Tale of a Badass Couple

TBC Chapter 24: Living in the Past

TBC Chapter 24: Living in the Past

Steffi


"So, what d'you wanna know?" I stared at my hands resting in my lap. Magkatabi lang kasi kami ng upuan at magkakadikit yung mga upuan dito kaya ang lapit lapit namin sa isa't isa.

Gusto kong malaman kung anong nangyari kay Leigh sa ibang bansa. Gusto kong malaman kong bakit bigla na lang siyang nawala at hindi nagparamdam. Gusto kong malaman bakit hindi siya nagkkwento tungkol sa mga experiences niya dun. Alam ko naman na hindi niya ugaling magshare ng mga bagay tungkol sa personal niyang buhay pero kasii~..

"Gusto kong malaman kung anong nangyari kay Leigh sa L.A." tinignan ko siya sa mga mata at nakita kong hindi man lang siya nagulat sa tanong ko. Mukhang hindi siya apektado at hindi siya nagwoworry. Gumawa siya ng maliliit na tango at tumingin muna sa baba bago ibalik sa akin.

"She didn't tell you huh."

"So may nangyari nga?" hindi ko mapigilan ang mapaisod papalapit sa kanya nang marinig yung mga sinabi niya. Tumango siya ng isang beses.

"Nangyari yun nung nakaraang anim na buwan." teka yun yung time na nawalan kami ng communication. Nakatingin sa malayo si Cloud at halatang binabalikan niya lahat ng nangyari nun.

***

"Hey Cloudy!"

"Bakit na naman? Kanina mo pa ko tinatawag. I knew you had a crush on me!" ahy ang kapal. He had that playful smile in his face again. Tinitignan ko siya sa may salamin sa harapan ko kung san ako nag-aayos. Kasalukuyan siyang nagstrum ng guitar habang nakaupo sa dulo ng kama. Nakangiti siya at tinitignan ako sa may salamin.

"You're really full of yourself aren't you?" napailing iling na lang ako habang nakangiti. "If I know, ikaw ang my crush sa akin eh!"

"Oww, she can tell!" muntik na akong masamid. Humarap ako sa kanya.

"I knew it!" napatawa ako ng malakas. Ito kasi yung lagi naming ginagawa pag nabobore kami. Naglolokohan.

"And she thinks it's funny. It broke my heart." tapos nagpout siya at nagform ng puso mula sa mga kamay niya at pinaghiwalay yun.

"Aww, you know I love you Cloudy."

"I love you too Ash. Di mo na kelangan magpaganda. Coz I love you just the way you are..." kanta niya sa last part habang inistrum yung gitara.

"You guys making me jealous." napatingin ako sa nagsalita at andun siya at nakasandal sa may pintuan.

"Philip!" napatayo ako at tumakbo papalapit sa kanya and of course we kissed.

"Hey get a room!" tapos binato ako ng unan ni Cloudy.

"You're just jealous Cloudy!" I stuck out a tongue and I felt Philip held me closer.

"Happy monthsary baby, I love you so much!"

"I love you too, baby."  I kissed him again and I felt him smile in between our kiss.

"Hay, manang oh! Sumbong niyo nga! Manang pahanda na nga lang ng agahan!" sigaw ni Cloudy at nakita ko siyang isiksik ang sarili sa kalahati ng pinto. Napangiti ako habang hindi pa rin kami naghihiwalay ni Philip.

"What did he say?" nakangiting tanong ni Philip sa akin pero umiling lang ako.

"Nothing important. He's just hungry and all."

We held each other arms length.

"I want to take you somewhere." hindi mawala wala yung ngiti ko habang nakatingin sa kanya. I've changed a lot because of him. Because of him it's like a new Leigh has been reborn.

"Where to?" a maliscious grin erupted in his lips and for that I have to tap my hand in his chest. "Whaaat~?" hindi pa rin mawala yung ngiti niyang yun. Kinikilig tuloy ako. Ay gago, ano ba yan. Nababakla ako sa kanya. Pano ba naman kasi ang sexy niya. He has these sideburns and gold stricken hair I love to run may hands into, blue calming eyes when I look into seems to loll me to sleep, a pair of lips that appears to be sculptured by gods themselves and strong lean arms I've imagined myself to wake up to every morning. "You're making me queasy."

"I was just memorizing how beautiful you are." I giggled. Not a normal thing for the former Leigh. But it just feels right.

"Now you're making me blush." and he is. "What have I done in my past life to be blessed with a lovely girl as you are?"

"Not getting any younger here!" napasilip ako sa gilid ni Philip at nakita si Cloudy na may subo subong wheat bread.

"Hindi ka naman kasama! Mangisay ka dito kakahintay!" nagpupumilit kasing sumama sa date namin eh. Bumalik yung tingin ko kay Philip at hinila ang kamay niya palabas.

"Hey Ash! Be sure to be home before 10!"

"You're not my Dad!"

"Philip! Take her home before 10!"

"I'm not making a promise!"

"Teens and raging hormones" nilingon ko siya at nakitang napapailing iling habang umiinom ng kape.

"Maggirlfriend ka na kasi." sabi ni manang at hanggang dito sa may gate rinig ko yung sigaw ni Cloudy.

"I don't have time, yah know?"


"I'm driving okay?" naglean ako sa kotse sa tapat ng driving seat habang nakatingin kay Philip.

"But you haven't got a license yet." nakasimangot niyang sabi sa akin.

"Ahh, don't need one. I'm one hell of a driving babe right? Besides, you don't know where I'm taking you."  

"But--" bago pa man siya magsalita sumingit na ako. He's such a goody goody. Kaya nga medyo nahawa ako sa kanya eh.

"No buts. Just get in." sumakay kami sa kotse niya. "Keys." nilahad ko yung kamay ko at medyo umisod siya para kunin yung car keys niya habang hawak hawak ko yung manibela. Naramdaman ko na lang yung mga labi niya sa pisngi ko at ipinatong niya yung susi sa kamay ko. I was about to turn to him to meet his lips.

"Up pup pup" lumayo siya. "Eyes on the road."

"You're such a teaser." ngumiti ako

"Let's save the best for last." I think I just blushed. Hanggang kiss lang naman kami since I'm still young-- as told by him. He's 3 years ahead of me and he's acting older than his age. Such a gentleman and a teaser in one body.

Inistart ko yung engine.

"So far so good baby." he assured me. Heck, this isn't my first time driving. I've been participating in illegal racing in the Philippines before I got here so I know as good as the back of my hand what I'm doing. He strapped his seatbelt on after he did mine. "Safety first."

I'm planning to take him at this garden restaurant I saw when I was driving around outside town proper with Cloudy. Medyo malayo kaya kelangan maaga kami umalis.


"Are you really mine?" papasok na kami sa bayan ng marinig ko yung sinabi niya. Napakunot naman yung noo ko at napatingin sa kanya at pabalik ng kalsada. He's smiling. That made his features really soft and unfathomable. Pero ngumiti ako.

"Do you really have to ask that? We've been together for 11 months now." Napabalik yung tingin ko sa kanya "...and I'm planning to keep you even longer as much as possible." inabot ko yung kamay niya at pinisil iyon. Ibinalik ko naman yung tingin ko sa kalsada and stopped when it hit the red light.

Tuluyan na akong tumingin sa kanya at nakita ko siyang huminga ng malalim.

"You've been my longest relationship and I know in my heart you'd be my last.." napailing siya at nagkibit balikat "That's why I can't believe an angel fell upon me and she's a heartbeat away from where I am." I eyed him playfully.

"Are you implying I'm a fallen angel?"

"Yeah?"

"Ugh! You shouldn't tell that to your girl!"

"What? That I'm willing to bend on your sins?"

"You sure?" I leaned to him and I saw him lower his gaze to my awaiting lips.

"Especially this one." He nodded and rested his forehead to mine. "I love being this close to you." and we met sweet and gentle. Just when I'm about to unbuckle my seatbelt to wrap my arms around him,

"F.ck you! Step on it bitch!"  He chuckled and I giggled. Cloudy was right. Teen agers and their raging hormones. I can't get enough of Philip. Before, I was too preoccopied with my own fight, I didn't have time to look at the opposite sex in a special way, just bunch of douchebags and good for nothing pricks--only good for my mma practice.

"I think you had too much already." pshh. You liked me this way. I stared at his baby blue eyes and pulled away then gripped on the wheel.


Nasa bayan na kami at puro skyscrapers and andito. Most of them are recreation centers. It's like every couple of months my renovation silang ginagawa or worse total construction so meaning to say heavy traffic but now it's a miracle to have at least a breathable free way.

Naramdaman kong humawak siya sa hita ko. He's not doing anything but it calms me deep in my soul.

"You naughty boy." sabi ko habang nakangiti. Hindi pa kasi kami nakausad dahil sa nangyayaring parade sa harapan.

"Why d'you say so?" nangibit balikat ako.  I liked playing with him. Ipinatong ko yung kamay ko sa kamay niya at kinuha yun. Idinampi ko yung likod ng kamay niya sa pisngi ko. "You're making me feel warm."

"I intend to." ngumiti ako at naramdaman kong maglean forward siya sa akin. Naramdaman kong humalik siya sa buhok ko. I stood still. Kinikilabutan kasi ako pag diyan na siya humahalik. It's ticklish for some reason.

"I love you."
 

Napatingin ako sa direksyon ni Philip habang nakasuot ng malapad na ngiti at nahagip ng mga mata ko ang nangyayari sa labas ng bintana niya.

May isang itim na kotseng humaharurot na deretsong dumadako sa direksyon namin.

Hindi ako nakaimik.

Hinahabol siya ng mga pulis.

Napatingin ako sa harap at hindi pa rin umaandar yung traffic.

We're boxed in. 

Naramdaman kong ibinalot ni Philip ang mga braso niya sa akin at mahigpit akong niyakap.

Everything was too slow when I saw it.

Everything was warm and I felt the fast beating of his heart.

He knew this was going to happen. He knew it was too late.

The black suv slammed to the other car before us..

The impact reached it's way to us..

I heard a blurry screetching noise as well as the loud hissing outcry.


I felt Philip's hand run at the back of my head.

The car wobbled and I felt my head banged to the window.



Then everything stopped for a while. Like a cd player, it was slow motion until it stopped and then played on fastforward.

 
I shut my eyes close, clutched on Philip's shirt and fell into the beating of his heart.


Few seconds, I heard loud sirens. I opened my eyes and adjusted on the flashing red lights and the men in white uniforms pulling out stretchers.

I looked up to Philip.

He had his eyes closed and still breathing.

I wrapped my hands around him.

"Baby, wake up. It's all over. Thank goodness your safe." I ran my hand to his stubles all the way around the back of his head and tangled my fingers to his hair. Then it's there. Warm and slimy.

I pulled my hand away and stared at it.

"Philip! Don't! God, Philip no!" I cupped my hands around his face, shaking him.
He's bleeding and unconscious.

Next thing I knew someone is pulling me away from him.


***

"That's why she's always taking a cab." yung nangyari kay Leigh ay sobrang nakakatakot, nakakatrauma. I look up to her for being brave and tough but this is beyond emotional transgression. Paano niyang nakacope up sa ganung klaseng aksidente? Napabalik ako ng tingin kay Cloud, walang emosyon yung mukha niya. Pero nakikita ko sa mga mata niya na masakit alalahanin yun. Nagsimula ulit siyang magsalita. Akala ko tapos na pero hindi pa pala.

"Philip was put under coma. Machines are the only ones keeping him alive. It took him 5 months but still no good news. His parents decided to stop hoping. It hurt them so much to wait if they knew he's never gonna wake up. Pero hindi pumayag si Leigh. Pinaglaban niya hanggang sa kahuluhulihan si Philip. She's really adamant but she can't do anything because his parents have decided and she's got no right to tap with their decision. She refused to see him finally let go that's why she bailed the time the doctors were getting ready to cut Philip's life supporters. She blamed herself. Blamed herself to death."

"Are you telling the truth?" napapunas ako ng luha na hindi ko namalayang pumapatak na pala at sabay kaming napatingin sa lalaking nakatayo sa tapat namin. Naramdaman kong napatayo agad si Cloud.

"Rhaven," matalim ang mga tingin nung bagong dating na lalaki kay Cloud.

"Are you telling the truth??" pag-uulit nito sa tanong niya kanina.

Narinig kong tumunog yung cellphone ko. Nadala ko pala ito dito. Napasinghot ako bago sagutin yung tawag.

"Hello Jen?"

[Where the hell are you!? Leigh is in the brink of death!] I gasped

"What?" napatingin ako kila Cloud na sabay na nakatutok sa akin.

"Stupid! Nag-aagaw buhay na siya! Doctors are working on her! Tita Tessy is on her way! Pumunta ka na dito!] pagkatapos nun pinatay niya na.

(c) lyra_shin