Psycho next door

43 : Family ties

     "Mom and Dad loved you, Ruth! I love you! You're my sister!" sigaw pabalik ni Miller sa kabila nang labis na panghihina. Naramdaman kong sinubukan niyang bumangon kaya naman idinilat ko ang mga mata ko. Awang-awa ako nang makita ko ang luhang tumatakas mula sa mga mata niya. He looked so torn, like his life crumbled down in a snap.

     "Love?! Love ba yung tawag niyo sa paglayo niyo sa akin mula sa ama ko?! I was just a kid but you took me away from him! Dad said I could've been a good leader to the Children of Milcom if only I grew up with them!" Pagwawala ni Ruth na para bang isang batang nagta-tantrums.

      "Nababaliw ka na!" Sigaw ko sa sobrang pandidiri sa mga pinagsasabi niya.

     "No! I'm just embracing our family's blood! Continuing Dad's legacy! You're older than me, dapat ikaw ang mas gumagawa nito eh! Ate, stop being such a black sheep!" She stomped and raised the dagger she's holding towards my direction.

     "Ruth! Listen to me!" I want to strangle Ruth with my bare hands but I have to put some sense into her. "Your mom was raped--"

     "No Ate! It's you who needs to listen!" giit niya. "My Mom gave herself up to Dad wholeheartedly. Unlike your holy fucking Mom, my Mom understood Dad's idealogy! My Mom even died for Dad when our pathetic uncle ransacked our home to rescue us!" Ruth rolled her eyes when she uttered the word rescue indicating sarcasm, indicating that she was just as messed up as them. 

     "R-ruth, tayo ang pamilya." Luhaang giit ni Miller. I could sense the desperation in his voice as he tries to stand up.

     "Can you still consider me a family after what I did to Mom and Dad?" Panghahamon ni Ruth at muling ngumisi, at sa sandaling iyon ay nakita ko ang unti-unting paglaho ng sakit sa mga mata ni Miller at unti-unti itong napalitan ng kalituhan.

      "R-ruth anong ginawa mo?" Miller's breathing hitched and it was as if his world stopped spinnning. 

      Tumingin sa akin si Ruth. "He lied to you, Ate. He wasn't kidnapped and kept in a fridge. He was out there practicing soccer when Dad and his army went to the house to take me. At first I was scared, like really really scared especially when they beat up Mom--I mean Miller's Mom and Dad. But then I realized, my biological Father isn't that bad. He's actually pretty cool you know? I mean Miller's Dad is a child psychiatrist but my--no, our Dad is way better since he's a mad scientist! A visionary!" Humalakhak si Ruth.

     "Ruth, he brainwashed you!" Sinubukan kong igiit nguni umiling-iling lang si Ruth.

     "No brainwashing happened, sis. On the contrary, he actually made me realize why i've always had fascination in strangling cats and dissecting their carcass." Pagmamalaki niya.

     "I was enjoying my life with the children of Milcom but Dad told me, I served a better purpose. We made Python believe that he rescued me so I could infiltrate his safehouse and  so I could look for you, sis. But imagine my shock when I saw this guy again in Cosima," wika pa ni Ruth sabay turo kay Miller.

      "I... I wanted to find you. Y-you're my sister Ruth. I knew Python could rescue you and we'd be reu--"

      "Oh stop being so dramatic!" Sigaw ni Ruth. "We both know you also stayed in Cosima because you knew that Python was secretly taking care and monitoring your puppy love! You must have been so happy when you saw her again after all those years." Natatawang tumingin sa akin si Ruth. "You forgot about him but he never forgot about you, Ate. Unfortunately, I think Dad won't approve of Miller because--"

      "Ruth, listen! Dad is crazy! You don't have to be a psycho like him!" sigaw ko.

     "Do you want me to know what I did to your Mom and Dad, Miller?" malambing na saad ni Ruth.