INTERNAL CRIES-COMPLETED

Kabanata 04

Kabanata 04
Stained

I want to laugh at myself, kasi hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin umuuwi si Kheeno. Kanina ko pa itong hinihintay dahil nauna na akong umuuwi sa pad nito. Malalim na kasi ang gabi at inaantok at pagod na ako, kaya nagpahatid na lang ako sa driver kanina para makapagpahinga na ako. Hindi ko na inaya si Kheeno dahil marami pa itong kausap. Nagpaalam lang ako kay Rhom kanina, at sinabihang siya na lang magsabi sa kuya niya na nauna na ako.

As I glanced at the clock on the wall once again, its hands stubbornly pointed to 1:00 o’clock in the dawn. I felt a surge of dismay wash over me. Hours had slipped away unnoticed in the quiet of the night, leaving me with a sinking realization of how late it had become. The room around me seemed to echo with the ticking of the clock, each second a reminder of the time slipping away.

I tore my gaze away from the relentless clock and sighed. The late hour weighed heavily on my shoulders, a stark reminder that sleep had eluded me once again.

Outside was shrouded in darkness, a stark contrast to the relentless march of time that the clock so faithfully displayed.

Kanina pa ako inaantok at pagod, pero dahil gusto kong hintaying makauwi si Kheeno ay hindi na muna ako natulog. Pero lagpas hating gabi na, at kaunting kalabit na lang sa akin ay makakatulog na ako.

I checked once more at the time and sighed.

I took a loud breath and decided to go upstairs. Matutulog na ako, kasi sobrang inaantok na talaga ako. It feels like the bed was calling me already. But before I decided to sleep, tumawag muna ako sa hacienda para tanungin kong nandoon pa ba ang mga bisita.

“May iilan na lang pong mga bisita, Señorita, pero mga kamag-anak niyo na lang po. Noong umuwi ka po kasi, sumunod agad si Sir Kheeno sa inyo, kaya nag-uwian na rin ang ibang bisita,” mahabang saad ni Ate Joshelle, kaya hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko ngayon.

Alas onse pa no’ng umuwi ako, at halos alas dos na ngayon, at wala pa rin si Kheeno.

I wonder where he is right now. Hindi naman siguro siya nagpunta sa…

I tilted my head at iwinaksi ang nasa isip.

Hindi. I know he won’t go there. I trust him. Alam kong napipilitan lang siyang magpakasal sa akin, pero sigurado akong rerespetohin pa rin niya ako bilang asawa niya, kahit na sa papel lang.

Hindi ko alam kong anong oras akong nakatulog, pero halos tanghali na nang magising ako. Agad akong nagmadaling bumangon dahil wala si Kheeno sa kwarto namin.

Agad akong lumabas sa kwarto at pagbaba ko, nakita ko itong natutulog sa sofa sa sala.

My heart aches.

Kheeno looks so wasted. Ang puting long sleeve na suot nito ay lukot-lukot na. And he has dark circles under his eyes. His hair was disheveled at basta na lang hinagis ang suot na coat nito sa kabilang sofa. Hindi man lang ito nakapagtanggal ng sapatos bago matulog. And…

I walk slowly towards Kheeno at pinagmasdan itong mabuti habang natutulog. He’s sleeping peacefully, but his awra says otherwise. Alam kong hirap ito dahil sa ginawa ko.

For a fleeting moment, my gaze fixated on him, taking in his demeanor and expression. It was then that my eyes caught something unexpected—a vivid red lipstick stain smeared conspicuously across his collar.

My heart hammers and cascades of thoughts and emotions flooded my mind. Questions raced through my head about what this could mean? Was it a harmless mistake, or something more?

The air between us thickened. I struggled to comprehend the implications of what I had just seen.

The scene unfolded before me like a mystery waiting to be unraveled, leaving me torn between confronting him or burying the discovery deep within. The red stain, now etched into my memory, marked a turning point in our interaction, urging me to confront truths that had been lurking beneath the surface.