Coming Back To You

30

:FOR THOSE WHO ARE PRESSURE BY EXPECTATIONS ABOUT SCHOOL AND WANT TO STOP AT THE SAME TIME. KEEP GOING, PEOPLE!! NOW IS NOT THE RIGHT TIME FOR YOU TO STOP.

——

Mabilis na nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Ilang beses kong sinubukang ipikit at idilat ang mga mata ko... umaasa na mali ang mga nakikita ko. But... he was still there. He was staring at me... like he was sorry for what was happening.

Like he didn't want to be here.

Not like this.

"Why " I tried to ask, but it felt like words escaped me. I... I couldn't believe what was happening. I could not believe that I would see all of them again... Like this.

Pakiramdam ko ay pinaglalaruan ako ng tadhana.

Ares pulled the chair and sat in front of me. Halos hindi pa rin ako maka-hinga sa bilis ng mga pangyayari. Para akong ginagago ng mundo.

"I'm Prosecutor Dela fuente," pagpapakilala niya na para bang wala kaming pinagsamahan ngayon. Hindi ko maialis ang tingin ko sa kanya. Hanggang ngayon ay pilit ko pa ring ipinapa-intindi sa sarili ko ang mga nangyayari.

"Ares—"

"Don't talk to him," pigil sa akin ni Nathan. Agad akong napa-tingin sa kanya. Muling nakita ko na naman iyong pamilyar na galit sa mga mata niya.

"How in hell was this case assigned to you?" matapang na tanong ni Eza. "You're still working on the Carson case!"

I didn't know if it was my eyes playing tricks on me again, but I saw helplessness in Ares eyes. Like he didn't want to here. Like he was just forced by circumstances. Pareho kaming pinaglalaruan ng buhay.

"We'll discuss that at home, Atty. Sevilla ," Ares said. Mabilis na napaawang ang labi ko. What
the fuck was happening? Were they engaged?

Muli akong naka-ramdam ng hilo sa mga naririnig ko. Hindi ako maka-hinga. Hindi ako makapagsalita. Ang tanging nagagawa ko lamang ay ang panoorin sila—ang panoorin ang pagpapalitan nila ng mga galit na tingin. Ang makinig sa kanila habang pilit nila akong nililigtas sa mga kasalanang nagawa ko.

I didn't know what to feel.

I couldn't decide how to feel.

I...

I feel betrayed... By people around me.

By Ares.

"I'm here to inform you about the case that will be filed against Mrs. Borromek," pormal na sabi ni Ares habang naka-tingin sa akin. Ibinalik ko ang tingin ko sa kanya.

Ni minsan, hindi ko naisip na sa ganito kami mauuwing dalawa. Sa lahat ng pinagsamahan namin dati, ganito rin pala ang bagsak namin. Na siya pa na kaibigan ko ang hahanap ng ebidensya para makulong ako.

Nakaka-tawa.

"As per initial investigation, a case of parricide will be filed against you. It will be filed with RTC 150," mabilis na sabi niya na para bang hindi buhay ko ang pinag-uusapan namin. Pabilis nang pabilis ang pagsikip ng dibdib ko habang binabanggit niya ang kaso na ihahain sa akin. Parang ngayon lang pumapasok sa isip ko iyong katotohanan na maaari akong makulong.

And I didn't even know if I did it.

Paano ko magagawang tanggapin iyong isang bagay na hindi ko alam kung ginawa ko? How would I repay and atone for the sins that I didn't even know if I commit?

"We weren't informed that the case has already been shuffled," sagot ni Nathan.

"Congressman Borromeo—"