The night came. Tapos na kaming kumain, tapos na akong maligo. I'm just gonna sleep now. I sat on the bed. At pinapatuyo ko ang aking basang buhok gamit ang aking twalya. And unintentionally, I just thought of everything that happened to me.
From that night to this night. Thinking about it now, hindi ko maiwasan na pag-isipan ng masama ang mga magulang ko.
The men with guns who came to the mansion know my father. Why would my father be associated with them? Kaya niya ba talagang gawin 'yon sa sarili niyang anak?
My father is and will never be perfect. I've seen him lost his temper. I've seen him at his worst with my two naked eyes. He hurt my mom physically, once. I saw that. And he was never sweet, his words could really cut. I saw how cruel he could be. Lalo na kapag damay na ang business namin, at ang kapatid niyang si Uncle Timotheo. But still, he is my father. And it's not always bad. Nakita ko rin naman sa kanya na sinusubukan niyang maging mabuting ama sa akin at mabuting asawa sa mommy ko. I've seen it. Kahit halos wala na siyang oras para sa amin, kahit na minsan ay nagkakasagutan na kami. He has always protected me, kahit hindi niya sabihin ay nararamdaman ko naman He wasn't that cruel to put me on this situation. He wasn't that bad as a father to kidnap his own daughter, and as a sibling to sue his brother for something he clearly didn't do.
Natigil ang pag-iisip ko sa aking ama nang biglang bumukas ang pinto ng kwarto. Halos mapatalon ako sa gulat. Paglingon ko ay nakita kong pumasok si Agui.
He met my gaze. He paused for a second. Maybe, he's wondering why the hell I look so shocked. Pero iniba niya rin kaagad ang tingin niya, sinarado ang pinto. Naglakad siya, at binuksan ang mga bintana ng kwarto.
Sinundan ko siya ng tingin.
He's still not talking to me after the talk we've had this morning. Ayaw niya pang aminin na nagseselos siya kay Iton.
"Bakit hindi ka pa tulog?" He asked while opening the windows.
Hindi kaagad ako nakasagot dahil iniisip ko kung totoo na ba 'tong kinakausap niya ako ngayon.
Nilingon niya ako nang hindi ako sumasagot.
"Matulog ka na." Sambit niya sa akin.
Hindi ako sumagot.
He turned off the lights so I didn't have a choice but to lay on bed and sleep. Tanging ang ilaw ng buwan ang nagsisilbing ilaw ngayon dito sa kwarto namin.
Nahiga siya sa tabi ko. Nakatalikod kaming dalawa sa isa't isa. Palagi naman ganoon.
I closed my eyes. Nakakabingi ang katahimikan. At muli kong naisip ang mga magulang ko.
I kinda miss them. I miss my school, my friends, and my old life. But thinking about going back to it, hindi ko kaya. It terrifies me knowing that there are bad guys who are looking for me. The worst is, I don't know them.
Huminga ako ng malalim. Hindi talaga ako makatulog.
Pumikit ako, at huminga ng malalim.
"Agui," I said.
"Hmm." He just said.
"Hindi ako makatulog." Sabi ko sa kanya.
"Tulog ka na."
Halos mapairap ako.
"Hindi nga ako makatulog." Sagot ko ulit sa kanya.
"Anong magagawa ko?"
"Kausapin mo 'ko." Sabi ko. "Magpaparating ako ng tulog."
"Huwag ka na kasing mag-isip ng kung ano-ano diyan." Aniya.
