Lovely Ever After

Kabanata 105

Kabanata 105

Nang imulat ko ang aking mga mata ay hindi malinaw ang aking nakikita, I let my sight adjust to the light, when I did, everything was clear again. Tinignan ko ang paligid at ang unang nakita ko ay ang mukha ni Alexander.

"Yo." He grinned.

Ako naman ay napabangon bigla, "asan ako?"

"One of the cabins of my ship." Sagot niya.

Bigla kong naalala ang lahat ng nangyari, how did I end here?

"You must be thinking about what happened, well, I killed the old man who is the head of the organization, Defenders of Justice is no more, and yes, I saved your sorry ass." Saad niya, prente siyang umupo sa gilid ng kama.

"Where are my men?"

"Outside, resting."

"Thank you." Ngumiti ako kay Alexander, namula naman ang pisngi niya at agad siyang umiling.

"There's nothing to thank me for, I'm just doing what I must do."

"No, you saved me, kaya naman salamat."

He nodded, "anyways, there is this guy claiming to be Liham Silician, I don't know." May pinakita siyang isang device, iyon ang device na ginamit ni Castro upang manipulahin si Liham!

It seems like Alexander knew I know what it is, kaya naman binigay na lang niya ito nang walang sinasabi, "it's nice having a truce with you, Safira."

"True." I gave him a smile. "Where is he?"

"Nasa labas din, seems like he is the real mafia boss of the mafia you're handling."

"Yes, he is." Sagot ko.

"Kanina ka pa niya binabantayan, pero lumabas muna siya para magpahangin." Ramdam ko ang mabilis na pagtibok ng aking puso, tumayo na ako, napahawak naman ako sa pader nang nakaramdam ako ng panghihina.

"Don't push yourself, tawagan ko na lang siya."

Umiling ako. "I can do it."

Naglakad ako palabas ng cabin at pataas sa sundeck, mula roon ay nakita ko ang isang pamilyar na pigurang nakatalikod sa akin at kasalukuyang nakikipag-usap sa mga tauhan, humigpit ang hawak ko sa device na nagmamanipula sa kanya, he's alive. Tinago ko ang device sa aking bulsa.

"Liham..."

It seems like he heard me, lumingon siya, nang nakita niya ako ay sinuklian niya ako ng ngiti, wala sa sarili akong tumakbo palapit sa kanya at niyakap siya.

"Liham, you're alive..." I cried. "Tell me, what happened that day? Noong sumabog ang bomba kasama si Stella?"

"She changed her mind in the last minute, she cut off her arm and made me run for my life. Kaya naman nakalayo agad ako, but the impact of the bomb was too much and I was blown off to the sea, I drowned..."

"S-So, you really died?"

"I don't know." Pinikit ni Liham ang kanyang mata, "basta noong nagising na lang ako ay puro puti ang aking nakikita. It made me insane, Yomi. I didn't know if I was alive or dead, if it was heaven or hell, or not. All I wanted was you, I've been stuck there for a month and it seems that I am being controlled."

Nanatili pa rin kaming nakayakap sa isa't isa, "Yomi, I've never been so afraid in my entire life." Tumingin siya sa paligid, "let's go talk to somewhere more private."

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at hinila ako papunta sa rooftop ng cabin ng barko, we sat down, letting our feet hang on the edge of the cabin, watching the blue sea and the blue sky.

Malakas ang hanging naglalaro sa aking buhok, I let it and focused on Liham's face, I feel so happy.

He can't be dead.

He's alive.

I confirmed it. He is warm, his heart beats too, dahil nakasandal ang aking ulo sa kanyang dibdib. He is more than alive.

"Liham, ano ang ibig mong sabihin noong sinabi mo na... your life's short?" Tanong ko habang nakamasid lang sa kalmadong alon ng dagat, mula sa malayo ay natanaw ko rin ang iba pang mga barko.

"I had a rare disease, Yomi. Mabilis lang akong magkasakit. My immune system is weak, when I had a checkup with Mr. Racadio three years ago, sinabi niya sa akin na may sakit ako, something science can never explain. That my life is limited."

Hindi ako umimik, tahimik lang ako na nakikinig sa kanya.

He encircled his arm around my waist, sinandal niya ang ulo niya sa aking balikat, "but I know now... I can be controlled with the device on your pocket, right?"

Bumilis ang pintig ng aking puso, he knows?!

"I'm a robot, right?!" His voice cracked.

"Liham, no, you're not a robot. You're a human, you have a heart, you have your emotions, and you're not artificial. Don't say that."

"I don't know, Yomi. If something goes wrong, don't hesitate to kill me, okay? I know I'm unstable right now, Yomi. I know that. I might end up like my sister..."

"Liham, ano ba ang pinagsasabi mo..."

Sobrang sakit lang na marinig ang mga katagang iyon mla sa kanya, I can never bring myself to kill him no matter what he becomes. No. I can't.

"Basta lagi mong tatandaan na mahal na mahal kita, mahal ko kayo nina Levitrei at Levitrish." He gave me a smile, the same smile he gave me when he was seconds away from death.

"Liham, I can't promise you that, hindi ko kaya na patayin ang taong mahal ko, even if he becomes someone he isn't."

"You have to, one day, Yomi. You must. For your safety and for the safety of our kids."

Tinulak ko siya dahil sa sobrang inis, nagmistulang may mga sariling buhay ang aking mga luha na tumutulo, "paano ang pangarap nating dalawa, Liham?!"

"Yomi, listen to me..."

"Liham, hindi ba't magpapakasal pa tayo? Hindi't magkakaanak pa tayo ng isa? Hindi ba't sabay tayong tatanda at magkakaroon pa tayo ng apo? Liham, don't be like that, hahanapin natin ng gamot kung ano man ang nangyari sa iyo, we will solve everything! Just don't fucking leave me! Dalawang beses mo na akong iniwan, Liham! I don't want history to repeat itself again because I fucking love you! I love you to the point that I'm afraid I might lose you, because I gave myself to you, Liham, and losing you means losing myself."

Nanginig ang aking mga kamay, tumayo si Liham at niyakap ako, "I'm sorry, Yomi. I wasn't thinking."

Humikbi lang ako, sinuksok ko ang mukha ko sa kanyang dibdib habang patuloy pa rin sa pag-iyak.

"Please, don't leave me again, please, promise me."

But he remained quiet.