The Captain's Only Sea (Cavanaugh #4)

Kabanata 12

Kabanata 12

Girl

"I f*cking defended you, and what did you do? You disappoint me," puno ng galit na panghuhusga ni Daumier sa akin.

"Hindi ko naman hiniling na depensahan mo'ko laban sa mga kaibigan mo," I shot back the same powerful words as his.

Nalalasahan ko na ang dugo sa aking mga labi. Sumasakit na rin ang katawan ko dahil sa biglaang mapuwersang paggalaw na ginawa. Dapat kasi bago gawin ang mga 'yon ay may proper warm-up at stretching muna nang hindi mabigla ang katawan ko.

Ilang buwan na rin simula noong huli akong nag-ensayo mag-isa. Tinigilan ko na kasi lagi ko na lang naaalala si Mama noong mga panahon na nabubuhay pa siya at tinuturuan ako.

Daumier did not hear what I said earlier. Sa dami ng mga tao sa paligid na nagtsitsismisan, bulungan, at nangungusinti ay maririnig niya pa kaya ang sinabi kong iyon? Sa hina ba naman ng boses ko? If he did hear it, maybe he did not get it. Pinapairal niya ang galit. How would he register in his mind those two words I told him when his thoughts were closed?

Kahit man lang kinausap o tinanong muna kung totoo ba iyon ay hindi niya ginawa. Agad niya akong sinuntok. I know that it was my fault why I was treated like this. They had no idea about my true gender. I kept them in the dark. What would be their reaction if the school announce that I'm a girl? How would they act towards me? Perhaps they might learn to respect me and give me distance.

Menacingly scowling at me, Daumier's eyes darted at me with pure anger.

Gentleman naman pala siya sa ibang babae. Ayaw niyang may nababastos. He was raised well. Even though he was usually arrogant towards girls and chose to be rude. May pakialam pa rin siya at ayaw niyang may babae'ng namamanyak. 'Yong mali lang talaga sa kaniya ay hindi niya muna dinadaan sa usapan.

I could not restrain myself from softly chuckling because of how cute the way he looks in this state.

Confused at my reaction, he raised his thick brows. "What are you, huh? A gay who harass a girl?"

Saktong natigil ako sa pagtawa. "So this is you? Violent."

"I wouldn't be like this if you did not hurt Aya," pagtatanggol niya sa babae'ng impakta.

Bumaling ako ng sulyap sa banda ni Aya na ngayon ay kasama at kayakap si Bianca. Aya was crying and burying her pretty face against Bianca's neck.

Ang galing talagang umarte. Grabe. Pasok na siya, puwede na siyang maging actress.

Hindi naman siya umiiyak dahil pinilit ko, ako nga 'yong pinilit niya. Umiiyak kasi siya dahil sinabi kong wala akong nararadaman sa kaniya.

"Nakita mo ba kung paano ko siya sinaktan?" I put on a half smirk on my face, but it did not reach my eyes. It did not change the flat expression I was sporting.

Dumiin ang nagdidilim na titig nito sa akin. "No, but there's a witness and she's crying. She told me that you attempted to rape her. Hindi siya iiyak kung hindi mo siya pinilit."

Marunong din naman siyang mangatuwiran pero hindi sapat iyon para sugurin niya agad ako.

But I understand why he was one sided. We were not that close anymore, and avoiding one another. Minsan na rin kasi akong inakusahan ni Aya na hinipuan ko raw siya noong kagagaling namin magkasiyahan sa floating cottage. Iyon ang una at hindi sila naniwala. This was the second time around that she pointed a finger at me, saying that I sexually harassed her.

Today, she just gained her victim. Which was Daumier. Hindi niya kasi ako mabiktima kaya binaliktad niya ang sitwasyon.

Naniwala naman ang gunggong. Bilis maniwala. Naniwala nga agad nang sinabi kong lalaki ako. Hindi pa ako umarte no'n, ano pa kaya si Aya na hinaluan pa ng pagkukuwari ang mga kasinungalingan. Talagang magiging kapani-paniwala iyon.