Into The Future

Chapter Thirteen

"LASING ka lang kagabi. Sasabihin ko kay Sarah na nagkamali ka lang." Nag-eensayo si Armaign ng kaniyang sasabihin kay Drenz kinaumagahan. Hindi siya nakatulog dahil buong gabi siyang kinain ng kaniyang konsensiya sa nangyari. Palaisipan pa din sa kaniya kung bakit hinayaan niyang halikan siya nito, at matagal bago siya kumalas sa hawak nito. Nevertheless, napagdesisyunan ni Armaign na kausapin si Drenz. She's partly at fault for what happened because she had lost her sensibility to break free. Kaya aaminin niya kay Sarah ang nangyari kagabi, at handa siyang saluhin ang galit nito. Naglakad siya patungo sa silid ng binata. Magkatabi lang ang kwarto nila sa manor.

Sinuri niya ang sariling repleksiyon sa cellphone na hawak. Nakatutuwa na nagagamit niya ang cellphone kahit may lock ito. Fingerprint niya ang passcode sa sariling cellphone at laptop kaya hindi dahilan ang Amnesia para hindi magamit ang mga gadgets niya. The only obstacle she had was familiarizing herself to the advancement of her gadgets. Hindi pa niya ito masyadong na-e-explore dahil hindi niya alam kung paano gamitin. Itinago ni Armaign ang cellphone sa bulsa ng kaniyang shorts at kumatok sa kwarto ni Drenz.

Bahagyang bukas ang pinto. Nang walang sumagot, biknuksan ni Armaign ang pinto at saka pumasok. Tinawag niya ang pangalan ni Drenz ngunit walang sumagot. His room was as big as Armaign's. Pinagkaiba lang ay ang mga furnitures. Suminghot siya ng malalim pagpasok niya sa loob; amoy presko—parang sariwang hangin. Bukas ang bintana at hinahangin ang mga puting kurtina.

Armaign was about to leave the room when she noticed a flipped photograph lying on the floor. She picked it up, and her mind went topsy-turvy when she saw the photo.

It was a picture of Drenz sitting on a Balete tree, kissing Armaign on her cheek. Armaign was smiling at the camera while sitting on his lap. Nakaupo sila sa ugat ng puno nang kunan sila ng litrato at yakap-yakap ni Drenz ang dalaga. Higit sa lahat, mukha silang masaya! Wala siyang ideya kung anong petsa kinuha ang litrato. But there was a date included in the photo. Halos lumuwa na ang mata ni Armaign sa gulat nang mabasa ang petsa. The photo was taken last month. Nakilala ni Armaign ang puno ng Balete. Ito ang puno na nasa loob ng farm. Sa farm kinuha ang litrato!

Her heart skipped a beat. Totoo ba ito? Napahawak si Armaign sa kaniyang bibig. Sarah and Drenz had been together for six years, and if the photo was taken last month...

Binitiwan ni Armaign ang litrato at tumakbo sa labas ng manor. She went straight to the Balete tree to confirm if the photo was taken there.

Positive! Ang punong ito at ang puno sa litrato ay iisa! Suddenly, she remembered her phone. Surely, if her conjecture were true, her phone would add another evidence to confirm it. Kinuha niya mula sa kaniyang bulsa ang cellphone at ginamit niya ang kaniyang fingerprint upang buksan iyon. She accidentally opened different applications until she landed on the photos. At halos maiyak si Armaign nang madiskubre niya ang libo-libong litrato niya kasama si Drenz.

Nanghina ang mga tuhod ni Armaign at siya'y nawalan ng balanse. Hindi niya namalayan na napa-upo na pala siya sa damuhan. Iisa lang ang ibig sabihin nito. Niloloko nilang dalawa si Sarah! Armaign thought it made sense. It made sense why Drenz was acting so perverted all this time. Kaya pala ito lapit ng lapit. Hindi nito kayang lumayo kay Armaign dahil may relasyon sila. Ito ba ang gustong sabihin sa kaniya ni Drenz sa office niya noon? That they have a relationship behind Sarah's back? Paano nagawa ng nakatatanda niyang sarili ang piliin ang ganitong klase ng buhay? She was betraying her best friend with her former nemesis. Armaign in 2016 was a mistress!

Nagagalit siya sa sarili niya dahil sa isang pagkakamali na hindi niya maalala kung paano niya ginawa. She cried and cried, hoping that God would let her atone for her sins. Nakakahiya! Alam ba ni Diana na may relasyon silang dalawa ni Drenz? Ang sabi ni Diana ay walang boyfriend si Armaign. Ibig sabihin ay walang alam si Diana tungkol sa relasyon nila ni Drenz. Mas lalong nagalit si Armaign nang malamang nagsisinungaling siya pati kay Diana.

How did it happened anyway? Kinamumuhian niya si Drenz. Armaign found him abominable before. Si Drenz ang dahilan kung bakit namatay mag-isa ang kaniyang ama. She bravely gave him forgiveness to learn about her current life. Paano niya tatangapin ang relasyon nilang dalawa ngayon? Most importantly, anong gagawin niya?

"Armaign, bakit ka umiiyak?" Umupo so Drenz sa tabi niya.

"Anong sa tingin mo?" anas niya rito

"Look, kung tungkol ito sa nangyari kagabi, kalimutan mo na. It was just a kiss, Armaign. It's not as if we're in love," He said, frowning and clenching his jaws, "Don't act so shy about it. Grown ups kiss all the time."

Namumugto ang mga mata na tinignan ni Armaign si Drenz. Tingin ba nito ay hindi niya malalaman? How about him? Paano nakaya ni Drenz na magsinungaling sa babaeng pakakasalan nito? Gaano katagal na ba nila niloloko si Sarah? Parang nanumbalik ang galit at poot niya sa binata. Armaign was familiar at hating him and not otherwise.

She was about to open her mouth to spite him when a sudden recollection flashed in her mind.

It was only a glimpse. An abrupt episodic flash. Armaign was shocked, her tears suddenly ceased, and her mouth fell open.

She looked at Drenz. She remembered two persons inside her bedroom in the manor, bare-naked. They were making love. The man whisphered a name recurrently. "Armaign... Armaign... Armaign." Kilala niya ang baritong boses na iyon. Boses ito ni Drenz.

Armaign could recall it vividly. They shared more than just a kiss. She could remember his touch, and the emotions it conveys. The sensation was intense. Her knees were wide apart, and he was inside her. They were moving so slow yet so gentle, and hurt was alongside pleasure. His breath on her skin was warm. Goosebumps formed on her skin. Her moans sounded surreal. There was yearning on his face when she pulled his hair. Armaign could feel the longing. It felt good. Hindi ito guni-guni lang. Isa itong alaala—ang kaniyang alaala. And she thought it felt wonderful.

Lumalim ang kunot sa noo ni Drenz. Nagtanong siya, "May problema ba? Bakit mukha kang nagugulat?"

Armaign's heart was pounding. Kumurap-kurap siya at tumingin sa damuhan, ang kaniyang bibig ay hindi maisara.

"May naalala ka ba, Armaign?"

She paused, and turned her head aggresively. "Wala. Okay lang ako," pagsisinungaling ni Armaign kay Drenz.

Narinig niya ang lalim ng buntong hininga ng binata. "As I was saying, kalimutan mo na ang nangyari sa atin kagabi. Walang ibig sabihin iyon. Ikakasal na ako kay Sarah."