"What's going on now?"
"Thought you wouldn't come."
Natigilan ako sa palitan na 'yon. You never would have believe how much I'll give to be able to hear his voice again. To even be in the same room with him kahit ilang segundo lang. But hearing him just now... I must be dreaming. He'll never even give a damn if I exist or not.
So why would he be here at this kind of situation?
"Aryann." Hindi ako sumagot, hindi rin ako nag-angat ng paningin. Imposible. Nagkakamali lang ako ng dinig. Imposible 'to. "Aryann."
No. Can't be, can't be. Imposible.
And then footsteps. Shoes in front of me, firmly planted on the rug I'm sitting on. I dared look up, dared myself to wake up from my dream.
But he's there.
Yuri is there.
"God, Aryann!" that's the last thing I heard before I surrendered myself to the darkness.
ooOoo
Nakakarinig ako ng mga boses na nagsisigawan. A lot of them, pamilyar sa akin. Sinubukan kong imulat ang mga mata ko. The rays of the sun greeted me and I blinked. Pakiramdam ko para akong sinagasaan ng tatlong ten wheeler na truck sa sakit ng ulo ko. Dahan-dahan akong umupo. The voices became whispers and they faded.
And then it hit me.
"Lia... Lia! Kuya! Asan si Lia!"
"Aryann. Calm down."
Napatingin ako sa nasa gilid ng kama. My eyes automatically widen. "What the... A-Anong ginagawa mo dito? Why the hell are you even talking to me?"
I saw his jaws clench bago siya tumayo at mag-iwas ng tingin. He stood by the window. "Tinawagan ako ng kapatid mo. Guess being a Delta has its benefits eh?"
Kuya... sumusobra na talaga sila! Ayoko nang dinidiktahan nila ako! Tama na 'to! Tama na ang pakikialam nila sa buhay ko, hindi na ako bata! "I apologize kung anumang panggugulo ang ginawa ng kapatid ko para ma-istorbo ka. But it's fine now, pwede ka nang umalis. Wala kang kinalaman dito, umalis ka na."
"You named her after Lhia?"
Hindi ko siya naintindihan nung una. But thinking back... he's talking about my princess. Oh God... my baby.
"Y-Yeah." I tried to get rid of the bile in my throat. I swallowed my tears. "I can't think of someone who has the name of a dear princess but has the will to survive and the wits to accompany it. I like Lhia. I like my baby to be like Lhia someday."
Hindi siya sumagot at tumango lang. Umalis ako mula sa kama and started walking to the door. Kailangan kong malaman kung ano nang nangyayari. I need my baby back. And I want this guy here to leave. I can't stand being with him in one room.
"Ginagawa na nila ang lahat para mahanap ang anak mo, Aryann." Natigilan ako. Not because he spoke with spite, not because he sounded angry, not even because of what he said. It's because of him labeling Lia as 'anak mo'. Anak ko? Anak ko lang? "Hindi mo na kailangang mag-abalang tumayo, magpahinga ka na lang."
I spun around to look at him. Gustong-gusto ko siyang ibaon sa lupa, six feet under. Gustong-gusto ko siyang ihagis sa bintana at tadyakan. Gustong-gusto ko siyang saktan. How could he? "Bakit ka nandito? Kung binantaan ka ng kuya ko na sasaktan kung hindi ka pupunta dito, kalimutan mo na 'yon. I can just tell him you're no longer needed here. So just go away!"
Ninety One - The Birth of Another Jerk
Start from the beginning
