𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙲𝙺𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚃𝚂 | 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙿𝙻𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙳 ✓

chapter 40

Matapos ang halos isang taon ng pagsusumikap at paglaban para sa katotohanan, nararamdaman kong unti-unti nang bumabalik ang buhay ko sa dati. The storm that tore through our lives was slowly fading, and I could finally breathe a little easier. Pero alam kong kahit nakamit na namin ni Alexander at ni Rica ang katarungan, hindi ibig sabihin ay tapos na ang lahat.

Nasa likod bahay ako ngayon, nakaupo sa duyan habang hinahayaang magpaikot-ikot sa isip ko ang mga nangyari nitong mga nakaraang buwan. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the garden. It was a peaceful evening, and for once, I didn’t feel the usual weight pressing down on my shoulders. Ngunit kahit may katahimikan na ngayon, may bahagi sa akin na alam kong may mga hindi pa tapos. May mga bagay na kailangan pa ring harapin.

“Isa?” Narinig kong tawag ni Alexander mula sa loob ng bahay. “Are you okay?”

Lumingon ako at nakita ko siyang papalapit, may dalang dalawang tasa ng mainit na tsaa. Umupo siya sa tabi ko, handing me one of the cups.

“Thanks,” I said, smiling softly.

“You seem deep in thought,” he observed, his voice gentle. “Anong iniisip mo?”

Huminga ako nang malalim, iniisip kung paano ko sasagutin ang tanong niya. “Iniisip ko lang… lahat ng nangyari. Ang dami nating pinagdaanan, Alex. Minsan hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na nalampasan natin ang lahat ng iyon.”

Tumango siya, taking a sip of his tea before replying. “I know what you mean. It’s surreal. Pero Isa, hindi natin iyon nalampasan ng tayo lang. We had help from Rica, from Tita Celia… and from each other.”

“Yeah,” I whispered, feeling the warmth of his words sink in. “We couldn’t have done it alone.”

Tahimik kaming dalawa habang pinagmamasdan ang paglubog ng araw. It felt nice, just to sit there with him, without the constant worry that used to plague us. Ngunit kahit sa mga ganitong sandali ng katahimikan, alam kong ang buhay ay may paraan ng pagbibigay ng mga bagong pagsubok. Hindi ako bulag sa posibilidad na ang mga taong kinalaban namin ay maghahanap ng paraan upang bumalik at maghiganti.

“Do you think they’ll come after us again?” I asked quietly, voicing the thought that had been lingering in the back of my mind.

Nag-pause si Alexander bago sumagot, as if considering his words carefully. “It’s possible,” he admitted. “But we’re prepared now, Isa. Alam na natin ang mga galaw nila. And we have allies. Hindi na tayo nag-iisa.”

Napatango ako, finding comfort in his words. “I guess we’ll just have to stay vigilant, then.”

“Exactly,” he said with a small smile. “But for now… let’s just enjoy the peace, kahit sandali lang.”

*****

Sa mga sumunod na linggo, mas naging kalmado ang buhay. We resumed our studies, trying to catch up with everything we had missed during the turmoil. Si Rica ay bumalik na rin sa unti-unting pagkilala sa sarili at sa buhay na gusto niyang tahakin. She had been through so much, but I admired her resilience. Alam kong hindi madali ang pinagdaanan niya, pero she faced it with a quiet strength that I deeply respected.

One evening, while Alexander and I were in the library at school, doing some research for a project, a familiar face suddenly appeared in the doorway.

“Isabella. Alexander.”

Nang marinig ko ang boses na iyon, napatingala ako. It was Rico, one of the key figures we had exposed in the corruption scandal. I hadn’t seen him in months, and seeing him now sent a cold shiver down my spine.

“Rico,” I said cautiously. “What are you doing here?”

He smiled, pero hindi ito isang uri ng ngiti na nagbibigay ng aliw. There was something menacing about it. “I just wanted to check in on you two,” he said, stepping further into the room. “You’ve been keeping busy, I hear. Quite the little heroes.”