Pyromania

55th Chapter: Respect

55th Chapter

Zed Gabriel

"I'll just be around." paalam ni Saab nang sinabi kong pupuntahan ko na si Everest at Mayhem.

"You can leave if you want. Kaya ko naman si Mayhem." I said,

"You're injured, Mercedes. Aakyat lang ako saglit at babalikan ko kayo." pagsusungit nito saka umalis.

Tsk. He'll probably visit his girlfriend, ang alam ko dito yun nagpapractice eh.

Tumungo na ako sa conference hall at sa pintuan palang ay namataan ko na si Everest na buhat si Mayhem. At si Mayhem. Tulog.

"Pasensya na, natagalan kami." sabi ko agad,

Everest looks so serious. Halos hindi niya ko matignan. Kinabahan ako sa panlalamig na pinapakita niya.

"Let's just go home. He's tired and I need to sleep, too." he said,

So that's what we did. I took Saab's car habang siya ay nagpaiwan sa girlfriend niya, dun na lang daw siya sasabay. Si Everest ang nagmaneho pabalik, he's not talking to me ang dami tuloy tumatakbo sa isip ko.

He heard what Tatay said, that's obvious and I know that hurt him.

"Kung galit ka, sabihin mo sakin. Alam kong narinig mo ang sinabi niya kanina." may pait kong sabi,

Naramdaman ko ang paglingon niya sakin, he's driving with one hand while the other is on his lips playing with it unconciously.

"Bakit ako magagalit? That's his opinion of me. I can't change that by being mad." he said, his bitterness dripping like acid in every word.

"I guess pre-nup is really mandatory, huh?" dagdag pa niya,

Napatanga ako sa salita niya. Hindi na kami nag-usap hanggang sa makarating kami sa baranggay. Pagdating ko ay sinalubong ako nina Pyre, nag-ulat ng gawain sakin.

"Mag-uusap tayo mamaya Pyre. Jeptha, lipunin mo ang lahat ng kasama mong nag-aaral sa TCU mamayang alas diyes pagkatapos ng kanilang gawain." utos ko bago tumungo sa tinutuluyan ni Everest.

Umakyat ako sa loop sa taas karga parin si Mayhem sa isang braso. Marahan kong tinulak ang pinto ng isang silid doon, bumukas ang pinto at bumungad ang rehas ng kulungan ni Mayhem.

It's a cage made of silver. Kung wala ang rehas ay mukhang normal na silid lang iyon. May kama at ilang stuff toys sa loob.

"Mama, I'm hungry." mahinang bulong ni Mayhem sakin, nakasandal parin sa balikat ko.

"Dadalhan kita ng pagkain. Dito ka muna sa kwarto mo." sabi ko at ipapasok na siya sana nang magsalita ito ulit.

"I'm behaved, Mama. Can't I stay with, Everest? I don't like being in a cage." malungkot nitong sambit,

My heart hurt for my little boy.

"You haven't fed yet." matigas kong sabi,

"I've been starving since this morning, Mama and still I didn't try to eat, Everest."

Nakunot ang noo ko sa kanya. Hindi maintindihan ang gusto niyang sabihin.

"I only hurt people I don't trust, Mama. And I will only kill people who hurt you. Not those who give you love. I give you love, Mama. Everest give you love." he said in murmur, his voice sounds so little and dreamy. His words squeezed my heart in adoration. And even with his sharp 'r's' and rolling 'l's' it still sounds sweet to me.

He shifted his head and continued to close his eyes. His tiny hands started to trace something on my left shoulder. Like he's drawing something.

"MA-ma-sha i PA-pa-sha." he whispered,