EMPIRE SERIES #1 (COMPLETED)
Carmela Raleigh was orphaned after her grandma died. But she was able to get through it with the help of her lover, Nate, and his family. They treated her as if she were a member of their family and allowed her to live w...
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"WHERE ARE you going?" tanong niya nang agad akong tumayo paalis sa kama, pero hindi ko siya pinansin. This is wrong! Hindi dapat 'to nangyari samin.
Ano bang iniisip ko?!
Mabilis kong pinulot 'yong mga damit ko na nagkalat sa sahig at mabilis akong nagbihis. I quickly checked the time and it's already 7 am. Oh god! Magagalit sa'kin si Tita Mommy kapag nalaman niyang hindi ako umuwi kagabi!
My body begins to tremble at the thought of Tita Mommy bombarding me with a long list of questions! I was unable to think clearly! I don't know what I should tell her!?
Arlo suddenly grabbed my hand, making me pause for a second about getting dressed. "Ano ba? Bitawan mo nga ako! I need to leave. Now!" Pilit kong hinihila yong braso ko, pero mahigpit ang pagkakahawak niya sa'kin. I looked at him, pero mabilis din akong nag-iwas nang tingin nang makita ko iyong expression sa mukha niya.
"What are you doing? Akala ko ba okay na tayo?"
"Akala ko rin... pero hindi pa rin pala. Mali 'to, Arlo. Maling mali." nagulat siya sa sinabi ko kaya lumuwag ang pagkakahawak niya sa braso ko. I took that chance to resume working on getting dressed.
Hindi ko alam kung anong pumasok sa isipan ko para hayaang mangyari 'to. Alam ko namang hindi ko pa kaya. Hindi ko pa kayang kalimutan lahat ng mga alaala namin ni Nate. Hindi madaling kalimutan lahat ng memorya niya. Masakit pa rin. Hindi ko pa rin matanggap na wala na siya!
"Saan mo hinagis yong T-shirt ko?" tanong ko kay arlo, na nakatulala habang nakatingin lang sa'kin. Kanina pa ako paikot ikot sa loob ng kuwarto niya at hindi ko mahagilap kung saan ba niya inihagis 'yong T-shirt ko kagabi.
"You...you still can't forget him, can't you?" malungkot na tanong niya. He's still fully naked habang nakatayo sa harapan ko. If I could just love him wholeheartedly, e di sana sinunggaban ko na siya ngayon at hindi kami nagtatalo nang ganito. Kung sana puwede lang kaming dalawa pero hindi... dahil maraming masasaktan.
Hindi kami puwedeng dalawa.
Tinignan ko siya nang diretso sa mga mata niya. With a sigh, "I can't... and I don't think I'll ever forget him. He's part of my life and he will always be." Pain flashes through his eyes. I immediately averted my gaze from him. It pains me a lot knowing that I'm responsible for why he is hurting right now. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve me.
"Then why do you keep on doing this to me? Why do you keep on coming back to me just to leave me again? Just to hurt me again. Why Cara?" He paused and sighed. Rinig ko yong pagod at hinanakit sa boses niya. "Why do you keep on hurting me over and over again?"
Hindi ako makasagot. Mabilis akong nag iwas nang tingin, dahil hindi ko kayang makitang umiiyak si Arlo dahil sa'kin. Alam kong kasalanan ko. I love him, pero hindi puwede. I can't lose my family. Hindi ko kayang mawalan ulit ng pamilya. I promised him that I would never leave his family, that I would never hurt his family.
Hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko kay Arlo kaya nagpatuloy nalang ako sa pagbibihis. Nakita ko iyong hoodie niya kaya iyon nalang muna ang isinuot ko. Ang tanging nasa ko lang ay ang makaalis na rito. The longer I stay here, the longer I have to endure the painful gaze that Arlo's throwing at me.
"I'm sorry..." was the only thing I could manage to say to him.
"I don't need your sorry. I want you to stay with me, Cara. Please... stay." Mabilis niya akong niyakap mula sa likuran at ramdam ko iyong panginginig ng mga balikat niya. He's crying.
"Alam mong hindi puwede, Arlo. Alam mong bawal 'to at hindi dapat nangyari ang nangyari satin kagabi." pilit kong tinatanggal ang pagkakayakap niya sa'kin.
"We will talk to them! I'll come with you! We will explain to them that we love each other and that they can't do anything about it!" sabi niya at mabilis akong umiling.
"No! We can't!" sigaw ko sakaniya, pero parang wala siyang narinig dahil patuloy pa rin siya sa pagbibihis. Agad akong kinabahan. Imposibleng mangyari iyong gusto niya, hindi gano'n kadali iyon.
"Yes, we can, Cara! Kung ayaw mo, I can talk to them alone."
"Arlo ano ba?!" sigaw ko sakaniya dahilan para tumigil siya. "Nahihibang kana ba?! Kapag ginawa mo yun para mo na rin ako tinanggalan ng pamilya! Is that really what you want?"
"I can be your family Cara... I'm here for you, just please stay and choose me just this once."
Mabilis na tumulo ang mga luha na kanina ko pa pinipigilan. Mabilis akong umiling. "I'm really sorry but I can't. You will never see me again. Goodbye, Arlo." I stormed out of his room and never looked back... I can't love him anymore. I can't see him anymore. I need him to be out of my sight, so then he will be out of my mind too.
#
Mabuti nalang at maagang umalis si Tita Mommy, kaya hindi niya alam na hindi ako umuwi kagabi. Mabilis akong naglakad papasok sa loob ng kwarto ko. Kumuha ako ng damit sa cabinet para maligo at makapag palit ng damit.
My head is spinning, but I couldn't care less. My priority is to get rid of the evidence that I didn't go home last night, and that I got drunk and made a big mistake.
"Jen!" I got startled. My heart is beating so fast from nervousness. Jen is standing in front of my bedroom door, and she has a scowl on her face.
"I know that you didn't go home last night, Ate."
"H-ha?"
"And I also know that you told Mommy that you were with Ate Gael last night, but I know that you're not with her because I saw her yesterday at the mall... alone."
"Jen please h'wag mong sabihin kay Tita Mommy. You know that I love her, and I didn't mean to lie to her."
"Then where were you Ate? At bakit hindi ka umuwi kagabi? Sinong kasama mo?" seryosong tanong niya. Alam kong makakapag sinungaling ako kay Tita Mommy, but not with Jen. She's smart and she knows when I'm lying.
I closed my eyes and heaved a sigh. I can't tell her. Especially her.
Alam kong hindi siya magagalit pero alam kong malulungkot siya.
She is staring intently at me, waiting for my answer, when her eyes slowly start to widen.
Tinignan ko kung saan siya nakatingin and that's when it hit me. I'm still wearing his hoodie... with his name imprinted on it!
Benjamin Carlos
Ibinalik ko ang tingin ko kay Jen, pero mabilis niya akong tinalikuran at saka siya naglakad paalis. Tinawag ko siya at nakahinga ako nang maluwag nang tumigil siya. Lalapitan ko na sana siya, pero ako naman ang naestatwa sa kinatatayuan ko nang humarap siya sa'kin.
Her cheeks are covered with tears. The excruciating looks in her eyes is like a million stabs in my chest.
"You're so unfair, Ate. You promised that you would wait for me and Mommy to move on, but why are you moving on by yourself? Why do you look so happy while we're still mourning for Kuya Nate?"
