D7G: Taming the Vicious Devil

Chapter 22

After I left Rude's condo, I went back to my condo to get my things. Naka-prepare na lahat ng gamit ko, ready nang umalis

I grabbed everything and walked towards the door. Pinasadhan ko ng huling tingin ang apartment bago lumabas at ini-locked ang pinto.

Nang makababa ay agad akong pumara ng taxi at nagpahatid sa airport. I already have a flight going back to Cebu. I planned to go directly to the headquarters to talk to my boss and also submit my resignation.

Yes. I'm resigning. It was for the better. I didn't realize that I was already tired of doing all those shits for all those years. Not until Rude came back again.

I felt so exhausted. Gusto ko nang magpahinga sa lahat. If being dead was one of the options... I sighed. I shouldn't. That would be the stupidest thing to do.

Nakarating naman agad ako sa airport ng walang aberya. Naghintay lang saglit bago pa kami tinawag para sa aming flight.

Everything went smoothly, which was really odd, but I just shrugged it off. Ang importante, makaalis na ako sa lugar na ito at makabalik ng Cebu.

I was planning to continue my course. Medyo malaki na din naman ang ipon ko kaya kahit hindi ako magtrabaho ay mabubuhay pa rin ako. At isa pa, third year na din naman ako. I'll be graduating next year. Pwede akong humanap ng trabaho after graduation. 'Yong desenting trabaho. A job that wouldn't need me to kill a person.

After an hour and twenty-five minutes, our plane had already arrived at Mactan International airport. Madaling-araw pa. I just realized that it was too early to go to the hideout directly. I decided to just go directly to my apartment instead for me to get rest. Fuck! I'm freaking tired.

Nang makarating sa condo ay agad akong napasalapak sa malaking kama at pinikit ang mata. Na-miss ko ang condong 'to.

I was startled when my phone suddenly rang. I answered it without looking at who the caller was.

"He—"

"Where the hell are you?!" My eyes widened instantly as I heard Rude's angry voice in the other line. Napabangon ako ng wala sa oras at tumingin sa screen para kompirmahin ang tumawag.

Fuck! Nakalimutan kong magpalit ng sim card. Pinatay ko agad ang tawag at dali-daling pinatay ang aparato sabay kuha ng sim. I cut the sim into two and threw it in the trash bin.

Shit! Napahilamos ako ng mukha.

"Ang tanga mo! Dapat inuna mo 'yong sim. Gaga!" pinagalitan ko ang aking sarili.

Humiga ulit ako sa kama at lutang na nakatingin lang sa kisame. Napamura ako nang maalala ang mga nangyari sa amin ni Rude.

Rude...

He should forget about me. And I would do the same. Kailangan ko siyang kalimutan. I should forget what I felt for him. I already admitted it. But that's just it. I just needed to set aside what I felt. Kailan kong ibaon sa limot lahat ng nagyari sa amin. That was the best way to do it.

The room that I was in felt so empty. I hugged myself. Now I was alone again. This was not new to me. Sanay akong mag-isa. Ngayon pa ba?

***
Nakatulugan ko ang pag-iisip. Napabalikwas ako nang bangon at malakas na bumakas ang pinto ng kwarto ko.

"Tangna, Danica!"

Malutong akong napamura sa matinis na sigaw ni Sherry. Boses niya pa lang alam na alam ko na.

Hindi ko siya pinansin at bumaluktot ako nang higa at bumalik sa pagtulog.

I groaned when she pulled my blanket. Hinampas niya ang braso ko na nagpamura sa akin ulit.

"Ano na?! Kitang natutulog 'yong tao, tangna!" sigaw ko sa kaniya sabay upo sa ibabaw ng kama ko.

"Gaga! May gana ka pa talagang matulog matapos mo'ng ilaglag ang misyon? Anong pumasok sa kokote mong bruha ka?!" galit na sermon nito. Kung maka-sermon parang nanay ko na. Tsk!

"I'm resigning too," dagdag ko pa at pasalampak na nahiga ulit sa kama.

"Ano?!" nanlalaking ang matang tanong nito.

"Pagod na ko, Rrye. I don't know. But I felt so exhausted doing this job already.

I heard her sigh and sat on my bed.

"It's my first time hearing you say that. Na pagod na sa ginagawa natin," mahinanong sabi nito.

"How about you? Are you not tired of doing the same shit?" tanong ko sa kaniya.

"Pagod na din. You know I am always vocal when it comes to how tired I am doing this kind of job, but I don't have a choice. Kayo lang ang mayroon ako. You are my only family. And leaving this job means leaving my family too."

Like me, Sherry was also an orphan. Kaya alam ko ang nararamadaman niya. We were on the same boat. Alone. But hearing her right now, I know that we were not alone. We had each other.

I sat on the bed and faced her. Ginagap ko ang kamay niya at nginitian siya.

"I'm here. We have each other. I think that would be enough," sinserong sabi ko sa kaniya.

Parang naiiyak itong tumingin sa akin. "Sorry nga pala sa inasal ko last time. Sorry for blaming you for what happened to Neil. Hindi ko dapat ginawa 'yon."

"Sira! Naiintindihan ko. Wala na sa akin iyon. Ikaw pa ba? Alam mong malakas ka sa akin."

"Tss! Plastic nito!"

"Ano? Wala ka talagang utang na loob!" Inirapan ko siya at hinampas sa braso.

Para kaming sirang dalawa. Naiiyak tapos biglang tumatawa

Napapitlag kami nang biglang tumunog ang phone ni Sherry. Nanlalaki ang mata nitong nakatitig sa kaniyang aparato.

"Shit!" mura nito.

"Bakit?" nagtatakang tanong ko.

"Aish! Ang drama mo kasi! Ayan! Nakalimutan ko ano talaga iyong sadya ko dito!" paninisi nito.

"Tangna mo! Ikaw nga nagdrama jan! Gaga!"

"Asan ba kasi cellphone mo, huh? Kanina ka pa tinatawagan ni Boss. Hindi ka daw ma-contact. Hindi lang tulog mo nabulabog! Pati tulog ko, jusko," sunod-sunod na litanya nito.

"Shit! Sinira ko ang sim ko kanina. Nakalimutan kong bumili ng bago."

"Gaga ka! Ayan sagotin mo. Si boss tumatawag. Goodluck!" sabi nito sabay bigay sa akin ng cellphone niya.

Fuck!