Number 47 | ON-GOING

CHAPTER 40

PREVIOUSLY ON NUMBER 47 - CHAPTER 39: Courage to change

"D-Dmitri . . . "

At bumagsak na lang ang mga luha ko nang banggitin ni Rogue ang pangalan ko.

I've missed her voice. I've missed them so much.

"R-Rogue," I stuttered in a low voice but enough for them to hear, a little bit ashamed for what I did to them.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I know I was wrong, and I wasn't in the right mind to calm down. I'm sorry. Si Erina . . . A-ayokong mawala siya. A-ayokong mapahamak siya kaya ako nagkagan'on. P-Patawad, pasensya na t-talaga. Si Erina . . . She's my life and I . . . I'm so sorry. . . Ayoko siyang mawala. Pakakasalan ko pa ang babaeng 'yon, magpapatayo pa kami ng bahay, have our own family, I want to spend my whole life with her as my wife in the future. I just don't want something bad would happen to her. Please, I'm sorry, forgive me . . . I'm sorry for being a coward, I'm sorry for being a lunatic, and I'm sorry for being a monster. . ."

And all I could really do was to say I'm sorry.

"Dmitri, I understand. We understand." Rogue said and faced me, drying my tears with her soft and warm hand.

Tumingin siya kay Knave at niyaya itong lumapit sa amin. But he doesn't seem to obey his sister.

"Nag-aalala lang kami sa 'yo, sa kung anuman ang mangyari sa 'yo kapag kumilos ka nang hindi mo pinag-iisipan. Pamilya ka namin, mahal ka namin ni Knave. We're always here for you, in times of struggle, pain and loneliness. Hindi ka namin iiwan." Rogue continued with her genuine smile, eyes getting watery again while looking directly into my eyes.

"T-thank you. . . M-mahal ko rin kayo. Thank you very much!" tuwang-tuwa akong niyakap ang pinsan kong babae habang hinahagod niya ang likod ko na baghagya pang natatawa pero natutuwa rin.

———

Rolling Out The Investigation

DMITRI.

THIS FEELING. . . The feeling of relief from carrying a heavy load was just giving me hope that I could correct my mistake. I wanted to change for the better after my coward-running-from-reality issue.

I knew I was wrong, really, and I don't want to do the same mistake again. Katapangan ang kailangan ko para harapin ang kinabukasan namin.

Nagsimula akong maglakad papunta sa kwarto ko nang may narinig akong may tumukhim, kaya agad akong napatigil. I can't be mistaken.

I could hardly swallow the lump forming inside my throat when I realized that it was Knave, the one he used to be mad-at-me tone earlier.

Mabagal akong lumingon sa kanya na naiilang pa, "b-bakit?"

At hindi ko alam bakit ako nauutal na may nararamdaman pang takot sa kalooban.

"Akala mo naman ay nakalimutan ko na ang ginawa mo sa amin ng kapatid ko? Nagkakamali ka." Knave was mad again wearing his blank face at me.