TWELVE YEARS AGO: St. Agnes Cemetery, Philippines
Dali-daling bumalik si Teyl sa kinaroroonan nina Klio bitbit ang payong galing sa sasakyan. The downpour of heavy rain was approaching.
Kung wala pang planong umuwi ang binata, hindi naman niya p’wedeng iwan lang iyon doon.
Lalo pa kung ibang babae ang kasama.
“I’ll take it from here,” aniya kay Natasha—ang bagong girlfriend ni Klio—at binuksan ang payong nang makarating sa p’westo ng dalawa’t magsimula nang pumatak ang ulan. “Umuwi ka na,” she said, putting the umbrella over her and Klio’s head.
Tiningala siya ng babae mula sa pagyakap sa binata. “I’m fine. I’ll stay with Kley,” sagot nito sa kanya.
Tinaasan niya ito ng kilay: eyeing her pretty face with fake tears. “I said, ako na ang bahala sa kanya,” ulit niya sa sinabi.
She didn’t bother to hide the threatening tone in her voice.
The other woman looked at Klio. Alam niyang hinihintay nitong tumutol ang kasintahan at siya ang paalisin imbes na ito.
But Klio didn’t move even a bit. Nanatili lang itong nakasalampak sa damuhan at nakatitig sa lapida kung saan nakasulat ang pangalan ng namayapang ama.
“Well? The rain is starting to pour heavier. Dalawa lang ang kasya sa payong ko,” untag niya kay Natasha.
She looked at her, then, back to Klio again. Mayamaya’y bumuntonghininga ang babae. She kissed Klio on the cheeks, bid goodbye, and stood up.
She eyed her with disapproval, pero tiningnan lang din niya nang masama ang babae.
When she walked away, she squated beside Klio, not giving a damn if his girlfriend is running onto her car, getting soak in the rain.
Pinagpagan niya ang mga balikat ng binata: pretending to take the droplets of rain off his shirt, when in fact, she’s cleaning the area where Natasha’s arms have been.
Inakbayan niya si Klio at isinandal sa kanya. “Don’t sit like that. You’ll get wet when rain water start to flow where you are,” aniya’t iminuwestrang gayahin nito ang posisyon niya.
Unsurprisingly, he obliged.
For a few moments, they squatted there side by side under the rain, in complete silence, except for the own sobbing of the sky above them.
Hinaplos niya ang balikat ni Klio na kinapapatungan ng kamay niya. “Don’t you think we should go home na? Lumalakas na ang ulan. And it’s getting darker, too... Baka nag-aalala na sa atin si Tito Von...”
“You have a flight tomorrow morning. Mauna ka nang umuwi. Mag-aayos ka pa ng mga gamit mo,” Klio answered, hoarsely.
“But I don’t want to leave you all by yourself here...”
Nilingon siya ng lalaki. Then, despite the sadness in his eyes, he smiled at her.
“Bakit mo kasi pinauwi si Natasha? Eh, ’di sana may kasama pa ako rito at makakauwi ka na.”
She pouted and looked at Tito Ciolo’s grave. “I don’t want you to be left alone in here with somebody other than me...” sagot niya.
Nangingiting pinitik ng binata ang baba niya. “Kung makabakod ka sa ’kin, parang ikaw ang kuya at ako ang babae sa ating dalawa, ah...”
Lalong humaba ang nguso niya.
“It can’t always be just the two us, you know?” ani Klio sa kanya. “One day, magkaka-boyfriend ka rin. While I might get married by that time. So, stop shooing people away.”
She looked at the man, tears starting to form in her eyes.
Ako na lang kasi... aniya sa isip, pero hindi na niya isinatinig.
“I just don’t like having any bitch around you,” sabi na lang niya.
“Natasha? A bitch?” anang binata’t ibinalik ang tingin sa puntod ng ama. “She’s the nicest woman I’ve ever been with...”
A pang of jealousy knocked her chest. For a moment, it felt like a cat got her tongue.
Then, she felt panic gradually starting to surface inside her.
Pa’no kung totoong in love nga talaga si Klio kay Natasha?
What if they get married?
“Hindi ka na nakaimik d’yan. Tara na, sabi ko.”
Napalingon siya kay Klio. Hawak na nito ang kamay niyang nakahawak sa payong.
She let go and he held the umbrella for them. Then, she stood up all by herself and turned towards the direction of their car.
“Wait for me,” ani Klio na binilisan ang paglalakad para makaagapay sa kanya.
Hindi niya pinansin ang binata. Rather, she ran away, to the opposite direction of their vehicle.
“Teyl!” tawag sa kanya ni Klio.
She didn’t stop from running. She don’t know where she’s going. She just wanted to ran away from him and cry.
Without looking back to see if Klio followed her or not, which she wished he didn’t, she stopped on her track and got down on her knees.
She cried, hiding her tears under the rain. But she knew her shaking shoulders were betraying her.
She wanted to shout her frustrations out. Gusto niyang sumigaw sa galit. Pero ayaw naman niyang mabulahaw ang mga nakalibing doon.
She’s waited for her chance with Klio for so long. She’s waited for her turn for very long.
Pero ngayon, nawala na lahat ng pag-asa niya. Naglaho na lahat ng pagkakataong akala niya, mayro’n siya.
Naramdaman niya ang pagtigil ng pagtulo ng ulan sa kanya.
“May nasabi ba akong masama?” narinig niyang sabi ni Klio sa likuran niya. “Why are you crying?”
She forced herself to stop sobbing, preparing herself for the more painful thing.
“Do you love Natasha?” she asked, trying to deliver the question as casual as she could.
“Of course.”
“Do you want to marry her?” she asked again, trying to act unbothered by the impact of the blow brought by his answer.
Please... let it be a no... aniya sa isip.
“Yeah... I was actually planning to propose to her before daddy...” his voice trailed off. Pero sapat na ang narinig niya mula sa binata.
She harshly turned towards him, that time, not attempting to hide how she’s like anymore.
“What about me?! Pa’no ako?!”
Klio leaned forward and wiped her tears with his thumb dry. “Ano ka ba? Wala namang magbabago sa ’tin. I’ll still be your big brother and you, my younger sister...”
Lalo siyang naiyak dahil sa narinig. Screw her being a Nightfall Maiden.
Obviously, Klio doesn’t understand what she meant!
BINABASA MO ANG
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