Bear In Mind (A Series #1)

Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Ang Kapalit

"May kapalit, Stella..."

It continuously echoed in my mind. Na out of balance ako sa kinatatayuan. My phone, still intact on the ground, lits up.

A siren went into the scene. Sobrang lamig ng aking sistema. I felt so numb and aching. Kusang dinial ko ang numero na iyon kahit nanginginig.

Natamaan ko ang isang poste na may kulay green rin. It has a tore pieces of white papers with black ink. My hands were trembling as I held the phone on my ear and arranged the pieces.

P A S S

Sumingap ako at napaupo na pabagsak sa lupa.

"I'm glad you finally learned to call me first."

"Why?!" nangingiyak kong sinabi. "Iyon ba ang kapalit?"

Halong pawis at luha, sobrang basa ko na. I just felt so angry and scared and confused.

"Kagagawan mo rin ba iyon? Why do you have to kill innocent people for this?!" frustrated kong sigaw.

Tumawa siya. "People die each day, Stella. What's the difference between giving them an early death?"

"You don't have to take lives! Ba–Bakit mo ba 'to ginawa sa akin?"

"Nakalimutan mo ba ang sinabi ko tungkol sa pagtatanong, Stella?" halakhak niya.

Sumabog ako sa sakit at galit. "Curse you!"

"Another wrong move, Stella, and you'll see,"

"Damn you..." nanginginig kong sinabi habang binitawan ang cellphone.

My shoulders were badly shaken as I cry hard. Sinubukan kong patayuin ang sarili at lumapit roon sa mga taong nasa pinangyarihan ng incidente. Everyone is making a fuss as the body of the woman got carried into the ambulance. Tila lunangan ng dugo ang sahig at napatakip ako sa aking bibig. It is so horrible.

Nandito na rin ang mga pulisya, hinaharangan ang mga tao na makalapit. I run as far as I can even when I don't know where I'm going. Even when my bones are losing strength to stand.

Hindi ako bumalik ng klase. I just stared at the seas. My feet took me to some abandoned port. The wind is blowing my hair, drying my wet uniform. I just felt so lost.

Sumakay ulit ako ng taxi patungo sa eskwelahan at doon nagpasundo kay Kuya Abab. I didn't have time to greet anyone and went straight to my room. Dumapa ako at umiiyak muli. I've been keeping my face away from Kuya Abab because I'm scared he might tell Daddy I'm crying.

Honestly, I am so scared. What happened earlier haunts me. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin. I took my Ipad out and viewed the news about the woman. Nanginginig at luhaan ako habang binabasa ang article. It says it is a random shot and the woman is in critical condition. Patuloy na tinutugis ang may sala. The picture of the woman flashed on the screen. She's innocent and she's been shot because I failed.

Crying, Meliorn whimpered on my side. Tinabunan ko ng dalawang kamay ang aking mukha.

"Meliorn... I d–don't know..."

He doesn't talk back to me, he doesn't know how to answer that but he's the only one I could talk to.

Biglang umuga ang aking kamay kaya napaalis ako sa pagtatakip ng mukha. Halos namilog ang mata ko nang nakitang si Cassius ito. Kumunot ang noo niya tila nagtataka kaya agad akong ngumiti. Dumapo ang tingin ko sa hawak niya na paperbag, klaro roon ang ismag sketchbook. Nilapag niya iyon sa kama habang nakatitig pa rin sa akin.

Inabot niya ang aking pisngi at inalis ang luha galing roon. "Bakit ka umiiyak?"

Dahan dahan akong ngumiti. "Mood swings?"