PAINFULLY FALLING [BOOK 1]

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Violet

"A-angels?" Halos mawalan ng kulay ang aking mukha.

Nilaro ni Lemuel ang kanyang ballpen saka siya nagpangalumbaba. "Oo raw."

Tumikhim ako at pilit pinakalma ang sarili. "Paano mo naman nalaman 'yan?"

"Her bestfriend said Maegan claims she was once rescued by her angel. Hindi raw naniwala 'yong bestfriend niya kasi baka epekto lang daw iyon ng pangungulila niya sa kapatid niyang namatay noong isang taon but she said Maegan insisted that someone divine saved her from the hands of drunk men on the 45th street. She said it was a man with majestic wings." Ngumisi siya. "I've heard she was already in therapy when she claimed that. The poor girl was really gone mad."

Hindi ako nakakibo sa huling mga salitang binitiwan niya. This is why I don't want to tell Lemuel about what I saw three nights ago. Natatakot akong wala ring maniniwala. Whether people have faith or none, most of them still seek for proofs. Funny how they define faith as believing in something you've never seen but when it comes to others' claims of seeing miracles, their "to see is to believe" shits come first before their so-called faith.

Kahit na ikwinento sa akin ni Lemuel ang tungkol sa babaeng taga-ESU, alam kong hindi siya naniniwalang totoo ang mga sinabi ng babae. He even joked, "may anghel palang nagbabantay sa kanya bakit pala comatosed siya ngayon?"

Gusto kong mainis sa ipinakita niyang reaksyon tungkol doon ngunit alam kong mauuwi lamang sa hindi pagkakaintindihan ang magiging usapan naming dalawa. Sabi nga ni mom, as long as your beliefs aren't parallel with each other, you ain't going anywhere.

My mind keep on showing retreat signs whenever I'm about to say something about it. Natatakot din akong hanapan niya ako ng ipang-susuporta sa paniniwala ko sa babaeng nagngangalang Maegan.

Madilim na ang langit nang makalabas kami ni Lemuel ng school. Hinatid ko siya sa fastfood kung saan siya nagpa-part time job na kung tutuusin ay hindi na niya kailangan dahil may kaya rin naman sila kahit paano. I guess my friend will always be a puzzle to me. Marami pa akong hindi naiintindihan sa kanya.

I parked the car next to a vintage mini van. Lumabas si Lemuel ng aking kotse ngunit kaagad siyang umikot sa harap ng driver's side saka niya inilusot ang kanyang ulo sa bintana habang ang kanyang kamay ay nakahawak sa bubong ng kotse.

"I might come over after my shift. I'll help you unpack and we can watch the movie I downloaded earlier." Nakangiti niyang ani saka nagtaas-baba ang mga kilay.

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay saka ko sinundot ang dibdib niya. "Baka manonood lang hindi mag-a-unpack."

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, right. So? I'll see you later. Don't miss me too much." Biro nito bago umatras at kumaway.

Natatawa akong umiling-iling. Minsan hindi ko alam kung paano pa rin nananatili ang mga paa ng bestfriend ko sa lupa gayong hangin na lang yata ang laman ng utak niya.

Pinalis ko ang ilang butil ng pawis na namuo sa aking noo. I'm already exhausted yet I'm not even halfway on what I have to unpack. Ngayon ko lamang napagtantong napakarami ko palang gamit.

The day after Dad proposed to Nathalie, I decided to move out of his place. He wasn't there when I packed my things. Hindi niya ako napigilan ngunit nang malaman niyang umalis na ako ay isang simpleng voice mail lamang ang ipinadala niya.

"I will not cut your allowance nor hold your cards, sweetheart. I know how much you love your mom and I will understand if this is too much for you to take. I will give you the space that you need but in case you'll need anything, remember that I am always here for you."