Weather the Storm (LOTUS SERIES 1)

Finale (I)

"Tama na, Ken, lasing ka," si Saldy habang hawak ang braso kong nakahawak sa kuwelyo ni Kevin. 

He crossed the line with his jokes. 

"I'm sorry, okay?" Anito. 

Pabato ko siyang binitawan saka tinulak si Saldy palayo sa akin. Wala akong paki kung sino man ang mabunggo ko sa paglabas. 

Everyone's annoying me. 

"Kenzo!" I heard Wera. Hindi ko siya pinansin. Pinatunog ko ang sasakyan ko. "You're drunk, asshole! You can't drive!" 

Drunk? I'm not drunk. Because if I am, I shouldn't be able to think about her like this. I wouldn't be able to feel this kind of frustration, longing, anger, and pain. I'm sober. 

Kung saan-saan ako pumupunta, kung ano-ano'ng ginagawa ko para lang maalis ko ang isip kay Daciana. I couldn't stay in one place. I couldn't even go to Rizal anymore. All the roads there reminded me of her. I even switched my car. I couldn't ride the old one because she's still on that passenger's seat. She's not dead, but her ghost is everywhere and it's not helping me. 

"You know Kevin, Kenzo. He crossed the line. He didn't know how serious it was for you," si Saldy. 

I glare at him.

It was about what happened the other day. Kevin asked me if Daciana and I broke up. He took my silence as the answer and made fun of what happened in my relationship. 

"Ay, nagising na? Sa bagay, kung ako si Davi mas pipiliin ko pa 'yung ex ni Solenn na si Brian, eh!" Sabay halakhak niya. 

It hit me. Bullseye. Tila nagpantig ang tainga ko ro'n, basta ko na lang siya nasuntok. Mabuti at nasa room kami at naawat agad. I was determined to beat the hell out of him.

Bumuntonghininga si Saldy. 

"Ano ba talaga'ng nangyari?" Tanong niya. 

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. Ano nga ba? Hindi ko rin alam. 

I kept drinking until I passed out because of the alcohol. I don't care if I'm alone or with friends, there should always be alcohol in my system so that I can rest.

I didn't know how I got to her condo. Maybe it's my body. My mind. I was drinking alone in my unit earlier before I drove here. She wasn't here so I waited. I was drunk, but I could never fake what happened last night. I had my hopes high because of it.

We made love. 

She wanted it, that I am sure of. Knowing Daciana, she would never make a mistake like this. Everything that's happened was pretty clear in my mind. Excitement and hope were what I had with me when I woke up after that. I went to our graduation ceremony with the best that I am. I'm going to talk to her later. I'll go to her. 

I never attend any of my graduation events aside from the graduation ceremony itself because I was busy mending myself. I decided to attend our after party, but before that, I dropped by her unit to check, but she wasn't there. I tried to call her but she couldn't be reached. I left her birthday cake in the ref before I left and went to the pub that was rented by my batch. 

Excited akong makausap siya kaya kahit pa nasa party ako, siya lang ang laman ng isipan ko. Malapit lang ako kay Wera kaya nang marinig ko ang pangalan niya rito, mas lumapit pa ako at pinakinggang mabuti ang babanggitin niyang pangalan para lang makasigurado. Nang masiguro ko, kinalabit ko si Wera at tinuro ang phone. Tinitigan niya pa ako nung una, nang-aasar, nagpigil lang ako ng ngiti hanggang sa ibigay niya iyon sa akin. Tumungo pa ako sa sasakyan ko para lang walang maka-istorbo sa amin.