"Leyra, here's your stuff. I secured it." Krio handed me my small bag with photos and notes alongside with the camera. Pinasuot niya ito sa'kin kasi wala ako sa sarili. Hindi ako umiimik. Hindi pa rin ko makapaniwala sa mga nangyari.
Nasa morgue kami ngayon. I was looking at Riushan's cold body while my eyes was overflowing with tears. I noticed something in his tattoos. I decided to check my photos because I was curious with what I've seen. After a few seconds of checking, I saw a photo of a man, he was holding a mask, I guess I captured it in an abandoned and the tattoo he has was the same tattoo with Riushan. That justify that he was really part of it? Suddenly, I remembered something. The guy that killed Klio has a tattoo ring written Anastasia on his finger. Since Riushan has a lot of rings on his fingers, I started to get it.
"What are you doing?" nagtatakang tanong ni Krio.
"The man who's behind all of this, has a tattoo ring of Anastasia. I wanted to know if Riushan has it." wika ko. Nang makuha ko na ang mga singsing, wala akong nakitang kahit anong tattoo rito. I know I was so eager to know the truth but finding out that Riushan doesn't have it gives relief. It wasn't him who is behind all of this. My tears are overflowing again when I saw us together tattooed in his shoulder. Riushan really valued me.
"It wasn't him." I said and gazed at Krio. He just nodded and hugged me.
"You will know the truth, I promise," he whispered. Suddenly, the door opened. It was Rivahngare and Ladegeuh who's in tears. The moment they saw the body of Riushan lying dead, their body frozed. Dahan-dahan silang lumapit sa bangkay ni Riushan at makikita mo sa mga mukha nilang di makapaniwala. Ladegeuh burst into tears the moment he hold Riushan's body. I know Ladegueh is the one who will be in massive pain. They're the closest.
"RIUSHAN WAKE UP! BRO WAKE UP!" patuloy ang pagtangis nito habang inaalog ang walang buhay na katawan ni Riushan.
"HINDI PWEDENG MANGYARI 'TO! GUMISING KA D'YAN!" pagtangis naman ni Rivahn. This is the first time I saw them crying like this. Their cry was full of anguish. I thought, ganito rin kaya yung nangyari nang malaman nilang namatay si Klio? I tightened my hug on Krio. He was also in tears. Siguro nadala rin siya sa emosyong bumabalot sa loob.
"MIERDA! RIUSHAN WAKE UP!" sigaw ulit ni Ladegeuh.
"MARAMI PA TAYONG GAGAWIN! MARAMI PA TAYONG IPAGTATANGGOL NA BABAE! NANGAKO KA PA SA'KIN NA IKAW ANG MAGHAHANAP NG BABAENG PAKAKASALAN KO DIBA? BRO, I STILL NEED YOU! WE NEED YOU BRO! WHY DID YOU LEAVE US?" wika ni Ladegeuh habang patuloy pa rin sa pagtangis.
"RIUSH WE STILL NEED TO GO FOR A VACATION RIGHT? BAKIT ANG AGA MO NAMAN UMALIS? SABI KO IBANG BANSA HINDI SA KABILANG BUHAY!" Rivahngare said. Nagulat ulit kami ni Krio na may pumasok. This time, it was no other than, Hyntall. He doesn't have tears in his eyes but you can see that he wants to burst into tears. Agad-agad itong lumapit kay Riushan. He looked at Riushan body for a seconds. Then he hugged it, that was the time he started to burst into tears. Kaya mas lalo pa akong naiyak. You can't hear anything inside but cries of grievances.
"I'm so sorry, Riushan." we heard him whispered to Riushan habang umiiyak. Sobrang nanghihina ako habang pinagmamasdan ko sila, sobrang sakit.
Bumitaw ako sa pagkakayakap kay Krio at lumapit ako sa tabi ni Ladegeuh at Rivahngare Hinawakan ko ang mga balikat nila, to comfort them. Ladegeuh diverted his gaze to me.
"Who did this?" madiing sabi nito. Halata sa aura niya ang namumuong galit. I also see his fist clenched. Ladegeuh loves Riushan so much, kahit magpinsan lang sila but they all see each other as brothers.
"What really happened, Leyra? Bakit humantong sa ganito?" tanong naman ni Rivahn. Hindi ako makaimik, wala akong masagot sa kanila. Sobrang nawawalan ako ng lakas na makapagsalita. Hindi ko alam kung paano ipapaliwanag sa kanila ang nangyari, kasi hindi ko rin naman maalala.
"Sadi, the sister of the man Riushan killed." Krio saves me from their questions.
"Do you mean that girl who you considered a friend?" nanlalaking mata na tanong ni Ladegeuh habang nakatingin sa'kin.
"I-I'm s-sorry, I didn't know that I trusted her." nauutal kong sabi habang ang mga luha sa mga mata ko ay umaagos.
"Leyra, it's not your fault don't blame yourself," Krio whispered habang hinihimas ang likod ko.
"Sabi ko na nga ba hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ang babaeng 'yon!"
galit na wika ni Lade. He faced the dead body of Riushan
"I won't let you die for nothing," sabi nito kay sa bangkay ni Riushan. The moment he said that I feel anxious, what he do? Don't tell me he's taking revenge.
Paalis na sana siya nang pigilan siya ni Krio. Nagulat ako, kaming lahat. All our attention are on them except Hyntall na nakayakap pa rin sa bangkay ni Riushan habang umiiyak. Tinignan ni Lade ng masama ang nakahawak na kamay ni Krio sa kamay nito.
"Where are you going? Taking revenge?" mariing sabi nito.
"Get your hands off of me!"mahinang sabi ni Ladegeuh ngunit may bahid ito nang galit.
"You'll just make things worse, Ladegeuh," wika ni Krio. Ladegeuh chuckled while tears are still dripping on his cheeks.
"WHO ARE YOU TO TELL THAT TO ME?" sigaw nito at tinulak si Krio, napaatras naman ito, pinagitnaan ko sila baka suntukin niya pa si Krio, bugbog sarado na rin ang mukha ni Krio, he doesn't deserve to be hurt like this.
"Ladegeuh please, stop it. Wag na kayo mag-away. Respetuhin niyo naman si Riushan," wika ko. All of us are in shock when Hyntall suddenly yelled.
"ALL OF YOU STOP IT!" napalingon kami sa kanya at humarap ito sa'min. "LADEGEUH WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU WANT TO TAKE A REVENGE? FOR WHAT?" sobrang taas na nang tension sa loob.
"RIUSHAN WERE JUST KILLED! YOUR BROTHER HYNTALL! WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? JUST LOOK AT HIM LIKE THAT!" sigaw din nito habang tinuturo ang walang buhay na katawan ni Riushan. He was bursting into tears.
"DO YOU THINK I ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT HIM IN HERE? LIFELESS? NO! BUT I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY OF YOU ANYMORE TO BE IN HERE! LYING DEAD!" ramdam ko ang bawat salitang binibitawan ni Hyntall. Nang marealize 'yon ni Ladegeuh, napaluhod ito at humagolgol na nang husto. Rivahngare kneels down also and hugged him. Ladegeuh cried in Rivahngare's chest.
"Lade, Riushan won't be happy seeing you taking revenge," Rivahn whispered but we heard it. This the first time I saw Ladegeuh acting like that, he's really in massive pain.
I saw Krio leaving the morgue. Without hesitation I followed him. I saw him punching the wall while bursting into tears. I approached him.
"Krio stop it, you're hurting yourself," pinigilan ko siya, he turned to me and hugged me. I hugged back.
"K-kung nilakasan ko lang sana ang loob ko para lumaban, k-kung h-hindi sana ako nahimatay, s-sana natulungan ko pa siya, sana buhay pa siya. Hindi sana sila nasasaktan ngayon. Hindi ka sana nasasaktan ngayon. Hindi sana nangyari ang lahat ng 'to." nauutal at nanginginig na pagkakasabi nito. I can feel his pain. This is the worst part of being a doctor, the pain they felt when they didn't save someone from death.
"Hey, it's not your fault. You did everything Krio. Actually you don't deserve to be hurt like this. Sorry for dragging you in here," sabi ko sa kanya. He looked at me.
"I'm part of your life now, whatever you're into. I'm also into. Do you know what Riushan's always told me until his last breath?" umiling ako. "It's to protect you and be by your side always," my tears started to fall again. "But I will always, not because he told so but because I love you!" sabi nito at hinalikan ako sa noo.
"I know. I love you." I responded and we hugged each other. Someone interrupted us. It was Hyntall.
"We need to talk."
If you like this story please let me know by giving it a vote or at least give your thoughts on the comment section. Thankyou. GODBLESS.