Leaving The Lights On

Chapter Thirty Four: Sorry

Raphael's Point of View

Hinahanap ko si Seah kanina pa. I'm worried about her, kagabi ko pa kasi siya sinisilip sa may bentana niya.

I am worried na ma-zero siya sa quiz. I am about to give her a notes I intentionally write para madali nalang niyang mamememorize.
Kanina pa ako paikot-ikot sa buong campus. I even saw her friends but hindi raw nila kasama. As I was about to surrender at pabalik na sana sa room nang makita ko si Cedric na may buhat-buhat na babae sa mga bisig nito.

“Seah?” na isaad ko nalang matapus kung mapagtanto kung sino ito. It was Seah, agad akong napatingin sa kaniyang noo.

It was red. Did she hurt herself? Papatakbo na sana ako sa kanila nang may humawak sa aking braso. As I turn my back, it was Jasmine and she was crying.

“Anong nangyari?” agad ko itong na hinagkan dahil sa unang pagkakataon ay nakita ko itong umiyak. She cried non-stop that she even got a hiccups because of crying for too long.

“Eh kasi—” she stopped and cry again.

As her childhood friend I begun to make her calm down. I mean, I'm her only friend and she's always my little sister like when we we're kids.

Then, after she calms down she then explain what was happening. At this point nasa dean's office na kami.

“Okay, seems like it's just an accident. Next time, you kids be mindful okay? I'll let this pass if you apologize to Miss Salvadela.” The dean end his remarks that made Jasmine nod as a response.

We both walk out the dean's office silently. We didn't even take the supposed quiz we are having. We both walk silently while I was holding her bag.

“Iknow I missed up! Sorry!” she stated. I know what she did was wrong, but if it was true that it's just an Accident. I can't even blame her.

Napahinga nalang ako nang malalim at na patingin sa orasan. It took us 4 hours in the dean's office. Napahilot nalang ako sa asking sintedo at napatingin sa babaeng katabi kung nakayuko lang.

“You want to eat some ice cream?” wala na talaga akong ibang maisip. It seems like she liked that idea and automatically cling into my shoulders.

Seah's Point of View

After the check up ay gabi na akong naka-uwi. Ni hindi ako nakapagquiz o naka-duty dahil sa nangyari.

Actually even Cedric hindi nakapagquiz dahil sa nangyari.

Nasa baba ngayon ang nanay ni Cedric, si Cedric, si Jean at si Kristyl sa baba. Raphael's mom insisted na rito nalang sila kakain nang dinner. Sumang-ayon naman sila kaya nagdidinner Mina sila habang nagku-kwentuhan. Ako naman nandito na sa loob nang aking kwarto nagpapahinga.

Ayuko munang kumain sa kadahilanang wala akong gana.

“Hayst!” bulong ko nalang habang patay lahat nang aking ilaw. Ayuko namang maging ganito ito but I don't know bakit mukhang may galit si Jasmine sa akin.

Ni ayaw na nga akong palapitin ni Cedric kay Jasmine man o kay Raphael. Against din ang dalawa at ayaw akong palapitin. Hinatid pala nila ako after kung macheck sa hospital.

Nandito rin si Jasmine actually, nasa kwarto ni Raphael. As much as I wanted to talk about the issue si Cedric ang pumipigil sa akin.

I was released and cleared after kung nagpax-ray. As always Cedric said that I should get an x-ray to be safe raw.

Ang sabi baka raw tumaas ang dugo ko dahil sa nerbyos noong nakitang nagdugo ang noo ko at mas dumaosdos iyung dugo ko sa noo. Wala namang complications na ikinahinga nang mga kasama ko.

Pagod ay napahilata ako sa aking kama malapit sa aking bintana. Kita ko sa aking pwesto ang maliwanag na buwan at maraming kumikinang na betwin sa kalangitan.

“Tatambay muna siguro ako sa labas,” usal ko at kinuha ang kumot ko.

Tumingin muna ako sa labas at agad akong umakyat sa aking bintana na ikinatapak ko sa balkonahe na lagi naming pinagtatambayan.

Kita ko rin na nakasara ang bintana ni Raphael at patay din ang ilaw kaya agad akong umupo at inilambitin ang aking paa sa balkonahe.

As always, malamig ang hangin dito. Para bang lagi itong maaliwalas na ikinagusto ko naman.
Let me describe this balconies view. Kalapitan lang kasi ang bahay nila sa kalsada but at the back of their house was a big space of lot na hindi naman gaanong masukal. I can even see some houses sa dulo.

Tho! May mga kapitbahay pero sila lang talaga may ganitong weird na balkonahe.

Seems like it was intended na hindi bakbakin. And I'm very thankful kasi dito ako nagrerelax pag ang stressful na sa school or pag-inaatake ako ng anxiety ko.

“My grandmother was against na bakbakin ang balkonahe na ito.” Agad akong na patingin sa taong nakadungaw na sa kaniyang bintana habang nakatingin sa mga betwin.

“Sa alam mo nga kwarto iyan ni lola. While my room was my grandpa's room,” Patuloy lang nitong pagsasalita.

Nakinig naman ako for some reason I also wanted to know why it seems this balcony had some like sentiment value to the house or their family.

“They always do their dates here. Wala pa iyang kabahayan at kita pa ang mga bundok pagkabilogan nang buwan. Hahahaha she even said that, ayaw niyang laging nakakatabi si Lolo kasi gusto niyang mamiss ito,” he then go silent after what he share just now.

“I’m sorry!” bigla niyang paghingi nang tawad. At noong tignan ko ito ay nakatingin din pala ito sa akin.

“Tsk! Hahahaha accidente lang namang nasagi ako,” saad ko.

“I’m sorry!” pag-uulit nito na ikinatawa ko pa. “Ano ka ba hindi naman ikaw ang nakasagi sa akin,”

Gulat nalang ako nang patawa-tawa pa ako sa pinagsasabi nito noong may pumulupot na sa aking baywang at nakayapos na sa aking likoran.

I can't even move. Like I am a fucking statue here in a balcony with someone hugging me at my back.

“I’m sorry that I couldn't help you when you needed it the most,” wala akong maintindihan kaya hinayaan ko nalang itong naka-yakap sa akin.

I don't know what's happening, but I think this is not about my forehead anymore.