BOOK 1 | ESOTERIC

Chapter 4

| CHAPTER IV |

"The Wings of Dreams"

STELLAN

Nang buksan ko ang pintuan ng aking kwarto, laking gulat ko nang makita kong nandoon pa rin si Eir. I asked her to leave once she was done. I wonder what she is still doing here.

"Sa wakas dumating ka na."

My eyes went to the girl behind her. Nakasaplot na ito at mahimbing na natutulog. How could she sleep like that when she almost created a big problem a while ago? "Bakit nandito ka pa? Malelate ka na."

"I need to ask you something." Itanong? Kita ko ang muli niyang paglingon sa babaeng mahimbing na natutulog. Nang tumama muli ang kaniyang mata sa akin, labis na pagaalala ang nakikita ko. Is she still worried for what might happened because I practiced medicine without license? Should I tell her what I told my sister? Baka mawala ang kaniyang pagaalala.

"Ei—"

"May mga magulang ba siya? Is she here for vacation?"

My lips parted. Huh?

"Si Eris. Does she have any parents?"

Why is she asking that? Hindi ko alam. Hindi ko naman talaga siya pinsan. "Bakit mo naitanong?"

"Nakakausap mo ba siya? Are you two close?" Marahang naningkit ang aking mga mata. Mas lalong lumaki ang pagtataka ko. She licked her lips. She looks frustrated and anxious. "Wala ba siyang nasasabi sa'yo? Said anything? Especially about the wound?"

My eyes went to Eris. That girl is a big mystery to me. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasagutin ang mga tanong na binabato sa akin. "May problema ba?"

Tinignan niya ako nang seryoso. "Stel, I think you should—"

"I want to watch tv." Sabay kaming napalingon sa pinanggalingan ng boses na iyon. It's neither of us so we both turned to Eris. Nakamulat ang kaniyang mga mata looking like she wasn't sleeping at all. Tv talaga ang una niyang iisipin pagkamulat ng kaniyang mga mata? Gaano ba siya kaadik sa tv?

"Kumain ka na muna. I'll bring you food." Yumuko ako nang marahan para tignan si Eir. Her eyes are still on Eris. "Anong sasabihin mo? Let's talk as we go down. Kailangan mo na ring pumasok."

Sabay kaming lumisan ng kwarto. Nang tanungin ko muli sa kaniya ang gusto niyang sabihin sa akin ay iba na ang kaniyang sinagot. "Sa susunod na lang kita kakausapin. Malelate na nga ako. Nawala sa isip ko ang oras dahil kay Eris. Kumuha na ako ng iilan na damit dahil mukhang wala siyang dala. She can borrow it for a while."

Gulat ko siyang tinignan doon. Hindi ko iyon inaasahan. "...thanks."

"Stellan," she called before turning away. "talk to your cousin. For sure there's a big reason why she left their home and came to you instead."

"Left their home?"

"Lumayas siya hindi ba? She has no clothes with her." Oh. That's where she got that speculation. Mukhang nakuha ko na ang sagot sa kung bakit siya nagtatanong kanina tungkol sa kaniyang mga magulang. "Perhaps she went here to seek for help at ikaw ang nauna niyang naisip na takbuhan. I'll come back as soon as I can kapag libre ako ha?"

She left my sight ng hindi man lang ako nakakasagot. I don't get it. Why is she suddenly talking like that? She seems really concerned with Eris's situation. May nalaman kaya siya? Nakuha? Did they talk? Ni nakalimutan niya ang kasalanan ko. I was expecting to hear another chastise from her ngunit pagaalala kay Eris ang tumalo roon.

"Talk? Hindi. I did not talk to her."

Pumamewang lang ako habang pinapanood kung paano niya kainin ang agahan. Kung hindi sila nagusap, I wonder why Eir is acting strange earlier.