name, that makes me one of them too—"

"Maureen, hindi. Hindi totoo 'yan, ibang-iba ka sa mga magulang mo, sa Lolo mo." pagputol niya sa akin.

I smiled bitterly. "I know..." I whispered into thin air. "I know that, but that's not what people are thinking. That's not what they perceived of me, that's not what they believed."

"Bakit? Importante ba ang mga sinasabi nila? Ang mga paniniwala nila? Ang mga iniisip nila?" Napalabi siya at hinawakan ang magkabilang balikat ko't tinitigan niya ako ng mariin.

"Maureen hindi importante ang lahat ng 'yun. Paniniwalaan nila ang kung ano ang gusto nilang paniwalaan sa kabila ng pagtiyatiyaga mong ibahin ang pananaw nila. Hinding-hindi mo mababago ang mga pananaw nila. At mas lalong wala silang pakialam kung nasasaktan ka na sa mga pinagsasabi nila. They will say whatever they want, without thinking twice about it. They won't care."