The Princess Bride (Published)

26: Qədimdənqalma

The couple went back to their bedroom. Both were silent and lost in their own thoughts.

Guardian or protector. Guardian or protector of what? Mikael quietly asked himself as he absentmindedly stroked his wife's hair not even noticing that said woman was watching his face closely.

"Okay ka lang ba?" Gabrielle touched her husband's face. "Parang imbes na maliwanagan ka ay parang lalo ka pang naguluhan..."

"Hindi naman. Napapaisip lang."

"Tungkol saan?"

"Kung totoo ba 'yung nangyari kanina o guni-guni ko lang..."

"Totoo 'yun," she said. "Or else we wouldn't have found what it meant."

"Gusto ko ring isipin na gan'un but why wasn't there blood on the towel and on the floor when I clearly saw and felt that I was bleeding?"

"Mikael, hindi na pwedeng itago natin kina Ama ang mga nangyayaring 'to. Masyado nang mahiwaga para sa ating dalawa."

"Even that book your grandfather asked you not to tell anyone about?"

"We can leave out the book. Pero, 'yung nangyari sa'yo kanina kailangan na nating sabihin. I can't help but think that someone might be playing tricks on us."

"It's too complicated a trick to be carried out, Gab."

"Meron bang may alam ng mahika rito?"

"Sa tingin mo ay may kinalaman sa mahika at orasyon ang mga nangyayari ngayon?"

"Sa tingin mo ay wala?"

"Gab, nasa loob tayo ng Adrasteia kung saan ang tanging alam ng mga naninirahan ay ang gamitin ang kanila nakahihigit na kakayanang pisikal. As far as I know walang gumagamit ng mahika rito."

"But isn't the other possible scenario scarier? If what's happening has nothing to do with magic ay ano pala ito? Nababaliw na ba tayong dalawa?"

"Hindi naman sa gan'un..." Mikael sighed. "Hindi ko rin alam, Gab. I want to provide you with answers but I can't think of anything. And I feel so bad because here we are in the middle of another issue when you're still trying to get over the death of Lolo Solomon."

"Mikael, hindi mo responsibilidad na bigyang-kasagutan ang lahat ng nangyayari ngayon. 'Yung sa pagpanaw ni Lolo naman, oo, aaminin kong sobrang sakit n'un sa akin pero nabigyan ako ng pagkakataong magpaalam sa kanya kaya kahit paano ay naibsan ang lungkot. Iniisip ko na lang, at least he was able to leave in his own terms."

"What happened back there, Gab?"

"Nagkausap kami. He said that he was ready to die and that he was already dying so I shouldn't be sad about his death..."

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"May sakit daw s'ya at binigyang-taning ng doktor ang buhay n'ya."

"Sakit?"

"Oo. He said he has stage 4 prostrate cancer..."

"What? Bakit hindi n'ya sinabi? Sana naipagamot pa natin s'ya. Bakit n'ya inilihim?"

"Maybe he didn't want to burden anyone with that news. But, isn't it ironic that a dela Paz has the power to heal other people but not himself or herself?"

Gabriel smiled wanly at her husband. "Ang sabi ni Lolo noon 'yung kakayanan daw naming manggamot ay isang kaloob galing sa langit na kailangan naming ipagpasalamat dahil kami ang napiling pagbigyan ng gan'ung klaseng abilidad. Pero, n'ung tinanong ko kung bakit hindi kami nabigyan ng kakayanang gamutin ang mga sarili namin ay ang sabi n'ya 'yun daw ang kabayaran."