Two Broken Strings

Chapter Two

"You're THE Lea Rodriguez?" Mangha kong tanong sakanya.

"Ahm, yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Asar kong tanong sakanya.

Napakunot noo naman ito. "I thought I introduced myself to you the first time we met?"

"You only said you're Lea, akala mo sa pangalan mo, unique?"

Alanganin itong napangiti. "Sorry. I didn't know it's necessary."

I sighed. "So that was why I've been getting hate look all along."

She chuckled. "Hate looks?"

"Yes, and this should stop."

Nawala ang ngiti nito. "Huh?"

"Stop following me around. I hate the attention I was getting because of you."

"What does it have to do with our friendship?"

"Di mo ba narinig? Ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit nila ako tinitignan ng kung paano nila ako tignan ngayon and we're not friends FYI." I said at tumayo na at tinalikuran siya but Lea being her usual self, hindi pwedeng walang pahabol.

"No man is an Island Veronica! You can't keep yourself in your own world forever! Malungkot mag-isa. I saw it in your eyes and I won't let it continue! I won't let you! I will drag you from where you locked yourself and I will be your friend whether you like it or not and I won't leave you ever!" She said out loud for everyone in that hall to hear. I heard gasps and murmurs, my hatest sound in the world. That was my cue to leave.

I wanted so much to believe her thay she can be my friend and that she'll stay with me but I got too much hang ups on the people whom I once trusted but left me still in the end and that kept me from accepting her. Besides, she's Lea Rodriguez she got a lot of friend and many still one to be one, she don't need me she's just challenged. Yes. That's all.

But I was wrong once again, I don't know what happened but on our second semester naging magkaklase kami hindi lang isa kundi sa lahaf ng subjects I got a feeling na ginamit niya ang koneksyon ng pamilya niya para makuha ang schedule na nakuha ko nang mag-enrollment. Dinaig pa niya ang stalker at manliligaw sa sa effort para lang gawin akong kabigan mula sa pagsabay kumain, pag sunud-sunod, ultimo parking space nakatabi ang sasakyan niya sa akin! Hinayaan ko nalang kaysa magtatalak siya. One thing that I discovered from her sa pagsama-sama niya sa akin ay ang walang preno niyang bunganga I mean she really can't stop sa kadaldalan nga niya kilala ko na ata lajat ng estudyante ng Nursing Department. One more thing, she eats like a man! And she eats anytjing that's edible. Naikwento na rin ata niya ang autobiography at slum book niya sa akin eh.

I still don't want to accept the friendship she's offering but she's too persustent na minsan gusto ko na talaga siyang tanggapun dahil di ko man aminin alam ko sa sarili ko na sa dalas namin magkasama, nasanay na ako sa presensya niya until sonetjing happened na nagparealize sa akin that I really want her to stay in my life.

One time, we were having lunch I noticed her sudden change actually ilang araw ko nang napansin pero dahil ayaw kong isipin niya na nag-aalala ako sakanya dahil baka lumaki ulo niya hinayaan ko lang. Pero palihim ko siyang pinagmamasdan, ang tamlay eh sobra pang tahimik. Nakakapanibago. Tumayo na ako nang matapis kumain, tumayo na rin siya at tahimik lang na sumaba sa akin sa paglalakad. Hindi pa man kami nakakalayo sa cafeteria nang narinig ko ang mahinang tawag niya sa pangalan ko nilingon ko siya, she's pale hanggang sa unti unti kong nakita parang babagsak na siya adrenaline took over me like a reflex at ang tanging nasa isip ko ay ang saluhin siya pero hindi ko natantya ang bigat niya kaya sabay kaming bumagsak sa sementadong hallway with her unconsciously lying on top of me, baagya ko pang naramdaman ang sakit ng likod at ulo ko dala ng pagkabagsak namin pero hindi ko iyon pinansin bumangon ako at inihiga siya sa hita ko. I am a nursing student I should at least know what to do on an emergency situations lake this but my mind stopped working natataranta ako, sobrang lakas ng kabog ng puso ko ni hindi ko alam na umiiyak na ako while asking for help and too long heard an ambulance, papalapit ito sa kinaroroonan namin then they took her in my arms tumayo rin ako agad para sumama sa loob ng ambulansya pero pinigil ako ng isang medics na suninghalan ko lang kaya walang nagawa.