You See Her (BHS #1)

I. Sad Beautiful Tragic

I. Sad Beautiful Tragic

Silvano Owen gripped the handle of his duffel bag. Matagal niyang tinitigan ang asawa—soon-to-be ex-wife to be exact, bago siya nagsalita.

"Amanda," it was all he could say. Nagbabara ang lalamunan niya, dahil nahihirapan siyang magsalita.

"Shut up, Silvano! Shut up! Pare-parehas kayo! Iiwan niyo rin ako!" The woman shouted. Paulit-ulit. Hindi napapagod.

Pero pagod na siya. Pagod na pagod na. Tatlong taon. Tatlong taon silang nagkakasakitan. Palagi niya itong iniintindi ngunit napakahirap nitong intindihin, mas malala pa sa mga kasong nilulutas niya. But now, it's time to let things go.

He raised his hand, palm up, to shut her up but his wife was still fuming.

"Alam mo ba kung bakit ako naging ganito?!"

Pinasadahan niya ng tingin ang buong katawan nito. Malaki na ang ipinagbago nito, hindi na ito ang sopistikadang babaeng nakilala niya noon. Ang kulay blonde na buhok nito ay naging dirty blonde. Ang magandang katawan nito ay halos mangayayat dahil sa sobrang pag-gamit ng droga.

"Alam mo ba, Silvano?!" Sigaw nitong muli na nagpabalikwas sa kanya, "You love your job more than me!" Dinuro siya nito. "You love your daughter more than me!"

"Amanda," his tone was a bit warning. Umigting ang bagang niya at halos pumutok ang ugat niya sa leeg, "I can't fucking believe you! Alam mo kung bakit tayo nagpakasal. It's because of our daughter!" He raked his hand through his hair, almost angrily. "And that's the only thing I didn't regret when I married you."

Bumaba taas ang dibdib niya sa galit. He'd tried everything, he'd tried giving her what she wanted sa unang pagsasama nila. Naging faithful siya kahit hindi niya ito mahal. But the woman always wanted more. Hinding hindi ito makukuntento sa simpleng bagay lamang. And yes, his wife is a self-centered bitch.

"At 'yung trabaho na kinaiinisan mo," pagpapatuloy niya, "Ay ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nakabayad sa mga utang na ginamit mo na pambili ng mga mamahaling sapatos, damit at bag!"

Amanda didn't even flinched, sinabayan nito ang galit niya. "Binili ko ang mga gusto ko dahil hindi mo maibigay ang pinakagusto ko! Which is your love, Silvano!"

Umiwas si Silvano ng tingin, he closed his eyes upang kalmahin ang sarili then opened it again.

He couldn't even find the will to yell at her again. A real man didn't yell at those who weren't exactly sane themselves, he told himself.

Nang magsalita siyang muli ay mahinahon na ang kanyang boses. "You know the rules, that this is just a marriage of convenience dahil sa anak natin. We both know that we're just fuck buddy, nothing more and nothing less."

Unti-unti ng bumagsak ang mga luhang kanina pa nito pinipigilan. "Silvano," nagmamakaawa ang boses nito, "But I have love you."

Nanghihinang umiling siya, nahihirapan siyang tignan ito.

"No. No, you don't. If you love me, you wouldn't give me this bullshits. Sana noong umpisa pa lang hindi mo na ako itinali sa kasal na ito na alam mo namang walang patutunguhan."

"But—"

He waved his hand in front of him. "Let's be fucking honest here, Amanda. You love yourself more than me, so don't give me those excuses that I'm at fault that you're always high and drunk. You're into drugs way before we hook up," Isang hakbang paatras ang ginawa niya, "And I fucking know, Amanda. That you are cheating on me. That you are fucking some of my buddies in the police department."