"WHY ARE YOU here?" takang tanong ni Zius sa akin.
I looked down. "Wala kasi akong kausap doon. I feel lonely, Zius."
He sighed. Hinaplos niya ang aking mukha.
I looked at him.
Tears were falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Eli. Hindi ko sinasadya... Please, forgive me."
Tumango ako. "Don't cry na," pinunasan ko ang kanyang pisngi. "Carry me, please?"
"Of course," aniya habang nakangiti.
"Please, tell me how you feel next time, okay?" aniya.
"Okay, Zius. Thank you," sabi ko sa kanya.
Akala ko ay ibaba ako ni Zius nang makarating kami sa pwesto namin pero hindi. Then I saw Cedar looking at me.
"We'll go upstairs na. I need to take care of Elisha," sabi ni Zius.
Tumango naman sila. Buhat-buhat pa rin ako ni Zius hanggang sa makarating kami sa aming tinutuluyan.
"I'm fine here, Zius," sabi ko nang makapasok kami.
"Do you need anything?" aniya sa malambing na boses.
"I'm hungry..."
"May pizza sa fridge. Iinitin ko. Are you fine with it?"
I nodded.
Nag-usap lang kami ni Zius the whole time bago dumating sina Amaris sa room. Napagpasyahan naming magpahinga na.
MADALING ARAW NANG magising kami sa katok ni Amaris at Imil at inanunsyong engaged na sila. Sobrang saya namin pero naputol iyon nang biglang nagkainitan sina Marcus at Imil dahil nawawala si Ren at Jarzaiah. We tried to contact Jarzaiah but her phone was out of reach. Ito ba 'yong sinasabi ni Ren na aalis siya? Dahil kay Jarzaiah?
DALAWANG ARAW NA simula nang nakauwi kami galing Cebu. Today is the twenty-fourth of December at hindi ko alam kung matutuloy ba ang plano ni Cedar. Wala naman kasi akong number niya. Pagkatapos kong mag ayos ay agad akong bumaba.
Zius wore a red polo shirt and I wore a red satin dress, still with make-up and winged-eyeliner. Our parents had a business trip to Europe to talk to some investors or something for three days.
"What's your plan later?" tanong ko kay Zius.
"To spend time with you."
"You're not going to see Lilac?"
"She'll be busy with her family. You know the Fitzmaels are tight but I'll call her later," aniya.
I nodded. Siguro ay hindi kami matutuloy ni Cedar. After all, Christmas is about family.
KINAGABIHAN AY TUMAWAG ang aming mga magulang. Kahit busy sila sa business, they never failed to check up on us. Kaya sobra namin silang mahal ni Zius.
"Hey, Mom and Dad! We miss you!" nakanguso kong sabi.
"Miss namin kayo," ani Dad.
"Sorry talaga kung wala kami riyan ngayon. Pero we'll make sure sa New Year's Eve ay nandiyan kami," ani Mom.
Ngumiti ako at nag-thumbs up sa kanila.
"Take care po sa inyo," ani Zius habang nakangiti.
BINABASA MO ANG
The Flower's Sunshine (Fitzmael 4)
Romance[VIOLENCE | TRIGGER WARNING | STRONG LANGUAGE] When Cedar Broom returned to the Philippines, his heart remained in England, weighed down by a recent breakup. His life felt cold, gloomy, and lonely. Then he met Elisha Gomez. She became his beacon of...
