Project LOKI ③

Chapter 41: The Drama Queen V (Epilogue)

LORELEI

IT WAS a long way home from Black Dahlia hotel. Due to the accident last night, the traffic moved slowly at the intersection. Ilang oras din kaming na-stuck dito. I can't help but remember the traffic woes in EDSA when I was still living in the metro.

Despite settling our issues, tahimik kaming tatlo sa loob ng sasakyan. Hugh and Munroe tried to break the ice and engage us in a conversation, but we only gave them lazy replies. They must have felt that something was off.

Seated beside me, Jamie was unusually silent, her dreamy eyes looking at the green scenery outside. For two or three times, she attempted to talk to me, but she must have read the mood. Tahimik na lang siyang nakatulala at pinagmamasdan ang mga nalalampasan naming puno at kapatagan.

Loki and Luthor were unsurprisingly quiet. Not once did they utter a word. Back at the hotel, after our club had a "heart-to-heart" talk, Luthor returned to our unit and went straight to his room. Despite him being the catalyst for us to hold a dialogue, he did not ask how our conversations went through. He did not want to get himself involved.

The eerie atmosphere inside the van was enough to tell everyone inside that there was an issue brewing. Everything was settled already, so what was the problem?

Yes, I have forgiven Loki and Jamie as I tried to understand the motivations behind their actions. But going back to the way everything used to be might take some time. Forgiveness doesn't equate to forgetting all wrongdoings that a person has done and returning to the status quo in the twinkling of an eye. Saying "I forgive you" is easy. That phrase can be uttered by anyone in any given time. But meaning those words? It may not happen overnight.

Isipin n'yo na lang na ang pagpapatawad ay kagaya ng pagbuhos ng rubbing alcohol sa isang sugat. Lilinisin nga nito ang sugat, ngunit panahon lamang ang makapagsasabi kung kailan ito tuluyang hihilom.

We arrived at the Mendez residence at around four in the afternoon. The facade of their mansion greeted us as the van drove into a subdivision. Their lot was presumably six or eight times larger than the regular houses. I never pried into Loki's life so I had no idea how well off they are. Meron silang mansyon, meron din silang mga sasakyan. And yet, Loki still chose to rent a small apartment unit a few blocks away from school.

The van stopped in front of the steps of the Mendez mansion. Hugh and Munroe helped us carry our baggages. Tanaw ko mula sa sasakyan na nakaabang na si Sir Odinaire sa may entrance. One of his eyes was looking straight while the other was staring down on us. His steel cane helped him project a strong stature.

"Man, it feels like ages since I last all of you!" he greeted us as we climbed the steps leading to the porch. "I hope you enjoyed your short trip."

Nilagpasan lang siya nina Loki at Luthor na diretsong pumasok sa loob. Kami naman ni Jamie, sandaling tumigil sa harap ni Sir Odinaire para magmano. He seemed pleased by that gesture of respect.