Maybe I'm Lying [COMPLETED]

KABANATA 10- Excuses

I woke up to little giggles, yet I kept my eyes shut. I'm very sure those were coming from the neighborhood kids. Craven never giggled like that when we were kids because, at a young age, he was kept and trained to be Ishioka Corp's future heir. I, on the other hand, had spent the entire days of my childhood learning proper etiquette. We were not allowed to play with each other, despite the fact that we live in the same house, we only get to meet when dinner.

I never thought a child could be capable of laughing like that. Lumakas lalo ang tawanan kaya agad akong napabangon at ginulo-gulo ang buhok ko.

"Annoying creatures!" I hissed and winced in pain as I felt my muscles sore. Nayakap ko ang sarili ko nang mapagtantong isang pulang daster na dye style na ang suot ko. Who's the person with no sense of fashion dressed me?!

Lumangitngit ang kinalalagyan kong bamboo bed. Then I tried to remember what happened...

someone's chasing us...

I heard gunshots...

Wren made the motorbike fall from a cliff...

and our bodies plunge to the sea,

we were slowly sinking...

Then I lose consciousness!

But I know I didn't get hurt from the fall because I didn't even feel the impact of falling in the water as Wren shielded me with his body.

Then the culprit of my body pain is most certainly this bamboo bed! Kung sinuman ang nakahanap sa amin ay sana man lang naglagay ng soft mattress sa higaan ko.

"Haaaaachooo!" Pinisil ko ang ilong ko at pasimpleng suminghot. Mabuti nalang at walang nakarinig sa a-

Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko sa gulat nang biglang bumukas ang pinto. Tatayo na sana ako nang mapagtanto ko kung sino iyon.

She hadn't changed much since the last time I saw her, aside from a few silver strands of hair that represented the years we had been apart. But she still has those saggy eye bags under her caring and loving eyes.

"N-nanny...," I called her. She smiled tenderly at me before encircling me in an embrace.

"N-nanny...," I whispered. Kinagat ko ang ibabang labi ko para pigilan ang sarili na maiyak. "Why did you left me alone in there?" tanong ko kahit alam ko naman na ang sagot. It was my fault, mine and my Mom's.

"Pasensya ka na, anak ha? Pasensya na talaga...," sabi niya sa nanginginig na boses pagkatapos ay hinimas-himas ang likod ng ulo ko. I blinked away the tears that were welling up in my eyes. This is meant to be a pleasant reunion, and I didn't want my tears to ruin it.

"Hachu!" bahing ko muli. Kumalas siya nang yakap at Kinulong ang mukha ko sa mga palad niya. She indeed never change, and her plump, rough, but warm hands I used to slwpt on to when I was a little girl, are proof to that.

"Basang-basa ka nang dalhin ka ng kaibigan mo rito. Ano bang nangyari sa inyo ha?" tanong niya. Malamang ay si Wren ang tinutukoy niyang kaibigan ko.

"We swim," sagot ko na lang.

"Nang gabi?" Tinanguan ko siya bilang sagot. I can't let her know the real reason or I'll just make her worry. Naningkit ang mga mata niya pagkaraa'y napabuntong hininga nalang siya at hindi na nan usisa pa.

"Halika na sa labas para makapananghalian," aniya. Bago kami lumabas ay sinuklayan niya muna ang buhok ko.

Nahihikab ako sa bawat pagsuklay na ginagawa ni Nanny Nenita sa buhok ko kaya nilibang ko ang sarili sa pagtingin-tingin sa paligid. Gawa sa manipis na plywood ang dingding ng kuwartong kinalalagyan namin at ang sahig ay magaspang na semento. Ang tanging palamuti rito ay ang sandamakmak na medalya at isang litrato ng babae, na may itim na mahabang buhok at bilugang mga mata, malamang siya ang nagmamay-ari ng kuwartong tinuluyan ko ngayon. Napangiti ako nang wala sa sarili.