THE 13 GOOD BOYS' STORIES

3. BEAUTIFUL

Beautiful Part 9

"Jane, I love you" dugtong niya. I simply took a deep breathe at bahagya siyang itinulak. Napabuntong hininga ako.

"Where's Jenny? Pupuntahan ko lang siya" I changed the topic. Dapat alalahanin ko muna sa ngayon ang kapatid ko.

"Uhm.. actually...ano" agad akong napalingon sa kanya.

" what happened to her?!" Nagulat siya sa pagsigaw na gawa ko.

"I need to go to her!" Sabi ko sabay labas sa kwarto. I can hear him calling my name. Inis akong nilingon siya, he following me.

"How dare you to flirt at me!" Sigaw at mas binilisan ang paglalakad.

Nang makarating ako sa emergency room, nadatnan ko na kalalabas lang din ng doktor na syang umopera sa kapatid ko. Tinakbo ko ang distansya namin.

"Doc! Is Jenny's inside ?" Tanong ko habang sinalubong siya. He smiled.

"Doc! How is she??" Bahagya akong na-hysterical.

"Calm down Jane, she's not here. She is totally and fine. And, she's talking with her donor and sponsor for her operation. Oh, didn't Joshua told you??" Napatingin siya likuran ko, napalingon din ako gaya niya.

"Wh-what do you mean sir?" Nagtataka ako. Anong donor at sponsor??? Sponsor ng puso? I didn't know my sister will having a heart transplant!

"Oh, I mean may magdodonate ng pera sa kanya at may magspo-sponsor sa operasyon niya, no need to worry Jane" ngumiti si doc sa akin.

"P-po?" Hindi ma-sink in lahat ng pinagsasabi ni doc sa akin. The doctor chuckled as he tapped my shoulder

"You better asked Joshua" sabi niya saka tuluyang  umalis.

Agad kong tiningnan si Joshua. I raised my eyebrows on him, he sighed. I stepped towards him as he stepped back. Bahagya kong ipinilig ang ulo ko at humakbang ng ika isa at ulit siyang humakbang paatras.

"Joshua, one step back of yours you'll be surely dead." Pagbabanta ko sa kanya. He smiled sabay atras. Napasinghap ako at agad nalumapit sa kanya. Sa sobrang lapit namin, halos umabot na ang tungki ng mga ilong namin. I thought he'll step back pero hindi. Bahagya niyang inilapit ang sarili. I couldn't move but I gulped instead.

"Do we need to talked in this distance?" Mapang-asar niyang tanong in a very husky voice. Shit! Why does his voice suddenly became husky!?

I cleared my throat at bahagya siyang itinulak palapit sa akin.

"I told you stop flirting with me, sabihin mo na sa aking ang kailangan kong malaman" sabi nang walang tingin-tingin sa kanya. I suddenly feel awkward talking with him looking at each others' eyes.

"I'm sorry for not informing you..." pagsisimula niya. I didn't gave any expressions at iniiwasan ko pa din ang magka-eye-contact kami.

"Since I knew about your sister's condition, naisipan ko agad itong paraan na ito. There's an orphanage na iniisponsor-an ng simbahan namin. The church has a lot and good hearted sponsors and donors at may mga kilala ako doon since I've been staying on church after my mother had left me." Napatingin ako sa kanya with my eyebrows furrowed.

"We had a meeting then, at nakipagmeet sila sa kapatid mo, until they decided to help you pay the whole bills in this hospital. They are also willing to help Jenny to study and gain scholarship.." sabi niya.

I felt something in my chest..., is it satisfaction or being pitied?

"Do-do you th-think we-we're orphans?" I wanna clear things up. I looked intently at him, his enlightened face suddenly became sad.

"That's not it....Jane" he become more serious.

"Then what!????" I yelled as tears starting to form in my eyes.

"I did what I can help Jane--" sabi niya at tuluyan nang tumulo ang luha ko. Inis kong pinahid ang luha sa kaliwang pisngi ko at tiningnan siya.

"I told you before... no I warned you stopped making on my way! Stop interferring with my business!" My tears won't just stop falling. Why am I so sad? Because this guy in front of me pitied us so much? I have no problems with her bills already by why am I not satisfied? I should've been satisfied.

"Jane...please calm yourself--" I gave him a slap.

"Jane" I heard my sister called me. Nilingon ko ito, I saw a tear fell from her eyes. I ignore her st hinarap ulit si Joshua.

"Please. Don't. See. Me. Again." Mahina ngunit madiin kong sabi. He sighed at tumalikod sa akin.

"Jane, can we talk?" Napalingon ako muli sa kapatid ko. I nodded.

I took her in the lobby, konti lang ang tao dito. I waited for her to talk for almost 20 minutes already. She was serious at nakatanaw lamang sa labas. The weather was good, and I was being hard on Joshua. Napayuko ako ng bahagya at napabuntong-hininga.

"I envy those kids that can run and play along" napatingin ako kay Jenny na biglang nagsalita na walang-tingin-tingin sa akin.

"I simply dreamed to be one of the kids out there. Yung kayang tumakbo kahit walang hinto-hinto, yung nakakakain nang kahit ano, yung nakakagala sa labas ng matagal, yung libreng nakakalabas, yung magkaroon ng maraming kaibigan..." nilingon niya ako.

"Jane, I just want to hsve a beautiful life. Do you know how much I prayed for that to happen??" Suminghot siya. She's just seven and she talks like she know everything. Such a haughty girl.

"Jane, I envy those kids!" She yelled habang hinahayaan niyang tumulo ang kanyang mga luha.

"Jane, don't cry too much.." I calmly warned her. She shooked her head at tunuloy sa paghagulhol. Biglang bumigat ang dibdib ko.

Since our parents died, I never dreamed of having such a beautiful life for myself. Iniisip ko lamang ang kapatid ko, I sacrificed and suffered a lot para lang sa kanya. But I think I wasn't able to give her a beautiful with the all hard work I do.

Jenny stopped crying and tried to calm down. Pinanood ko lang siya, she's starting to have heavy breathing. Hinagod ko ang likuran niya...

Inikot niya ang kanyang wheel chair at hinarap ako. Her big and shiny eyes looked at me.

"Jane, I am thankful that he sent Joshua to us" ipinilig ko ang ulo ko at kumunot ang ulo.

"That guy above who's watching now" dugtong niya at itinuro ang itaas gamit ang index finger niya. I sighed.

"I was hopeless Jane... I learned a lot from my condition. I don't want my life to be uneasy like this." She said as her tears started to fall.

"Ate..." she called me like that for the first time.

"Naawa ako kay Kuya Joshua. Parehas lang tayo, wala siyang magulang at siya lag din ag tumutustos para sa sarili niya. Naawa ako sa kanya." Sabi niya at pinahid ang mga mata niya gamit ang maliit na kamay.

"Ate, I want to be healed. Please don't feel pity to ourselves cause we are! Please be thankful instead and lower your pride " sabi niya at biglaang tumulo ang luha ko.

I really hated it to be pitied by others. I worked a lot para makaraos pero I was so incompetent. Wala akong maayos na trabaho kundi ang magpart-time job lamang ang kaya kong gawin at mahigit doon, I also have done a crime; snatching.

"Jane, please don't be so mad with Kuya Joshua. Reconcile with him and lower your pride. I know you liked him too..." she said at ngumiti.

"Liked??" Tumango lamang siya.

"I can see it through your eyes and the way you act Ate. Just lower your pride." Sabi niya at lumapit sa akin. She hugged me sa bewang.

"I want you to be happy too Ate... pray for me to be happy too" sabi niya sabay bitaw sa pagkakayakap. She smiled at tumaikod sa akin para humarap ulit sa labas.

Do I like Joshua?

The end.