Sad to Belong

Chapter 11

"Lé! How are you?" sigaw ni Saige palabas sa isang cottage at tuloy-tuloy lang ito sa pagtakbo para yakapin si Zayelee.

"I'm fine. This place looks so beautiful." she replied habang nakatingin sa kanyang dalawang kuya na ngayo'y papalapit sa kanila.

"It is. You look well taken care of." Nakangiting puna ni Saige, tila nang-aasar. Tumawa nalang siya sa sinabi nito at hinampas ang kaibigan.

"Hey Zaye! Musta ka na? I see you've met our friend, Esquivel. Where is he?" tanong ng kanyang kuya E.J saka siya hinagkan.

"I'm fine. Bukol lang 'yun kuya. I left him at the counter of the bar. Maybe he's still there." Malumanay niyang sagot bago kumalas sa pagkakayakap rito saka umalis para hanapin ang kaibigan. Lumapit naman ang kanyang kuya Blaise sa gitna nila ni Saige at inakbayan siya saka ginulo ng kaunti ang kanyang buhok.

"I know you're tougher than that." Nakangiting sabi ni Blaise. Tiningnan ni Zayelee ng palihim ang kaibigang si Saige to see her reaction now that her brother's standing pretty close to her.

"Uhm, Lé, maybe we should check our cottage out." Nagkatinginan ang magkakapatid saka lihim na napangiti sa inasta ni Saige.

"Yeah sure! See you later kuya. Magpapahinga lang kami."

"Is there something wrong with you and kuya Blaise?" hindi na napigilang itanong ni Zayelee sa kaibigan. They're currently taking some rest in their shared cottage. May kalakihan naman ito kaya't napagkasunduan nalang nilang magsama. Hindi nila maintindihan kung bakit sa laki nitong isla ay nakuha nilang bayaran ang side na ito gayong tatlong araw lang naman sila mananatili rito.

"No. Wala. Bakit mo naman natanong?"

"Hmm...I don't know. Maybe because I saw you blush when he stood next to you kanina. And the unexplainable awkwardness between you two?"

"You're imagining things Lé. You know I'm talking to one of his best friends." Paliwanag nito saka nag-umpisang magbihis.

"Of course I do. Do you ever feel something about him? You can tell me you know. Hindi ko naman sasabihin sa kuya ko."

"I know you won't but it's me. I just... don't understand." Saige was obviously struggling with her feelings. Baka naman nalilito lamang siya sa nararamdaman niya sa kuya niya o sa kaibigan nito pero how can she have feelings for her brother? She never saw them talk or even bonded to build something...

"Anong hindi mo maintindihan? 'Yung nararamdaman mo?" Zayelee stood up and tried comforting her best friend. She knows how it feels like to have no one. "Matagal mo na ba 'tong hindi sinasabi sakin?"

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet Lé. Pwede bang saka na pag naiintindihan ko na?"

"Oo naman. I understand." Tipid niyang tugon saka ginawaran niya ng yakap ang kaibigan.

"By the way, enough with me. There is something you're not telling me." Kinabahan si Zayelee sa sinabi ng kaibigan. Ganito na ba talaga siya ka-transparent sa kanila? Ano nalang ang sasabihin niya? She feels guilty for not telling it to her ngunit masisisi ba niya siya?

"It's about me and Kean, Saige." Zayelee sighed and finally admitted. Just saying his name slowly hurts her inside. Hindi siya dapat ganiyo ka-apektado sa lalaking iyon na kahit pagsambit palang ng pangalan niya ay sobra na ang sakit na nararamdaman niya.

"Oh Zaye. What happened?" naga-alalang tanong nito saka hinagod ang likuran ng kaibigan.

"You remember when I told you that I was ready to tell him how I really feel for him? Well, 'nung araw na I was ready to tell him all that, I saw him kissing another girl." She tried to be brave but she failed. Before she realised it, tears started falling from her eyes. "I don't know what to do Saige. I..."

"Shhh... you'll find a way out of this Lé. That fvcking jerk will get his karma back. How dare he hurt you? And do you even know who that bitch was? Does she even know he's going out with you? How dare he!" sunod-sunod na reklamo ni Saige na para bang siya ang biktima ng sitwasyon. If this was another day, Zayelee would be laughing her ass off because she sounded like her mother. But, that's what best friends do.

"I don't know who she is Saige. At hindi ko rin alam kung alam ba ng babaeng 'yun ang tungkol sakin. I mean...ano nga ba kami Saige? Why did I let myself settle to that kind of arrangement?" tears kept on falling from her eyes at tila ayaw nitong tumigil sa kakatulo. Bakit hanggang ngayon ay hindi ito gumagawa ng paraan para makita man lang siya o para kausapin siya gayong ilang araw na silang hindi nagkakausap?

"Zaye, you were just trying to get to know him better. Getting to know someone is not easy... kumbaga, pinapakiramdaman mo muna siya. You were probably thinking that you wanted to get to know him as much as you can before you completely let him in to your life and then when you were finally ready to fess up, you saw him kissing another girl...which really, really sucks." Maybe Saige is right. Baka pina-delay niya lang ang lahat dahil gusto niya itong kilalanin ng mas mabuti ngunit baka hindi na ito makapag-antay pa. Na baka he was ready to break her heart that day and she really was meant to see him kissing another girl. What a joke.

"Maybe you're right but it's okay. I mean, not entirely but look at the brightside. Mabuti ng mas maaga kong nalaman to minimise the pain, right? And I know I can do this! I'll get over him Saige. Just give me time. I can play better than him." Mahinahon niyang pangungumbinsi sa kaibigan pati na rin sa sarili niya kahit pa na kakagaling niya lang sa kakaiyak.

"No. You won't be playing any games Lé. You will move on. You'll take your time!"

"I will move on and show him that I never was affected by him Saige. That's the kind of game I was talking about."

"Now that's my best friend." Saige hugged her best friend and comforted her, telling she's gonna be okay. Kahit siya ay hindi makapaniwala sa ginawa ni Kean sa best friend niya matapos nitong paniwalain si Zayelee na may pagtingin siya rito. Zayelee never kept anything from her when it comes to their conversations and she never even doubt everything of it. If only she didn't fell for it like her best friend did then maybe napigilan niya ang kaibigan. The least thing she wants, is for her best friend to be hurt by a jerk. Nothing more sucks than when you're ready to tell someone you love them and before you do so, they have already broken your heart. "Nasabi mo na ba 'to sa mga kuya mo, Lé?"

"No I haven't Saige. Please don't tell them yet." She pleaded.

"Of course I won't. It's not my story to tell."

"Thank you Saige. Thank you for being here and for listening to me. I really appreciate it."