That Playgirl's Karma

🍷t w e n t y🍷

Kahit nasa hallway pa lamang kami ng hospital ay bumibigat na ang pakiramdam ko. Who wouldn't? I'll be meeting Ryle, and I don't know how he'll react towards me.

Will he get mad?

"Azalea, are you okay?"

Napansin ako ni Felix na tila tulala kaya inalis ko na lang ang mga pangamba.

"I don't know, but I gotta be fine."

Nang marating ang room number na sinabi ng nurse sa amin ay saglit pa akong huminga ng malalim bago pumasok. Maiiwan si Felix sa labas upang magmasid, at gusto rin niyang kami lang muna ang mag-usap ni Ryle.

Pagpasok ko ay bumungad sa akin ang naka-on na TV at maririnig ang mahinang mga tawa. Humakbang pa ako at nang mahagilap kung sino iyon, parang gusto ko na lang umatras.

May nakaikot na bandage sa buong ulo ni Ryle, at sa kaliwa niyang paa ay naka-cast rin.

Nang lumingon siya sa akin, nawala ang ngiti niya sa labi.

"A-Azalea?"

Nang tawagin niya ang pangalan ko, kusa akong tumalikod sa hindi malamang dahilan, parang hindi ko siya kayang harapin.

"Azalea... I know you're here because you have something to say, right?"

Kahit nasasaktan ako sa kalagayan niya, hindi na dapat ako umatras pa. Nandito na ako, kailangan ko na 'tong panindigan.

Muli akong lumingon kay Ryle na naghihintay ng sagot ko.

Ngayon ay tahimik akong nakaupo sa isang upuan habang si Ryle ay nakasandal sa hospital bed.

Kung hindi uunahan ni Ryle ang magsalita, wala talagang magsasalita sa aming dalawa.

"How's school?"

"Okay naman."

Hindi ako makatingin sa kaniya. I don't know why, but I really feel sorry for him.

"How did you know na... nagising na ako?"

"Kumalat na sa social media."

"Ganoon ba? Pero ni isa sa kanila, wala pang bumisita. Ikaw pa lang."

Hindi ko inaasahang sasabihin niya iyon sa akin. And I didn't expect no one dared to visit him.

"Azalea, I've been asleep for about a month kaya wala akong alam sa mga nangyari. Pero base sa mga huli nating pinagdaanan, I think something really happened to you."

He got me there. He knew something would really happen to me because of that incident.

"Yes. I'm being accused of what happened to you."

Napakunot-noo si Ryle. Hindi niya aakalaing aabot sa ganoon. Kahit ako rin.

"You were... accused? Nino? Sinong nagpakalat?"

There's one person that I think did the spreading, but I don't think it would be okay to tell him, especially since she's his sister, Rein Santiago.

"I don't know. But now... I'm fine. Lalo na nang malaman kong gising ka na. To be honest, I came here to ask you something about that incident. I really wanted to know the truth and also... to clear my name."

Tumango si Ryle bilang sagot. Napangiti ako, hindi ko inaasahang sang-ayon siya sa parte ko.

Well, maybe that's one of the reasons why I admired Ryle before, he knows how to understand.

"It was actually a normal Wednesday. Then suddenly someone texted me, sabi doon magkikita raw kami sa likod ng building. Sabi rin doon it's a 'meet-a-friend'. Naging kampante ako 'cause it was a very friendly way of saying it, so I went there alone without knowing... it would be a nightmare."

"Did you see his face?"

"No. They were wearing masks. All in black. Taller than me."

"Were? You mean marami sila?"

"There were four, actually. One was holding a baton and this is what he did to me." Sabay turo ni Ryle sa binti niyang naka-cast.

"Yung tatlo walang dala, suntok lang ang binigay sa akin. N-Natamaan ang ulo ko at... grabe, mga hayop sila."

Hindi ko inaasahang makitang maluha si Ryle.

"They ruined my passion and they just fucking ruined it in one hit! P-Paano na ako makakapaglaro ulit ng volleyball?!"

Gusto kong patahanin si Ryle pero hindi ko magawa. Maybe the least and best thing to do is just to listen to him.

"I tried to fight back pero hindi ko sila kayang apat. And then suddenly, everything went black. And now... I woke up with this shitty... bandage."

"I'm sorry."

Kusang lumabas iyon sa bibig ko. Wala akong kinalaman sa nangyari sa kaniya pero nakokonsensya pa rin ako. I said sorry because I wanted to and I meant it.

"For what? Wala ka namang kinalaman sa nangyari sa akin."

"No. I'm sorry for hurting you that day. Sorry for giving you false hope... and for playing with your feelings. I'm really sorry, Ryle."

Now, I found myself being drowned in guilt for hurting him before but at the same time, something is pulling me up.

"I know a sorry wouldn't be enough to totally forgive me. The reason why I also came here to gather information from you is because I want to know who those four people who beat you up. I want to let them feel what they deserve, Ryle."

Hope. That's what's pulling me up from guilt.

"Azalea, you don't have to do this. I'll just file a report to the police-"

"Still, I'll do my part. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Mas mabuting... magpagaling ka, Ryle. Maraming fans ang naghihintay sa 'yo na bumalik ka."

Iyon ang mga huling sinabi ko kay Ryle bago ako lumabas.

"How was it?"

Tumango ako kay Felix. "Fine. I already cleared my name with him."

After all the accusations, for me, it's enough that I already cleared my name to the person I was accused of hurting.