Red Strings of Fate (Haunted Series 2)

Strings 43: Goodbye

"Tinapon mo ang walis at tsinelas mo sa'kin dito."

Hindi ko na napigilan ang ngiti ko at binigyan siya ng nakakalokong ngisi habang gumagawa siya ng kape. "Mukha ka kasing magnanakaw."

"A handsome one." Kindat niya.

Ngumiti siya sa'kin at iaabot na sana ang baso ng kape nang mahulog 'to nang nawalan siya ng lakas. Nakalimutang hindi dapat ginagamit ang sugatan niyang kamay.

The glass shatters between us as James groans from the pain of using his injured arm and the heat of the coffee pouring down on him and his clothes. "Fuck."

Glass shattering. Screams. Blood. The smell of gunpowder.

Ngumiti ako, "Tanga. Are you okay?"

Yumuko siya para linisin ang nabasag. "I'm fine, baby. Don't move. Baka maka apak ka ng bubog."

Mabilis kong pinatay ang stove at lumapit sa kanya. Pareho kaming matigas ang ulo. "Wash off mo muna 'yan sa CR, ako na dito."

He grimaces at his immobile arm. "Useless."

"'Hey, that arm saved my life. 'Wag mong pagsabihan ng ganyan."

Napaikot ang kanyang mga mata sa sinabi ko pero napangisi naman. Tumayo siya, hesitating, looking at the puddle of coffee and broken cup shards around his feet. "Are you sure, baby?"

"Stop acting like I didn't work here, mabilis ko lang malilinis 'to."

"That was before. Now, I'm taking care of you. I'm not letting you raise any finger in this household."

"Nagsalita ang lalakeng hindi makahawak ng tasa ng maayos." Malakas akong napahalakhak nang nahulog ang panga niya at nanlalaki ang mga mata na napatulala sa'kin, "Sige naaa, go away and let me clean this."

He does as he's told, stepping away from the mess and smacking a quick kiss on my lips as he passes me.

As fucked up as this whole situation is, that little gesture of normal affection brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye.

Within moments, I find myself quietly sobbing as I mop up the coffee from the floor.

Hindi ko talaga alam kung bakit ako umiiyak, but giving a good guess, dahil natatakot ako. Well, nagsisinungaling ako kung hindi ako takot. Sinong hindi?

Hangga't nananatili ako rito, mas maraming panganib na darating para sa pamilyang 'to. I cannot ignore the guilt, horror, and anxiety that consumes me.

Minsan okay ako, most of the time it's an endless horror movie in my head. Si James na nasasaktan, ang lalaking pinatay ko, o ang myembro ng Itasaki na si Kuji Shio.

Minsan sa panaginip ko... si TJ ang tinulak ko palabas ng butas na 'yon.

Minsan pakiramdam ko umiinit pa rin sa sakit ang aking hita dahil sa saksak, kahit na ang tanging naiwan ng gabing iyon ay isang maliit na peklat.

"Baby?"

Napalingon ako kay TJ na nanggaling sa comfort room, nakahubad at ang tanging suot lang ay ang maliit na guest towel na nagmumukhang mini skirt sa kanya.

He looked so ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I threw my head back, laughing wildly until I heard him laughing with me.

I laughed hard, and happy tears combined with my sad and scared ones.

I was gripping my chest, trying to get control of the hilarity of crumbling into a blur of tears of laughter and sadness... until I was visibly sobbing.

Sobbing for this life of ours I love and am scared of at the same time.

Ramdam ko ang pagtataka sa kamay ni TJ nang hinawi niya ang buhok kong nakatakip sa'kin at hinawakan ang mga pisngi ko.