Binitawan ko ang pagkahawak sa kamay ni Lloren. Humarap ako sa kaniya. She's smiling at me as if there's nothing wrong with her existence today. "Are you playing with us?" sambit ko sa kaniya. She stop smiling and crossed her hands on her chest. "May masaba ba sa ginawa ko Jastine?" she asked. She's acting as if she's not the Lloren I knew before. She totally changed.
"Why are you here? Why are you coming back here?" napabuntong hininga siya at nagsalita, "Jastine, I don't want us to be in bad terms anymore okay? Kung ano man ang kasalan ko sayo noon, let's forget about that and start a new--" hindi ko siya pinatapos ng pagsalita when I interfer. "That easily Lloren? Do you know how much devastated I am for the past years and then, where are you? You left! And you expected me to just forget about everything--" hindi rin ako nakapagpatuloy sa pagsasalita ng bigla siyang sumigaw sa harapan ko.
"I have my reasons Jastine, I have. I like you that much at I can't bear to leave you like that pero I need to. You never ask me about my story and here you are just blaming everything to me" natahimik ako. I saw some tears falling on her eyes kaya I decided not to speak. "I had my hard time to but I choose not to tell you. I don't want to burden you" she started crying and I was left standing na hindi alam ang gagawin. Lloren is a tough gurl. I can't see him cry this hard before at lagi siyang tumatawa. She had a good relationship with us before dahil sobrang maalaga niya, sobrang ganda ng bond niya sa amin. Lloren is an only child and her dad owns a company.
We shared the same feelings before and without giving me any reason, she disappeared. I can't contact her. Nagtanong-tanong na kaming lahat tungkol sa kaniya but we just knew that she left at pumunta ng abroad. I didn't know what happened to her for 2 years and now she's back. "When I heard about what happened to you and to your family, I wanted to go back here. I wanted to comfort you, to do everything that I can to be with you pero I can't" she said while continue to cry hard.
I slide my hand on my pocket and grab my handkerchief. I handed it out to her at tinanggap niya naman ito. I asked her to sit down sa bench at lumapit ako sa isang vending machine at bumili ng tubig. I handed it out to here and she received it. "Thank you for this" she said. Umupo ako sa tabi niya. Tahimik lang kaming dalawa. I don't want to ask her kaya naghintay lang ako kung kailan siya magsasalita. "My dad got sick kaya our company struggled a lot. My mom decided to take over pero she got anxiety and depression kaya I need to stop school for a while and our family move to States" she explained while continue sobbing. "I found out about what happened to you and your parents and maniwala kaman o hindi, I wanted to go back here but I can't, I'm sorry Jastine. I really do" mas lalong lumakas ang hikbi niya kaya I reached my hand to her and slowly tap her back.
The school bell rings kaya napatigil si Lloren sa pag-iyak. She wiped her face with the handkerchief I gave her and composed herself. "Let's talk about this again later on" sambit niya sabay ngiti as if nothing really happened. Hindi lang ako umimik. She smiled at me and waved kina Paulo, Ken, Josh, and Angel na kasalukuyang naglalakad palabas ng cafeteria. Paulo smiled at us, pero nakatingin lang ako kay Angel. Blank lang ang expression sa kaniyang mukha habang nakatingin sa amin ni Lloren.
They slowly walk towards us. Kaya sumabay kami ni Lloren sa kanila. Tumabi ako kay Angel and asked her, "Did you eat a lot?" tanong ko sa kaniya na nagpalingon kay Lloren. Angel look at Lloren and when she saw Lloren looking at her, tumango lang siya ng mahina. Nakarating kami sa classroom, nagsimula na ang teacher sa pagtuturo. I didn't listen to any of the lessons, I keep thinking about what Lloren said. I never knew such situations happened to her and for years I keep hating her.
Nahulog ang pencil ni Angel sa sahig kaya nagising ang diwa ko. Agad ko itong pinulot and we both banged our head to each other dahil sa magkasabay kaming yumuko at pumulot sa lapis na nahulog. I slowly move myself away from her kaya pinatuloy niya ang pagpulot sa lapis. Kahit kailan talaga, she's really clumsy.
"Okay, class dismissed" nagsitayuan ang mga estudyante kaya agad akong napatayo at hinawakan sa kamay si Lloren bago paman ito makalakad paalis. Tumingin sa akin si Lloren na parang nagtataka kung bakit hinawakan ko siya sa kamay. "Let's talk for a while" sambit ko at ngumiti naman ito sa akin. Hinila ko si Lloren palabas ng classroom pero bago paman kami nakalabas ay nilingon ko si Angel. Nakatingin lang siya sa amin habang hinihila ko si Lloren palabas. "Paulo, please bring Angel home" sabi ko sa kaniya. He seemed shocked but then nodded.
After that, hinila ko si Lloren at naglakad kami palabas ng school. Nang makalabas na kami ng university, huminto ako sa paglalakad at binitawan si Lloren. "What are you thinking right now Jastine?" tanong ni Lloren sa akin. "I wanted to know everything" agad kong sagot sa kaniya. "Okay then, let's go to our favorite restaurant. Naaalala mo pa ba?" she asked. Hindi lang ako sumagot sa kaniya, instead I started walking. Sumabay siya siya sa akin and she started to talk about the things that we do before.
I didn't respond to anything that she says, nakikinig lang ako. I never expected back then that I will like her. It was freshmen year, and we are all new to our school. I like playing football kaya I always find myself in the field and doon din nakin nakikilala sina Paulo, Josh, Harold, and Ken. Lloren was a smart girl. She's the president of the class but we never had a good relationship before. We always find ourselves fighting dahil my friends and I always skip some of our classes to play football. She's a blessing to me. Nang dumating siya sa buhay namin, we've changed totally, as if a miracle happened and then I found myself falling for her.
Narating namin ang restaurant na lagi naming tinatakbuhan noon. It's a comfort place for us. Itinulak niya ang pintuan ng restaurant at sumalubong sa amin ang masarap na amoy ng pagkain. "Magandang hapon sa inyu" ngiti ng may-ari. Nagulat siya ng makita niya si Lloren at ako na magkasama. "Oh, naaalala ko kayo" ngumiti lang si Lloren sa sinabi ng may-ari. "Namiss ko ang mga pagkain dito" nakangiting sabi ni Lloren sabay upo sa upuan malapit sa bintana.
"Hindi ko inakala na babalik ka dito. Hindi na kita nakita ng ilang buwan" sambit ng may-ari sa akin sabay abot ng menu. "What do you mean?" tanong ni Lloren sa may-ari. Magsasalita na sana ako pero biglang nagkuwento ang may-ari kaya hindi ko na ito napigilan. "Lagi ko kayong naaalala dahil sa lagi kayong nandito. Pero ilang beses na pumunta kayo dito ng magkasama, hindi ko akalain na dumating ang araw na si Jastine nalang mag-isa ang laging pumupunta dito. Umiiyak pa nga siya noong unang beses siyang pumunta dito mag-isa, akala ko talaga nagkahiwalay kayong dalawa" pagkatapos magsalita ng may-ari ay agad itong umalis dahil sa may tumawag sa kaniya na costumer.
Napatingin sa akin si Lloren at ngumiti, "Is that true? Did you really come here frequently after I left?" she asked. I slide my hand on my pocket and grab my phone. "Who says I'm not allowed to come here" sagot ko sa kaniya. She laughed and jokingly said, "Siguro na miss mo ako? Aminin mo" hindi ko lang siya pinansin and compose a message to Paulo. I asked him if nakauwi na ba sila ni Angel. "Okay, anong order niyong dalawa?" tanong sa amin ng may-ari. "Same set" sabay naming sagot ni Lloren sa may-ari. Napangiti ang may-ari at nagsalita. "Okay, wait for 10 to 15 minutes for your order" umalis siya at naiwan kami ni Lloren sa mesa.
Biglang umulan ng malakas sa labas kaya napatingin ako sa bintana. Wait, am I missing something? Napatingin ako sa aking cellphone at kay Lloren. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang marealize na nakarating ako sa restaurant na hindi kasama si Angel and I'm not having a panic attack. "So it means..." napatingin sa akin si Lloren ng magsimula akong magsalita. "Are you okay?" Lloren asked. I'm fine. I'm fine even without Angel.
It means, it's just happened or a coincidence or something like I feel safe with Lloren too?
YOU ARE READING
The Girl Who Came From Above
RandomGuardian Angels are entities that exist in a space beyond humans' domain. They have the duty to protect humans from imminence until life will be retrieved from them. This story revolves around an angel who sacrifices herself to rescue a suicidal hum...
