Deadend

Bliss and then...

Lilingunin na sana niya ang harapan nang mapagtanto niya kung sino ang nagsasalita sa harapan.

"...One night this woman asked me if she can borrow money from me, I did not agree. Instead I asked her to be my PA and driver. Had I known that she has this, she has you, hindi ko na sana ginawa 'yun."

Kunot noo, unti-unting ibinaling ni Kristina ang tingin sa taong nagsasalita sa harapan. Kusa siyang napahawak sa dibdib, bahagyang kinurot ang sarili para tiyaking hindi siya nananaginip.

"There, lumingon din siya," sabi pa nito.

Hindi na napigilan ni Kristina na pumikit sandali, hinilot ang nakapikit na mata, patuloy na sinisiguradong hindi panaginip ang lahat. Nagpatuloy naman si Tristan sa sinasabi.

"She never told me where would she use the money, bumali pa nga siya sa'kin noon. One night, nagulat na lang ako ang sabi niya nagastos na raw niya but she still has the same model of phone, no new shoes, nor clothes. I always thought she was that troublesome but we were all wrong..."

Naramdaman na lang niya na hinahagod na ni Miranda ang likuran niya habang maamo siyang tinitingnan ng iba pang kasama nila.

"I never thought her passion and compassion was this big," pagpapatuloy ni Tristan. "I was so wrong, I know. Most of you do not know that we had a love-hate relationship, we started off as rivals, we even yell each other. We were arranged to get married..." Umani iyon ng bulong bulungan sa mga naroon.

"We even tried to get away from it but in the end we realized we couldn't, it wasn't that easy. I know she would hate me for telling you our story but then I can't help it, it's better to tell it here than to the media, 'di ba? Baka hindi na niya ko sagutin kapag ginawa ko 'yun..."

Unti-unti, bumibilis ang tibok ng puso ni Kristina sa mga naririnig niya. Unti-unti kumakawala ang mga emosyong pinigilan niya nang matagal na panahon.

"Cliche, yes, but I want to take this rare opportunity to tell the world how she changed my life. Kung paano niya binulabog, ginulo ang mundo ko at kung paanong siya rin ang aayos nito. Yes, when you're inlove, you can be this korni..."

Nagtawanan at nagtilian lang ang mga tao. Ginawaran naman siya ng nanunuksong tingin ng pamilya niya. Hindi rin mawala-wala ang ngiti ng mag-asawang San Antonio.

"I couldn't remember when I started falling for her. Maybe when she was picking a fight with my young niece over the destroyed copy of her first film, or maybe when she sang her her favorite song to sleep one night, or maybe when she dragged me into one of our restaurants in QC, looking so laid back, or when we were fighting over not telling her that I'd take her to a club -- I never knew she has some kind of fear for wild crowd. Or maybe when I first saw her working on the field, or maybe during that first kiss at the kitchen. See, Tin, I can still remember everything..."

"But you know being the gago that I am -- as what my bestfriend Josh would always tell me -- I realized those things late. I was late to realize that the woman I once branded as someone uninteresting has so much to offer, has so much love to give..."

Sa puntong iyon, hindi na napigilan ni Kristina na maluha. Muling hinagod ni Miranda ang likuran niya, samantalang ang kuya niya na nasa harapan nila ay lumipat sa tabi niya para akbayan siya.

"People in the industry only know her as the black ship of the whole Silvestre clan, the invisible Kristina Silvestre, what they did not know, what we didn't know was she is so capable that she was able to build and sustain this academy all on her own. My family, hers, and I were unaware that all those years, when we were branding her as an irresponsible, rebel daughter, she was actually busy making other people's dream come true, making your dreams come true. And there's no enough amount of gratefulness that can match her sacrifices."

Hindi na rin napigilan ni Miranda ang sarili at niyakap na ang anak.

"What we can only do is to be proud of her. Tin, I'm so proud of you. And I'm such a lucky man for being able to tell you that in this lifetime. I'm so proud of who you are. I'm proud of your toughness. I'm proud of your conviction, of your decisions. I'm totally sure that your family is, too. Ikaw 'yung tipo ng babaeng ipinakikilala sa nanay, e. Mamaya pagtapos ko dito, ipapakilala kita sa mga magulang ko..."

Mula sa pananahimik ay nagtawanan ang mga tao.

"Congratulations, Tin. This time, hindi mo na kailangang umutang sa'kin, pati sarili ko ibibigay ko na sa'yo nang buong buo," hirit pa ni Tristan na nagpatili pa sa mga kabataan na naroon.

Hindi naman makapili si Kristina kung tatawa ba siya o iiyak. Nang makitang pababa na ng entablado si Tristan ay inihanda na niya ang sarili. Pinilit niyang pakalmahin ang sistema niya ngunit hindi iyon umubra dahil lahat ng atensyon ay nasa kanya na ngayon.

Ngunit bago pa man makarating sa kanya si Tristan, bago pa man niya ito mayakap, at sabihin sa pamamagitan ng halik at yakap ang lahat ng pinakatagu-tago niya, ay niyanig sila ng tatlong sunud-sunod na putok ng baril mula sa hindi malamang direksyon.

Ang sumunod niyang nakita ay ang nakahandusay na si Tristan, duguan, at malapit nang mawalan ng malay.

--

Off to last chapter. Mixed emotions.