The Last Quarantine (Published Under LIB)

Season 1: Epilogue

Ate Bianca stopped her feet. Kasabay iyon ng pag-angat niya ng kamay para patigilin din kami.

"Wait, what was that sound?" She landed her deadly gaze on Kuya Joshua.

Kuya Joshua swallowed hard. "A-Ah, wala. Nasasaktan lang kasi iyong asawa ko."

"Don't shit on me." Kumunot ang noo ni Ate Bianca. Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit biglang natigilan si Kuya Joshua. Right now, I can clearly feel his involuntary controlled breathe.

"Your wife is infected." Ate Bianca continued as she glared while shoving the gun off her belt. "You fucking tell us or I will leave you here alone. I will accompany your daughter with us."

Napapikit si Kuya Joshua, then I was never ready when he attacked Ate Bianca. Pinuntirya niya iyong baril. Pero dahil dalubhasa na sa ganitong pangyayari si Ate Bianca, she was so quick to grab Kuya Joshua's hand. Pinilipit niya ang kamay nito. Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit napahiga ito sa sahig.

"You really have the audacity to fucking attack me?!" Came by the fuming Ate Bianca.

Sa mga nakita ay napaiyak iyong batang babae. Kuya Nero was the quickest to get her. With one knee, he levelled their heights and hugged her. He also hushed her as he barricade her view from her struggling father.

"Gusto mo bang iwan kita dito?!" Ate Bianca said as she stomped his feet on Kuya Joshua's tummy.

Napasigaw sa sakit si Kuya Joshua. "Pakiusap, isama ho natin sa bus ang asawa ko!" Hagulgol na ang ginagawa niya.

"You are a moron! Anong gusto mo? Mapahamak din ang mga tao sa bus?!"

"Mahal na mahal ko ho si Kyla! Hindi ko siya kayang iwan!" Patuloy sa paghagugol si Kuya Joshua. Sa ginawa niyang ingay ay ganoon din ang ginawa ng asawa niya. Right now, she is growling like a wild and deadly animal inside their room.

That was the cue where I started to step in. "Kuya Joshua," I swallowed hard, "I know losing someone is inevitably painful. The pain is indeed indescribeable."

Nakakagulat na natigilan siya sa mga sinabi ko. Right now, he is quietly sobbing as he gave a pleading look.

I pointed their room. "But your wife there? Hindi na siya ang asawa mo. Your wife is already gone. She is now just a mere product of the pandemic." I tried to sound as genuinely as I can. I tried to sound motivating. "The reality is, people that we love might leave us without an advance permission. And it's bullshit." This is giving me a ton of pain on my heart as Tito Theo's face started to appear from the back of my mind.

"But the thing is, your wife left you a hope and that was your daughter." I pointed her crying daughter. "You should not give up for her. She's right here, surviving and you should too. And by surviving with her, you have to move on. You have to let go of your wife."

Ate Bianca is now giving Kuya Joshua a sympathetic look as he cry the painful tears of his life. "I will let you go. Can I trust you now?"

Hindi na makapagsalita si Kuya Joshua. He is practically just breathing and sobbing. That was the moment Ate Bianca let go of him and she gestured us to just proceed to the bus with Kuya Joshua's daughter.

When we stepped out of the house, a loud sound of gunshot appeared. Then it was followed by the hysterical cry of Kuya Joshua. Napapikit ako. Ang sakit niyang pakinggan. Sobra.

Noong nasa bus na kami ay sinalubong kami nina Ate Athena. They are the ones who hushed the crying little girl. Makalipas naman ang ilang minuto ay lumabas na rin sina Ate Bianca kasama ang humahagulgol pa ring si Kuya Joshua.

When Kuya Joshua entered the bus, the first thing he did was to find his daughter. Niyapos niya ito nang mahigpit habang patuloy na humahagulgol. At hinayaan lang namin siyang magluksa hanggang sa magsimula nang umandar ang bus patungo sa last quarantine.