BHO CAMP #7: The Moonlight

Chapter 24: Done

I can see not only Archer's scars but also his wounds that never healed. He could be anything. He could have lived with anger and resentment towards life. But he didn't. Ang tanging ginagawa niya lang ay tanggapin kung anong buhay ang binigay sa kaniya. He lived with the guilt but he continued living. Kahit bawat araw ay mahirap para sa kaniya.

Kahit ang huling kailangan niyang gawin ay palayuin ang taong nagmamahal sa kaniya dahil iyon ang sa tingin niyang tama.

I feel a sudden changed in the air and I looked up to see Archer entering the room. Hindi man lang siya lumingon sa gawi namin at direktang nakatingin siya sa kinaroroonan ng ina niya. Halo-halong emosyon ang nakikita ko sa mga mata niya.

Hindi pagkapaniwala. Sakit. Pagsisisi.

I want to erase those last two parts. I want to shake him to make him understand. I want him to stop blaming himself. Pero alam ko na kailangan kong maghintay. Alam ko na dadating din ang pagkakataon na magagawa niyang matuklasan iyon sa sarili niya.

It's not his fault that he's hurting me. Hindi niya kasalanan na nasasaktan ako dahil alam ko na hindi iyon ang intensyon niya. He's been through so much. He only knows pain and regret because that's what he was taught by this life. Alam ko iyon. Naiintindihan ko.

That's why I want to keep myself whole for him until he's ready to do the same for me.

"Mrs. Chase, any information from you would really help to keep this going."

Napalingon ako muli sa kinaroronan nila Athena pero katulad kanina ay hindi pa rin nagsasalita ang ina ni Archer at nanatiling nakayuko na para bang may kinatatakutan. Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako. Looks lik we'll be staying here for a while.

"Kung pinapasok niyo si Dawn diyan kanina pa tapos 'yan." sabi ni Hera na hindi man lang nangiming hinaan ang boses niya dahil nandito si Archer.

"We don't need to scare her more, Hera." I said exasperatedly.

"Just saying." she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Though, Athena's good with interrogation too. Iyon nga lang mukhang hindi tumatalab ang pagiging persuasive niya ngayon. Must be the honeymoon glow."

I can only sigh with Hera's babbling. I trained my eyes on the other side of the one way mirror and watched Athena's non-faltering patience. Kaya siya lagi ang natotoka sa ganitong pagkakataon ay dahil sa iba't-ibang taktika na ginagamit niya sa mga ganitong pagkakataon. Athena must have realized that scaring Archer's mother is not the best way to go.

"Anything, Mrs. Chase. So we can help your son." Nang hindi pa rin umimik ang ginang ay nagpatuloy si Athena. "Right now, there's a huge possibility that your husband is carrying out his plans on harming your son. You already lost a child. Help us on making sure that you wouldn't lost another."

"H-hindi mapipigilan."

"Ang alin, Mrs. Chase?"

"He's been p-planning for years. I-I thought that when Archer is out of the house that he will finally stop. H-Hindi...hindi ako kumokontak sa anak ko. Hindi ako nakikipagkita. Kasi...kasi akala ko titigil na si Christopher. Akala ko hindi niya magagawa kung ano ang mga inaakala ko."

"Inaakala? So you don't know for sure if he's the one behind everything that happened?"

"A-Alam ko. Sigurado ako. Noon may hinala na ako. When my children got kidnapped I was there all the time that Christopher had a contact with the kidnappers. Pag umaalis na ang mga pulis...nakikita ko kung gaano siya kagalit. I thought it was normal. His children were taken away. Pero narinig ko siya...paulit-ulit niyang sinasabi na "Hindi dapat nangyari 'to. Hindi ganito."." Her breath wheezed as if she's physically struggling to keep on talking. "Bata pa lang si Archer...no...hindi pa naipapanganak si Archer malaki na ang galit niya sa anak ko. Sa akin at sa mga pagkakamali ko. Akala ko...akala ko sa pag dating ni...ni...ni A-Ashley maayos na ang lahat. Pero hindi pa pala."