Taming His Demon

CHAPTER 19

[Revelation]

COLLEN

"...And all become make sense to me when I saw the face of your brother."

Yes, it was Kuya Vince all along. There is always a shadow that follow me every night, but I didn't say it to anyone. But ever since the day that I saw Kuya Vince face, I saw a clear picture of the man who saved me from the bus accident. I know, it is somehow confusing, so am I. But all I have the right thing to do in the meantime is to shut my mouth because I don't have the evidence that will prove it. Baka sabihan lang nila akong nababaliw na.

"Do you mean, kuya Vince? Ano namang kinalaman nya sa nangyayari sa 'yo, sa atin?"

"Don't you get it, Pruds? We are not from this time. We are just a visitor in someone's future; we are just trapped in this illusion. We lived from several years ago, and I don't really know what the fate is thinking why does he need to send us here," I pants.

"That's totally sound insane, Collen." Prudens shake his head in disbelief.

"I know.  But the moment that I realize it, and connect each other pieces in my head, the only person that I could think of is you." I looked directly on Prudens eyes with all the sincerity.

Para namang wala sa sarili siyang nakatingin sa akin. 

'Did I just confess to Prudens?'

"Collen... I really don't have a word right now but, if you really saying the truth right now, maybe we need to ask Kuya Vince about this." Prudens suggest, but I shook my head.

"No, kuya Vince is not the right person to ask. Pero alam kong sangkot din sya rito. Pero mas maganda kung ang makakausap natin ay si Lara."

***

Isang malakas na halakhak ang agad na sumalubong sa amin. Hindi namin alam kung nasa katinuan ba ang taong pinuntahan namin o wala. Dahil mukha itong nababaliw na sa kaniyang itsura.

Maduming damit, hindi maayos na suklay ng buhok, at ang kaniyang mata ay tila ilang gabi ng hindi nakakatulog. Ganito pa rin ang kaniyang itsura sa huli kong kita sa kanya.

"Sa wakas..." anas  niya at parang batang nagmamadaling lumapit sa pwesto namin ni Prudencio. "Mahal kong Prinsesa, malapit na tayong umuwi. Makakauwi na tayo, hindi na magagalit ang iyong amang hari. Matagal ko ng pinapangarap na magising ka na sa katotohanan. Ikinagagalak kong makitang bumalik ka na sa iyong katinuan, mahal na Prinsesa. Sisiguraduhin ko na makakuwi na rin tayo sa  palasyo sa lalong madaling panahon."

"T-teka, Lara. Hindi ko pa lubos na naiintindihan ang nangayayari sa amin ni Prudencio." Agad naman na kumawang siya sa akin at halos parang hindi makapaniwala na kasama ko si Prudencio.

"Prinsipe Encio..." lumapit siya rito at kinuha niya ang kamay nito. "alam ko pong mahal na mahal ninyo ang mahal naming Prinsesa ng Phrygia, ngunit kailangan muna nating makabalik sa sari-sarili nating kaharian upang malutas na ang problemang ito."

"Teka, Lara. Ano bang sinabi mong kaharian? Hindi ko pa rin maintindihan ang punto mo?" naguguluhan kong tanong sa kanya.

"Mahal na Prinsesa, alam kong masyado ng matagal na ang nailagi natin dito sa hinaharap, ngunit nais kong tulungan kayong parehas na makabalik sa parehas ninyong kaharian bago pa man tuluyang maisip ng hari ng Magadha na tuluyang lusubin ang ating kaharian, mahal na Prinsesa."

"Magadha, Phrygia? Are you talking about history, Lara." Prudens interrupted.

"Prinsipe Encio, alam kong hindi ka maniniwala sa sasabihin ko. Alam kong nakasulat na sa aklat ng panahong ito ang ilang pangyayari sa ating mga kaharian, ngunit may ilang bahagi pa rin sa mga kwentong iyon ang hindi pa rin nila natutuklasan."

"Gaya ng?" Tanong ko.

"Gaya ng kwento ninyong dalawa. Parehas na lamang kayong biglaang nawala. Ilang buwan namin kayong hinanap, ngunit sadyang hindi namin kayo matagpuan. Hanggang isang araw, isang mabuting babaylan ang tumulong sa amin. Isa siya sa mga saksi kung paanong bigla na lamang kayong dalawa ay naglaho nang gabing iyon."

"Isang mangkukulam ay isinumpa ang inyong pag-iibigan. Hindi niya matanggap na isang taga-Magadha ang iyong iniibig, Prinsesa Risia. Kaya isinumpa niya kayo na kung darating ang panahon na magkita kayo, isang hamon pang muli ang kakaharapin ninyo  bago pa tuluyan kayong muling itadhanang muli."

"Tsk. We're wasting our time here, Collen. Let's just go back to our class."

"Prudens, don't you get it? Our past depends on us, not our future. We are now standing in our future. We are meant to go back and fix the history."

"No, Collen. We are not going back on that bullsh8t, history! We are now standing in our future, and we are now love each other! There is no need to go back. I am not going back!" He shouted at my face that echoed in the whole room.

"Prudens..."

"Collen, I know... I know now the truth. I understand it. But what I really don't understand is that we need to go back to the past just to fixed it? Don't you see what is really going on? That f***ing witch is just playing at our heads! He just playing with us, because he's still jealous. Because the moment that he knew that we vanished, he can no longer be in touch with us. So, he just messing on our heads. He doesn't want us to reconnect each other. Because he also knew that we really love each other. And that f***ing witch is my brother. And I hate to tell you that, he's the one who saved you from that night in the bus. He wants you to love him the way you love me from the past. But he never succeeded."

"Alam kong maging sakim ako sa katotohanan, Collen. I also figure out the truth, and it is earlier than yours. I don't want to end up our story just the way it ends in the past. It is already past--history, and we need to move forward, Collen. We don't need to go back there. I don't want US to go back there. I know our time there is not yet over, but we don't have the reason now to go back just to fix those holes in our history. We already here, continuing our somehow the tragic ends in the past, become a happy ending now."

"Exactly, Prudens. There are holes in our history, and we should not let that leak here in our future. I know, this is some kind of insanity to say that I really loved you, though we barely in touch here in this time. And for some reason, I feel like this love is empty. It is not the whole love that I felt whenever I dream about our past. That Princess Risia in the past really loves you. She gave all her heart to you, but you choose to run away. But I know, it's not because you are coward that time. You run away because you know the cause it may bring when we pursue it. So, if you really love me that way you love me from the past, Prudens. I am asking you for one last time. Let make this love story of us be told to the history how great it is. Let's not wait them hanging. Our kingdom needs us, our people needs us. I know my death from the past has a greater reason why the fate brings us here in the future or somehow, our present..."

"So, what are you gonna do now?"

"We have to go back." I looked back to Lara. "Lara... or should I call you now, Laura?" she just gives me a little smile and makes a nod. "You lead the way."

***

"Aking kapatid." Isang mahigpit na yakap ang agad na sumalubong sa kanya. Halos hindi naman siya makahinga dahil sa ginawang kanyang kapatid.

"N-nasasakal ako." Agad naman itong umagwat kay Risia. Halos manlaki naman ang kanyang mata nang makita kung sino ang nasa harapan niya.

"Alicia?" Bulalas nito sa kanya. Agad naman na nanlaki  mata ng kaniyang kapatid sa kanyang tinuran.

"Alicia? Sino si Alicia, aking kapatid? Ako si Licia, ang kapatid mong nakatatanda."

"Kapatid?" halos maguluhan ito sa tinuran ng babae sa kanyang harapan.

At halos mapatigil siya nang mapagtanto niyang nabalik na siyang muli sa nakaraan.