Ring of Fate (ON GOING)

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January nang makilala ko sya. Nakasalubong ko lang sya sa hallway noon tulala at tila ba wala sya sa sarili. Nang araw ding iyon ay nakasalubong ko sya. Malayong-malayo sa kung ano sya sa harap ng mga nakakakilala sa kanya.

Sinundan ko sya at nagulat ako nang bigla syang huminto.... sa gitna nang kalsada. Ilang minuto syang nandoon, madalang naman kasi ang mga dumadaan roon na mga sasakyan.

Pero mas nabigla ako nang hindi man lang sya gumilid kahit alam nyang may papalapit na sa kanya. Out of reflex, I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards my direction.

"I don't want to be save." Bigla nyang sabi, may tumulong luha mula sa kanyang mga mata. Ngayon ko lang sya nakitang ganito. Everytime I would see her she was always smiling like she didn't have any problems at all. Naiingit pa nga ako sa kanya at minsan ko nang inisip na, sana ganon din ako, sana kaya ko ding ngumiti nang ganon.

"Kung mamamatay ako ngayon ay tatanggapin ko." Muli nyang sabi ngunit nanatili akong tahimik, hindi ko pa rin binibitawan ang braso nya. Natatakot ako na baka pumunta nanaman sya sa gitna nang kalsada. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako natatakot para sa kanya.

"Sabi nila, inuna raw kunin ng Diyos yung mga taong mababait. Mabait naman ako bakit hindi nya na lang ako kunin. Sabi pa nila, nagagalak daw sya sa mga kabataan na sumasamba sa kanya, pero bakit hindi ko maramdamanm." Gusto ko syang sabihan ng mga comforting words na alam ko pero parang hindi iyon sapat sa kanya.

"I don't want to be save to the point that if death would come to me right now saying that he would take my life." Huminto sya sandali at tumingin sa akin. I can't recognize her anymore. Gone was the smile and glow on her face and it was replaced with tears and the emotions I only see in her was the same emotion that I had. Loneliness, longing, scared.

"I would welcome him with open arms and with my sweetest smile plastered in my face and I would say that, take my hand as you take my life." Was the last sentence I heard from her before she walked away from me without looking back.

"Your name  sounds good but good as death. Harmony. It's belong to music, a music of death."

On that January night, I met her. On that January night, I saw how tears escaped from her eyes. I saw how the smile and glow in her face. I heard her sobs, I heard her wish to just die.

On that January night, I learned that even the sunshine would lost its shine.

                           *****

Ilang araw  ang nakalipas ng makita ko ulit sya pero umakto ako na parang hindi ko sya kilala. I heard her laugh, I saw her smile, I saw how she shine, how the glow in her face back like nothing happened.

"Kilala mo?" Biglang tanong sa akin ng pinsan kong si Erik.

"Hindi." I lied. Kilala ko sya. Kilala ko yung babaeng may magandang ngiti, may singkit na mata at matangos na ilong. Kilala ko sya hindi dahil kaibigan ko sya kundi minsan ko na syang nakitang umiyak.

"Tara na, nagugutom na ko." Aya sa akin ni Erik sabay akbay at hila sa akin papunta sa cafeteria.

"Ang ganda talaga ni Harmony." Bigla nyang sabi sa akin habang naglalakad kami.

"Sinong Harmony?" I asked even though I already know her. Ayokong maghinala sya.

"Bro, she's Harmony Jace Garcia the sunshine girl of our school." Sabi nya sa akin. Siguro may gusto to kay Harmony.

"Gusto mo sya no?" Tanong ko.

"Pano mo nasasabi yan?" Tanong nya, nakakunot ang noo.

"Ang alin?"

"Paano mo ako natatanong ng ganong bagay kahit naka poker face ka?" Exaggerated na sabi nya.

"Nagugutom na ko tara na." Sabi ko at hinila ang tali nang back pack nya.

"Oo na. Eto na!" Sigaw nya kaya naman hindi naiwasan ng ilang estudyante na mapatingin sa amin.

"Anong order mo?" Tanong nya sa akin ng makahanap kami nang bakanteng pwesto.

"The usual." Sagot ko sa kanya at saka na ako naupo. Saktong pagka-alis nya ay pumasok naman sa loob ang grupo nya. Sya kasama ang Ilan sa mga kaibigan nya. She was still smiling greating every person she knew which was almost everyone.

I just got my phone out of my pocket and browse on Facebook. Hindi naman talaga ako active dito but I just want to divert my attention kasi kung hindi paniguradong tititigan ko lang sya.

"Hi." Someone suddenly greeted me. I looked up to see who it is and I  saw her smiling face again.

"Can we sit here?" She asked and I just nodded not giving her any word of mine.

"Thanks." She said cheerfully.

"What's your name?" She asked again. Isang upuan lang kasi ang pagitan naming dalawa.

Tinaasan ko lamang sya nang kilay at binalik na lamang ang aking atensyon sa ginagawa sakto namang tumatawag nanaman si Cloud.

"What?" I asked sounding so board because I am really boared right now.

"Eto naman galit agad! I just wanna invite you to our little party later cause you know, I know that your boared." She said. I hate parties and I know that she knows that.

"I won't come." I directly said, rejecting her invitation.

"You don't need to drink, isaiah." Sabi nya na para bang nabasa nya ang iniisip ko.

"Fine. I'll go if Erik would go." I just said. Pero alam ko namang pupunta yon, he often go to parties than to study.

"He would definitely come. See you later, Ice prince." And just like that she ended the call.

Pagkababa ko nang tawag ay natanaw ko na si Erik na papunta rito sa table namin. Bakas sa mukha nya ang pagkalito at gulat siguro dahil malayo pa lang ay nakita na nya ang grupo nila Harmoy dito sa table namin.

"Pupunta ka ba mamaya?" Deretsong tanong ko sa kanya at tumango naman sya.

"What happened?" Pabulong nyang tanong sa akin ng makaupo sa harapan ko.

"They need a table." Sagot ko at saka na nagsimulang kumain.

"But why here?" He asked again.

"Look around you."

If Harmony was a walking ray of sunshine I am a living zombie.

°•*† *•°