The Sacred Rule of Love - (PUBLISHED 2019)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

            Sinasabi ko na nga ba nananaginip lang ako kanina.

            I woke up with a pain in my neck. Mali pa yata yung pagtulog ko. Parang nangangawit pa yung leeg ko nung time na iyon. Sa tingin ko na-stress talaga ako kay Daddy at panay ang isip ko kay Mommy kaya kung anu-anong napapanaginipan ako.

            Pssh. Angels. Yeah right.

            I sat at the edge of my bed at hinawakan ko pa yung side ng neck ko. I guess pupunta na lang ako sa kitchen at kukuha ako ng coffee. Kulang lang ako sa caffeine, that's all. Maybe I was hallucinating. Yun lang yun 'di ba?

            Kakatayo ko pa lang doon sa kama ko at lalakad na sana ako papunta doon sa pintuan papalabas nung marinig ko yung isang boses. "Hello" narinig ko na sinabi niya.

            Napatingin naman akong bigla-bigla sa kung sino yung nagsalita. And no kidding about the dream, it's the same guy from earlier! Parang nanginig yung tuhod ko at nanghina. "Ikaw na naman!" sabi ko.

            May hawak-hawak siya na lapis sa kanang kamay niya na iniikot-ikot niya habang nakatingin siya sa akin, "You know, I don't think kalakihan ang ilong ko so I fixed it for you," sabi niya sabay taas nung sketch ko ng mukha niya.

            Panaginip lang ito... hindi pa talaga ako nagigising. It doesn't make sense na nakikita ko ang guardian angel ko. I've never heard of such thing. Nababaliw na kaya ako?

            Tinapik-tapik at kinurot-kurot ko pa yung mukha ko.

            "You're very much awake," nakangiti niyang pagkakasabi, "hindi ka nananaginip. I stand by what I said earlier."

            Medyo lumalim yung paghinga ko sa sobrang niyerbiyos ko. Kapag nagpakita ba sa iyo ang guardian angel mo, oras mo na? Ganun ba yun?

            "H-hindi a-ako naniniwala sa iyo..." lumabas na lang sa bibig ko, "Kung angel kita, bakit wala kang pakpak?"

            Tumayo naman siya sa pagkakaupo niya, "Dahil hindi pa ako full angel. I'm a trainee."

            "Trainee?" lumunok naman ako ng malalim, "Kailan ka magiging full angel?"

            "Hindi ko alam," sagot niya ng mabilis sa akin, "That all depends sa archangel ko."

            I still felt a little awkward talking to him. Hindi ko alam kung matatakot ba ako sa kanya o ano. He seemed pretty harmless. Pero yung dahilan na nagpakita siya sa aking bigla-bigla, that's a little too odd for me.

            There has to be a catch right?

            "Quit analyzing me," sinabi niya as if nabasa niya yung iniisip ko.

            Naupo naman ako, maybe three feet away from him, "Bakit ka nagpakita sa akin?"

            He smiled again, as if yung tanong ko eh isang napakagandang tanong sa kanya, "Like I said, tinawag mo ako. I heard your voice, so I came."

            I don't get it. I don't remember ever calling him. But then, an angel wouldn't lie to me naman 'di ba?

            "Paano nangyari yun? At bakit..." tinignan ko siya mula ulo hanggang paa, "ngayon lang kita nakita?"

            "Usually, we get assigned to one mortal and we follow them their whole life," paliwanag niya sa akin "We like helping mortals kaya nung tinawag mo ako, that was the greatest feeling since you always chose not to ask for help. Yun siguro yung dahilan kung bakit hindi mo ako nakikita before," Tinuro naman niya ako saglit, "As for your ability to see me, hindi ko alam. It's a very rare gift."

            Nanlaki naman yung mata ko sa kanya. Rare gift? That means...

            "You're not the only one. There are others like you."

***

            I don't think nakatulog ako after that night. Alexus, at least sabi niya yun daw ang pangalan niya, left nung gabi na iyon dahil imi-meet daw niya yung archangel niya. He disappeared in a poof, which confirms the notion na—he really is not from here.

            I went on the computer to look it up. Apparently, there is such a thing as "Angel Lore." Maraming mga entries online about people who have seen their guardian angels and methods to enhance that ability. The more I read about it, the more at ease I felt about it. Most people said that being in the presence of angels is a good thing. At least alam ko na walang glitch yung brain ko. I wasn't particularly going crazy.

            My dad left really early that morning kaya ako lang mag-isa doon sa breakfast. Our cleaning lady came in at nagpaalam na lang ako sa kanya. I was off to the university. For a 5th year Fine Arts student doing specialization, I can't imagine myself leaving school.

            "Zoe Aldana," I heard someone's voice nung nagmamadali ako doon sa hallway kakatakbo ko. Nakita ko na hinahabol ako ni Cal, yung isa sa popular guys sa school na lagi na akong sinusundan. "Oh, ikaw pala." Sabi ko na lang habang mabilis pa rin akong naglalakad.

            "Why are you in such a hurry?" tanong niya sa akin at hinarangan pa ako sa harapan ko, "Chill out. It's early in the morning."

            "I'm gonna' be late for class..." sagot ko ng mabilis sa kanya.

            "Fine, I'll let you go in one condition.." hinarangan niya ako from left to right para hindi ako makadaan, "Come to my party. I'm hosting one this Friday since out of town ang parents ko. There'll be fun stuff! May keg, the pleasure of my company..."

            Sasagot na sana ako kaya lang may nauna pa sa akin bago ko pa isipin.

            "I advise you to say 'no'" narinig ko na sinabi niya.

            I was about to have a heart attack nung nag-materialize si Alexus sa tabi ko. Napatingin pa ako sa gilid ko bigla-bigla para tignan ko siya. He still was wearing all white, with a bluish-tinged light all over him.

            "I sort of want to go..." I whispered under my breath.

            Napatingin si Cal doon sa giid ko at parang gulat na gulat siya. Napansin niya siguro na may kinakausap ako sa gilid ko. He probably thought I was a little weird, "Sinong kausap mo?"

            I laughed awkwardly, "Wala!" sabi ko naman sa kanya, "Sure I'll go."

            I heard Alexus grunt next to me. Mukhang hindi siya masaya doon sa sinagot ko. He did say na sabihin ko na hindi ako pupunta. But somehow, gusto ko ring pumunta. Maybe I should drink this weekend.

            I just heard Cal say, "Great!" bago pa siya tumakbo at umalis na.

            As soon as I started walking, naglakad na rin sa tabi ko si Alexus.

            "I advised you to say 'No' to him. Why didn't you listen?" sinabi niya sa akin na parang na-frustrate pa siya, "Those parties involve stuff you shouldn't be around with."

            Sinubukan kong hindi siya tignan para hindi naman masyadong halata sa ibang tao na nagsasalita ako mag-isa, "So, according to your angel book, I can't drink and party? Kasalanan na ba yun?"

            "No, but according to the description of my job, I am to protect you from any harm I see fit."

            "Please." sabi ko naman sa kanya, "I'll be okay."

            I walked really fast at medyo naiwan ko si Alexus. He was screaming at the hallway. Alam ko na ako lang ang nakakarinig sa kanya pero ang lakas-lakas ng pagkakasigaw niya.

            "Kung dati-rati, madali para sa iyo na i-ignore ako... well, it's not happening anymore Ms. Zoe!" narinig ko na sinabi niya, "I will follow you everywhere and I'll make sure you feel my existence."

            Instant stalker in the making. Kapag good-looking ba, stalker pa rin?