WW1 Short Story Contest Entries

(10) Skeletons in the closet

***

"Tell me then, when did this all start?" seryosong saad ng lalaking nakapolong puti, sa upuan nito, habang mahinahong tinatapik ang lapis, sa notebook.

"Well I, never really thought about it, until, last year" buntong hininga ni Ronaldo.

"Go on" tumango ito, nandoon ang sinseridad nitong intindihin ang kanyang sitwasyon, ng makitang nag aalangan siya.

"As I was growing up, being in a very conservative type of family, I never really had the chance, to dwell on it, not until recently" napangiwi na lang siya sa konsensyang naramdaman.

"I see" bahagyang umayos ng upo ang kausap niya, para mas makaharap sa kanya.

Muli na lang napabuntong hininga si Ronaldo "I mean, I know I'm not perfect and all, but" napapikit na lang siya, nang sumaglit sa kanyang isipan ang alaala.

Naroon nanaman ang kakatwa, at hindi niya maintindihan na pakiramdam, para ba siyang kinikiliti, na sinabayan ng kaunting kurot, dahil sa memorya.

"Yes?" tudyo ng kausap, dahil nanatili siyang tahimik.

Muli siyang napahinga ng malalim "Well, I know, this may have been caused by me and my wife not communicating".

Nag angat ito ng kamay, senyas para tumahimik siya, nag ayos na lang ito muli ng upo bago siya pakatitigan ng seryoso.

"Ronaldo, you're changing the subject, ang pinag uusapan natin dito, ay ikaw, hindi ang asawa mo at hindi ang kasal mo".

Napakagat labi na lang siya "I'm sorry".

Bahagya itong ngumiti "Let's start over" pang eenganyo ng lalaki.

"Well, as I said, this feeling started, about a year ago" inalala niya na lang ang mga pangyayari, na para bang kahapon lang iyon.

"As you know, me and my wife are very busy people, I with my business, and her with her teaching" bahagya siyang huminga dahil sa kakaibang hiya na nadarama.

"Because of that we've" natigilan siya ng taasan ng kilay ng kausap "I have hardly had the chance to talk to her".

Dahan dahan ang naging pag sisid niya sa alaala, kahit ilang buwan na ang nakakaraan, para bang unti unti siyang bumabalik sa araw na iyon.

I had a scheduled flight, supposedly the day before, for a business trip. Pero due to some conflicting schedules, kinancel ko iyon and booked it for the next day.

So, that day, sinabi ko iyon sa asawa ko, early in the morning, while we were having our breakfast.

There wasn't anything different from our daily routine. She would kiss me in the cheek, say good bye, before going to work. While I on the other hand would just continue reading my newspaper, until she leaves.

It was already nine, when I decided to get ready, and it was also that time when it happened.

I heard the doorbell rang, nakakapagtaka iyon, since, wala naman akong ineexpect na bisita.

So to my curiousity, I decided na lang to answer it, since nakaka ilang tunog na rin iyong nasa pinto, na para bang nagmamadali.

And, I was surprised to see a student standing there; I think he was around eighteen to nineteen years of age.

He had this very charming shocked look, which added to his baby face, when I opened the door. I'd say medyo na surpresa rin siya, halata iyon sa panlalaki ng mata niya, nang makita akong nakatayo roon.