This Kind of Love

32. The Awakening

Siren's POV

"Isn't that a bad thing?" I asked him afterwards, "Wait, I'm confused. I have so many questions..." tumalikod ako sa kanya sa sobrang gulo ng isip ko.

I heard him breathe deeply.

"Alam ko kung anong iniisip mo. That I'm a product of sin--and that's not the case. I was created in heaven and I don't have parents like the mortals."

Lumapit siya ulit sa akin at hinawakan niya ang kamay ko. Hinila niya ako patungo sa isang bench na malapit sa swimming pool sa labas ng function hall. Nung nakaupo na kami, magkaharap kaming dalawa at tinitignan ko lang siya. I think I need time to get used to seeing him like this. He's in human form but with certain angel characteristics retained.

And he's just beautiful as I remembered him to be.

I couldn't just help myself at that time and I just blurted it out with no hesitation, "I missed you."

Ngumiti siya at humawak sa pisngi ko saying, "Never, ever, fall in love with a mortal."

"It's forbidden, isn't it?"

He clasped his fingers and he leaned forward while sitting on the bench. He's looking at the pool as if he's thinking something.

"You know, I misunderstood it before. All along, akala ko bawal lang just because we're told not to. Pero naisip ko na rin dati na kung papaanong bawal ang isang bagay na napakaganda? How can something as beautiful as love and falling in love be forbidden?" Sagot niya sa akin and I didn't dare talk at hinayaan ko nalang siyang ipagpatuloy ang sinasabi niya.

"When I was stuck in nothingness, I came to a realization that we, the angels, are not programmed to fall in love with mortals because one beautiful thing comes with multiple sinful things. It invites greed, lust, jealousy, hatred...I can go on forever. The angels are supposed to guide, not to walk side by side with the mortals going in the wrong direction. That is, if you go out of control."

When he explained it to me, it made sense at same time. It was as if the answer was there all along, but I was too blind to see it.

"Pero...teka lang. Sabi ni Enrique may bago daw akong anghel?"

Sumagot naman siya kaagad sa akin, "He didn't lie. You did have a new angel when I was gone. All mortal have to have at least one. But that was temporary since I came back."

Nung sinabi niya yun, bumalik na naman kami doon sa pagkarami-raming tanong na gusto kong masagot. Everything just came back na para bang gusto kong malaman lahat-lahat. He's here and he's talking to me when all along akala ko na wala na siya. Nanahimik kami parehas at ako ang unang bumasag ng katahimikan.

"H-how did you get back?"

He didn't look at me at nakatingin pa rin siya sa malayo. He looked so calm.

"You remember that one night when Nathan tried to kill you and Enrique?" tinanong niya ako. I nodded at him in response.

"Nathan tried to take over my body and a whole new being came out of me."

"Yeah. I remember...Parang nawala ka na." Sagot ko sa kanya.

"I was gone. When you stabbed me, we both got thrown in an 'in-between'. Our souls split and he got sucked in one side..." his eyes looked very sad, at parang hindi niya masabi sa akin kung ano talaga ang nangyari kay Nathan pero parang alam ko na kung ano yung tinutukoy niya.