The Girl Who Came From Above

CHAPTER 18: The Angel Secret Is Revealed

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I watched Lloren being dragged by Jastine outside the classroom. I think Jastine is overreacting. He likes Lloren a lot before and for years, without a proper closure, siguro he's a bit excited to know what happened about her. I slowly walked towards the table where Angel is sitting. Nakatingin lang siya kay Lloren and Jastine making a scene at the classroom on the first day of class. "Are you okay?" tanong ko kay Angel habang alalang-alala siyang nakatingin kay Jastine. "Nag-alala ako baka hindi kayang lumabas ni Jastine na wala ako sa tabi niya" sambit niya sabay ligpit ng mga gamit niya sa mesa.

"I think Jastine will be fine because Lloren is with him" sabi ko sa kaniya but she slowly shook her head. "Hindi Paulo, hindi siya magiging okay" sambit ni Angel na agad tumayo at isinabit sa kaniyang likuran ang bag niya. Tatakbo na sana siya pero hinawakan ko siya sa kamay. "I need to take you home" pagpigil ko sa kaniya. She slowly turned her head towards me and I saw her face full of concern. "Hindi Paulo, susundan ko si Jastine baka may masamang mangyari sa kaniya" she slowly said.

Binitawan ko ang paghawak sa kaniyang kamay. Tumalikod siya sa akin at agad tumakbo palabas ng classroom. Maybe I was right. I was right that Angel helped Jastine with his trauma. Sinundan ko si Angel to make sure that she'll be safe. Tumakbo ako upang habulin siya and at the moment na nahabol ko siya, nadapa siya kaya agad ko siyang tinulungan mapatayo. "You should be careful. Sasamahan kita kay Jastine" I said. But instead na pansin niya ang kaniyang sugat sa binti ay muli itong naglakad upang hanapin si Jastine.

"Angel" hinawakan ko sa kaniyang bag si Angel nang makita ko si Jastine at si Lloren sa loob ng restaurant. Ito ang restaurant na lagi nilang pinupuntahan ni Lloren at Jastine noon. Napahinto si Angel dahil sa paghawak ko sa kaniyang bag at napalingon sa direksiyon na tinitingnan ko. "I told you, Jastine is okay" I said to her. Nagbuntong hininga siya ng makita si Jastine sa loob na kumakain at nakikipag-usap kay Lloren. "Let's treat your wound first.." hindi ko naituloy ang pagsasalita ng makita na walang bahid ng sugat ang binti ni Angel.

Unti-unti akong napabitaw sa kaniyang bag dahil sa hindi ako makapaniwala na ang sugat sa kaniyang binti ay nawala lang na parang bula. When she realized that I was looking at her wound, her eyes widened at agad tinakpan ang kaniyang binti. I am not mistaken. This happened twice already. "Paulo.." I hurriedly step back when she called my name.

"Your wound... it disappear.." mautal-utal kong sabi sa kaniya sabay turo ng binti niya. "Paulo, gusto kong magpaliwanag.." biglang bumuhos ang malakas na ulan pero hindi parin ako makagalaw sa aking kinatatayuan. "Who are you? I mean... what are you?" tanong ko sa kaniya. She slowly walked towards me but I decided to step backward, away from her. Biglang kumulog at kumidlat ng malakas kaya agad na napaupo sa kalsada si Angel at napahawak sa kaniyang tenga. She started to cry kaya I hurriedly take off my jacket and wrapped it around her. Pinatayo ko siya at hinila sa pinakamalapit na waiting shed at doon kami umupo.

Nang makaupo na siya, agad akong bumitaw sa kaniya at lumayo. Tinanggal niya ang jacket na nakabalot sa kaniya at tumingin sa akin. "Paulo, pasensiya kana kung nagulat kita kanina. Hindi ko sinasadyang gulatin ka.." hindi ko siya pinatuloy sa pagsasalita dahil I want her to explain as soon as possible kung bakit ang mga sugat niya ay biglang nawawala. "Why did that happened? I mean your wounds... I knew it was there but-" I wasn't able to finish my sentence when she interrupted.

"Paulo, ang totoo hindi ako kagaya niyo" lumingon muna siya sa paligid bago siya nagpatuloy sa pagsasalita. "Anong ibig mong sabihin?" I asked kasi naguguluhan ako. "Hindi ako tao Paulo, hindi ako kagaya niyo" after hearing what she said, silence lingers all over the place. The sound of the rain and thunder dominated. That's why she look so unreal when I first saw her. "Hindi ko naiintindihan.." hindi ko natapos ang pagsasalita ng bigla niyang binuksan ang kaniyang bag at kumuha ng matulis na ballpen.

She hurriedly strike the pen on her hands and I saw blood coming out from her. Nagulat ako sa ginawa niya pero mas nagulat ako dahil sa biglang humilom ang sugat sa kaniyang kamay at unti-unti itong nawawala. "Hindi ako tao Paulo, isa akong taga-bantay" my whole body frozed about what I witness. I can't open my mouth para magsalita and I can't even think what to say nor to act. "Huwag kang mag-alala Paulo, hindi kami nananakit ng mga tao. Kaibigan niyo kami" she smiled at me trying her best to make me comfortable and to feel lighten about what I've saw and heard today.

Nagsimula siyang magkuwento. Kinuwento niya lahat noong isang "taga-bantay" pa siya and every events that she talked about tumutugma sa lahat ng ala-ala ko tungkol kay Jastine. The weird thing is she know about mine too. The events and the experiences that I never shared to anyone before but here she is talking about some of my past secrets. She even mentioned that I have one too, and it is protecting me up until now. "Kung isa kang taga-bantay o anuman, bakit nandito ka ngayon and you look so human" sambit ko sa kaniya. She stop for a while at nagbuntong hininga.

"Hindi ko pa alam, siguro may mission ako dito kaya pinapunta ako sa mga mundo ng mga tao" she said seriously. Kaya pala sobrang protective niya kay Jastine and I never saw her before in any family reunion because she's not Jastine's relatives. "So you did hide all of these from me at sa lahat ng mga kaibigan natin? Did someone else know about this?" tanong ko sa kaniya. Mahina siyang umiling.

"Hindi, wala kaming sinabihan ni Jastine tungkol dito. Si Jastine at ang doctor niya lang ang nakakaalam" hindi na ako nagtanong pa. It is not important anymore. The point that she's here and Jastine is hiding her from anyone else, this should matters. "Sa susunod, you should be careful lalo na kapag nasusugatan ka" I said to her. She smiled at me brightly and gently nod.

"Pasensiya ka na Paulo tsaka maraming salamat" she said. "Thank you para saan?" I asked her. "Thank you kasi hindi mo ako pinagtabuyan. Maraming salamat kasi naiintindihan mo ko" she said. But the truth is, I'm still on the point where I got lost and still processing everything that she said. I'm still shocked and not prepared to accept the truth that Angel is not one of us.

But my instincts are keep telling me that, she's harmless and I need to protect her at any means.

Biglang huminto ang malakas na ulan. Tumayo ako at lumapit kay Angel. She stared at me. I offered my hand to her upang patayuin siya. "I need to take you home" tinanggap niya ang kamay ko at tinulungan ko siyang tumayo. Pumara ako ng taxi at sumakay kami dito. While riding the cab, walang umimik sa amin. I keep glancing at Angel pero nakatingin lang siya sa labas ng bintana ng sasakyan and she is thinking something deeply.

When we arrived at Jastine's house, pinagbuksan ko si Angel ng gate. Tinanggal niya ang jacket na pinasuot ko sa kaniya at ngumiti sa akin. "Maraming salamat Paulo" she said. I smiled at her and she waved goodbye but before she closes the gate pinigilan ko ito kaya nagulat siya. "About your school records, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it" ngumiti ng malapad si Angel dahil sa narinig niya mula sa akin.

"Huwag kang mag-alala Paulo, proproteksiyonan din kita dahil isa kang mabuting kaibigan" she said while smiling at me. I smiled back at her at hinayaan siyang isarado ang gate sa harapan ko.

No Angel, I will be the one who will protect you.