No One Else

Kabanata 15

Kabanata 15

Sisters

"My sister already left home. Kinuha at sinama na siya ni Captain Sam, sinama na siya ng asawa niya. And I just miss my sister in our house, Lawrence. But, I think it was only right. And it's for the better. Kasi palagi lang naman siyang masasaktan ni Papa sa bahay..." Bumaling ng tingin si Diane kay Lawrence pagkatapos ng sinabi niya.

While Lawrence's lips parted a bit after hearing it. Pero hinayaan na rin muna niyang magsalita si Diane at ilabas din nito ang mga saloobin ng dalaga.

Diane and Lawrence first met when they were young. Dahil din sa malapit ang kanilang mga pamilya sa isa't isa. And Andi, Lawrence's mother also likes Diane for her only son.

Until Diane's tears just slowly fell from her eyes down to her cheeks. At nabigla naman si Lawrence sa naging reaksyon ni Diane pero mabilis niya na rin itong niyakap at inalo. Diane looked so sad as she talked about her older sister to Lawrence.

"I feel like I was a bad sister. I only listened every time Papa would hurt her physically sometimes..." Diane said which put Lawrence to a halt.

He held her on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "What do you mean, Diane?" he asked her seriously.

She was also looking at his eyes. Pagkatapos ay bahagyang umiling si Diane kay Lawrence. "I also don't understand... Mabait naman sa akin si Papa... But he's just a little more strict towards Ate Isabelle..." she said.

Mas bata pa kasi si Diane noon. And she grew up without even having the chance to know her mother since Rebecca passed away early and when she was only a baby. At si Douglas lang ang nakagisnan ni Diane na magulang na nagbigay din sa kaniya ng lahat ng atensyon at pagmamahal na kailangan niya habang lumalaki. At na kahit wala ang ina ay napupunan pa rin iyon ni Douglas. Kaya naman habang lumalaki rin siya at nakagisnan na rin ni Diane ang ganoong turing ng kanilang ama sa kaniyang nakatatandang kapatid, at inisip na lang din ni Diane na normal lang iyon...

Until one day, at habang nagkakaisip siya dahil malaki na, she just then realized that something was wrong with Douglas' treatment to Isabelle.

Kaya lang ay hindi pa alam ni Diane kung paano niya ba kakausapin ang kaniyang Papa at kahit si Isabelle tungkol sa nangyayari... Kaya naman ngayon pakiramdam niya ay napanatag na rin siya na kasama na ngayon ng ate Isabelle niya si Captain Sam Lazaro na asawa nito at nailayo na rin si Isabelle kay Douglas...

Pero nasanay na rin kasi siya na halos palagi lang din nasa bahay lang nila noon ang Ate Isabelle niya. At hindi pa siya sanay ngayon na wala na ito sa bahay nila. At namimiss niya lang din si Isabelle.

"Does the Captain know? Her husband," Lawrence said.

Unti-unti namang tumango si Diane sa sinabi ni Lawrence. "He probably already know... At malamang na iyon ang dahilan kung bakit bigla na lang din dinala ni Captain Sam si ate..." she said.

Umiling naman si Lawrence. "How about you? He's not hurting you, right? I mean, your Dad..."

Umiling din naman si Diane sa sinabi sa kaniya ni Lawrence. "No..."

Lawrence sighed. He doesn't get it either. How could the General hurt his own daughter? Aren't fathers supposed to protect their children at all cost? And not to hurt them...

Hindi man perpektong ama si Edward, pero nagpapasalamat si Lawrence sa kaniyang Papa dahil naging mabuting ama naman ito sa kaniya.

"What do you want to do now, Diane? Do you want to go and talk to your sister? Should you also... apologize to her..."

Nagkatinginan silang dalawa ni Diane pagkatapos ng sinabi ni Lawrence. He just thought that it was only right to apologize...

At para rin naman iyon kay Diane. So she could also free herself from it. Dahil alam niya na hindi man direktang masabi sa kaniya ni Diane ay marahil naging guilty na rin ito para sa kapatid...

Until Diane slowly nodded her head at Lawrence.

And so the two of them met with Isabelle and Sam in a place they agreed on to meet. It was actually Lawrence who contacted the Captain. Nakuha niya lang din ang contact details nito sa Tito Douglas niya, Diane's father.

Because Diane was also a bit hesitant to contact her sister...

Because of the type of household the two sisters grew up in, and because of Douglas, lumaki tuloy na hindi ganoon ka malapit sa isa't isa sina Belle at Diane. Halos hindi rin sila makapag-usap nang mas malalim pa bilang magkapatid. And as if a wall was also put up between the two sisters by their very own father, Douglas...

"Ate..."

Isabelle looked at her younger sister after Diane had greeted her upon their first meeting after she left their house. "Diane," tumango na rin siya sa nakababatang kapatid.

Pagkatapos ay naupo na rin sila doon at pagkatapos din pareho silang pinaghila ng mauupuan ng dalawang lalaking kasama nila.

"... How have you been, ate?" Diane started to gently ask her sister.

Nakatingin din si Belle kay Diane. At nagsimula na ngang mag-usap ang magkapatid.

At habang nag-uusap sina Diane at Isabelle ay nasa separate na lamesa naman sa isang coffee shop na pinagkitaan nilang apat ang dalawang lalaki rin sina Sam at Lawrence...

Lawrence was about two years younger than Sam.

"Thank you for meeting us here, Captain," Lawrence said to Sam.

At tumango lang din naman si Sam. "It's all right. It's also for my wife, after all." Pagkatapos ay bumaling din muli ang tingin ni Sam pabalik sa kaniyang asawa na ngayon ay kausap na ang kapatid nito.

Habang nanatili lang naman ang tingin ni Lawrence kay Sam. And for some reason the Captain somehow looked so familiar to Lawrence. Para bang nakita na rin niya ito dati...

He just looked away and stopped staring when Sam turned his attention back to them...

"Good evening, Pa..."

"Lawrence," nakita na rin ni Edward ang anak na kakauwi lang din gaya niya.

At pag-uwi naman ni Lawrence sa bahay nila at nang nakita niya rin ang kaniyang ama ay parang bigla na lang din niyang naalala si Captain Sam Lazaro...

And he couldn't understand the strange feeling he felt as well at first...

But then he realized that he had not yet actually seen Sam before, but rather it was Edward, his father, and strangely Sam just looked like his Dad...

"Are you okay, hijo?" Natanong na ni Edward ang anak nang makitang parang natulala ito sandali sa kaniya...

Kumurap at umiling naman si Lawrence sa ama. "I'm okay, Pa,"

Tumango lang din si Edward sa kaniya pagkatapos...

Habang pauwi naman sina Belle pagkatapos niyang makipagkita sa kapatid.

"How's it?" Sam asked her while he drives.

Bumaling naman si Belle sa asawa niya na nasa driver seat. Pagkatapos ay bahagya siyang napangiti ng tipid nang maalala niya si Diane kanina. "She apologized to me..."

Saglit naman na tiningnan ni Sam ang asawa. And Belle looked like something was lifted off her shoulder after talking to her sister today. "She said that she was sorry that she hadn't had the courage to stand for me to our father..." she said.

And then Isabelle sighed. "But I guess it's all right now... Tapos na rin naman ang mga nangyari, at hindi ko rin naman siya masisisi...

"At bata pa noon si Diane. Kaya hindi niya pa agad iyon naintindihan... But I appreciate it that she also seemed to care for me,"

"Of course, you are her sister, Belle..." sinulyapan siya ni Sam galing sa pagmamaneho.

Bumaling naman si Belle sa asawa at napangiti na rin siya. She felt more at ease every day while she's with him.