Beyond Her Abstraction

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7
Heartbeat

Phthalo

"Why do you think it happened?" I simply asked. I tried not to sound so eager to hear the answer.

Mauve, Cerulean, and I are currently heading back to our homes. We're inside Lean's car as usual.

City lights on the posts and people bustling homeward welcomed us as we left the hall earlier. Cars occupied the roads and now we are stuck in the traffic.

"Oo nga. Nagulat ako," Lean muttered while looking directly to the road. I am sure that he's in a daze as well.

"I find it weird," nagsimulang magsalita si Mauve. Napalingon kaming dalawa ni Lean sa kaniya. "Noong una, I noticed that she is too different from her younger self. I just don't talk about it because it's normal to change when you grow up but--"

"But?"

"But she did really undergo in three hundred and sixty degree change. I barely recognized her when we met after years in the exhibit. Kung hindi ko lang nalaman na Alizarin ang pangalan niya, aakalain kong ibang tao siya," pagpapatuloy ni Mauve.

Kahit ako. Nang malaman kong siya 'yong nasa portrait kanina ay hindi ako makapaniwala. Ibang-iba siya.

"So what are you trying to say?" I curiously asked my friend who is sitting in the backseat of the car.

"She changed... drastically. The reason behind it might be a tragic event that happened to her or something like that. I don't know. I am not sure."

"Baka iniwan ng boyfriend?" Lean took a guess.

"Then why would she cry when Phthalo took a shot of her and her family portrait if it's because of a guy?"

Mauve has a point.

"So?"

"It's her parents," Mauve said with certainty in his eyes. "Ang alam ko kasi, her parents separated just before she went to school. Wala na akong balita sa kaniya when we moved out of the country. I was too young to be curious about her family's issue so I don't have enough information about it."

Her parents are separated?

There is a knot that slowly ties my heart when I heard Mauve's statement. I haven't experienced living with separated parents but I am completely aware of how it feels like. It must be hard for her. Pinagsisihan kong nagalit ako sa kaniya. Damn.

"Kaya pala naluha siya kanina nang sumulyap siya sa portrait niya," si Lean.

"But I guess, there is more than that," Mauve answered.

Mauve is as keen as ever. Sa aming tatlo, siya ang may pinakamalakas ang guts at instincts. He can easily deduct what's happening in a certain thing. Madali niya ring nababasa ang tao.

I sighed and looked at the bright fast food chain outside of the window of Lean's car. The orange gradient in the sky is reflected in the transparent walls. Kita ang mahabang linya ng mga tao sa loob. Some are sitting on the dining. Workers are busy delivering their meals and entertaining their orders. I got curious. Sila kaya? Ano-anong mga kuwento ang nakatago sa likod ng kani-kanilang mukha?

"Will she be okay?" wala sa sarili kong pagbitiw ng tanong. Kahit ako mismo ay nabigla nang nabitawan ko ang mga salitang 'yon.

"Concerned?" taas-kilay na tanong ni Cerulean na nakalingon na sa akin ngayon.

I gave him a look of horror.

"Joke lang," biglang bawi niya at humalakhak.

Mauve chuckled at the back.