What the Trees Kept Whispering [COMPLETE]

❧ 27 ☙

My feet took over all of my body. It was as if all of my thoughts were driven down my sole, making their way to fulfill every inch of it just by running. Thump after thump, crackle after crackle, I just can't seem to get a hold of it. And just like how Lolo had told it, I galloped invisibly like the tikbalang all the way around the woods.

Hindi ko inaalintana ang mga sangang sumasampid sa 'kin habang tinatahak ko ang madilim na landas tungo sa gubatan. Mistulang kusang inilawan ng buwan ang aking daraanan habang walang kahirap-hirap kong tinutunton ang mga bato at punong ginawa kong mga palatandaan sa pasikot-sikot nito.

'Di nagtagal ay nasipat ko mula sa kalayuan ang matayog na puno ng mahogany na siyang hindi na bago sa 'king paningin. Not thinking of a single thing, I bolted my way towards it. I was about to take a turn when I noticed a silhouette, of what I thought was a tree, moved. I slowed down, carefully eyeing the silhouette that was seemingly inching toward me.

I formed a mist as I breathed. Dahan-dahan akong naglakad papalapit doon, bahagyang kumukurap-kurap upang sipating mabuti ang hulma ng gumagalaw na silweta. Nanlaki na lamang ang aking mga mata nang magbuhol sa gitna ng liwanag ng buwan ang aming mga tingin ng taong iniluwa ng dilim.

"Caloy?"

The trees whizzed with much clamor.

"Caloy... Caloy... Bakit... Caloy..."

The whispers were portentous yet unruffled.

When Caloy got a better glimpse of me, his eyes gawped before furrowing his brows.

"Insan?" mapag-usisa niyang tawag sa 'kin. "Anong ginagawa mo rito? Gabing-gabi na ah? Hindi ka dapat naglalalabas nang ganireng dis-oras ng gabi sa gubatan," he scolded, getting a hold of my arm. His grip tightened as he tried to drag me away.

Marahas kong pinagpag ang aking braso, sapat upang makawala sa kanyang pagkakahawak.

"Ikaw dapat ang tinatanong ko nang ganyan, Insan," I retorted. "What exactly are you doing here?"

He shook his head. "Wala akong dapat ipalawanag sa 'yo. At hindi mo na rin problema kung anong ginagawa ko rito nang ganireng gabing-gabi. Tena't umuwi," he brushed off, attempting to grab me again, by the wrist this time. Nagpumiglas kaagad ako.

"Ang ironic niyo rin eh 'no? Ayaw ninyong naglalalabas ako. Ayaw ninyong pumupunta ako rito sa gubatan just because 'nag-aalala kami sa kung anong pwedeng mangyari sa 'yo,'" I mocked. "But here you are. Doing exactly what you are all forbidding me to do. Sobrang tutok sa 'kin nina Tio't Tia pero 'di man lang nila matutukan nang husto ang sarili nilang anak. And I get to be in the hot seat."

"Ah, so ito? Yo'on pala ang tinatago mong inis sa amin? Kaya ga parang ika'y madalas wala sa ulirat?" he narrowed down his eyes on me. "Matapos ka naming patuluyin, pagbakasyunin? Ganireng pambabalahura la'ang ang maririnig ko mula sa 'yo?"

"Do you really think I've vented out all this annoyance just to target you or Tio and Tia?" I blew out. "All my high school life, Caloy, nakakulong lang ako sa sarili kong bahay. Sa sarili kong kwarto. Trying to make ends meet. Pero wala. I can't go out there, and make friends, and properly talk to people just because a stupid childhood memory made me feel that all I deserve was just to be inside my own box—that I am never cut out to be that kind of friend to somebody. Na hindi ako 'yong klase ng kaibigan na kayang alalahanin ng lahat. Yung gusto akong makita o lapitan sa tuwing malungkot man sila o masaya. Yung kaibigang nagbibigay sa kanila ng pakiramdam kung pa'no maging komportable." A tear started to crawl down my cheek.

"Vian, Insan," lumamukot ang kanyang mukha. "I-I'm sorry—"

"—Only one person made me feel important, even as if I am more than just a friend—or a best friend." Nagsimula na akong humikbi, bahagyang pinapalabo ng mga luha ang hitsura ni Caloy sa 'king harapan. "At pinipilit ninyong ilayo sa 'kin yung kalayaang nahanap ko rito sa probinsya para lang mapalabas ako sa kahong naging kulungan ko."