✔ The Casanova's Angel (Filipino Novel)

Kabanata 36

Hindi ko alam kung asan ako kasi kahit anong pilit kong tingin sa paligid ay pareho parin ang aking nakikita - kadiliman.

It's very dark and cold.

Nalulunod ba ako? What happened?

Ang bigat ng pakiramdam ko na para bang may humihila saakin paibaba, hindi makahinga at hirap makagalaw. Concentrating hard on my right arm, I tried to lift it. At first, wala akong naramdamang pagbabago. Everything is the same as before - madilim, mabigat at malamig.

But after about a minute, I heard voices - loud voices panicking. Kahit dito saakin, para bang echoes lang ang narinig ko, I can still feel the distress.

Ano nangyayare?

I dug deep in my mind searching for a memory kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari. And that's when I remembered.

Chicken. That goddamn chicken! Ay hindi, yung balls talaga may problema. Bakit may chicken duon?!

And just like that.

I was able to crack open my eyes a little.

And the first person I saw is the last person I wanted to see, well, hopefully forever.

"Anj! Are you okay?" Kumukunot noo niya habang tinitignan ang mukha ko.

Once before, I would have been very touched with his concern. But that was long over. Ngayon, naiirita nalang ako sa nakita ko. Ang daming mas gusto kong makita besides him.

Nickko.

No! Si papa. Oo, si papa. I want to see him. Not answering Gerard's question, I looked around, well more of avoided looking at his face. Nasa isang private room ako. White clean walls surrounded the room. Isang average desk table beside my bed and then pinto for the bathroom beside it. Yup, a normal average private room.

Pagkatapos ko mag observe ng paligid, slowly ay nakita kong pumunta si Gerard sa table at kumuha ng tubig. He then went back and helped me sit down on the bed habang hawak ang tubig on his other hand. Pagkatapos ko maging comfortable sitting down ay inabot niya sakin ang tubig. I didn't even know I was thirsty, not until I drank the water he gave me. Pagkatapos ko uminom ay kinuha niya ang baso, linapag sa table at umupo sa upuan na tabi ng kama ko.

We looked at each other for a couple of seconds with me wondering what he's doing.

"Bakit?" He asked suddenly.

Kumunot ang noo ko at tinanong ko siya, "Ha? Anong bakit?"

"Bakit nakakunot ang noo mo? Bakit parang di ka makapaniwala na andito ako? Bakit nagdududa ka sa pag aalala ko sayo?"

Nagulat ako sa tuloy tuloy na tanong niya dahil hindi ko ineexpect na diretsyuhin niya ako. All of the above questions are correct. Hindi ko rin inexpect lalo na nababasa niya parin ako like I'm an open book when it comes to him.

"Asan si papa?"

"Pinuntahan si Nina." He leaned on casually on his chair while slightly nodding his head. Iniintay niya na sagutin ko siya.

But why should I?

"Kamusta na si Nina?" I asked again, completely ignoring his questions.

"Yung papa mo na kay Nina. Si Nina, okay naman, nahimatay siya due to fatigue and stress. Si Nilo, your so called boyfriend pinuntahan din si Nina to check if she's okay. Okay na ba? Sasagutin mo na ba mga tanong ko?"

Kumunot lalo ang noo ko sa mga nalaman ko. Well sa nalaman ko to be exact, na si Nikko ay na kay Nina. Does that mean na may feelings pa siya kay Nina? Akala ko ba linoko siya? At ang tanong talaga, why do I care so much? Wala naman kami. What he does in his time without me, should be in his own volition.

Tinignan ko ng pa-inis si Gerard. "Unang una, pangalan niya hindi Nilo kundi Nikko. Lawyer ka pa naman din pero hindi marunong alalahanin ng mabuti ang pangalan ng isang tao. Pangalawa, eh ano naman ngayon kung hindi na ako naniniwala sayo? Pangatlo, hindi ko obligasyon ang sumagot sa mga tanong mo."

"Ang.."

"Saan ba sa ayaw ka niyang sagutin ang hindi mo maintindihan."

Napatingin kaming dalawa sa biglang nagsalita.

Nickko. Still in his suit, although medyo nagkaroon ng wrinkles sa movement siguro. Pati ang perfectly swept hair niya ay medyo nabuwag narin as if he had ran his hand a couple of times in it. What got my attention besides how he looked was the bouquet he was holding - a beautiful mix of Sunflowers and Red Roses.

I wonder if it's meant for me, o baka kay Nina nanaman.

"Tawag ka ng fiancee mo." He told Gerard.

Ahh, kay Nina nga galing.

Gerard looked at me one more time and then went outside, leaving me with Nikko in the room. Nakakapagtaka, biglaan nalang umiinit ang paligid pag kami lang ni Nic, or maybe it's just me?

We looked at each other for a couple of seconds tapos lumapit siya sakin and then did something that surprised me.

He kissed my forehead.