Fist & Pearl (Ursula State Series, 1)

Kabanata 15

Kabanata 15
Taking Punches

HAVE you ever seen the worst that is yet to come? As if you are this ignorant deer, glued in the middle of the high way. Staring at the bright headlights of a truck that is coming. You are actually seeing the light. You know what's in front of you but you can not move even a muscle, because you are stuck. And that is even the worst, when you know what much worst is coming and you don’t have a hand to stop or prevent it from happening.

That is exactly me. I am that deer.

That is the situation I faced, exactly when I went underground with Halle.

Noong una, I am this shining bright kid, when I saw who’s on the Underground Cage. It was more frightening than Cage above. The chain-link fence is taller, meeting the ceiling, and I could swear I could see bits of currents running through each wire, just that they aren’t that visible enough. And I swore, that anyone who would be thrown flat on the chain-link fence, or kahit madikit lang kapag naglalaban, mako-kuryente agad. Kulay puti ang sahig ng Cage, dahilan upang kitang-kita ang dugong inilalabas ng mga naglalaban. It was too bloody.

And then, I found out his condition in there. I wished I didn’t accept the invitation, sana si Harold na lamang ang pinanood ko sa match niya. But I can’t stop thinking about Warren and the Underground.

As soon as Warren’s eyes found mine from the crowd that is yelling his opponent’s name, I was that deer in front of the oncoming truck. He was staring straight at me.

Staring with shock all over his face. Probably wondering how did I get here, and what am I doing here, and how did I know it’s his Fight Night.

That’s when I saw his opponent’s fist coming. Hindi ako nakapagsalita. Bumagsak lang ang jaw ko, at tila itinakbo ng pusa ang aking dila. Hindi ako makasigaw upang balaan siyang makakascore sa kaniya ang kalaban.

And his opponent did punch him on his left jaw.

Hard.

I saw how he threw blood from his mouth the moment his opponent’s fist came crushing his jaw.

Napahiga si Warren sa sahig ng Cage. Nakita ko kung paano unang bumagsak sa puti at duguang sahig ang kaniyang mukha. Nakapikit na ang mga mata niya. At saka naghiyawan ang mga taong nasa paligid ko. Animo’y hindi si Warren ang kanilang pinunta kundi ang kalaban nito.

“Well, well!” sambit ng isang babae sa microphone. Iba ang announcer sa underground. Isang babaing may pulang buhok. Puno ng glitters ang kaniyang mukha, tapos ay makakapal ang puckered lips niya. Nakabihis siya ng slim night gown na kualy pula rin, at kumikinang sa gilid ng Cage. Para siyang isang nagdudugong bituin sa langit.

“It looks to me like ‘The Cerberus’ is unravelling!” sambit ng kaniyang labi sa megaphone na hawak niya.

It made me flinched. She was no fan of Warren. She’s sounding like a pleased demon, for announcing that Warren may lose his game.

Nag-angat agad ng kaniyang ulo si Warren, pero hindi niya nilabanan ang kalaban. Fixed ang kaniyang titig sa akin. Hindi pa rin siya makapaniwalang nandito ako sa laban niya. Namamaga na ang isa niyang mata, at nagdudugo ang bibig at ilong niya. Napakagat ako sa ibabang labi ko, pinipigilan ang sarili kong umiyak.

Mula sa likod ay hinila ng kaniyang kalaban ang kaniyang buhok upang iangat siya at patayuin.

Napasigaw ng malakas si Warren, pero hindi siya pumalag. Tila tinatanggap niya ang bawat ibinibigay sa kaniya ng kalaban.

Napakagat ako sa aking ibabang labi ng mas madiin. Hindi ko gusto ang nakikita ko. Nagsisimula nang mangulap ang mga luha sa mga mata ko. I should be enjoying this. I should be cheering with the crowd dahil nakikita ko siyang nasasaktan—nagbabayad sa ginawa niya sa akin.