Hurricane (Disaster Series #1)

Kabanata 31

Away

To wake up with the sun's glory caressing my face and not being able to appreciate it is such a heartbreaking moment.

I can't seem to be thankful for the nice weather. Dahil alam kong kailangan kong bumangon at harapin ang lahat ng gulong nagawa ko.

It was all my fault and though I can't fix it, I have to face it.

I have to visit Loreen. She's pregnant and what happened to her wasn't good.

I hate what happened between her and Luci. Pero hinding-hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko kung sakaling mapapahamak ang batang nasa sinapupunan niya. What she witnessed was stressful and it's bad for her child.

I smiled bitterly as I got up from my bed. Nandito ako sa kuwarto ko sa bahay nila Tita Helen. Dad was so mad at me, he doesn't want me to go home.

He was so mad to the point that he had our driver deliver my things back here.

He was so mad that he told me I was the one who ruined his new chance and beginning. I ruined everything for him.

Maybe I really did.

Kahapon, pagkatapos naming makauwi ni Kuya Ezra, tumawag agad si Dad sa akin. Sinisisi ako sa lahat ng nangyari.

The doctor declared that Tita Ada is in a comatose state. Ang pagtama ng noo niya sa dulo ng kahoy na staircase ay naging dahilan ng pagkakaroon niya ng blood clot sa ulo. Her head injury was bad that caused her brain to swell and bleed as the doctor said. 

I felt so bad about myself that I cried myself all night and up until dawn that I only got to sleep when my eyelids felt heavy.

At ngayon, habang naaalala na naman ang nagawa ko ay nagbabadya ulit ang mga luha. I feel like a mess. And I honestly just want to stay all day on my bed. I want to isolate myself from everyone else.

I feel awful.

Pero kahit gaano ko man kagustong magkulong na lang, kailangan ko pang pumunta sa hospital. So I did my best to dress myself up. And even put some concealer under my bags just so it won't be too obvious that I had no sleep.

I sighed as I went down. Ni ayaw kong humakbang na kahit isang beses pababa sa staircase. Nag-fa-flashback sa akin ang lahat ng nangyari.

My feet wobbled that on the last four steps, I almost tripped myself. Nanginginig na napahawak ako sa railings ng hagdan, hindi matigil sa malakas na pagkalabog ang dibdib ko.

Kuya Eisen's face contorted into a worried expression upon seeing me. Dali-dali siyang dumalo sa akin para alalayan ako sa paghakbang sa huling baitang.

"Are you sure you want to go to the hospital? I told you Cara, kami na ni Mama at ni Ezra ang bahala dito. Umalis na nga si Mama kasama si Ezra para makipag-usap kay Tito Oliver."

Umiling ako sa kanya. Wala namang nangyari sa akin, I wasn't the one who was hurt or injured badly. Oo, masakit ang anit ko dahil sa pagsabunot ni Tita Ada at nasugatan ang braso dahil sa mga kuko niyang bumaon sa balat ko, pero walang-wala ito kumpara sa kalagayan niya ngayon. Maging si Loreen ay nadamay.

So why would I act like someone so weak? Why are they treating me like a fragile glass that needs to be protected? Kasalanan ko ang lahat.

"Pakihatid na lang ako sa hospital Kuya. Ayaw kong basta na lang umupo rito at hintayin kayong ayusin ang lahat para sa akin. It was my fault..."

His gentle eyes darkened with what I said and then he scoffed.

"Hindi mo 'yon kasalanan. Sino bang sumugod sa 'yo roon at unang nanakit? Hindi ba't si Tita Ada? Ni wala kang kaalam-alam na sinusundan ka niya! What you did was only to defend yourself! And in Loreen's case, it was an accident, okay? Nagkataon lang na naroon siya no'ng nangyari 'yon." Kuya Eisen frustratingly ran his fingers through his hair.