Aeipathy

Chapter 39

"Why?"

"Anong why?"

"Bakit ganoon yung perception mo? Bakit ganyan ka magmahal? Carrie is possessive of Rainey. Mapalapit nga lang si Elle doon kay Rain, nagagalit na yung babaeng yon. Even Ember, she had to force Cray to marry her just to make sure na makukuha nya yung taong mahal nya. Si Harrice? Hindi ba at ganoon din? Nilibang mo pa ako sa ibang bansa para lang magkaroon ng chance si Harrice na mabawi si Elle. So why aren't you like that?"

Ilang segundo din akong tinitigan ni Eris bago sunod sunod na umiling. "You aren't getting it, are you?"

"Getting what?"

"This." Itinuro nito kaming dalawa. "I don't need to push you nor to force you because even if you say na ayaw mo sakin o galit ka, you still have your own way to make up things with me. You still have ways of coming near me. Like an invisible string that's tying you to me, You can't escape me like that."

Nang hindi ako sumagot ay nagpatuloy lang si Eris.

"Remember when we first met?"

Napaisip ako. Kelan ko nga ba unang nakita si Eris? Sa bahay nila Kaylee? Noong naging bodyguard sya ni Lee?

"You don't remember?" Untag pa ni Eris na halatang naiinip na.

"Kina Lee?"

"Wrong." Eris lightly taps her fingers on the table. "Sa bahay nyo. Noong birthday mo."

"Oh?" I can't really remember. As I've said, Eris is not strikingly beautiful na gaya ni Elle. Kaya siguro hindi ko ito masyadong napapansin noon.

"You were so pretty on your pink dress but you weren't coming out to greet your guests because your Mom was still tied in the hospital, fulfilling her duties. Sabi mo ayaw mo na magbirthday."

Sa dami ng mga panahon na hindi nakakahabol o nalelate si Mommy sa mga birthdays ko, that time wasn't that enough to make me remember the exact scene.

"Where were you then?" I asked out of anything to ask her back.

"Katabi si Harrice. Inuubos yung handa mo." Tumawa pa si Eris na para bang masaya dito yung araw na yon. "You even had the courage to tell us na ang tatakaw namin at tirhan naman namin ng pagkain yung Mommy mo."

Literal na napanganga ako. Sinabi ko talaga iyon?

"That was the first time you call me unruly monkey. That was so sweet. I'm a monkey for you. Not a zombie."

"Nainlove ka sakin dahil tinawag kitang monkey!?"

Natatawang tumango si Eris. "Ang sweet mo di ba?"

I gaped at her. No one on her right mind would find that scene, sweet. Tanging ito lang. Namumukod-tangi talaga.

"Ever since sa tuwing makikita mo ko, sumisimangot ka. Kahit gaano kaganda yung mood mo, biglang nasisira yung araw mo pag nakikita mo ko. You weren't like that to anyone else. Sakin lang. I'm so special." akala mo nagyayabang pa yung paraan nito ng pagkakasabi. Halatang proud na proud.

Napatapik na lang ako sa noo ko. Why hadn't I have any sweet bone in my body? Bakit ba naiirita ako dito noon?

Kasi kahit ba ganoon ito kawalang disiplina noon, ay giliw na giliw dito yung mga tao?

"That was.." Napahinga ng malalim si Eris. "That was your way of saying I was different. A bad kind of different that's setting you off. A reminder that you're a flashy, popular, Tris Callaghan and I am the boring, never-heard, Eris Silva. We're both creating that same straight path. Parallel lines. There's nothing in between. Just your hatred and disgust towards me. And my love and admiration towards you. Something that no one's expecting to cross."