WARREN GIDEON: In War, I Found Peace [Warren & Astacia]

Kabanata 6

Napahilamos ako sa aking mukha matapos ng pag-uusap na ‘yon. I was so guilty that I was hiding this thing from Cielo, kaya kailangan na talaga naming umalis at lumayo ni Warrion bago pa niya malaman ang tungkol dito. We shouldn’t have come with her boyfriend here to begin with. And because the more we stayed here, the more complicated the situation was becoming, the more I was falling to him and that was not a good thing. But how? Now that his sister wanted us to be a part of her wedding?

Ugh! Papaanong napunta kami sa sitwasyong ito? Bakit kailangang mangyari nito? Warrion and I were already living a good and quiet life and we were fine, kahit pa mahirap, kahit minsan ay kapos. Why did it have to be more complicated?

Umalis ako sa terrace at muling pumasok sa kuwarto. My eyes drifted to Warren’s huge photographs on top of his bed and they made me shiver, like they were all staring back at me.

I still could not believe this was actually happening. Never in my wildest dreams I thought that this day would come.

Me in his room.

In his life.

Paroo’t parito ako ng lakad sa loob ng kuwarto, hindi na talaga alam pa ang gagawin ko. Should I tell his sister, Millie, that we could not make it to her wedding day? That Warrion and I really had to leave? Magagalit ba siya? Sasama ba ang loob niya? Pero maiintindihan naman siguro niya iyon, hindi ba? Besides, we were really not a family nor relatives. It would not matter whether we were there or not.

Sa matinding pagkabalisa ay hindi sinasadyang natabig ko ‘yong nightlamp na nasa bedside table at nahulog sa sahig. I quickly bent down to pick it up and sighed in great relief seeing it was not broken. Because just by looking at it and like the rest of the items here in the house, this lampshade looked like only the finest money could buy.

Kumalma ka nga, Astacia!

Dinadampot ko ‘yong digital clock na kasamang nahulog nang biglang may mahagip ako ng tingin sa carpeted na sahig na sumisilip mula sa ilalim ng kama. My forehead furrowed and my eyes squinted seeing a necklace. A silver necklace that looked very familiar to me.

Pero papaanong napunta ito rito?

Akin nga ba ito?

O katulad lang?

I bent on the waist, picked it up, and stared at the Tiffany chain with AC initials as the pendant. Ganitong-ganito ‘yong kuwintas ko na matagal nang nawawala at hindi ko na alam pa kung saan na ba napunta. The last I remembered, it was on top of my vanity mirror and the next moment, it was not there anymore.

My heart sank remembering about that necklace. It was given by my father on my sixteenth birthday and held deep sentimental value to me. He said it was customized, that he personally made the design. He also told me that the necklace symbolized his love for me, that I was his princess no matter what. I already looked everywhere to find it but still could not. Sobrang nanghinayang ako noong nawala iyon. Iyong kuwintas na ‘yon na lang kasi ang nagpapaalala at nagpapaniwala sa akin na mahal pa rin ako ni Daddy.