The Only Girl Of Section 5

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟻𝟾

"It's fine. I know the guy. Umuwi na kayo." Sabi ko.

"Pero—"

"No buts. Don't worry about me, okay?" Pinutol ko agad ang tangkang pagpigil saakin ni Clover. Bumalik ako dun sa sedan at sumakay sa passenger's seat.

"Just remember, do something funny I'll break your bones." I said. I heard the man chuckled and started driving.

"You sound just like your mother." He said.

"I don't even know what she sounded like." I mumbled.

After minutes of silence, I decided to talk again.

"Where are you taking me anyway?" I asked.

"To where it all started." He said and smiled at me.

His smile is so familiar...

"And where is that exactly?" I asked.

"You'll see." I scoffed at his answer.

Pasimple ko siyang pinagmamasdan. Sa tingin ko mga nasa early 40's na siya. Matangos ang ilong, medyo singkit na mata at buhok na kulay gray.

"We're here." He declared. I looked around.

"We're in the middle of nowhere." I said as I got out of the car. He smiled and started walking. I inhaled deeply and followed him.

"No, we're not." He said. Naglakad siya papasok sa kakahuyan.

"Are you up to something?" I asked that made him stop walking. He sighed and looked at me.

"No. I told you, I need to tell you something." He said.

"You sure? 'Cause the moment I walk in there and something happens, you won't like what I'll do." Sabi ko. Tumango lang siya at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. Tiningnan ko ang paligid at tsaka sumunod sakaniya.

"Where are we?" Tanong ko.

"To where your mom and dad's love story started." Sabi niya at hinawi yung mga vines na nakaharang.

"Woah." Yun lang nag nasabi ko. Tumambad saakin ang isang maliit na bahay at hardin na nakapaligid dito.

"This was your parents' hide out." Sabi nung lalaki at naunang pumasok dun sa bahay.

Was...it means matagal na itong nakatayo? Hindi halata dahil ang ayos pa rin ng itsura. Malinis, bagong pintura, alagang-alaga ang mga halaman at walang bahid ng nakaraan.

Wow ang lalim nung walang bahid ng nakaraan ah.

Pagpasok ko sa loob ay maaliwalas ito. Nakaayos yung dalawang single sofa at maliit na mesa sa gitna. Nakaayos din yung mga cupboard na puno ng tasa, baso at mga plato. Pati yung bookshelf na pagkalaki-laki na halos umabot na sa kisame.

"Dito nabuo ang love story ng nanay at tatay mo. They we're so happy back then. Having you and your two other siblings." Sabi nung lalaki. Sinenyasan niya akong umupo dun sa isang single sofa. Siya naman ay hinubad ang suot niyang coat at nagpunta sa kusina.

"But things happened, and the once picture-perfect family has become...nothing." Malungkot na saad niya. Inabutan niya ako ng juice na tinaggap ko.

"Why?" Tanong ko. Ever since nagka-isip ako, I've been always wondering. Anong nangyari sa pamilya namin? It's a shame I can't even remember anything from my past.

"Darling, I'm not in the position to tell that, but I can give you these." Sabi niya at may inabot saakin na shoe box. Nilapag ko yung baso sa mesa at kinuha yung shoe box. When I opened it, tumambad saakin ang samu't-saring photocards.