HIDING BEAUTY

48

SABRIANA sat motionless, her eyes are fixed on the casket of her dearest grandmother. She could not engage properly with the people visiting the wake of her lola. Some tried, but she could not bring herself to respond, feeling like she had lost all interest in everything.

‘How will I go on without you, Lola?’ iyan ang palaging tumatakbo sa kanyang isip. She hadn't had enough sleep because she had stayed all night watching the casket. She also hadn't eaten anything because she couldn't swallow anything.

Alam niyang magagalit sa kanya ang kanyang lola kapag ginutom niya ang kanyang sarili, but what could she do? Her grandmother was already gone and there was no one left to worry about her since her lola is already dead.

Nakatingin lang naman sa kanya ang apat na binata. Pasimpleng binabantayan siya. They couldn't approach her, dahil sa palagay nila mas nasasaktan ito kapag nakikita sila at hindi nila alam kung anong dahilan.

Even if they wanted to hug her and tell her that everyhing would be alright, they couldn't do anything because they knew she was still hurting until now.

Hinayaan nila ito sa isang sulok ngunit hindi nila inaalis ang tingin sa babae.

They can't help but feel pity for her. They were not used to seeing her like this. Sanay silang makita ang dalaga na nakangiti, naka simangot o di kaya naman ay nag tataray. Marahil nakalimutan na nito ang pagiging matapang.

They also could not understand why they were feeling what she felt. They wanted to cry just like her, but they did everything they could to hold it back.

Hindi sila pwedeng maging mahina, kailangan nilang maging malakas kahit na nakikita nilang nahihirapan ang babaeng pinaka mamahal nila. She was alone now, so they had to be strong for her.

They needed to let the young woman know that she was not alone and they need her to know that they are still here, ready to support her through all the pain.

But all they could do was watch her, mukhang gusto nitong mapag-isa at isa pa, sila ang nag aasikaso sa mga dumadating na bisita dahil mukhang wala ito sa sarili.

“Puntahan na kaya natin?” Kiro suggested, itching to approach Sabriana. He wanted to sit beside her because he could not bear what he was seeing.

“Hindi pwede, can't you see? She doesn't want to talk,” Trix replied, they exchange glances. Palagi naman silang nag tatalo kaya naman sanay na si Uno at Cold sa kanilang dalawa.

“We won't talk to her, we will just sit with her to make her feel that she's not alone,” Kiro added. Cold sighed and stood up from his seat. He was about to approach her nang matigilan siya dahil sa lalakeng dumating at tinawag nito ang pangalan ni Sabriana.

Mukhang nasa 40's na ang edad nito. May pag kakapareha ang mga mata nito sa dalaga. Mukhang alam na niya kung sino ang taong iyon.

“Who's that?” Kiro asked.

“That's her dad, ” Uno replied. They looked at Uno in surprise, wondering how he knew, but Uno just shrugged his shoulder and refocused his attention on Sabriana, who now seemed surprised by the man standing infront of her.

Maya maya pa ay napatayo  sa galit si Sabriana dahil sa taong nakatayo ngayon sa kanyang harapan. She could not believe what he was seeing. Talaga bang pumunta ang daddy niya? Ang kapal naman ng mukha nito para mag pakita sa kanya!

“What the fuck are you doing here!” Sabriana yelled, grabbing the attention of the people around. They began to gossip, it seemed like they knew what's happening.