Seizing Hell (Ellington Series #3)

Kabanata 28

Sabaw muna.

Kabanata 28

Dream

I don't exactly know what time it is but it's getting colder kahit pa nasa loob naman kami ng pick up. Hindi ko pa rin makalimutan ang mga nangyari. He's been driving for hours and ang sinasabi niya lang ay pupunta kami sa Basco kung saan siya nakatira.

"Lucifer, ayos lang ba na sa inyo ako tumuloy? Your parents will kill me–"

"Hindi ganiyan ang mga magulang ko, Hell." he smiled at me. "They will like you as much as I do. Trust me."

Hindi na ako nakatulog because every time I'm going to close my eyes, all I could see is Carlo. Helpless and lifeless. And I did that to him.

"Anong oras na?" tanong ko habang nakatingin sa bintana.

"8:45pm..."

I still can't process everything inside my mind. Hindi ko kailanman naisip na mangyayari ito. His image inside my head, the way he screamed for help that day, hindi ko makalimutan. I never treated him right. He hurt me physically but that's not an enough reason for me to end his life.

"Anong kinamatay ni Carlo?" bigla kong tanong.

He sighed. Naramdaman ko ang paghawak niya sa kamay ko. "Ang sabi ni Carmen ay nahirapan daw huminga si Carlo because of what happened to his ribs. It affects his lungs, his breathing... I seriously don't know anymore. I lost him, we lost him."

"Totoo ngang pinatay ko siya kung ganoon." tinago ko ang kamay ko sa pagitan ng hita ko.

"It was a self-defense, right?" napatingin ako sa kaniya. He's still driving and his eyes were fixed on the road.  "That's what they told us. Kilala rin kita, you won't hurt someone unless they did something bad to you. Hindi ka naman ganoon kasama para manakit basta..."

I bit my lower lip as I nodded my head. Naiiyak ako. Ayos lang ba na free akong nakakapasyal dito kahit na I am a criminal?

"Let's go back to Manila, Cifer." I said while looking at the window. "Haharapin ko sila–"

"I won't allow you to do that. I'm sorry but you're staying here with me."

Malungkot ko siyang tinignan, abala pa rin siya sa pagmamaneho.

I should be in jail. It's normal to ask for justice, they want justice for Carlo, for their whole family. Maybe they were thinking that I put the laws under my hand, but I didn't. Nasaktan ko lang naman siya dahil sinaktan niya ako. Walang witness, walang nakakita na sinaktan niya ako at alam kong maraming nakasaksi sa kung paano ko siya sinaktan. Kung may mga nakakita man nang pananakit niya sa akin, bilang lang sa daliri ko.

"Lucifer..."

"You're not going anywhere without me, Hell. Tingin mo ba ay pababayaan kita sa kamay nila? They will hurt you!" iritang sabi niya.

Marahan kong hinaplos ang braso niya para pakalmahin siya. Nasa biyahe pa rin kami at baka maapektuhan pa ang pagmamaneho niya.

"I thought we're going to make things right? This is not right, Cifer! Hindi ako makakapagtago habang buhay at lalabas din ang katotohanan..."

"Let's talk about this when we got home,"

That's what happened. Nakarating kami sa bahay nila at halos hindi na ako gumalaw sa kinatatayuan ko. Their house is very simple, sementado naman at ang kulay ay maaliwalas tignan. It doesn't have any additional floor but it's actually fine. I could live with that kind of house.