Mended Broken Souls (✔️)

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Walang salita akong tumayo at lumabas mula sa Chapel. Hindi ko naman alam na siya pala 'yon. Umupo ako sa isang upuang nasa ilalim ng isang puno sa labas ng chapel.

The green vision of the University and the fresh air it was bringing were captivating my eyes and calming the waves of nervousness in my heart. I inhaled the air and closed my eyes.

There were no other students here except me and him, probably because most of them were participating the activities in the freedom Park. Iyon din ang hangad ko, ang mapag-isa muna at magkaroon ng kapayapaa't katahimikan.

"Julienne..."

I stiffened as the waves of tension in my entire soul continued to boil up. Naramdaman ko ang pag-upo niya sa tabi ko, at nang nilingon ko ay nakitang may malaking espasyo sa pagitan namin. He was fixing his eyes in front, but immediately fixated those pair of angelic eyes on me.

Despite of him not uttering it vocally... through his eyes, I can feel and see that he's still experiencing the profound ache in his heart.

"Bakit lumapit ka na naman?" puno ng pait na tanong ko, nakatingin na ngayon sa harapan dahil hindi ko kayang maalala ang alon ng mga ala-ala naming dalawa noon.

"P-Paano kung hindi talaga tayo mag-pinsan?"

I bit my bottom lip when I felt how my tears slowly welled up in my eyes. The edges of melancholy were pervading in every part of my body, that even the tiniest bones were affected.

"How can you say that? It's been a year, Caleb. The evidence was telling the transparent truth."

I heard him taking a profound sigh.

"M-May naisip lang kasi akong posibilidad noon pa man..." Kunot-noo ko siyang nilingon. He was lowering his gaze.

"Spill it... Ah, nevermind. That's just a possibility, not the truth." I shook my head dispiritedly and bitterly.

Tiningnan niya ako nang diretso sa mga mata. May pagsusumamo ang mga mata niya na para bang nagmamakaawa sa aking pakinggan siya. I don't want to hear it... I don't want to build a rope of hope.

He softly laughed. "Ah, oo nga naman... Posibilidad lang. Pero ang posibilidad na iyon, araw-araw kong ipinagdarasal na sana... totoo. Nahihirapan na kasi ako sa ganito. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko nakakayang wala ka sa tabi ko. H-Hindi ko kayang m-makita araw-araw na bumalik ang dating i-ikaw... It is the definition of torture for me." Tumingala siya at parang pinipigilan ang luha.

Hindi ako nagsalita agad. I was about to say something but he spat another thorn words again...

"Natupad nga ang pangako nating dalawa. Nakapunta tayo sa concert ni Troye Sivan, pareho tayong nag-aaral ngayon dito sa dream University mo, but... separately. Pasensiya na kung nilapitan ulit kita para sabihin ang mga ito, ha? Hindi ko na kasi kaya na walang napagsasabihan... Maski sa mga kaibigan ko sa probinsiya hindi ko masabi dahil may kaniya-kaniya rin silang problema. I-Ikaw lang... Ikaw lang kasi ang n-nasasabihan ko kapag hindi ko masabi sa kanila..." His voice shattered.

I wiped my tears sidewards when they begun to cascade. His voice was screaming agony like uttering those words at me were like trenchant thorns that keep on stabbing the profound ache in his heart. I keep on biting my bottom lip as I was waiting a blood from it... hoping that the physical pain will prevail.

"I can't advice you anything... We're both hurting." Iyon lang ang nasabi ko.

"I'm not expecting an advice in return, Julienne. Gusto ko lang talagang may makinig sa 'kin, at i-ikaw ang gusto kong makinig..."