The Prowess Inside - COMPLETED

Chapter 9: Freedom

MULI kong nailibot ang aking mga mata sa pamilyar na lugar na kinasasadlakan ko ngayon atsaka bumuntong-hininga. Kahakahapon lang ay nandito din ako paramaliwanagan, ngayon ay nandito ulit ako sa parehong dahilan. Hindi ko alam kung ginagawa nila ito para mapaglaruan kami o may dahilan talaga sila para gawin ito ng paunti-unti.

"We’re aware that only a half of your soul is listening to us as we speak the last time you are here Clary, that's why," sagot ni Heart sa mga kuro-kurong nabuo sa aking isipan. Tiningnan ko siya, sila ng mataman atsaka muling napabuntong-hininga. Uh, simula ata ng mamulat ako sa mundo ay isa na sa mga naging hobby ko ang pagbuntong-hininga, napailing ako sa naisip sapagkat alam ko sa sariling totoo iyon.

Ngayon ay nandito ulit kaming lahat at nagtipon-tipon sa silid na punong-puno ng libro. Tumayo ako atsaka ibinalik ang kinuhang libro kahapon sapagkat natapos ko nang basahin iyon ng dahil sa anxiety of knowing that my parents are coming over kahapon.

When I was younger, I used to go here and read books dahil libro nalang ang naging takbuhan ko tuwing gulong-gulo at hindi ako komportable ng dahil sa sobrang pag-iisip ng utak ko. Oh well, hanggang ngayon pa rin naman, but that's not my point here! I need explanation at masyado ng nagliliwaliw ang utak ko.

"So pinapunta niyo kami rito nang walang plano?" Kalamado ang naging tanong ko habang taimtim na tinitingnan ang tatlong pinakamataas na wizards ng lugar na ito. Kung kahapon ay nasa visitor's chair ako ngayon ay nasa isang pang-isahang furniture na bangko ako at komportableng nakaupo. Habang ang mga kalalakihan naman ay nakaupo rin sa iba pang furniture sofas na naroon at katabi lang ng sa akin at kaharap ang mismong lamesa't mga upuan na kinasasadlakan nina Heart, Spades at Watson na ngayon ay nagkatinginan na animong nagdedisisyon sa kung sino ang magsasalita. Watson groaned before answering the question na ibinato ko sa kanila.

"Who told you we don't have a plan?" Nakangisi at nang-uuyam na tanong nito sa akin pabalik and right this very moment I must admit that I prefer seeing a serious Watson than this mischievous smirking guy in front of us. Crap! I don't want to hear there next words.

"We have a plan Clary, so don't freak out," natatawang sabat ni Spades kaya sinamaan ko ito ng tingin.

" Oh I don't want to hear this," Lee muttered as his eyes settled on his black shoes.

"Same with me bud," Gai seconded. Uh seems like I'm not the only one who's having a bad feeling about this so called 'plan'.

"Why? We got the most brilliant idea when we thought of this, so why don't you hear it first?" Tila isang batang excited pang wika ni Heart ngunit halata ang normal na sarkasamo sa tinig nito.

"Tell us," walang emosyong isinatinig iyon ni Ivan. Napangiti naman ng nakakaloko sina Heart at Spades habang si Watson ay balik na sa  pagiging seryoso.

"Our plan is to summon you all here, explain everything and let each one of you comment and critic the situation, then viola!" Spades took a dramatic yet a playful pause. He moved his hands and gestured something with a poof sound before continuing, "You eight, will create a plan without even realizing it."

"What!?"

"Ano!?"

" Your just joking right?"

" Oh please tell me your just kidding!"

Halos magpakapanabay ang reaksyon ng mga kalalakihang narito lang sa tabi ko. Ewan ko pero ang O-oa ah, mas malala pa kesa sakin!? A  chuckle wants to escape from my mouth but my anger is enough to prevent it. It is dominating my system and here I am trying to restain it by calming my self down. I sighed while eyeing everyone in this large room before words came out from my lips.

"What are you thinking when you made that stupid plan!? We all knew that's suicide!" I burst out. Alright it's fine now because we're all here sound and safe but still! The fact that they put our lives in line by going here without a fully furnished plan is enough for me to burst into anger.

"Calm down Clary, I told you we have plans, Remember the prophecy? That's enough evidence for us para masabing you'll be safe in coming here," Spades explained but I just glared at him.

"Right at isa pa sa tingin mo ba hahayaan kayo naming magpunta dito ng ganon-ganon lang?" Heart seconded and my burning eyes turned to her. "You think hahayaan kayo naming mamatay?  Clary, we are not stupid to do that, hindi namin hahayaang mamatay ang mga taong importante at magliligtas pa sa buong mundo,” for some reasons  her statement triggered my lips to form a sarcastic smile.

'Really!?'

"We didn't form a concrete plan because we want all of you to be more independent than the other controllers," si Watson naman ngayon ang nagsalita not minding my stare and the sarcastic smile plastered on my face.

"Alam naming lumaki kayong lahat ng maayos at responsable na mismong na-aayon sa gusto namin. We trust all of you dahil alam naming kaya niyo, kakayanin niyo, hindi kami bumuo ng plano dahil alam naming kayang-kaya niyo na iyon, you all don't actually need us because all of you was raised so well."

"Hindi mo naiintindihan, Watson," I smiled bitterly as my voice cracked out of so much frustrations.

"You three don't understand, you said, you want us to be more independent. When in fact our lives are depending to your orders for so long," ani ko na ikinatigil nilang tatlo.

“Akala niyo hindi ko alam? Ang bawat galaw ko sa mundo ay bantay sarado niyo, you assigned mens para bantayan ang bawat kilos ko, hindi ko man sila makita ay ramdam ko ang presensya nila, nagsisinungaling kayo sa sinabi niyo sa sulat... You didn't find us at all dahil sa simula pa lang ay alam niyo na kung nasaang lupalop kami hahanapin," mahabang lintyata ko.

"Yes, she's right you knew everything all along and you Mr. Watson is wrong, because we aren't raised, we are caged by your orders for how many years now," pabuntong-hiningang sabat ni Lee.

"Excuse me?" Heart interrupted but she was stopped by Watson who just raised his right arm.

"Let them," kalmanteng wika pa nito.

"Hindi man kami kagaya ni Kingston, na lumaki dito at kapagkunuwan ay napagdesisyonang lang na umalis ay alam na naming magkakaibigan na kakaiba kami sapagkat in every move we felt suffocation dahil sa bawat kumpas ng katawan at ang bawat galaw o pagbuka ng bibig namin ay may nakabantay," si Datu Pula  naman ngayon ang nagsalita. "You see? We don't have a chance for our freedom because all this time we are depending for your orders," dagdag pa niya.

"And sir, you can't blame us if we disagree with what you said about trust, because if you really trust us hindi kayo magdadalawang isip na hindi pakialaman ang mga buhay namin," Ivan said with his serious tone, iyon na ata ang pinakamahabang nasabi nito sa halos dalawang araw na pamamalagi namin dito.

"While you Miss Heart, do you really think that you didn't get us killed? When you asked our parents to come here, we nearly died," may diing sabat naman ni Gai. Yeah right, we nearly died dahil akala ko or maybe namin ay sasabunin kami sa hapag.

A dead air came at tila nakahinga naman ako ng maluwag dahil sa wakas nasabi ko narin ang mga gusto kong sabihin. Hindi man lahat ako ang nagsalita but atleast they knew what we're feeling already at napakagaan noon sa loob. Now I can fly as high as a bird because I’m now  free, not totally but still I can say that I am free from one of those inhibitions that caged me.

Nasa gitna ako ng pagdidiwang sa isip ng marinig kong bumuntong-hininga si Watson as if he's readying himself to speak. "So what do you want?" Nakangiti ng seryoso si Watson ng lingunin ko siya with my jaw dropped. I don't know but happiness dripped through me. It is flowing unconditionally and it felt like heaven. I didn't know that this happiness actually exist, not until now.

Nagkatinginan kami nina Datu Pula, Mr. Fruit, Paris, Walter, Gai, Zach at kahit ni Ivan atsaka sabay na ibinuka ang bibig, uttering the word that we surely longed to have.

"Freedom," we spoke in unison.