Wifely Duties - Published by PHR

Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

SANDALING katahimikan ang namagitan sa kanilang dalawa.

Sa isip ni Reeve ay gulung-gulo na naman siya. Magkapatid sina Lana at Prince? How did it all happen? Kailan pa nalaman ng mga ito na magkapatid ang mga ito? Ang dami-dami na namang tanong sa isipan niya na gusto niyang lahat ilabas.

Ngunit kahit isa doon ay hindi niya man lang matanong. Napapikit sa Reeve at napailing-iling.

"I-I can't believe this..." tanging nasambit niya.

He hear Prince sighed. "That's also my reaction when I knew Lana's my half sister. We have the same father. Her real mother died upon giving birth to her. Lana's a product of just... a night. She was conceived when my mother's pregnant with me. Dalawang buwan lang ang tanda ko kay Lana. We both learned about all these just twelve years ago," paliwanag ni Prince. "Naalala mo yung time na umalis si Mom papuntang Amerika dahil nagkatampuhan sila ni Dad?"

"That's also the same time my mother left..." he whispered. Hinding-hindi niya makakalimutan ang araw na iyon.

"Right," tumatangong sabi nito. "My mother left because she learned about my father's other child. Ang tinuturing ni Lana na ina ay kapatid pala ng totoo niyang ina. That's why Lana's parents never gave her the attention and love she needed. Hindi siya totoong anak ng mga ito. Nang pinasunod ako nila Dad sa Amerika, maayos na ulit sila ni Mom. Then, they told me I have a half sibling. Kaya matagal akong hindi umuwi ng Pilipinas dahil hinihintay naming dumating ang kapatid ko. After three weeks, Lana came to our doorstep."

"Bakit pinalabas niyong may relasyon kayo?" naninising tanong niya. "I so hated you both because I thought you're both cheating on me. Of all people! Of all people, kayong dalawa pa ang gagawa niyon sa'kin?" He clenched her teeth. "Why did you let me believe in that kind of bullshit?! You could've save me from a lot of pain if you just told me that she's suffering from cancer and you're siblings!" Hindi niya mapigilang malakas na itulak ito.

Prince was out of balanced and landed on the sandbox, sitting. Hindi ito tumayo at nanatili sa ganoong posisyon. "No, Reeve. Seeing Lana suffer would hurt you more... I'm so sorry, Reeve... Maniwala ka man o hindi, hurting you is the last thing we would do to you."

"But you just did," nanghihinakit na sabi niya.

"Because Lana thought it's the last thing she could do, just to spare you from seeing her so sick and dying! Naisip niya na kung papalabasin niyang may relasyon kami, magagalit ka lalayo ka na. That's exactly what happened. Believe me, we regret it."

Reeve clenched his fist. "You and Lana left me at the time when I needed you, both, the most..." he said with controlled emotions.

"We never wanted that. If we have the choice, we won't hurt you, we won't leave you..."

"You had the choice."

Tumayo ito at umiling. "Reeve, hindi lang ikaw ang nag-iisang taong nasasaktan noon! You're not the only one who had the toughest problems at that time! Lana had her burdens and I have mine, too!" Malakas na tinulak siya nito sa dibdib. "It's so hard to choose between a family and a friend that I treat as my own brother! Akala mo ba, pumayag ako agad sa gusto ni Lana na palabasing may relasyon kami, basta lumayo ka lang? Na sasabihin ko na lang sa'yo yung totoo kapag patay na siya? Sa tingin mo, gusto kong mawalan ng kaibigan na mas matagal kong nakasama dahil lang sa isang kasinungalingang akala ng kapatid ko, makapagpapanatag sa kanya? No! Sinong baliw ang gustong makasakit ng kaibigan? Of all my friends, ikaw pa, Reeve? We're like real brothers. Sabay tayong lumaki, eh. Sa lahat ng kalokohan, magkasama tayo. Pa'no ko kakayaning magsinungaling sa'yo para masaktan ka at magalit sa'kin?!" Tinulak ulit siya nito ng malakas. "Yes, I had the choice! But it's a very difficult decision to make. Everytime I see how Lana suffers from her sickness, nadudurog puso ko. Ayaw niyang magpagamot noon kahit anong pilit namin. She don't want to die but she don't want to fight, either. And it just breaks my heart, pa'no pa kaya kung ikaw ang nandoon? Makakaya mo ba? Sobrang laki na ng epekto sa'yo ng iniwan ka ng Mama mo. You're so down at that time... Lana's so down at that time... What should I do?"