WHISPERS

RT 31

Dedicated to Pein_Khiara

🌹

I entered the art gallery museum, tears streaming down to my pale face.

Each step, people would stare at me but didn't try to approach me.

Why? I didn't know. Maybe because I am none of their business.

Crying, I look around the space with different displays of art.

The way the art appeals to human emotion is magical. I stared at the picture of a woman covering her messy head. The description read:

"FRANTIC"
I loved art. I love water color.
I love canvass. One day while I paint
I woke up naked with bruises.
Art was everything to me.
But not now, it made me frantic.

I gasped. Because I know that the painter is a raped victim. Anong klaseng gallery ang napasukan ko?

"Miss, okay ka lang? Kanina pa kita nakitang umiyak" I looked at the girl who handed her handkerchief to me.

I smiled and walked away. I didn't even try to accept her offer.

I lost trust to people many years ago.

I stopped at another painting. It was a boy smiling but his shadow was enveloped in darkness. He was jailed chasing for happiness.

"EUPHORIA"
I yearn for love and happiness.
My parents were separated.
I was always abused by my father.
But I still smile because I believe in hope,
Only to find out I was trapped in
Darkness- my only euphoria.

"Alam mo Miss, ang gallery na ito ay para sa lahat ng biktima ng karahasan sa mundo."

She keeps on bothering me but my lips are tightly sealed. I don't like to talk to her. We're strangers. And I don't like strangers.

Another painting catches my attention. It was a mother and child, lovingly looked at each other. The eyes of the father was painted soulless.

"REGRET"
I love my wife and my child.
But life was never fair. I was tempted by the devil. I lied. I cheated.
My wife knows and she forgave me.
I thought everything was in place again.
But I still cheated- for the nth time
She forgives but the love in her eyes slowly faded. On one rainy day, my wife and my child ran away- it was the last time I can hold them as their body gets colder and colder. I regretted with my heart and soul that was missing.

"Alam mo miss, naniniwala akong everything happens for a reason. May be it a blessing or a lesson. Nasa satin lang din yun kung paano natin sasalubungin ang bawat problema. Lahat ng tao ay may kanya-kanyang ginagampanan. It depends on how we execute our roles."

I looked at her. She looked at me smiling. I was about to rebuke her statement but something caught my eyes.

In the farthest corner of the gallery where no one pays attention, there was a beautiful girl hanging in the ceiling. She was crying, her heart was in her hand, it was broken. Her eyes were screaming for help but she received criticisms.

I ran at the painting. When I'm getting closer and closer, my heart started to pump so loud.

"PEIN KHIARA"
I love everything about life. It was like an art- you don't know what it means until you gave meaning to it.
I am an artist. I write. I paint.
Not only that, I am a garbage.
I was betrayed.
I was criticized.
I was thrown.
My name- Pein Khiara, together with
my existence was completely
FORGOTTEN.

The more I stared at the picture, the more my heart ache.

"No matter how life treats you, isn't it your role to stay strong?" the girl looked at me but I was still in tears.

"How can you taste the true happiness when you let yourself be swallowed in fear, depression, hopelessnes, regret, betrayal, criticisms?" the girl look at me in the eye.

"WALA KANG ALAM" For once, my mouth started to open on its own.

She stared at me for seconds before she smile, genuinely.

"Are you hurt? Do you wanna stop your pain? Why do you keep insisting on the past? Is it too hard to let go and move on from your suffering? Don't you want to experience what it's like to be free from your own torture?" gusto kong umiyak lalo sa mga sinabi niya. Sino ba ang hindi gustong makalaya sa lahat ng sakit.

"Your role is done. Wipe your tears. Only He can judge you."

Hindi ko alam ang sinasabi niya. Today, everything is weird. Nakita ko nalang ang sarili kung andito sa harapan ng art gallery na umiiyak. Bakit ako umiiyak? I'm a strong girl. This is weird. Plus the lady beside me keeps staring at me warmly. It's creepy. Pilit kong inaalala ang aking pagkatao pero yung pinakamasakit lang na nangyari sa buhay ko ang naalala ko. Gusto ko nang humiwalay sa lahat ng sakit. Feeling ko, kahit isang tapik lang sa katawan ko, madudurog ako.

"Frantic, Euphoria, Regret. Your time is up."

Natuliro ako sa sinabi ng babae, I looked at her and she smiled at my back. Lumingon ako sa likuran ko, only to find out na ang character sa bawat pinta na binasa ko ay nasa likod ko. Hindi lang sila tatlo, marami sila-mga biktima ng mundo.

I stared back at the lady in white.

"You've suffer enough. It's time to forget the past. Take my hand. Come with me, Pein Khiara."