Embracing The Cold Winds (ETR SERIES #1)

IV

"BAKIT ang sungit mo?"

"Bakit ang dami mong tanong?"

Argh! Second day and Wednesday, kakatapos lang ng klase namin at nandito kami sa Sunken Garden. Dahil wala na naman ang kambal ay kaming dalawa lang ang gagawa ng Science project.

Si Yanki ay may quiz na naman sa History class nila kaya matatagalan siya at kung wala kaming project ngayon ay mababagot ako kakahintay. Hinahatid na niya kasi ako sa bahay gamit ang motor NIYA. Ewan ko ba kung saan galing yun. Hindi nalang sabihin. Nahiya pa.

"Ano ba kasing gagawin ko? Baka nakakalimutan mong group project 'to?" sarkastikang wika ko sakanya.

"Read this book and gather all the informations you've got about our topic in Biology. Photosynthesis." Tugon niya at may binigay sa aking libro habang ang atensyon ay nasa laptop niya.

Tsk! Okay sana kung si Yanki kasama ko. She is good at science.

"Photosynthesis is the process used by which green plants and certain other organisms transform the energy of the light into chemical energy." Bagbasa ko at nag-type siya sa laptop.

"Some of this chemical energy is stored in carbohi--carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars and starches, which are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water." dagdag ko.

Nagpatuloy ang pagbabasa ko at pagta-type niya naman hanggang sa lumipas ang isang oras at palubog na ang araw.

Nag aayos ako ng gamit at patuloy pa din siya sa pagta-type kaya tinignan ko siya.

"Woi, hindi ka pa ba uuwi?" Tanong ko sakan'ya at sinulyapan niya lang ako bago ibalik ang tingin sa laptop.

"Why? I don't want to go home. I'd rather stay here than go to hell." Sambit nito at napakunot ang noo ko.

"Okay. Basta ako uuwi na. Baka nga naghihintay na 'yon." sabi ko at maglalakad na sana.

"Who?"

"Kaibigan ko, bakit? Curious much?"

"Asa."

"Maka-asa 'to. Saka lumelevel up na 'yang katahimikan mo ha? Mukhang bumalik yung dila mo kaya nakakapagsalita ka na."

"Nah, my tongue didn't get cut."

"Oh 'e ano? It's just you?" Panggagaya ko ng boses niya at tumango siya.

"Yeah. Me. You don't know anything so go." Pagtaboy nito.

"Grabe 'to. Ano bang problema mo? Do you have problem in your house or what? O baka may sakit ka?"

"Why? Curious much?" Panggagaya nito sa boses ko.

"Asa ka din. Nagtatanong lang 'e."

"Hmm."

Katahimikan pagkatapos. Akala ko ay hindi niya sasagutin ang tanong ko pero sinagot niya.

"Yeah. I have problems at home. There's a demon at my house so I don't want to go home. I want to escape the hell."

"E'di tumakas ka. Pero kahit tumakas ka din ay hahabulin ka ng hahabulin ng reyalidad." Sabi ko. "Naalala kong sinubukan naming tumakas sa reyalidad but reality keeps chasing us at hanggang ngayon ay tumatakas kami sa reyalidad by working together." dagdag ko.

"Why are you escaping the reality?" tanong niya.

"To escape the problems that's pressuring me."

"Like?"

"Homeworks, itong project na ginagawa natin, family, homesick, friendships, at kung ano ano pa that is deep. Gustong gusto ko na magpakamatay pero pinipigilan ko sarili ko dahil marami pa akong pwedeng ma-experience. Kung sakaling magkarelasyon man ako sana hindi na dumagdag sa problema ko."

"Leuni!" biglang may tumawag kaya napalingon ako. Nakita ko si Yanki na papunta dito. Nilingon ko si Harris na nakatitig sa'kin.

"Uwi na ko. See you tomorrow, cold winds."

———

"See you tomorrow, cold winds."

She said and ran to her friend. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin and that's when I realized that... We have the same situation. We want to escape the problems that keeps following us.

I am Harris Aragon Hendrickson. A boy who wants to escape hell. A boy with a worse father. A boy who wants to die and escape the problems. But no matter how I escaped it, it always chase me. How can I possibly escape them if they keep following and chasing me?

I have higher grades than my siblings but the demon keep saying that it is not enough, but when it comes to my sibling he always praised them at tinuturing na anak. Unlike me. He always shouts and yells at me. Nakakasakal. I don't want to go home that's why I sometimes sleep at Seymour's house with Alex.

I have a better brain but the demon keeps saying that my siblings are way more smarter than me. I am planning to take pilot course and I taked STEM strand course this year and last year.

Now, the smiles of mine has vanished and disappeared because of them. I never wanted to be cold or what. I never wanted to be mean to people but after the demon killed my Mom, naging gan'to ako.

And now, my Mom...

"She's one of the stars for now."

———

Credits: yanahlprieto

Love, leuni.