Shipwrecked Hearts

Navigare 108

Tahimik kong pinagmasdan ang kalmadong mga alon ng karagatan habang ang araw ay unti-unting bumabagsak. Ang dating bughaw na himpapawid ngayon ay nahaluan ng kulay asul. My eyes scanned the shore and watched the guests of my resort, most were taking pictures, the kids were making sand castles, and some were playing beach volleyball.

It's been a week already and there's really nothing much that happened. The day was calm and the night was peaceful. Everything was in place, but there's this hollowness inside me. Parang sinasabi na may kulang. No matter how I try to find what is, hindi ko alam. All I know is that deep down inside, I am empty. I am still longing for something, for someone. Him.

Hindi ko alam, I guess my eyes were playing tricks on me back then at Saavedra's party. I really know I saw him... but if he was alive, if Maximo was alive... then he should have already shown himself, right?

Bumuntong-hininga ako, kasabay nito ay naramdaman ko ang kamay ni Aurelius na dumapo sa aking balikat. "You're sighing, do you have any problem?" He asked.

I just gave him a little smile and shook my head. "Nope. I am only thinking."

Tumango naman siya.

Bigla kong naalala ang sinabi rin ni Stark sa akin. He was right when he told me that we knew little things about each other. All this time, we've kept each other's at bay and at a measured distance. If I really trusted Aurelius, I should also open myself to him and let him know.

"Aurelius, you haven't asked anything about me yet."

"Neither did you." He shrugged.

"Well, I'm actually a pirate... or I actually was."

To my surprise, Aurelius seemed not shocked at all. I tried to use my sixth sense and there's a faint smell of knowingness in it. He knew I was a pirate... bahagyang napaawang ang aking mga labi. Or I guess it is wrong to assume... there's also a chance he's considering this as a joke. He might not be taking this seriously... or so I am hoping. The words of Stark are really bugging me.

"Well, all I can say is, whether that is true or not, if you were, indeed, a pirate, then you must have been a good one." Ngumiti si Aurelius sa akin. I closed my eyes and looked back. Was I good? All I remember is killing the people who betrayed me and Maximo. And then there's Mermaid... I smiled sadly at the thought of her.

"I'm not a good pirate."

"Anyone who says they are bad are good deep inside, they're only afraid to admit it because their goodness had been taken advantage of countless of times already."

"You haven't said anything about yourself yet." Pag-iiba ko ng topiko. I was not actually that prepared yet to show him my past.

"Ah, I thought you weren't interested in my life that's why I never said a thing about me." Tumawa nang marahan si Aurelius. "I don't know who my real parents are. I was actually raised in an orphanage and was taken in by the Stilinski family. That explains how Saavedra and I know each other, we grew up together."

"So, Saavedra and you are like siblings?"

Umiling si Aurelius. "I was taken in, not adopted. Apparently, the orphanage where I was raised is a property of the Stilinski family. They saw a promising future in me and invested in me a part of their wealth. This is the outcome." He pointed himself and chuckled. "I am very grateful for them."

I used my sense of smell, to see whether he was lying or not, walang bakas ng kasinungalingan sa kanyang sinabi. He was telling the truth.

Ngunit hindi pa rin maalis sa aking isip ang mga katagang binitawan ni Stark noon, na huwag akong basta-bastang magtitiwala, lalo na kay Aurelius.