Playdate

33

When I got home, nagpasalamat na lang ako at hindi na siya nilingon pa. I know I look rude, pero hindi ko naman mapigilan ang sarili ko.

The moment I touched the doorknob, I can't help but imagine someone greeting me happily when I got home safely. I have no one right now. Walang nag-aalala kung hindi ako nakauwi sa bahay... unlike before. Walang nangbabato ng kaldero kapag wala pa ako sa bahay sa curfew ko. Wala na akong pamilya.

Now, I can understand how Haki feels. Maagang nawala ang parents niya and I can't imagine how he managed to live his life alone. Without anyone else by his side. I wonder if he has felt how I feel because we're on the same boat now. This is just so... sad. I can't believe I lost everything in a blink of an eye.

I unlocked the door. I closed my eyes upon entering the main door but instead of someone gladly welcoming me, iba ang bumulaga sa akin. My room is in a messed up state, halos lahat ng cabinets ko ay nakabukas at may ilang appliances na nawawala gaya ng television na madalang kong gamitin.

I'm not sure what happened here. One thing is for sure. Someone broke in. Someone took my things.

Binalot ako ng kaba at napatingin sa paligid. Ni hindi ako makasigaw kahit sobrang natatakot ako ngayon. What if the intruder is still here? My hands are cold at hindi ako makapag-isip nang maayos. Ano ba ang dapat kong gawin? Should I call the cops? Should I scream now? Sinong dapat kong tawagan? How did they enter the house kung nakalock naman ang pinto? Who is the damn intruder? Sobrang daming tanong sa isip ko at hindi ko alam kung ano'ng uunahin.

Lumabas ulit ako ng bahay at naupo sa harap ng pinto. I'm scared... I don't know what to do...

A message popped on my phone screen at tinitigan ko lang iyon. It's from an unregistered number but I'm certain na ito ang number na ginamit ni Haki para maka-order.

+639 987 654 321
Please eat your meals.

Even if my hands were trembling, nagmamadali kong ini-dial ang number na iyon. Ilang rings lang ay sinagot niya ang tawag. In a breathy voice, I spoke. "Someone broke in..."

Kaagad niyang pinatay ang tawag pagkarinig sa sinabi ko. After a few minutes na hawak-hawak ko nang mahigpit ang susi na halos bumakat na sa kamay ko, I heard police sirens. Bigla akong nabuhayan ng loob. I tried to get up pero ramdam ko ang panghihina ng tuhod ko. I leaned on the wall for support, then a policeman came to help me stand up.

Maybe Haki did something about it, because the cops came here immediately.

Kasunod nilang dumating ang van ni Haki. He rushed outside and hurriedly ran to where I was standing.

He nodded at the policeman and told him to search the place, habang dahan-dahan niya akong inalalayan palayo roon sa bahay at papunta sa van niya. I felt his warm hand touching mine, at napalingon siya sa akin. I don't want to see him while I'm in this state... I look so fragile and weak. Pero wala akong magawa. Ni hindi ko nga kayang tumayo nang tuwid. Mabuti na lang at sinusuportahan niya ako habang naglalakad.

"Fuck it, you're trembling," sabi niya sa akin at hinarap ako. Hinawakan niya ako sa magkabilang balikat bago nagsalita muli. "Are you hurt?"

Nagmamadali akong umiling. Pagkatapos noon ay hindi niya na ako tinanong ulit. Pinapasok niya ako sa loob ng van at pagkasarado ng pinto ay dumiretso siya sa mga pulis at nakipag-usap sa kanila sandali. Pagkatapos noon ay nakita kong naglalakad na ulit siya pabalik kaya naman kaagad kong ibinaba ang tingin ko sa mga kamay ko.

I'm really getting help from him right now? Do I really look that pitiful to everyone?

I can feel my stomach hurting. Dahil yata wala pa rin akong kinakain maghapon. I can't even take care of myself, and I hate that I always expect people to take care of me. I hate them, but I hate myself a whole lot.

Tahimik lang kami pareho sa byahe. I can't even ask him kung ano'ng mangyayari sa akin ngayon. 'Yung bahay? 'Yung kakarampot na pera na naiwan sa bahay?

Nakarating kami sa mansyon. Is he going to let me stay here? Pagkarating namin ay niyaya niya akong kumain dahil gutom na raw siya. Halata namang ginawa niya lang iyon para kumain rin ako kasabay niya. Tahimik lang kami pareho habang kumakain nang biglang tumawag si Sancho.

I answered it right away at noong kinumusta niya ako, I told him about the whole situation. When he asked me kung saan ako mag-sstay, bago pa man ako nakasagot, kinuha ni Haki ang phone mula sa tenga ko.

Napatingin ako sa kanya. I know I look rude dahil sinagot ko ang tawag kahit nasa hapag-kainan kami, but to take my phone while I'm still talking to someone? He's twice as rude as me!

Akala ko ay papatayin niya ang tawag pero nagsalita siya bigla. "Sancho."

"She's going to stay in the mansion," sabi niya at tumigil saglit. "Yes. Thanks. Bye."

Seryosong-seryoso ang mukha niya habang ibinababa ang phone ko sa mesa at itinuloy ang pag-kain niya. Gusto ko pa sana siyang awayin pero baka palayasin pa niya ako rito. He's going to let me stay here, should I be grateful?

He's throwing an entire boat at someone who's struggling to stay afloat. Who am I to not take it and why would I not take it? Wala rin naman akong choice. Hihingi na naman ako ng tulong kay Sancho? But he told Sancho about that and he agreed to let me stay here...

"Magpahinga ka na," sabi niya sa akin at inalalayan niya akong tumayo pagkatapos naming kumain.

Pagkatapos noon ay naramdaman ko ang pag-akbay niya sa balikat ko, and I tried hard to get his arms off me. He sighed at naunang maglakad kesa sa akin.

Is he helping me because he's pitying me, o dahil kapatid ako ni Ate Yona?

He opened a door at pumasok roon, and he motioned at me to come inside too. Napagtanto kong nandito kami ngayon sa kwarto kung nasaan ako kanina.

"Get some rest..." he said in a hoarse voice. Naglakad lang ako papunta sa loob at dumiretso na sa malambot na kama.

I laid down with my back facing the ceiling. Pagkatapos noon ay naramdaman ko ang paggalaw ng kama. Nang tumingin ako ay nakaupo siya sa gilid ng kama at nakatingin rin sa akin.

"How are you feeling right now?" he asked me, with his voice kinda gruff.

Pumikit lang ako at hindi nagsalita. Should I be nice to him? Ni hindi ko alam kung ano'ng gagawin ko.

I heard his heavy sigh. "Aren't you gonna ask me how I've been?"

Napamulat ako dahil sa sinabi niya. Bakit ko naman siya kukumustahin? It's not like we are still friends or something like that.

"Aegis told me about your father," he said out of the blue. "And about what happened to you in the past years... I'm sorry."

So he already knows about my father. Iniisip ko tuloy kung alam niya kung sino ang dahilan.

"Bakit ka nagso-sorry?" I tried to ask him. Is he really gonna keep the act? Is he going to keep pretending na wala siyang alam?

"For leaving," sabi niya. "I'm sorry you had to bear with the pain all alone. But I'm here now. You can share the pain with me."