I was staring at Casio the entire time he was treating my bruise. He was holding my hand and gently applying an ice compress to my knuckles.
"All done," he said. "Ipahinga mo muna ang kamay mo para mabilis na gumaling," aniya pa.
Tumayo siya at niligpit ang kaniyang pinanggamot sa akin. "W-What about you? May sugat ka... dahil sa akin." Nilingon niya ako at marahang hinawakan ang labi niya.
Hindi siya sumagot at kinuha lang ang binili niya rin palang gamot para sa kaniya. He looked around the room and sighed before sitting on the seat beside me. Kinuha niya ang phone sa bulsa at binuksan ang camera. He then gently gently cleaned the dried blood on the side of his lips using a clean cloth.
I sighed and bit my lip. Tumayo ako kaya sinundan niya naman ako ng tingin. Kinuha ko iyong cream sa desk bago bumalik sa aking upuan.
"Tapos na?" I asked him.
He raised his brow. "Teka," tugon niya at bumalik sa ginagawa.
"Akin na..." I said.
"What?"
"Ako na," wika ko at inagaw ang kaniyang hawak.
Because my other hand has a bruise on my knuckles, I grabbed the cloth with my left hand. "Can you..." I inquired of Casio.
He turned to face me right away. I wiped the dried blood from his lips gently. I could feel him staring but I know it would be too awkward kung titingin din ako sa mga mata niya.
Pagkatapos kong linisan, binuksan ko naman ang cream. "Ahh!" Biglang daing niya at parang ang sakit-sakit.
"S-Sorry! Oh my gosh!" I immediately panicked.
He smiled at unti-unting tumawa. Nagsalubong agad kilay ko at mahinang tinulak ang balikat niya. "Casio!" I grunted.
"You looked too serious. Chill!" Pagdedepensa nito.
I just rolled my eyes at him. Muli naman akong bumalik sa aking ginagawa. "How did you find out about the marriage?" He suddenly asked.
I swallowed hard. "Mom told me while we were having dinner," I answered. "Ikaw?"
"Dinner din," tugon niya. "...4 years ago."
Nahinto ako sa aking ginagawa at aksidente pang nadiin ang daliri ko sa sugat niya. "A-Aray!" Daing niya.
Hindi ako makapaniwala sa kaniyang sinabi. "F-Four years ago? They planned it four years ago?!" I exclaimed.
I was 12... They thought I should marry Casio when I was only 12 years old. I was 12 when it was decided that I would be in a long-term relationship with Casio. I was not even a teen yet!
"That is why I hate them," singhal ni Casio. Kinuha niya sa akin ang cream at niligpit na kasama ang iba pang gamit na nasa desk.
"You know, I hate it when adults screw everything up and then pass all the trauma on to their children; complaining about everything and blaming their kids for every single thing they fucked up."
His voice was calm pero bakas doon ang galit at inis niya.
"I despise parents who constantly gaslight their children in order to make them pay for the problems they have caused. They'd say things like "my kid should understand the struggle," like seriously, man... Their children are not punching bags, for Pete's sake! Kaya nga nag-anak kayo dahil gusto niyo. Hindi iyong mag-aanak kayo para may papasahan kayo ng problema at trauma."
Casio was so serious. Nanatili akong tahimik. Pinapanood at pinapakinggan ko lamang siya habang nakatayo siya sa harap ko.
"Got that, Raf?"
BINABASA MO ANG
Secret Secret (Dès Vu Series #1)
General Fiction(NO PORTRAYER INTENDED) "Fallen shoulders and soaking clothes, even the blasting music sounds quiet to me. I let my frustrated voices out hoping that they'd be washed away in the rain..."
