Nang makarating na ang bus sa station ay agad akong bumaba at sumakay ng traysikel. "Sa eskinita po,"
Nang maramdaman ng driver na nag mamadali ako ay binilisan niya ang pag mamaneho.
Nang makarating ako ay nakita kong may mga tao. "That was a dream?" tanong ko sa sarili ko.
Agad akong naglakad papasok. Nakita ko ang basketball court na may naglalarong mga bata.
"Lyndon!"
"Pre!"
"Uy!"
Nakipag batian lang ako sa mga kaibigan ko saka dumiretso sa bahay nila Sadie.
Agad akong kumatok sa gate nila. "Ate Mylin? Sadie! Tay Morno!" tawag ko.
"Walang tao diyan," sabi ng kapit bahay namin. Nang makilala niya ako ay ngumiti siya. "Ikaw na ba 'yan, Lyndon?"
"Ate Susan, nasaan po sila?" kinakabahang tanong ko. Something is wrong. Everything is wrong hanggang hindi ko nakikita si Sadie.
"Nagkaroon ng putukan sa plasa kahapon. May kriminal na naka takas. Isa si Sadie sa natamaan."
"P-po!"
"Oo. Baka nga pupunta din kami mamaya sa hospital,"
"Saang hospital!"
"Diyan lang sa community hospital natin,"
Agad kong kinuha ang bike na nakatabi sa likod ng bahay namin.
No! No! No!
Lumuluha ako habang nag ba-bike sa highway papunta sa community hospital.
Ilang minuto lang ay nakarating na ano sa hospital. Maraming tao, pero siniksik ko ang sarili ko para makapasok.
Nag iiyakan, mga boses ng nurse, mga sigaw ng mga tao...halo halong boses pero wala akong paki alam.
"Sadie...Sadie Martinez?".
"Kaano ano po?"
"Boyfriend.... boyfriend niya ako,"
Sinamahan ako ng nurse at pumunta kami sa isang malawak na kwarto. Sa pinto ay may naka dikit na papel kung saan may naka sulat doon na "Victim of a shooting"
Agad akong pumasok at marahas na binuksan ang pinto. Nakita ko ang grupo ng mga kama na may mga nakahiga at base sa itsura nila...wala na silang buhay.
Iginala ko ang mata ko at nakita ko ang nanay ni Sadie na naka upo at katabi niya si....
Agad akong tumakbo papunta sa pwesto nila.
"L-lyndon."
Agad akong lumapit sa kama ni Saide. Her body lay motionless, a grim figure on the ground. Its once lively form now seemed empty and cold. The lifeless eyes stared blankly, as if searching for something that would never come. "Sadie," My voice shakes and barely comes out. It's filled with deep sadness and disbelief. Each word feels heavy and is choked by my tears. It's a broken sound that shows just how empty and heartbroken I feel seeing my Sadie's lifeless body.
"SADIE!" My scream tears through the air, raw and agonizing. It erupts from deep within me, a sound of pure, unfiltered pain. Each cry feels like it's ripping my heart apart, echoing my unbearable sorrow. The noise seems to shake the very ground, a desperate, gut-wrenching expression of the grief consuming me.
Tears stream down my face, hot and unrelenting. They blur my vision and drip endlessly, each drop a reflection of my deep pain. My eyes feel raw and swollen, as if each tear is a tangible piece of my shattered heart. The tears flow uncontrollably, a silent testament to the overwhelming grief that engulfs me.
The heartbreak wraps around me like a suffocating fog, settling heavily in my chest. It feels as though my heart is being crushed under the weight of an unbearable loss. Every breath comes with a sharp sting, and my whole body aches with the depth of my sorrow. The pain is a relentless, gnawing presence, leaving me hollow and trembling, as if the very essence of my being has been shattered.
I feel like my heart has been torn from my chest and left behind in a hollow, empty space. Every moment without her is a sharp, unending ache, as if a part of me has been irrevocably broken. The world around me seems dull and distant, shrouded in a fog of sadness that blurs everything I once held dear. Each breath feels heavy, burdened by the weight of an irretrievable loss, and the silence that follows her absence echoes endlessly in the void she have left behind.
Hinaplos ni Aling Mylin ang braso ko. Napaka sakit sa akin nito pano pa kaya sa kaniya 'no?
I gaze at her companions lying in their separate beds, their faces familiar and haunting. They are the strange people I saw in my dreams, the souls who come to help Sadie say her final goodbye. Their presence, though eerie, is now a poignant reminder of the farewell I can never forget.
"Before she lost her life, she asked me to bring her painting materials. Despite her suffering, she kept painting and said she wanted to give it to you." tumingin ako sa mama niya na may hawak na painting.
Tinignan ko ang painting. I look at the painting. It shows me standing in awe before a huge waterfall.
Muling kumirot ang puso ko at muli kong tinignan ang walang buhay na katawan ni Sadie. Her face is pale and still, with eyes closed in an eternal, haunting calm. The once vibrant expression is now frozen in a serene, sorrowful blankness. Her skin is cold and smooth, a stark reminder of the warmth and life that is now gone. The stillness of her face feels like a heavy, heartbreaking silence, a cruel contrast to the vibrant presence she once was.
"You always make me surprise. Ang cool naman ng goodbye and last date natin. Sa panaginip talaga," bulong ko.
_
I am watching her being lowered into the ground at the cemetery. Each moment feels heavy and hard to bear. The coffin is lowered slowly, and the finality of it all hits me deeply. The cold, quiet surroundings are a stark contrast to the warmth she brought into my life. I feel like a part of me is being buried with her.
The funeral wake at the cemetery is quiet and sad, with people gathered around the open grave. The coffin rests on a bed of flowers and is touched by the soft, warm sunlight. The sun shines gently on the coffin, giving it a final, gentle kiss. Underneath the coffin, white roses and lilies are arranged carefully, adding a bit of beauty to the sorrowful scene.
"I love you,"
YOU ARE READING
SUNSET MEANS END
Romance"There's no such thing as perfect; when everything feels perfect, that's already an imperfection." - When Lyndon arrived in his hometown, everything felt weird. The streets were empty except for his girlfriend, and there was something wrong with eve...
