INTERNAL CRIES

Kabanata 28

Kabanata 28
Betrayed 

“I’m sorry.” Kapapasok pa lang ni Kheeno sa sasakyan ay ‘yon na agad ang binungad niya sa akin, kaya imbes na mainis ay nakaramdam ako ng hiya sa kanya. 

He put an effort into everything, pero ako iyong nagsusungit.

“I-It’s okay—”

“For everything... I’m sorry,” ulit niya.

I know that I’ve been so annoyed by Kheeno’s presence. I don’t know the reason, but I just feel so annoyed by him. Kahit na wala naman siyang ginagawa, only his presence can annoy me. But today, I felt something. I don’t know how to explain it, but there is something that changes.

Tahimik naming binagtas ang daan papunta sa kompanya para maihatid ko siya. Pahapyaw akong tumitingin kay Kheeno, pero tahimik lang itong nakaupo sa passenger seat, halatang may malalim na iniisip.

I cleared my throat to gather strength to strike a conversation, and when I did, agad akong nagtanong.

“Uhm... may I ask you something?” mahina kong tanong at sinipat si Kheeno, na ngayon ay nakahawak na sa ibabang labi nito at magkasalubong ang mga makakapal na kilay, halatang ang lalim ng iniisip.

He didn’t respond. He didn’t even move. Parang hindi nito narinig ang tanong ko, kaya napangiwi ako.

“Kheen!?” sambit ko sa pangalan niya nang tumigil kami dahil sa stop light.

He looked at me, confused, at saka lang umayos ng upo at magkasalubong pa rin ang mga kilay na nakatingin sa akin.

“Did you say something?” nagtatakang tanong nito nang makitang nakatitig ako sa kanya at magkasalubong na rin ang mga kilay ko.

What is he thinking?

“Yeah... I said, I’ll ask you something,” ulit ko.

Kheeno sat down properly and faced me. His full attention was on me now.

Napanguso ako.

“Shoot. What is it?” he said, then roamed his eyes to my face.

“Uhm... about earlier, at your house...” I thrilled off.

“Yeah? What about it?”

“Is there any chance or possibility that I already came there? I mean, you didn’t tell me your exact address, but my intuition told me where it is. Nakakapunta na ba ako sa bahay mo dati?”

Kanina ko pa ito iniisip. It’s bothering me, lalo na no’ng nawalan ako ng malay sa hindi ko malamang dahilan.

“Feeling ko kasi, I’ve been there. Malakas ang kutob ko na, I was once in there. Hindi nga lang ako sigurado kung ano ang ginagawa ko sa bahay mo,” I said.

Kheeno looked away and blew a loud breath. Ngayon, kumbinsido na ako na nakapunta na ako sa bahay niya. The way he looked away from me feels like he has something he wants to tell me.

“Yeah... you’ve been living there,” he said. It’s a murmur, like he only said it to himself.

“W-What?” nalilito kong tanong.

Kheeno looked at me with confusion still lingered in his eyes.

“Why did you leave in the Philippines, Arden? Where did you live abroad?” sunod-sunod na tanong ni Kheeno. Imbes na sagutin ako ay tinanong niya rin ako. He looks so puzzled while staring at me.

Hindi niya ba alam kung saan kami nakatira ni Daddy? O kung saan kami nagpunta at ano ang nangyari?

“Y-You don’t know anything?” nagtataka kong tanong. “Your family is a very close friend of mine, so how come you don’t know?” I added.