Her Steps (GS #1)

Chapter 26

Warning:
Triggering content ahead. Please read at your own risk.

...

The next morning, I fixed myself early to meet my potential investor.

"Let's go?" tumango ako kay Uriel. Napalingon siya sa kamay kong may takip pero halatang pinigilan niyang magtanong.

Nang makarating kami sa kliyente ay halos ayaw nang gumalaw ng mga paa ko.

"What are you doing here?" mariing tanong ko.

"Jhiezzel, I'm here to invest—,"

"I don't need your money." sabi ko rito.

Naikuyom ko ang kamao ko at ramdam ko ang pagdugo muli ng sugat doon.

"Jhiezzel, your hand—,"

"Uriel, let's go." sabi ko't tumalikod na.

That's why they never told me who the potential investor is.

"I'll be going down the next stop and I'll fly back to the Philippines." sabi ko kay Uriel at nagmadali na sa paglalakad palayo roon when a kid suddenly bumped into me.

Nang makitang si Kane iyon ay mabilis ko siyang itinayo.

"Hey, are you okay?" tanong ko. Hindi dahil nabangga sita sa akin kundi dahil maputla siya.

Napansin ko rin agad ang paghabol niya ng hininga niya hanggang sa tuluyan siyang mawalan ng malay. Mabilis ko naman siyang nasalo at nabuhat. Dinala ko siya sa kwarto ko at doon inihiga.

"Uriel, call the doctor!" mayroon namang in house doctor ang cruise ship in case of emergencies.

"She has a weak heart. Mukhang matagal na siyang tumatakbo takbo kanina kaya siya nahimatay." sabi ng doctor nang matingnan niya ito.

A weak heart?

"Kane? Oh my gosh, Kane!" dumating si Tienn at mabilis na niyakap ang anak.

"What the hell happened to her?" mangiyak ngiyak niyang tanong sa akin.

"She was running when I saw her then nahimatay na siya." she closed her eyes and held her daughter's hand.

"Oh God, Kane." she whispers. My heart is in pain seeing her like this.

Nang kumalma siya ay marahan niyang hinahaplos ang buhok ng bata.

"We'll get off on the next stop of the cruise." I didn't speak. That's my plan too.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

She looked at me for a second and got her eyes back at her daughter. Walang balak sagutin ang tanong ko.

I sighed.

That's what she actually did. They got off the next stop of the cruise, so did Uriel and I. When we got to the airport, nalaman kong sa Paris ang punta nila kaya naman instead of flying back to the Philippines, I booked the earliest flight to Paris.

Susuyurin ko na ang buong Paris mahanap ko lang siya ulit. I hired an investigator just so I could find her. Mabilis ko na siyang nahanap gayong alam ko na kung nasaang bansa siya.

"Hi Kane!" Kane was confined in a hospital in Paris.

"Jhiezzel!" she smiled at me.

I used up all my connections just so I could find her hospital room.

"How are you?" I asked. May dala akong sandwich for her and so I opened the pack and let her have it.

"I'm good Jhiezzel."

"Kane, how old are you?" I asked.

"I'm thwee!"

3... ibig sabihin nang mawala siya'y buntis na siya? Noong gabing iyon at buntis na siya?

Si Ray lamang ang lalaking konektado sa kaniya noon. Ibig bang sabihin ay kay Ray ang batang ito? Alam ba niyang nagkaanak siya?

"What are you doing here?" mabilis na inagaw ni Tienn ang sandwich na hawak ni Kane.

"Tienn, it's just a sandwich—,"

"She's allergic to eggs, Jhiezzel!" I couldn't speak. Why didn't I ask first?

Shit. Tiningnan ko ang sandwich at wala pa namang 1/4 ang nakakain niya. Thank God.

Pinainom niya ng kung ano si Kane bago ako binalingan.

"Get out of here. You're not needed here." matalim ang tinging ibinigay nito sa akin.

"Tienn, please mag-usap tayo—,"

"Wala tayong pag-uusapan." she grabbed my hand at kinaladkad ako patungo sa labas ng kwarto ni Kane.

"Tienn, where have you been? Bakit ka nawala ng ganoon katagal?" I asked, this time ako naman ang humila sa kaniya patungo sa fire exit—sa hagdan ng ospital.

"Why do you even care? You left me there in the first place diba?" tumaas ang boses niya.

"Tienn, I was doing that for you—,"

"For me?" she laughed sarcastically.

"Bullshit, you pushed me to my own grave, Jhiezzel!" right, that explains her scars in her wrist.

"You... didn't even listen to me that night. I—I was willing to give up everything for you—,"

"Na ayaw kong gawin mo, Krytienn!"

"Pero sana hinayaan mo akong gawin 'yon! Sana sinubukan mo, sana sinubukan natin. Tanginang dahilan mo 'yan, Jhiezzel." she's now crying so hard.

"I was just trying to prevent you from entering a life where I suffered—,"

"Pwede ba Jhiezzel, tama na? I've had enough of your idealistic bullshits. Wala namang pinatunguhan diba? Ikaw siguro oo, ang ganda na ng buhay mo." muli siyang tumawa nang sarkastiko.

"Why didn't I think the cruise ship line is yours? JZ, wow. Kung alam ko lang, I wouldn't agree with my daughter's wish. Ever since that night, I swear I didn't want to see your face ever again." maging ang mga luha ko'y sumasabay na sa mga luha niya.

Her words are digging deep into my heart. Did she feel the same way too when I told her those things?

"Pinatay mo ako noong gabing iyon, Jhiezzel. Kung inakalang mong ginawa mo 'yon para sa ikabubuti ko, nagkakamali ka. The night you left me is the same night my whole life changed. Nawala ang lahat sa akin including you!" pumikit siya nang mariin.

"I stopped the engagement between me and Ray because guess what? I'm not as coward as you. Kaya kong ipaglaban ang sarili ko." galit na galit na sabi nito.

She started pushing me on my chest.

"Duwag ka pero sa isang iglap tinanggalan mo 'ko ng lahat, Jhiezzel. Sinira mo ang buhay ko. You killed me more than once!" she cries hard as she slaps me in my chest and shoulders.

"Si Kane... bakit mo siya ipinangalan sa akin?" I asked.

"Because when I gave birth to her... she reminds me how I fvcking hated you." I got chills. Hated...?

"But now I regret giving her your name. She doesn't deserve to have your name—,"

"She said she's three years old. That means buntis ka na nang mag-usap tayo nang gabing iyon—?" muli niya akong sinampal.

"Hanggang ngayon pinamumukha mo sa aking mali ako nang piliin kong mahalin ka noon Jhiezzel. Really? Iniisip mong buntis ako no'n? She's not three, she's turning three and I'm practicing her saying she's three." marahas niyang pinunasan ang mga luha niya.

"Then who's her father? Si Ray? Why is she using your surname—,"

"Jhiezzel, I was raped!"

She broke down. Napaupo na siya sa sahig as she cried hard.

Napakapit ako sa railings ng hagdan. Para akong nabingi sa hindi ko gustong marinig.

"What... did you say?"

"I... I was raped the night you left me in your house."

...