Chasing Chances.

C30: When All Is Damned!

Writinginnosense © 2014

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Chapter 30

"When All Is Damned!"

KATH'S POV

"Anak, nandito ka na pala." Natigilan ako sa narinig kong boses. Anak?

Kinakabahan man ay sinilip ko ang nasa loob, hawak-hawak niya ang kamay ng isang babae na nasa kama at naka-hospital gown, nakangiti siya habang nakatingin kay Jessica, nanlaki ang mga mata ko, namanhid ang mga kamay ko, parang nawalan ng buto ang mga paa ko, natutuyo ang lalamunan ko, napakapit ako sa frame ng pinto kundi sigurado akong mapapadausdos ako sa pinto not because I'm imitating some cliché scene from a movie, that stupid cliché scene that was really happening before my eyes.

Walang nasa Ohio o Tokyo.

"P-popsee."

At agad na tumulo ang luha sa mga mata ko ng ma-realize ko kung ano ba talaga ang kahulugan ng nakita ko.

Agad na napalingon sa akin si popsee na nanlalaki ang mga mata, nabitawan niya ang pagkakahawak niya sa kamay ng babaeng nasa kama, with oxygen tank beside her but nonetheless she's awake. Maging ito ay nanlalaki ang mga mata, maging si Jessica na nabitawan ang hawak na plastik. Tuluy-tuloy ang mga luha sa pagtulo nito.

"A-anak..." Nagpanting ang tenga ko sa sinabi ni...niya na itinawag niya sa akin.

Ito ba ang dahilan kung bakit galit na galit si Jessica sa akin? Pero bakit siya pa ang may ganang magalit? Ako pa ba ang nang-agaw ng pamilya?

Humakbang siya papalapit sa akin pero naging instinct ko na yata na biglang gumalaw ng kusa ang mga paa ko at agad akong tumalikod sa kanya, ang sakit na nararamdaman ko kanina sa mga pinagsasasabi nila ay mas dumoble sa natuklasan ko.

Hindi ko alam kung saan na ako patungo, agad akong tumakbo palabas ng ospital, buti na lang, this is a hospital that I know. Agad akong pumara ng taxi kahit rinig na rinig ko ang malakas na tawag niya sa likod ko, pakiramdam ko wala na akong makita, sobrang bigat na ng mata ko, gusto kog magpahinga pero sumasakit lang lalo ang ulo ko.

Agad kong sinabi kay manong ang bahay namin. Great! Now that I'm lamenting everything that happened in this single day, first, na-kidnap ako, and for starters, I wish I had tons of kidnap rather than hear someone you cared so much, and maybe liked so much even agaisnt hundred impossibilities, someone you've helped not even showing any decency to thank me for doing so, Ulyssis getting beat up because of me which brought him in the hospital, Maria who've got the nerve to ignore us, after all the things I've done for her, this thing. And oh, the climax isn't that yet, because I found out that my dad that was supposed to be in Ohio or Tokyo or I don't care where he was supposed to be is at the same hospital as me, holding another someone's hand, and calling another pathetic girl "anak" that means only one thing, hindi lang ako o kami ang pamilya ni daddy. How could he? Mom needs to know about this.

Agad akong nagbayad pagkarating sa tapat ng bahay namin, I don't know how I'm able to tell the taxi driver the directions well, but I don't care. Agad akong lumabas ng taxi at pumasok ng bahay, halos hindi ko na makita ang dinadaanan ko dahil siguro sa luha at namumuo pa, I shouldn't forget this day, this is my crying day. Syete!!

"Momsee!! Momsee!!" Sigaw ko pagkapasok ko pa lang, nagmamadaling lumabas si Kuya Zeek galing sa kwarto niya pababa sa living room. "O anong meron? Bakit umiiyak ka? Namamaga na mata mo oh? Bakit may cast ka? May gasgas ka pa?" Lumapit siya sa akin. Shortly, lumabas din si momsee sa kitchen na agad naman akong nilapitan. "Anak, what's wrong? Napano ka?" Agad na tumakbo si momsee na may concerned look sa mukha niya.

I was about to open my mouth when an engine died sa tapat ng bahay namin, binuksan naman nila yaya yung gate at hindi ko na naituloy pa ang sasabihin ko ng makita kong magmaterialize si dad palabas ng sasakyan, running.

"Anak..." Finally, I found my voice.

"M-momsee, d-dad was never in Ohio or Tokyo or anywhere. I saw him at the hospital, holding an old woman's hand and calling my classmate anak. He has another family mom." Pag-aanunsyo ko, mahirap na ipapaalam ko ito kay momsee but she needed to know it. This will set her free from dad's lies. Napayuko si dad pero nagulat ako...dahil tumahimik lang, nakaharap ako kay dad so I wasn't able to see mom's reaction and now I'm afraid to do so pero sadyang traydor lang ang ulo ko at agad akong napalingon. She wasn't saying anything, she wasn't shock either, she's just not looking at me, same can be said about my brother...

My heart started to pound harder, as if it can pound any harder. Hindi ko na napigilan ang mga paa ko, kusa na akong natumba sa sahig.

"Anak!!" My mom tried to fetch me but as if on cue, I brush her hand away from my shoulder. Napatingin ako sa sahig na sobrang puti as if it was the only thing that I could see clearly. My tears went down na para bang inipon talaga para sa pagkakataong ito. I don't want to say it pero ayun na ang sinisigaw ng sitwasyon.

"Y-you knew about these?" I found my voice again, but this time it's sturdier, mas matalas pa nga. Napatingin ako kala momsee na nakatingin din sa akin, pinilit kong tumayo, and it turn out to be so harsh na natabig ko ang vase sa tuntungan nito.

But no one spoke, suddenly mom tried to hold me again. "Anak--"

"You knew about these?!!" My voice go several octaves higher like intended to. "KATHERINE!!" Kuya Zeek shouted but I glared at him. "Shut up!!! You knew about these? And you didn't tell me? You're all conspiring against me!!"

"Anak, sasabihin din namin sa'yo kaso..." My mom trailed off, I knew it. She doesn't really know convenient reason, hindi nila pinaghandaan ang pagkakataon na mangyayari ito. That means they don't have any plans at all. Napatahimik ako sandali bago magsalita at humarap kay dad.

"Just so you know, today I was kidnap for helping Jessica's cousin, and when they called him, he just spit insults about me, Ulyssis got beat up heavily so that sent at the hospital. You know what, I was being bullied by Jessica and her friends, they throw things at me, they call me names, and that's okay, kahit hindi ko alam kung bakit sobrang galit sa akin si Jessica, but now I know." Napasinghap si momsee sa sinabi ko, nanlaki ang mga mata ni dad, tumalikod na ako at hindi na nagsalita pa. Kuya Zeek called my name, but I'm too tired to speak, hindi ko pa nasasabi sa mom ni Ulyssis, and were having our quiz bee bukas, pagkapasok ko sa kwarto ay agad ko itong ni-lock. Napahiga agad ako sa kama.

Sobrang napagod ang katawan ko but I don't know what to do at all. Kahit gusto kong pumikit, hindi ako makatulog, wala ng luha, I can't remember when did it stop, but my heart, thi was beyond what I've expected, halos hindi ako makahinga sa bigat na nararamdaman ko...

And before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep with my mind replaying all the misfortunes that happened all at once this day.