Serendipity: Unearth My Fate

Chapter 38

At least I've got the chance to meet my father.

It's quite short --- hindi man lang pinaabot ng tadhana na makasama ko 'yong papa ko kahit good for one month.

Tahimik kaming naglalakad ni Trisha sa kalagitnaan ng gubat. Hindi ko alam kung tama pa ba ang direksyon na tinatahak namin. I don't even know how we will escape in this forest... that seems like we're walking to infinity.

It was hard for me to forced Trisha na tumakbo na palayo matapos masaksihan ang unti-unting pagbagsak ng walang-buhay na katawan ng tatay namin sa lupa. Nahirapan din ako na piliing tumakbo na lang palayo instead of running onto my father and try to save him by calling someone to give us assistance.

I also want to save my father, but I can't. He put his life at stake just to save us from that terrorist, so that I didn't let his sacrifice go wasted.

"Stood up," I murmured. "We have to escape this place as soon as possible, Trisha. So, can you please stop crying for heaven's sake?!"

Hindi niya ako pinakinggan dahil ipinagpatuloy niya pa rin ang pag-iyak. "Of course, you won't be able to know how it hurts to lost a father like him kasi hindi ikaw 'yong matagal niyang nakasama. Kaya ganiyan lang kadali para sa iyo na kalimutan kaagad 'yong nangyari!"

She resumed whimpering her heart out, while I was just stunned by what she uttered.

I clenched my fist. "So, you're saying I'm not affected?" I asked before giving her a weak smile. "How come? Ikaw man 'yong nakasama niya nang matagal, I believe we're at the same level of pain we are now enduring.

Hindi mo ba alam kung gaano kasakit din para sa akin na makitang unti-unti siyang nawawalan ng buhay sa harap ko?! Ngayon lang ako nabigyan ng chance to finally meet him...

While I was watching him dying, of course it hurts. For the nth time, another loved one has left me. I was back to being alone again, Trisha."

Mas lalong lumakas ang hagulgol niya na talagang hindi ko inaasahan. "It was my fault," humahagulgol niyang sambit. "Tama kayo, e. Kung hindi lang siguro ako naging makasarili, hindi sana mangyayari kay Papa ito.

Sana nakinig na lang ako sa paulit-ulit niyang pakiusap sa akin noon. Hindi ko na sana hinayaang manaig 'yong galit na nararamdaman ko, edi sana buhay pa si Papa ngayon."

Wala akong magawa ngayon kung hindi ang tingnan na lamang siya. Kung naaawa ako sa sarili ko dahil mag-isa na naman ako, I felt the same with Trisha.

We both lost a loved one --- our shelter has completely left us for good.

I don't even know how to comfort her. Gustong-gusto ko siyang yakapin para lang mapagaan kahit papaano 'yong pakiramdam niya. But our gloomy past halts me from doing so. Hindi ko pa rin magawang kalimutan nang tuluyan ang mga kasalanang kailangang pagbayaran ni Trisha.

"Magpahinga muna tayo rito, Magi. Hindi ko na kasi talaga kayang maglakad," hinang-hina na sambit niya.

"Alright," I sounded defeated.

Naupo ako sa kabilang parte ng puno na sinasandalan niya. Malayo-layo na rin naman ang nalakad at natakbo namin palayo sa lugar na 'yon, so I think hindi na kami matutunton ng mga rebeldeng 'yon dito.

But of course, we shouldn't be unflappable. We're still at this menacing forest and we have to escape from this place as soon as possible. Kailangan namin malaman ang daan palabas sa kagubatan na ito bago pa mahuli ang lahat.

As much as I want to contact Dylan's company, hindi ko magawa. When I woke up earlier, wala na sa bulsa ko 'yong cellphone ko. 'Yong kay Trisha naman, na-lowbat daw kaya wala kaming magamit na device upang humingi ng tulong.