The Stranger's Charade °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

Chapter Thirty Five: ANGEL

Chances

Hindi ako umuwi sa'min. I stayed in a cheap inn. Aside sa 'yon lang ang makakaya ng budget ko, hindi rin ako mahahanap ng kahit na sino sa lugar na 'to. It was on the second night of my stay when the idea of suicide popped in my head. Kaya bago ko pa magawa 'yon, umalis ako para maglasing para makatulog agad ako pag-uwi.

"Hala, ma'am. Mukhang na-flat 'yong gulong."anunsiyo ng taxi driver. Wait, bakit familiar ang boses nito?

"Oy manong. Ikaw 'yong—ikaw 'yong naghatid sa'kin sa hospital no'ng—"Hindi ko natapos ang sasabihin ko dahil naalala ko si lola.

"Oo nga po. Ikaw nga po 'yon. Hindi ko po kayo namukhaan ma'am. Ang laki ng ipinagbago niyo."sabi pa nito. "E ma'am. Ipapara ko nalang kayo ng taxi kasi wala akong extrang gulong rito. Ipapaayos ko pa 'tong taxi."

"Ah—sige. Sige po."

Pagkakataon nga naman. Ba't siya pumapanig sa'kin ngayon? Dahil alam niyang mag-isa ako? Patawa 'tong tadhanang 'to! Lol! Hindi ko kailangan ang kahit na sino. Kaya kong mag-isa! Tsk. Hindi pa ako nakainom pero nag-aasta na akong lasing.

Teka, ano'ng gagawin ng isang Gary Harrison sa isang hotel? I know it's his car. Business meeting? Alas dos ng umaga? Napasandal ako sa taxi habang minanmanan ang kotse nitong papalabas mula sa mamahaling hotel. Nandito rin kasi ako sa parehong lugar, hindi nga lang bilang customer. Dito lang naman tumirik ang taxi ni Kuyang Driver.

Anak ng! Nakaharang pala kami sa daan at hindi makakalabas ang kotse ng papa ni Zacc. Nagmamadaling bumalik ako sa loob ng taxi nang bumukas ang pinto ng kotse ni Mr. Harrison. I peeked through the tinted glass and I had my heart in my mouth when I saw someone I never expected to see. Using the other door of the taxi, I got out and ran away. I was already inside another cab when I realized I haven't paid the driver yet.

Sorry kuya. Kailangan kong makita ang asawa ko.

"Ba't ka bumalik? Para saktan at paasahin na naman ako?"bungad niya nang pagbuksan ako. He's drunk. Ignoring what he said, I embraced him tightly. "Just leave, Chances. I don't want anybody in my life anymore. Not my stupid father, not even mom. Divina... even you. I just wanted to be alone!"umiiyak na taboy niya sa'kin.

"Zacc, I'm sorry. Hindi ko dapat sinabi lahat ng 'yon. Zacc, gusto ko lang naman na mahalin ka. Paano ko magagawa 'yon kung hindi mo 'ko hahayaan? Isa lang naman ang dapat mong gawin e. Just let go of your past. Hindi kita matutulungang lumimot because in the first place forgetting is impossible. But I will help you move on."

"Tapos na. Ayaw mo na diba? I'm a broken man with masks of perfection! People wanted to live my life thinking it's perfect. You were right. Puno ng pagkukunwari at kasinungalingan ang buhay ko—"

"Zacc. Alam ko na lahat! Now I know why you needed me."sabi ko matapos kunin ang mga kamay niya. "Let's do something right which you should have done long time ago."

"Ano'ng sinasabi mo?"

"Mahal mo ang mama mo diba? Zacc, she deserves to know the truth!"

"Damn it, Chances! It took me two years to protect her from the pain and now you're saying we'll tell her the truth? Wawasakin mo ang buhay niya—"

"Zacchary, gumising ka. It's time to stop all these charades you have in your life. Kahit anong pagtatago mo sa likod ng maskara na 'yan, malalaman at malalaman niya parin ang totoo. Look, you didn't tell me about it but I now knew!"

"Ahhhhh!"sigaw niya at saka pinagtatapon ang mga gamit sa loob ng condo.

"Zacc."

Niyakap ko siya mula sa likuran para patigilin pero sinubukan lang niya akong ipagtulakan. Yet, I was still able to calm him down. I kissed him.

"Chan, paano ko sasabihin kay mama ng hindi siya nasasaktan?"umiiyak na tanong niya habang nakahawak sa magkabilang pisngi ko. "Paano ko sasabihin na kabit ni papa ang babaeng minahal ko?"

Umiiyak na din ako habang pinapatahan ko siya sa balikat ko.

"Mahal na mahal kita Zacc. Sasamahan kita, okay?"

Humigpit ang pagyakap niya sa'kin matapos kong sabihin 'yon. I closed my eyes as I pondered this moment in his arms like as if this will be the last.

"Thank you, Chanchan."bulong niyang nagpadilat sa'kin. "Salamat dahil nandito ka. Salamat dahil mahal mo 'ko. Ngayong wala ng nakatago, pwede na ba kitang mahalin ng buong-buo?"

Hindi ako makapagsalita. Hindi rin maalis-alis sa labi ko ang matamis na ngiting pinipinta niya ro'n. Isang matamis na halik ang sagot ko sa tanong niyang labis na nagpapasaya ngayon ng puso ko.

"Mahal na mahal kita, Chan."

"I love you, babe."I whispered right before he kissed me.

It was a night of kisses and love. But after that, it was a day to face his fear and I made sure he wouldn't feel alone. Nasa garage na kami ng malaking bahay nila ngunit hindi pa bumababa si Zacc. Alam kong kinakabahan siya.

"Zacchary, nandito lang ako sa tabi mo. Hindi kita iiwan."paalala kong nagpangiti sa kanya.

Lumabas kami ng kotse at magkahawak ang mga kamay na pumasok ng bahay. Kinabahan ako dahil sobrang tahimik, 'yong talagang katahimikan na nakakabingi. Zacc seemed to have a mutual feeling since he frowned his forehead and rushed to his mother's room upstairs. Sumunod naman kaagad ako.

"Ma!"

Tita Veronica was on the floor, lying unconscious. Ginigising siya ni Zacc pero hindi ito nagre-respond. May mga nagkalat na sleeping pills sa sahig at hawak ni tita ang lalagyan nito.

"Zacchary, kailangan nating dalhin sa hospital ang mama mo!"

"Kapag may nangyaring masama kay mama, papatayin ko sila!"galit na sambit ni Zacc habang nagmamaneho ng kotse papunta sa hospital.

"Don't say that! Hindi iyan ikakasaya ng mama mo! Walang mangyayari kay tita. She will be fine!"natatarantang tugon ko.

"Sana lang, Chan. Sana lang."umiiyak na anas niya.

I was just so happy that I was right about it. Nagising kami ni Zacc sa tawag ng mama niya at 2 in the morning on the following day we had her confined.

"Ma."he muttered sweetly like a child. "Ma, don't do it again. Iiwan mo 'ko? Ma, hindi ko kaya."

Tita Veronica cried when he did. I was about to get out and give them time but she called me instead. She asked me to stay beside her son.

"I'm sorry, son. Now I realized that if it hurts me this much, how much more it is for you. I would just be happy, maybe, if you could have told me sooner."

"Ma, I love you. Ayokong nasasaktan ka. I already talked to him ma. He promised he'd stop."

"Son, he didn't. He left the house on the day you came and found me."malungkot na kwento niya. "But you're right. My life doesn't just revolve around him. You're here."

"I'm sorry, ma."

"There's nothing to be sorry for honey. Alam mo anak, it's your wife who saved me."sabi nito na nagpakunot ng noo ko. "The night I found out about him and Divina, I dreamt of Chances. I dreamt of her in that hotel, she was crying for a reason that I don't know. She was like an angel in my dream, dressed all white. I don't know but my feet dragged me to the place. Kahit madaling-araw na, pinuntahan ko ang hotel na 'yon. There I saw your dad and Vina, scolding a taxi driver who blocked the driveway."salaysay niyang di ko mapaniwalaan.

So kung hindi ako umalis ng gabing 'yon, magkikita-kita kaming lahat do'n? But about the dream, why is it so weird. Why am I dressed in white like what I used to dream the last few weeks? Does it mean something? Suddenly, I got scared.

"Tita. That was the same night that I found out too."pagtatapat ko. "Kung hindi ako umalis, baka naabutan mo 'ko do'n. Ako 'yong nakasakay sa taxi bago 'yon masiraan."

"You're an angel, Chances. Really, I'm so happy that my son has you in his life. I know you will always be his angel."

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Author's Corner:

Fine, edi kayo na ang may happy-ever-after! Tsk! Hahahha XD Yong author na siya mismo ang kontrabida. Hahaha