The Nightwatch

A MIDNIGHT TRIP

Chapter 9.

It is half past 8 pm when the car exactly reached the house's garage.

Bukas pa ang ilaw sa kusina kaya hindi ko alam kung tulog na ba sila o hindi pa.

Nang mapatay na ni Tristan ang makina ay tsaka kami bumaba kasama ang lalaking iyon. The guy who held an umbrella for me.

At dahil nabasa kami sa ulan ay parehas kaming may tuwalya na nakapulupot sa katawan. Maliban na lamang kay Tristan.

Nay Matilda must have heard the car approaching dahil pag bukas namin ng pinto ay sinalubong nya kami sa madilim na sala.

Agad nyang binuksan ang ilaw at gulat na napatitig sa amin.
"Wade, iho! Hindi ka naman nagsabi na uuwi ka pala"

"At bakit basa kayo? Hindi ka ba nagdala ng payong, Tristan?" hindi sumagot si Tristan at tinignan lang kami at bumuntong hininga.

I heard a door opened and Beverly joined us.
"Iha pakidala nga muna itong si Briella sa banyo at paliguin mo. Mamaya magkasakit ka nyan"

Nay Matilda sounded like my mom for a moment. Only with pure Pinoy's language.

Lumapit sa akin si Beverly at sinamahan ako sa banyo.
"Anong nangyari? Bakit kasama nyo na si Wade?"
I hope Beverly would get used to me not answering any of her questions.

Iniwan nya na ako sa banyo at sinabing hahanapan ako ng komportableng damit na maiisuot sa pagtulog. I undress myself and started to take a bath. The water feels so numbing against my pale skin. Waterdrops from the shower flows throughout my body leaving an ice-cold feels.

I've never felt so empty yet so stuffed with all this thoughts inside my hand. I feel so numb and shattered as the same time. How could two opposite feelings can be felt at the same time with the same body and mind?

My life was so much different a week ago. And I've never imagined that I will be put in this kind of situation anytime in my life.

I had a breakdown while on the shower. Somehow the chilly waterdrops from the shower gave me comfort and I stayed on the bathroom longer than I expected.

Nang matapos na ako ay tinuyo ko ang aking sarili at binalot ng bathrobe ang katawan ko. I covered my hair with a towel and headed out of the bathroom. Then I saw Nay Matilda and that guy who named Wade standing just beside the sink and talking indistinctly.

I caught their attention.
"Nagugutom ka ba iha? Ipaghahanda kita ng pagkain"

"Hindi na ho" I immediately walk through the other room even Nay Maytilda shouted, "Pero hindi ka din kumain bago ka umalis kanina!"

I found Beverly on the bed when I entered the room. She's ironing a white long sleeves.
"Nahalungkat ko toh sa damitan, medyo gusot kaya plinantsa ko muna." iniligpit na nya ang plantsa at pinakita sa akin ang damit na sinasabi nya.

"Gawa ito sa cotton kaya masarap sa katawan. Magbihis ka na lalabas muna ako" I feel so disappointed with myself when she left the room without me even uttering a simple thank you.

My parents didn't raised me into an ungrateful spoiled brat but right now, in the mess of things I find it hard to communicate, to express my feelings. I feel so lost.

Katabi ng damit na plinantsa ni Beverly ay isang puti din na short. Sinimulan ko na ang pagbibihis at tinuyo ang buhoko habang nakaupo sa kama. Beverly is right. This clothes feel so comfortable.

Lastly I comb my hair before finally setting up myself to sleep. But I know lying on bed means to overthink everything that happened to me this last few days. The hardest battle is the one that I had in my mind. I have to win over what I know, what I think and what I feel. I have to get my shit together or I'll ended up being in a jail or in some kind of mental institution.