Death Trap Pandemonium (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The Lament for the Lost

November 12, 2015; Thursday
Santa Filomena Public Cemetery

It had been more than a week since they were rescued from the retreat house. For Ailee, it had been more than a week of staring at the ceiling of her hospital room. A week of pondering and planning the next course of her life. A week of mourning the deaths of her friends. And now, she was sitting between Marelo and Cess, watching the priest go on and on about the funeral rites. Everyone who died at the retreat house-except Gregg, Isabela, and Jean-were being buried together.

Ngunit tila hindi rin naman naririnig ni Ailee ang mga tinuturan ng pari. Hindi pa siya handang tanggapin na kailangan niya nang magpaalam sa mga kaibigan niya. And so, for a brief moment, her mind went back to a happier memory of when she first regained consciousness in the hospital.

Nagising si Ailee na may humahaplos sa kanyang buhok. Her eyes darted towards the owner of the soft touch and was met with solemn green eyes gazing down at her.

"You were unconscious for two days. Mabuti na lang at hindi nagkaroon ng komplikasyon sa surgery," sabi nito. Bakas ang pag-aalala sa malumanay nitong boses. "I was so worried when we got the call, sestrichka¹."

For a moment, Ailee didn't speak and simply gazed at the face that looked so much like her own. Bahagya siyang napangiti nang mapansin niya ang highlights sa buhok nito na katulad ng estilo ng buhok ng kanilang ina bago ito pumanaw. She glanced at the thick Psychology textbook that laid open on her hospital bed and grinned at her twin.

"Finally decided on a course to pursue, huh?" she teased, though her voice was still hoarse. Kunot-noo niyang sinubukang hawakan ang kanyang lalamunan ngunit napadaing siya nang kumirot ang kanyang kamay na naka-benda.

How the fuck am I going to write if Gregg fucking broke my hand? Hindi niya maiwasang matawa na iyon talaga ang unang pumasok sa kanyang isipan.

Shalee looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or hit her. "Can you not joke right now? May masakit ba sa 'yo? Huwag ka muna kasing gumalaw," litanya nito. "Huwag kang mag-alala. Pinatawag ko na kay Giovanni ang doktor."

"Kuya Giovanni," Ailee corrected her automatically.

Umirap lamang si Shalee at umiling. "Tatawagin ko lang ulit siyang Kuya if he would stop being such an asshole to you."

"We can't exactly blame him," Ailee reminded her twin. "Alam natin pareho kung bakit."

Iritadong bumuntong-hininga si Shalee. "Yeah. But he's such an ass. He won't even listen when I try to explain to him." Muli itong naupo sa kanyang upuan sa tabi ng hospital bed ni Ailee at hinawakan ang kamay nitong hindi naka-benda.

"I'm sorry, Ailee. I should have known better. Dapat hindi na ako pumayag na umabot pa sa ganito. I should have listened to Kuya Giovanni and sent you off to Spain with Papá as soon as-" She trailed off and sighed. "Hindi ka na sana napahamak pa."

"Alam mo namang kahit na pumayag ka, hindi ako basta-bastang aalis," sagot ni Ailee. They both knew she was the stubborn twin. "I don't take kindly to sudden change. And I didn't want to be separated from you again."

"But is staying with me really worth always having your life at risk?"

Malungkot na napangiti si Ailee. "Pagkatapos ng nagawa kong kasalanan sa 'yo? I'd say making it up to you is worth anything." Muli siyang napatingin sa textbook na nasa kama niya. "If it weren't for me, you'd already have graduated with that brain of yours. It's my fault you lost a good part of your life."