Responsibilities That Ties Us

Chapter 31: It's Now or Neighbor

I've noticed na parang halos magzone-out ako na ako araw-araw dahil sa mga nangyayari sa buhay kong itong. Now I'm thinking, how longer to I have endure this hanggang mag-ayaw na ako? When was the last time I said no to something?

And when was the last time my dad was this mad at me?

"What? You're not going to explain yourself?"

"...what's there to explain—"

"Don't be a stubborn teen, Kamilo. I've seen and heard what happened in school. I didn't bother taking action dahil I had high expectations na you'll solve it on your own and take legal action. Pero anong ginawa mo? You kept beating around the bush and now you grand father probably heard about this."

Mama was clutching his shirt from the side, stopping him from taking any step further. While I sat still in front of him, head down and avoiding any of their eyes. "Hun, wag mong paggalitan... Calm down—"

"You could've just... done something. Instead, you had to make me come home dahil baka umabaot na nga sa lolo mo at kung anong kadramahan naman ang gawin—"

"Hun, tama na—"

"No. This kid needs to hear a piece of my mind or else kung ano ano namang mga bagay magawa niya. Look at him..."

I don't know how long I sat there, or how many word did my dad eventually says hanggang sa maiinip na talaga siya at umalis para magmukmuk sa office niya. Mama stood and watched the both of us, unable to choose who to reach out first; she flashed me an apologetic smile and kissed my forehead bago sumunod sa aking ama. I didn't really know ano yung pinagsasabi niya since I was staring at my phone, staring at our open chat and the last message he sent me in the last few days.

Weird Guy

I'm sorry, Kam

— sent

All I have of him is this very text, nothing more. it's been a long while rin noong may narinig or noong huli ko siyang na kita. I don't specifically know how long, but enough time that I couldn't even bother about the other things that's happening around me; yung galit ng akong ama, yung mga bibig ng mga tao sa school or even the many confrontations and endless meetings sa counselor— now that my parents are here, im quite certain na babalik naman ako doon sa upuang iyon.

But i cant bother with comforts at this point... I'm more worried about him.

Why hasn't he contacted me anymore?

Why was he apologizing in his last text?

...Did something happen?

At the very moment, nawala na yung pake ko sa mga bagay bagay nadapat pagtuonon ko ng pansin, especially my parents who are trying to mend this mess I found myself in. Instead, I was thinking about him, about the smile he use to show me and the warm that'll surge through my body kung kailan siya lang yung hinaharap ko. I kept thinking, recollecting the memories I had made with him... all while my finger hovered over the call button of our chat logs.

My heart skips, and my mind races. Should I...?

Should I bother?

...Yeah, I want to...

I want to hear his voice...

I clicked it, and listened to the deafening ring of the phone from the other line, my chest heaving and my cheeks warming up. But Nothing.