“Hindi ako magtataka kung si Lucile ang may gawa,” nang magsalita si Liam, nakuha niya ang atensyon ko. “Maski si Jessica, tandang-tanda ang sinabi ni Lucile bago niya inilayo ang sarili niya sa amin.”
“Na lahat ng mga tao, o ng mga bagay na mahalaga sa iyo at sa akin, maglalaho sa mundong ginagalawan ng tao. Kaya ‘yong nangyari sa tunay na ina ni Sarah, hindi ako magugulat kung malaman ko man na si Lucile ang may gawa.”
Si Lucile… siya na naman.
“Of all the people I could imagine doing these things, I never thought it would be Lucile.” Dismayadong nakatulala lang ako sa kawalan, hinihintay pa rin ang vegetable salad ni Liam.
Na-traffic yata ‘yong nurse.
“Saksi ka sa nabuong friendship sa pagitan naming dalawa, ‘di ba? I almost treated her like my family. Totoong kapatid. Magkasangga sa lahat, lagi kong takbuhan sa lahat ng problema, rant person namin ang isa’t isa… and I almost imagine her to be the angel that heaven sent to me noong mga panahong naglalakbay ako sa dilim.”
“Hindi ko pa rin lubusang matanggap na nagagawa niya ang mga bagay na nangyayari ngayon. Against me… against us. Ano bang ginawa nating mali?” I was as if finding answers to countless questions I have in mind by gazing upon the surroundings.
“Bakit siya nagkagano’n, Liam?”
“To tell you honestly…” I started to feel a long narration supposed to be told.
“She’s… having a hard time sleeping at night. Insomnia siguro… I don’t know. Kahit payuhan ko siya na magpatingin sa doktor, e ayaw naman niyang sumunod. Mayroon siyang sleeping pills na iniinom, and I had even found some drugs in her cabinet… the other month.”
“Those drugs are antidepressants… known to treat depression,” Liam added.
Lucile is so fine the other weeks have passed. Nagsimula lang siyang magbago noong nangyari ang pagsira ko sa kasal ni Jessica at Liam.
Ni hindi ko rin siya nakikitaan ng anumang signs na depressed siya, kulang sa tulog… or even any signs na hindi maayos ang kondisyon niya, no traces of that had I seen in her.
“Dulot na rin ng drugs na ini-intake niya sa katawan, and also the pills that could help her sleep every night, once she take those meds too many than normal, makakaapekto ‘yon sa katawan niya… and can lead her changed her behavior.” Liam clicks his tongue, as if trying to put himself on a thinking cap.
“There’s this term Sleeping Pill Addiction. When someone got into this situation, magiging dependent siya sa iniinom na pills para makatulog. And when someone’s started to be addicted to this, expect the worst. Dahil may mga kaso na ang ibang tao, because of this addiction, can drive them crazy and dangerous.”
“Because as I say, continual use of sleeping pills could lead them to severe addiction. Utilizing the word, addiction starts with a choice, but leading to severity, the person affected ends up being someone out of people’s control.”
Lumakas at bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko. Everything Liam had stated does make sense, anyway.
Wala man lang kasi akong kaalam-alam na may problema na pala si Lucile. Over the months I saw her so fine, depressed na pala siya.
At ang mga bagay na ginagawa niya… na nagawa niya, perhaps she’s… already out of her mind?
*****
Rocco called and said he needs me at Aether, kaya’t hindi ko man magawang iwan si Audrey, knowing na nangako naman si Liam sa akin na siya na raw ang bahala kay Aud, kahit papaano ay panatag ang loob ko na umalis ng ospital.
BINABASA MO ANG
Vengeance of the Battered
ChickLitKirsten Bargamento is a woman in an abusive marriage. Things are getting complex for her to withstand, escaping from her husband is her way to have freedom. She started her new life living as her twin sister, Gwen, who died many years ago.
