Once Again

Chapter 17

Rowana's POV

I felt relieved after seeing Sargent got out of the jail.

Mabuti na lang at dumating agad ang abogado niya at napatunayang wala siyang ginawang mali. Agad na napawalang bisa ang kaso dahil nagsalita rin ako.

Alam kong maya-maya lang darating sa tenga ng mga magulang ko ang balitang ito. At wala na akong pake kung magalit pa sila dahil sawa na ako sa kanila.

Lumabas ako ng walk-in closet ng kwarto ni Sargent at inilapag sa ibabaw ng kama ang mga bago niyang damit. Naupo ako sa gilid ng kama at nag-isip.

Nagpaplano kasi akong layasan na ng tuluyan ang mga magulang ko. Kaso,marami pa akong gustong malaman mula sa kanila eh. May mga bagay pa akong gusto kong masagot nila.

Katulad na lang ng mga bagay na nalaman ko mula kay Sargent.

I wonder if it's all true and they knew about it.

If ever they knew,then it'll be a big help! But I have this feeling that they'll never ever tell me; that they will lie and tell me fake stories that never ever happened to my past in real life.

Bumuntong hininga ako at nahiga sa malapad na kama.

"Ano ba talagang paniniwalaan ko? Letseng buhay 'to." pagka-usap ko sa sarili.

"Hey..." Napaangat ako ng tingin kay Sargent na kakalabas palang ng banyo. "Are you okay?" he looks worrying so much.

I was silent for seconds,hesitating. But then,I honestly replied to him. "I'm not."

He began to dry his hair using a towel while asking. "Why? What's wrong?"

I sighed again. "My life is so confusing. Am I the only person who have two kinds of pasts?"

Tumigil si Sargent sa pagtutuyo ng buhok niya at mataman akong tiningnan. "Babe,you only have one past. The other one is made up."

"How can you tell?"

"Dahil parte ako ng nakaraan mo. And I already gave you proofs,right?" Yeah,the pictures,our relationship and the stories. "How about them? Your fake parents? Do they have proofs?"

Napakunot ako ng noo. Proofs?

Naupo ako sa kama at nag-angat ng tingin kay Sargent. "You have a point. Maliban sa pictures ko noong college ako,puro pictures na lang nila mommy at daddy ang nakikita ko sa bahay." Mas lumalim pa ang gatla ng noo ko. "Is that why they hate it whenever I'm asking them about our old photo albums—"

"Wait,did they told you that you were adopted?"

I chuckled my but no humor. "Sargent,huwag mo ng dagdagan pa ng mga nakakalitong tanong ang isip ko dahil punong-puno na."

Saglit na nag-bihis muna si Sargent at naupo sa tabi ko. He looked at my intently. "Look,the adoption is true—"

"Dahil ba 'to sa tsismis na kumalat noon na sinabi ni Mommy?"

He shook his head. "Listen,Rowana. I know you very well and they don't."

"How can you say so?"

Kumunot ang noo niya. "Hindi mo pa rin ba ako pinaniniwalaan?"

"How can I?"

"Ako 'tong may pruweba pero hindi ako yung pinaniniwalaan mo. Bakit? Hindi mo pa rin ba ako pinagkakatiwalaan?"

I sighed. "Sargent,my parents are with me since I was a kid—"

"You're not their f-cking daughter!" napapitlag ako sa pag-sigaw niya. I can see that he's already frustrated. "All of this is just a show! They're f-cking pretending!" He frustratedly sighed and combed his hair. Nagmamakaawang tiningnan niya ako. "Rowana,you've been living in this lies. You've been living in a show and all of those things you're believing in were lies. They're controlling you... just like a puppet. Can't you see that?"