Days passed by. Every day has a routine. I wake up, I eat, I go back to my room, sleep, wake up, sit on the corner of the terrace and I stay there 'til the sunset is done.
Sa mga nagdaang mga araw, ganoon lang ang aking ginagawa. Walang bago. Hindi rin kami gaanong nag-uusap ni Agui kahit na kaming dalawa lang dito. Kahit iisang bahay lang din ang tinutuluyan namin, hindi kami ganoon nagkakakitaan. He was either at the backyard arranging the mini garden there, in the kitchen cooking, or in the terrace painting again. In those times, I was either in my room sleeping or eating in the kitchen. At kung nagkakakitaan man kami, bahagya lang kaming mag-uusap. He really doesn't like me talking. Because whenever I talk, I just ask. I try to behave as much as I can. I'm getting his trust.
It was depressing, but somehow I was getting used to the silence.
One sunset, he was at the terrace with me and someone phone called him. I acted like I didn't care at all. I heard him talking some business related things, about a meeting his secretary should attend. He said he's on a vacation and he couldn't come. That guy he was talking to the phone must be clueless about what he did to me. And what the hell? He has a freakin' secretary? I looked at him as soon as I realised that.
Seriously. Who are you, Agui?
He looked at me as soon as he put the phone down.
"What?" He asked coldly.
Umiling ako. Nag-iba ako ng tingin, tumingin ako sa nagkukulay kahel na mga ulap.
"Your bruises." Sabi niya bigla. Napatingin ako sa kanya at nadatnan ko siyang tinitignan ang braso ko. Tinignan ko rin ang braso ko. There are still some bruises. But most of them already healed.
Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kanya.
"Napano?" I asked.
"Masakit pa ba?" Tanong niya.
Umiling ako.
"Mabilis lang talaga akong mabugbog." Sagot ko naman sa kanya.
"How about the wounds on your knees? Are they healed?" He asked.
Tinaas ko ang mahaba kong bestida hanggang sa tuhod ko, at tinignan ko ang mga sugat ko doon. They're healed, I can tell. 'Yung iba ay wala na't mga bakas na lamang.
"They're okay." Sagot ko, sabay angat ulit ng tingin sa kanya. Nakatingin pa rin siya sa akin.
"I'm sorry for those." Aniya tyaka siya nag-iba ng tingin.
Hindi kaagad nagproseso sa utak ko ang mga sinabi niya. Tinitigan ko siya ng ilang segundo, at binalot kami ng katahimikan.
"Did you just say sorry?" I asked. Hindi niya ako nilingon, hindi niya ako sinagot. Napakurap-kurap ako, napaiba ng tingin. Hindi ko alam kung papaano ipaliwanag, pero naramdam kong may natamaan siya sa puso ko nang sinabi niya iyon. I saw how sorry he was for my bruises and wounds. Maybe, for what he did to me too.
"It's not your fault." I caught myself saying that. "I know, hindi mo naman ako binugbog. Malikot lang talaga ako, takbo nang takbo papalayo sa'yo. Sinasaktan ko lang ang sarili ko." I didn't say that to get his trust this time.
Nilingon niya ako. Natahimik kaming dalawa.
Even if he's a few feet away from me, I can see the browness of his eyes. Ngayon ko lang napagtanto kung gaano kaganda ang kulay ng kanyang mga mata. Their brown color varies, depends on where the light is.
The color of the sunset reflects on his skin as well, and it makes him so beautiful. Now that I'm looking at him, I'm certain that he's a good guy. I don't see any monster in him. Looking into his eyes, I suddenly felt comfort. There was some calmness right now between him and I.
