One of the Boys 1 & 2 (Published by Pop Fiction)

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

Present

Pag-akyat ni Apa sa rooftop, nakita niya sila Kyrel at Lizzie. Parehas silang umiiyak. "Wala ng nagmamahal sa atin. Let's end our miseries and die." Lizzie was holding Kyrel's hand tightly. "Iiwan ka rin nilang lahat. Let's die together, alright?"

Kyrel shook his head. "Ayoko. Ayoko sa'yo. Pakawalan mo na ako."

"Liz!" Apa called her.

"Daddy/Yuki!" Sabay nilang tawag.

"Daddy, ayoko tumalon. Help me." Iyak ng iyak si Kyrel.

"Hindi ka tatalon, okay? Hindi ka mamamatay," sabi ni Apa saka niya tiningnan si Liz. "Liz, please. Bumaba na kayo diyan."

"Kinasal na pala kayo ni Agatha," sabi ni Liz. "Akala ko iba ka sa kanila, Yuki. Akala ko, hindi mo ako iiwan. Akala ko, poprotektahan mo ako. But I was wrong. Parang ikaw rin sila. You gave me hope, Yuki, but when you saw her again, wala na. You threw all my hopes away. Just... let me die. Let us die."

"Ayoko po mamatay." Kanina pa nanginginig at umiiyak si Kyrel.

"If we don't die now, we'll regret it later on," sabi ni Liz kay Kyrel. "This is for your own good. Iiwan ka rin naman nila. Iiwan ka ng lahat ng tao at hindi mo na gugustuhan mabuhay. Life is simple, little boy. People just tend to make things complicated. They condemn us, they want us to die, then let's just die. Pabigat lang tayo sa kanila."

"Hindi totoo 'yan!" Sigaw ni Apa. "Liz, ano ba! Please think rationally. 'Wag mong i-damay yung bata sa mga problema natin. Bumaba na kayo diyan!"

"Why? Are you going to come with me?"

Apa closed his eyes tightly. "Sasama ako sa'yo." Ang sakit sakit. Mas masakit pa 'to kaysa sa nangyari dati. He was broken. Hindi niya alam kung maiintindihan ni Ags, pero maiintindihan ni Apa kung hindi siya nito maiintindihan. He had to do something.

"Really?" she suddenly calmed down. "You'll leave Agatha and come with me?"

Apa forced a nod.

"Babalik tayo sa Canada? Tayong dalawa lang? No Agatha?" she was so happy. Apa was the only one she could count on. Pag nawala pa siya, wala na rin siya. She felt like she had no one, but Apa.

He nodded. "Bumaba na kayo diyan."

Dahan-dahan na lumapit si Apa at binuhat si Kyrel saka niya inalalayan bumaba si Liz. Hinatid ni Apa si Kyrel kay Doms. Dahil ayaw umalis ni Lizzie sa tabi ni Apa, kinausap niya silang dalawa habang nakaharap si Liz.

Sinabi niya kila Kyrel na matatagalan siyang bumalik dahil pupunta siyang Canada. Inexplain niya kay Doms kung anong nangyari.

"Aalis ka, Daddy? Iiwan mo kami ni Mommy?"

May binulong siya kay Kyrel na tinanguan lang ng bata.

Paglabas nila ni Liz ng orphanage, saktong tinawagan ni Sean si Apa para sabihing nasa ospital si Ags. Pagkarinig na pagkarinig niya nun, parang nawala na siya sa sarili. Nanghina siya, nahilo, parang umikot ang mundo niya. He looked and felt hopeless.

"Why are you doing this?" galit na siya. "Bakit si Kyrel? Bakit si Ags? They didn't do anything wrong. Tangina, ako na lang patayin mo."

She shook her head. "Sinabi ko lang naman kila Apple na kunin si Ags. Ako na bahala sa anak nila. I didn't ask them to hurt her. I swear, Yuki!"

"Inutusan mo silang kunin siya?" Tumayo si Apa at hinawakan balikat ni Liz. "Inutusan mo silang kunin siya?!" he broke down. "Liz, listen carefully. Mas matatanggap ko pang iwanan niya ako kaysa masaktan siya."