Along Parallel Lines

special chapter 02

note: chapter reference [ 00:86 ] might not be the special chapter y'all are thinking of. still, happy reading!

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S I D

Erika
Yes Sid.
She is.

Sa oras na mabasa ko yun, parang bigla akong nakaramdam ng dagok sa dibdib. Pinipilit kong kumalma ang sarili ko habang mabilis kong kinuha yung wallet at cellphone pati na rin yung susi ng sasakyan bago ako umalis ng unit ko. Sabi ni Erika susunod na lang siya, pero hindi ako naniniwala roon.

I drive as fast as I could on the way to her building. I knock several times to her door. Ang tagal bago niya yun binuksan.

"What the fuck, anong ginagawa mo pa rito?" Galit niyang tanong habang nakabukas ng bahagya yung pinto at nakaharang siya roon.

Tinignan ko lang siya saglit bago ko tinulak yung pinto at makapasok ako. Nakatalikod ako sa kanya pero rinig ko ang pagsara niya ng pinto.

"Sidney, ano pang ginagawa mo rito?" Tanong niya ulit. Nasa harap ko na siya ngayon at matalim niya akong tinitignan.

"Pack your things," utos ko nang umiwas ako ng tingin sa kanya.

"I told you, susunod na lang ako," pagmamatigas niya.

"Just..." I sighed as I close my eyes, trying to calm myself. "Just pack your things Erika, please."

"Wow," she scoffed. "After being lost for almost the whole day, you came here, banging my door, and now? Telling me to pack my things?" She unbelievably asked.

"I already apologize to you about it," I retorted, looking at her. I was trying not to get pissed dahil alam ko naman na may karapatan siyang magalit dahil nanay namin yung nasa peligro. "But can you please pack your things para makarating agad tayo roon?"

"Susunod na nga lang ako, okay?" Naiinis niyang sinabi, tumalikod siya sa akin bago siya muling nagbitaw ng mga salita. "Just go alone. Leave. Mag-isip isip ka habang nagba-byahe ka."

Gusto ko ng umalis pero ang hirap umalis na ganito siya sa'kin. Biglang hindi ko na alam kung saan siya nanggagaling. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba talaga 'to kay Mama o sa ibang bagay na. Hindi ako makapagsalita.

Katahimikan ang bumalot sa amin.

"What?" Pagbabasag niya sa katahimikan nang muli siyang humarap at makita niyang nakatingin lang ako sa kanya.

"I'll leave, but please do tell me why are you being like this," I said.

"Seriously?" Hindi makapaniwala niyang tanong.

Sasagot na sana ako nang biglang mag-vibrate iyong cellphone ko. It was Dad. Unti-unting nabawasan ang kaba ko nang mabasa ko ang laman ng text niya.

"Dad texted me, Mom's already stable. I still have time, so tell me," I told her while still looking at my phone.

"It doesn't matter."

"That's bullshit." I look at her. "Why will you even act like this if it doesn't matter?"

"I just don't want the idea of you being with Reese!" She frustratingly said. "I was so pissed when I found out that you are with her yesterday."

Nagulat ako sa sinabi niya.

"What?"

She breath heavily before looking away.

"Don't get me wrong okay? I really like her the first time I met her, I really like her that time. Until... Until this happened, until she ruined Cass and Francis," she continued. "I just... I don't want you to be with a girl like her. Like..."

"Like our Mom?" I finished her sentence. Tinignan niya lang ako. "I understand that you believe Cassandra because she's your friend but I hope you would understand me too, because Reese is my friend."

"Friend?" She scoffed. "Malinaw na malinaw sa'kin na gusto mo si Reese. You like her so much that's why I'm so afraid of what could happen. I care for you Sidney, as your half-sibling. Call me whatever for thinking so advanced but I just don't want another kid... experience this dysfunctional family of ours."

"Dysfunctional? Sa tingin mo nandun na talaga tayo?" Sinubukan kong kumalma ang tono ko.

"E ano pa ba?"

"You're wrong Erika. No matter how complicated this family we are in right now, it is still family. Our parents are working things out."

"Nasasabi mo lang yan kasi ikaw ang legal na anak. I am just an illegitimate child. I cannot have a normal family the way you have."

"Erika," I called her. "No one's making you feel that way. My father and I are even trying our best to make you feel a part of us, that you're no different, but you keep on resisting." Napailing ako, napalunok. Hindi ko na alam kung ano pang paliwanag ang kailangan niya para maintindihan niya kami o ako. "You keep on saying that to yourself. Ang hirap mong paliwanagan kasi sarado na yung utak mo."

"You won't understand unless you're in the same position as I am."

I only have one thing in mind that can probably solve this pero natatakot ako sa kapalit.

"Erika, what do you want me to do?"

"Save yourself," she firmly said. "Save yourself from the same situation your Dad didn't escape from."