Requited

Chapter 9

Everyone has a mother and for Franco, nobody can be like his nanay- caring, a very good cook, gives warm hug, has the prettiest smile. At a very young age, the army stole from him his only sunshine leaving him in the dark- lost. No matter how hard he wants to forget, his tatay’s limp will forever be a reminder how the supposed-to-be-authorities messed his childhood and his entire life.

“Alamin mo’ng maigi kung saan ang target mo. ‘Pag sigurado ka nang matatamaan mo, ‘wag ka nang magdalawang-isip at barilin mo na,” huling paalala ng coach nila.

Sunod-sunod na putok ng baril ang umalingawngaw sa buong kagubatan. Pero ang tanging naririnig ng binata ay ang iyak ng batang nagsusumamo dahil sa nawala niyang ina. The blaring shots etched in his heart waking up his anger.

When everyone emptied their pistol, they heard a clap.

“Very good, Franco! Magaling,” Heneral commended the young Segismundo who couldn’t take his eyes off the bullets he implanted on the dummy in front of him.

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“Gumagaling ka na talaga sa pamamaril,” pamungad ni Heneral nang ipatawag niya ang binata bago ito umalis nang gabing iyon. Simpleng ngiti lamang ang naisagot ng binata sa papuri.

“Nakita ko ang apoy sa mga mata mo.” Tumayo ito sa kinauupuan at nilapitan ang binatang nakatungo malapit sa pinto.

“Tama iyan.” The old man clicked his tongue.

“Alam mo ba kung bakit kinukuha sa atin ang mga taong pinakamamahal natin?”

Tiago traced the curiosity in Franco’s eyes before he continued, "para maging malakas tayo. Para malaman natin kung ano’ng potensyal meron tayo.

At meron ka noon, Franco. May potensyal kang maging mas malakas pa. Basta gamitin mo lamang iyang apoy na ‘yan.”   

Franco didn’t budge. Tama si, Heneral. Kaya ko. Magbabayad silang lahat na pumatay kay nanay.

He walked back to their hut with Heneral’s voice echoing. “May potensyal kang maging mas malakas pa.”

“Okay ka lang ba?”

He came back to his senses upon seeing Rhian’s worried look. Hindi niya ito pinansin at dumiretso na lamang sa papag.

“Gusto mo ba’ng tubig? Masama ba ang pakiramdam mo?”

Rhian waited as Franco untied his shoelaces. Tumingala ito para sagutin ang sunod-sunod na katanungan ng dalaga.

“Okay lang ako.”

Sinungaling. Rhian knew he’s lying. The sadness in his eyes is very evident.

“Suotin mo ulit yung sapatos mo,” she ordered.

Franco looked at her- eyebrows creased.

“Ano? Dali na!” Rhian sounded so urgent kaya napilitan nalang din ang binata na suotin ulit ang kahuhubad lang na sapatos.

Franco’s heart leaped a bit when he felt Rhian touched his wrist. He just let the girl take the lead. Hindi niya maintindihan kung saan siya nito dadalhin. What he’s sure of is the fire inside him subsided. At bago pa niya nalaman ay nasa tabing-ilog na sila.

“Alam mo ba kung ano ang pinakamaganda sa lugar na ito?” Rhian stared at him. Hinintay niya na lamang ito na magpatuloy sa pagsasalita.

“Yung kalangitan. Sobrang ganda.” Itinuon ng dalaga ang tingin sa taas.     

He’s reminded how he stared at her instead of the sky that night. She’s still as beautiful.

“Alam mo yung shooting star, ‘yong bulalakaw?” Rhian asked another question.