Go Through The Spark (Red String Series #1)

Chapter 14

"Sila kasi.." parang nag susumbong na bata ang tono n'ya, dahilan para mas manghina ako at maitingala ang ulo, pinipigilan rin na maiyak.

Sinong sila? Pamilya n'ya? Kaibigan?

Binasa ko ang labi at humangos para humugot ng lakas magsalita. "Anong... Anong ginawa nila?"

And that's when i heard his voice, a loud sob coming out from his mouth make me stunned to speak. "Pinilit nila ako...ma...maging malakas,"

Fuck. Kaya ba natuto s'yang mag drive para lang patunayan na malakas s'ya?

"Nilayo nila ako sa.. sa mga pinsan ko." Dagdag n'ya pa. Nagkasalubong ang mga kilay ko nang marinig iyon.

May pinsan pala s'ya? Did his family hurt him? Bakit kailangan nilang ilayo?

"Why?" Seryoso kong tanong habang iniaangat ang ulo para ipatong sa balikat n'ya. Umiyak s'ya ulit at ramdam ko ang pag kuyom ng mga kamay n'ya sa likod ko, nanginginig din s'ya kaya mas natakot at naawa ako.

Gago, mas masakit pala kapag narinig ko 'tong ganitong klaseng iyak sakaniya.

"Kasi... baka daw mahawa sa," putol na sabi n'ya saka humangos. "kahinaan ko."

I squinted heavily at what he said. So this is why he's homeschooled? This is why no one notices the little things about him because even his cousins keep their distance from him? This is why sometimes he is defensive in conversations to prove that he is strong? Goddamn.

"Malakas ka, Koji. Hindi mo kailangan patunayan ang sarili mo," I whispered but it doesn't help to make him calm. I can hear his lips being bitten again, just to keep himself quite.

Hinaplos ko ang likod n'ya at niyakap s'ya ng mahigpit. "You can make any sounds, walang problema 'yon."

I could heard his heavy sigh as he wiped his face. He even swallowed and I felt him lean his head on my shoulder, causing my heart to skip a beat.

"Men... don't cry." He whispered. I closed my eyes and shook my head beforeI tilted my head to look at his face.

"Well, you're wrong." Mariin kong sabi habang nakatingin sa namumula n'yang mukha, habang ang kamay ay nakakapit parin sa balikat ko.

"Look," binasa ko ang labi habang nag iisip kung papaano sisimulan ang sasabihin. Hinaplos ko ang likod n'ya at sinubukang mag salita. "Red is a cry baby...he's big man but he is a cry baby. He cries whenever we watched drama, he cries whenever he sees someone's crying."

Kumalma naman s'ya at papiki-pikit akong tiningala, ngumiti naman ako sakaniya kahit masakit parin sa pakiramdam na makita siyang umiiyak.

"And I know you witnessed that already." Dagdag ko pa saka hinabol ulit ang paningin n'ya na nahuli ko naman agad. He's staring at me too, with his red and swollen eyes. Humangos ako habang tinitignan iyon, nakakaawa talaga.

"You can cry, Koji. I-No," i shook my head and tried to construct another sentence.

"We! We have shoulders for you to cry on, even without you asking." I smiled at him, thinking that he'll calm down because of that.

"Talaga?" Pero mas naiyak lang s'ya. I saw his lips stretch downwards while i could hear his sniffles. I gulped and panicked so I quickly pulled his hands and make it wrapped on me.

"Shh, it's okay." I whispered as I'm trying not to cry too. "Naiiyak din tuloy ako."

Nagulat ako nang humiwalay s'ya saakin at hinarap ako habang umiiyak. "Men can cry?"

I scoffed and politely nods at him. "Men can cry too, men can be weak too, men can be scared too."

It seemed like he calmed down on what i said, so I patted his back on a thought that he will immediately push me, but he just held onto my shoulder tighter and leaned gently against my chest, surprising me. Fuck, i know he can hear my heartbeat racing.