A Promise not to Rupture

-14-

"WHERE is she?" he asked for the hundredth time at his silent parents. An hour has passed since matapos ang concert and he still couldn't find Prie. The last time he saw her, she was smiling at him as he started to play her favorite song.

"Nasaan si Prie, dammit!" He was getting hysterical. No one would tell her where Prie was. And he needed to see her. To hold her. To feel her. "Sabihin niyo sa 'kin," patuloy na sigaw niya sa kanyang mga magulang. He didn't care even if the makeup artist saw him throwing a tantrum.

"I don't know son," mahinahong sagot ng kanyang ama. "I don't know."

"How can you not know? You talked with her! You were sitting next to her, for God's sake!"

"I'm sorry, son."

"Fuck it! Why are you even saying sorry? Ano ba talaga ang nangyayari? Bakit ayaw niyong sabihin sa 'kin?"

"David."

"Mom, I need to see Prie," matigas niyang tugon sa kanyang ina as he made his way to the dressing room's door. Pero pinigilan siya ng kanyang ama bago pa man siya makalabas.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll talk to tito Levi and tita Mel. I'm sure they'll know where Prie is."

"Umuwi na sila."

"What?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong niya.

"Umuwi na sina Levi at Mel."

"Isinama nila si Prie?"

Nagkatinginan ang kanyang mga magulang. Then his father answered, " No. Sila lang dalawa."

His heart felt like it would explode because of too much anger. "Then where the hell is she?" sigaw niya sa kanyang ama. "We agreed that we will talk after the concert! 'Asaan na siya? Answer me, dammit!"

"Dave, iho, you need to calm down..."

"Calm down, my ass! Where is Prie? Kailangan ko siyang makita. I need her, now!"

"Son—"

"Where is she!"

"She's gone, David. She's gone. She's not coming back."

**

They were lying. Hindi siya iiwan ni Prie. Mahal siya nito! Maybe something happened...She was pale earlier. Maybe they needed to take her home early at hindi lang siya nasabihan dahil nagpeperform siya. Hindi pwedeng magkatotoo ang sinabi nila. Hindi siya makakayang iwan ni Prie. Magpapakasal pa sila!

Nang makarating siya sa harap ng apartment ni Prie, agad siyang umibis ng sasakyan bago pa ito tuluyang huminto. He didn't care that he was making a loud noise as he opened the gate and went to the house. He knew where she put her spare key.

Agad-agad siyang umakyat sa second floor. Baka inatake itong muli ng migraine...Baka hindi na naman ito makagalaw dahil sa sobrang sakit kaya hindi ito sumasagot...Baka—

No one was in her room. Kahit sa banyo, or sa guess room-cum-office nito, wala ring tao. Ng bumaba siya, hindi rin niya ito nakita. She couldn't have left him. No. No. No!

Hindi niya kayang maniwala na—tumakbo siya pabalik sa kwarto nito at agad na binuksan ang cabinet nito. He thought he would die when he saw it empty. Even her drawers. Her... bigla siyang tinakasan ng lakas. She couldn't have left him. She couldn't. They were getting married. She couldn't—

He couldn't even finish the thought. Nagsisikip ang kanyang dibdib. Gusto niyang magwala. Gusto niyang umiyak. But he couldn't do anything but foolishly stare at her empty cabinet. Sa bawat sandaling nakikita niya iyon, lalong parang sinasaksak ang kanyang dibdib.