Lifeless Sea (GL)

Chapter 20

Umuwi ako ng bahay pero hindi ko nadatnan sila mama.

"Lola, nasaan po sila?" I asked.

"Sino 'yang kasama mo?" Tanong nito at tinignan si Katniss. Kakauwi lang namin galing sa dating bahay nila. It was my birthday today.

Hindi sinagot ni lola ang tanong ko, bitbit ko pa ang gamit at suot ko ang uniform ko. Nilibot ko ang tingin sa bahay namin, it looked so empty dahil walang batang makukulit at walang sumisigaw.

"La.." I said like I was begging to get an answer from her.

"Bakit mo pa hahanapin ang umalis? Nandito naman ako, apo." Ang tono niya ay strikto, minsan ko lang siyang makitang ganito kaya hindi na ako sumagot.

Nagbihis ako saglit, lumabas na rin kaagad at nakita ko si Katniss kasama si lola, they were chatting about serious matters, I guess.

Bukas ay kamatayan ni papa at nagtaka nalang ako bakit sinakto pa ng nanay ko na umalis sa mismong kaarawan ko, o baka hindi lang ako gano'n kahalaga?

Pumasok ako ulit sa loob ng kwarto. I breathe heavily to prevent my tears from falling.

I wonder if my mother loves me. I wonder if she cares for me too? I wonder if she's proud of having me?

"Shh, I'm here baby. Come here let me give you a power hug and kiss." Masuyong sabi ni Katniss sa'kin na pumasok sa kwarto ko.

Katniss saw how fragile I was, she saw how deep my scars were and how those were embedded in my skin. Others might get mad yet she wasn't. She held me lightly, treated and wiped the blood around my soul. A girl who embraced the shattered pieces of myself, a girl who always wipes my tears away, a woman who gave me peace by bringing her life onto mine. The woman who loves the lost part of me, a lady who understands everything, and anything about me. Katniss loves me in the moment I hate myself the most.

I love this girl so much. I will always be and forever be grateful for having her.

𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆝⋆.˚ 𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆞

Kamatayan na ni papa pero after class ko nalang din siya dadalawin. I was on my way to our classroom pero naabutan ko si Katniss sa isang gilid. She was fuming mad. It's scary.

Dumako ang mata ko sa teacher namin, ang teacher na 'yon ang nahamiya sa'kin sa klase at inakusahan akong magnanakaw. Lumapit ako para malaman kung ano ang nangyayari.

"How dare you?!" Katniss shouted. I could see through her eyes that she was fuming mad, in any second she could kill. Napakatalim ng tingin nito at salubong ang kilay. That was so fierce and screamed danger.

"M-ma'am h-hindi nam-" hindi na natuloy ng teacher ang kaniyang sasabihin dahil isang malakas na sampal ang tumama sa mukha nito.

Katniss was also a student, hinawakan ko ang kamay niya at pinigilan siya. I don't want her to do that kind of act.

"Let's go, Kat." I said pero nagpapigil siya.

"Just go, Sea. Ako nang bahala rito." She coldly said.

"Sea, sorry.." nanginginig na wika ng guro. I looked at him. I can feel nothing but shame. He's lame.

"I'll make sure you will pay for this, Riwusn. I'll be a thief like what you've said to my woman. Aalisin ko lahat sa'yo. Nanakawin ko lahat ng saya mo. Lalo na 'yang pinaka-iingatan mong status. Naiintindihan mo ba ako?" Her tone was a warning you wished not to hear.

"Once you and your woman Hira touch Sea again, I'll see you in hell." Katniss said and held my wrist.

Umalis na kami roon, hindi magsink-in sa'kin ang sinabi niya.

"That was Hira's older cousin. That teacher was incest and pedophile. Oh, he was no longer a teacher. My mother fired him and I'll make sure na hindi na makapagtuturo ulit 'yon. Mga walang utang na loob. Yung nakita mong picture sa cellphone ko, their family was my mom's friend before. That's the only relationship we've had." Sunod-sunod niyang sabi wala na akong maintindihan.

Nakwento ko kay Surea ang nangyari at ang nakita ko kanina.

"Buti naman nakita ni ate Katniss message ko, kung may magagawa lang ako, edi ako na gaganti para sa'yo." Sabi ni Surea at nakangiti pa. She looked at me.

"You don't deserve to be treated like that, you're my sister and I'll do everything I can. Wag ka na magtampo sa'kin." Surea said and hugged me, she clung to my arms.

I hugged her back. Surea became my sister.

After class ay umuwi ako at nagpalit. Katniss was here, sasamahan niya ako kahit kaya ko namang mag-isa.

I was independent before pero nung dumating si Katniss, I became the person who I thought I wasn't.

Ibinaba ko sa puntod ang bulaklak na dala ko. Habang si Katniss ay naglatag ng uupuan namin.

"It's been a while, Pa. Kumusta ka na? Masaya ba riyan? What if sunduin mo na ako?" I said nonchalantly but it was a joke.

Pinitik ako ni Katniss sa noo.

"Aray!" I gave her a sharp look. Joke lang naman 'yon.

"Don't say that, hindi ako papayag." She said she gave me my drink afterward.

Hindi ko alam kung paano ako makakasurvive kung wala siya. Literal na hindi ko alam.

"Thank you," I said sincerely.

I looked up at the sky, those gradient hues above the sky, I love those, especially the sunset.

Sumandal ako sa balikat ni Katniss, she caressed my head. I felt her kiss in my head. Katniss held my hands, pinaglaruan niya ang singsing kong nasa daliri and she spoke.

"I don't regret staying here. You saved me, Waverine. I was drowned, I had nothing, but then you came. The essence of having you in my life was the greatest thing that ever happened to me kaya hindi kita hahayaang mawala. Please remember that." Katniss said. I hugged her tight.

"See that, Pa? I have someone who could love me unconditionally, a love that was given, a love that doesn't require to beg. I have Katniss, Pa. I hope you're happy because I am." I smiled genuinely.

Katniss wiped my tears. She kissed my eyelids as I closed my eyes.

𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆝⋆.˚ 𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆞

After months have passed, finally Christmas is approaching.

"Malapit na pasko, what do you want, baby?" It was Katniss. Nandito kami sa kwarto at nakahiga. She was hugging me.

What do I want? I want her to be with me. Selfish kung selfish pero ang sa'kin ay sa akin lang.

And a call from my mother. Although I hated her, I still love her. Hindi ko alam kung bakit madalas kong niyayakap ang nakakasakit sa'kin.

"Ano kaya ang gusto ni lola Soraya at ni Indigo? Sa tingin mo matutuwa sila sa regalo natin?" She smiled.

We've been together for almost a month now, our relationship was not perfect but that how it supposed to be.

I fixed her hair and pinched her nose.

"Anything from you, sure na maapreciate nila 'yan. How about yung gift natin kay madam principal? Este kay tita pala." We both laughed. Katniss' mother was the principal of one of their universities.

"Ikaw yung regalo ko sakaniya. I am lucky to have you, Waverine." She said. Akala ko ay nagbibiro lang siya pero nang tignan ko ang mata niya, I saw how sincere she was.