dusk beneath the city lights | Buenvenidez Series #4 [COMPLETED]

10

I spent our one last year in North Carolina preparing for my college degree in Manila. Uuwi na kami bago ang eighteenth birthday ni Faith at ilang araw ko na siyang kinukumbinsi.. pero alam kong labag sa loob niyang umuwi. She's always anxious that something will happen to us along the way. Kahit pa sinigurado nina Daddy at Tito Oliver na ligtas kaming babalik sa Manila, hindi parin siya napapanatag. She always think that someone will hurt us or kill us.. and I can't blame her.. kasi kahit ako ay ganoon. It was a trauma that was embedded on me.

"The Buenvenidezes were framed up. Iyong nangyari kay Nicolai.. The man just used the name to cover up the man who paid him to kill my wife," Tito Oliver shared one dinner night.

Hindi nila tinigilan ang imbestigation doon dahil malapit sa pamilya namin ang mga Buenvenidez, and maybe Tito Oliver was really sure that he trusted the righteous people and he could never go wrong with that but Faith isn't like her father.

Faith had lost her trust to people.. it was really hard pero mabuti nalang at pumayag rin siya kinalaunan kaya kami nakauwi sa Pilipinas. Kahit pa paranoid siya. She tends to overthink.. ultimo taong sumundo sa amin pinaghinalaan niya kaya nga kinabahan rin ako dahil ang alam ko, makikipagkita si Caius sa amin pag-uwi.

And the moment we're back in Manila.. I felt home.. I felt like I am finally living the life I buried years ago.. na iniisip ko, sa pagkakataong ito, mas payapa at mas malaya na ako.. pero hindi parin pala.

That's when I realized that my life was stitched with pain and I can never escape from it.

Balisa ako nang makareceive ng text message sa hindi kilalang tao. I just bought my sim today and how come I am receiving messages like this right now.. hindi pa sana ako maniniwala, kaso nga lang, naka address sa akin.

Unknown Number:

Richela. Glad that you're back. I hope I got to meet you soon. We have yet to discuss a lot.

Noong una, hindi ko pinansin.. pero hindi na rin mawala ang kaba ko noon.. at kahit pa masayang magkakasama na ulit kami nina Cai, hindi ko parin maiwasang kabahan at matakot para doon. I just watched my friends catch up things that happened for the past years, minsan makikisama ako, madalas, balisa ako.

Good thing that I can excuse myself since I decided to see Ross tonight. Isa kasi siya sa natatandaan kong patuloy na nagcheck sa akin noong mga panahong mabigat ang nangyayari sa buhay ko. He constantly messages me through the traditional telegram. Handwritten.. para lang kamustahin ako.

"Kupal! Ingatan mo 'to!" I reminded Caius when they dropped me on the cafe.

Tumango si Caius sa akin at kumaway si Faith hanggang sa tuluyan na akong makapasok sa loob. And there I saw Ross in the far table.. with someone else.. muling nanuot ang kaba sa dibdib ko pero hindi ko ipinakita 'yon sa kanila at tuluyan nang lumapit.

I greeted the both of them. Drew looked hesitant at first but he managed to greet me casually habang si Ross, agad akong sinalubong ng yakap.

We were never intimate.. but Ross was my go to person way back in highschool.. when I tried to get over from Max.. alam niya lahat ng 'yon at kahit pa ganoon, hindi nagbago ang pakikitungo niya sa akin.

"I didn't expect to see you Drew. Hindi naman nasabi ni Ross sa akin na magkasama kayo." I told him.

Drew's eyes darted on me before he nodded. "I just went out for a walk and he saw me so he invited me to come with him," He explained.

"Sasakyan ni Caius 'yung kinawayan mo 'di ba? Hinatid ka?" Tanong ni Ross. Tumango naman kaagad ako.

"Yep.."