ABDUCTED (De Varga Series #1)

Kabanata 42

2:55 AM

Hindi ako noon dumikit o sumama kay Hendrix habang nasa labas na kami. I made use of the crowd to hide myself from him. Subalit kahit na gaano pa akong magtago sa likod ng mga naglalakihang mga taong ito, nahahanap at nahahanap pa rin ako ng mga umaapoy niyang mga mata.

Mag-isa lamang ito sa gilid habang may hawak na isang bote ng inuming nakakalasing. Mag-isang nakasandal sa isang nakaparadang sasakyan habang ang matamang tingin ay hindi naaalis sa akin.

Sina Luke at ang iba pa ang kasama ko sa aming mesa. Nalalayo rin si Gavin sa amin na siyang nasa kabilang mesa kasama ang iba. Hindi ko naman alam kung talaga bang nagkataon lang na sa tuwing napupunta ang tingin ko sa kaniya ay nakatingin din siya sakin o talagang kanina niya pa ako pinapanood.

Binalik kong muli ang tingin kay Hendrix, and one sip from his bottle and his Adam's Apple sexily moved upward and down. Kahit na may kalayuan ako noon ay malinaw iyon sa akin. Sinadya ko siyang irapan. Akala niya ba nakakalimutan ko na ang ginawa niya kanina? Manigas siya diyan!

"Athena, nag-away na naman ba kayo ni Hendrix?" pagsasalita ni Luke.

Sandali akong pinag-initan ng mukha sa kaniyang biglaang tinanong. Mabilis kong pinilig ang ulo.

"Bakit ba nandiyan 'yang lalaking 'yan?" daing ko, "Tawagin niyo nga. Huling araw na nga lang nila rito ayaw niya pang makisama. Sa labas ko na talaga papatulugin 'yang bossing niyo."

Tumawa sila sa nakabusangot kong pagrereklamo. But they didn't agree with me or anything. Wala ring lumakad para puntahan siya. Not that I expect them to, but there is just this satisfied look on their faces, like they're not anymore surprised about his actions.

"Don't worry about it, Athena. He is not being like that," wika ni Jason.

"We've done this before, too. Magsasalu-salo rito sa labas, para magsaya, magdiwang, para mas maging malapit lang sa isa't isa. And whenever we do this, he is always like that, sitting or just alone somewhere while watching everyone," dugtong ni Rey sa kaniya.

That made me look at Hendrix again. And I caught him looking at everyone first before turning his gaze to me. He wasn't drinking anymore, nasa lupa na sa gilid niya ang boteng iniinom.

"At first we didn't understand, too. Si Gavin lang ang pinakanakakakilala sa kapatid niya at siya lang din ang nakakaalam ng ibig sabihin ng mga ginagawa ni Hendrix na kahit minsan ay hindi namin makuha-kuha. Like that."

Tumitig silang anim kay Hendrix. Hendrix became somehow flustered and showed them his threatening glares.

"He is counting us." As Karl was saying that, there is this sorrowful light glistening in his eyes.

"Have I mentioned that we usually do this salu-salo every after a fight or after we lose someone among us?" And though he is smiling, something between his lips is telling me that it wasn't genuine.

"Don't get us wrong. We don't celebrate their deaths. Instead, we honor them, we offer a toast for them, and that we vow to never let their death be in vain."

Ginala ko ang paningin sa aming paligid. Indeed, though there are drinks everywhere, though everyone here is drinking, it wasn't noisy. The night is solemn and everyone here appear to be in their earnest state tonight. At hindi iyon dahil huling gabi na lamang ng iba rito, o dahil huling beses na lamang nilang magagawa ito, o dahil mamamaalam na sila sa isa't isa pagkatapos ng gabing ito.

They are gathered here for another reason.

"He has witnessed everyone dying before his eyes. He has seen them take their last breath with him being unable to save any of them. For us, losing someone here is sad. But for him, I couldn't even fathom what it must be like."