This is How We End

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Totoo ba yung sinabi nila, Parvana? Na mamamatay-tao ang tatay mo?"

"Gago ka ba?" Zoey pulled herself up angrily and grabbed the front of Nazrah's shirt. "Watch your mouth!"

"Bakit? Totoo naman, ah?" kalmadong wika ni Nazrah. She stared at us with blank eyes. "Hindi mapupunta sa kulungan ang tatay niya kung hindi siya mamamatay-tao."

Our classmates kept on glancing at us. Kumalat ang hapdi sa dibdib ko dulot ng maaanghan na mga salita ni Nazrah. Even through my blurry vision, I gently tore away Zoey's clenched fist from her uniform.

"Tama na yan, Zoey."

"Anong tama na?" she turned sharply at me. "Turuan natin ng leksiyon ang babaeng 'to at kung anu-anong tsismis ang pinagkakalat!"

I shook my head gently. She glared at me for a few seconds, before she finally let Nazrah go. A disgusted look crossed her face.

I turned to her calmly, despite my pounding heart. "Hindi mamamatay-tao ang tatay ko, Nazrah. Napagbintangan lang siya. He will be out of the jail, soon. The police are still holding him because the investigation is on-going. But after that, he will come home to us. Allah will bring my father back."

My words did nothing to convince her. She just rolled her eyes at me and stalked away. Zoey is still fuming with anger while I remained silent on my seat. Ipinikit ko nang mariin ang mga mata ko. Siguro ay mas mabuting nanatili nalang ako sa bahay. I shouldn't had come to school today now that everything's still out of control. My mother insisted that I should go when I should be watching over her in the house. She's still not okay and still going through the shock of what had happened.

Sanay na ako sa maya't-mayang pambubuska ni Nazrah sa akin. But I didn't expect that my classmates were convinced of what she's saying, too. Pati ang guro namin ay halos hindi makatingin sa akin.

"Daughter of a murderer."

"Go to hell, filthy Muslim!"

"Family of killers and terrorists."

My heart ached as knots in my stomach turned. I stared at my desk that was vandalized with red marker. Nagtatawanan pa ang iba nang makita ang reaksyon ko pagkakita sa ginawa nila sa upuan ko.

I bit back a sigh and turned to my bag, pulling out a pack of wet wipes. I started scrubbing the desk with the wipes but it barely faded. Naupo ako at mas lalong kinuskos ang desk ko. Sa ganoong posisyon ako naabutan ni Zoey pagkapasok niya sa classroom.

Her brows creased when she saw me, then color crept to her cheeks when she saw what my classmates have done to my desk.

"Sinong may gawa nito?" dumagundong ang boses niya sa loob ng classroom. Nagulat ako sa ginawa niya, pati na rin ang iba kong nagtatawanan na kaklase ay natahimik.

Nagtinginan sila. Nazrah entered the room and then stared at us. When she saw me, she smirked evilly while walking towards her assigned chair.

"Ikaw ba ang may gawa nito, Nazrah?" nanggagalaiting sigaw ni Zoey sa kaniya.

"I wouldn't waste the ink of my marker trying to say how much of a killer her family is when everybody knows it already." Bored na sagot ni Nazrah sa kaniya. She even yawned and placed her elbows at her desk. "Bakit?"

Zoey glared at her. Before she could take a step, I grabbed her arms and shook my head. My eyes are pleading at her. Kapag pinatulan niya si Nazrah, malamang ay siya ang mapaparusahan dahil wala namang ebidensiya na siya ang may gawa nito sa desk ko.