HEAVEN
"Baby Bro? Okay ka lang?" Kei worriedly asked me, and I emotionlessly nodded. I'm here infront of my locker right now. Nakakatunganga. Blanko ang isip. Still wondering about what happened last day. That Hell Fortunado! I'm really going to kill him.
"Kahit tulala ka, mukha ka pa ring model ng bench baby bro. I envy you. Pakiss nga." Darryle pouted his lips towards my face. Agad ko naman itinulak ang mukha niya palayo sa mukha ko. Darryle place some of his books in his locker and after a while, Kei and him took their exit from the locker area.
"Sis. Pag-ibig pa more. Push mo 'yan!" pabirong sigaw ni Niko nang pumasok siya sa may locker room. Agad naman siyang lumabas matapos siyang maglagay ng mga nakolekta niyang brief galing sa mga swimmers ng university. Gross! If I know, ipapa-laminate n'ya 'yan or worse, he'll going to frame it and hang it in his room.
I was expecting Edison to come lastly but to my surprise, a feminine voice approaches me, "Hey?" medyo magsila nitong bati. Wala akong ganang kausapin siya kaya agad akong naglakad palayo. I was about to go outside but I stopped when she said something that triggers my ears.
"I have something to ask you..."
"...about Fear De Guzman!" Ms. Cazro's voice echoed in this locker room. Yeah, it's Charnel Fate.
Agad ko siyang hinarap, "Carry on," I demanded.
"Do you... Do you love her? Do you love Fear De Guzman?"
* * *
CHARNEL
It's been a long time that I kept my mouth shut. I was just silent the whole time while I'm observing some things. Inoobserbahan ko ang mga tao sa paligid ko. Inoobserbahan ko si Edison.
I was secretly observing his moves, his actions and his plans. Just to find his weakness.
Sa bawat galaw na ginagawa niya ay nakasunod lang ako. And after oberving him, I was able to find out a little bit of conclusion. Alam ko na kung saan mahina si Edison.
Hindi niya kayang pumatay! Because if he could, sana noon pa niya ako pinatay.
"Where's Heaven?" hinihingal na tanong ko kay Niko Satto.
"Nandun sa Locker Room. Baki--" hindi pa siya tapos sa pagsasalita ay agad na akong tumakbo. Fear De Guzman is also on her way towards the locker area right now. I must accomplish my plan! Kailangan kong iparinig kay De Guzman na mahal siya ni Heaven. Edison is making a wierd move, pinaglalayo niya si Heaven at Fear! And I don't have any clue on why is it that he's doing that, but I know that there must be a reason behind it and the only thing I could do is that, kailangan ko siyang kontrahin! Kailangan kong kontrahin ang bawat planong ginagawa n'ya!!
"Aray ko pu!" Oh gosh! I bumped someone. I bumped with Fear De Guzman!!
"Sorry!" I said. "Come with me," I murmured as I pulled her hand. "You should listen to Heaven Fear! You should! sigaw ko sa kanya. I don't have any clue on where on earth is Edison. Kaya eto, gumagawa ako ng hakbang!
"Anong pingsasabi mo?" tanong niya but I didn't answer. Nang makarating kami sa may entrance ng locker room ay agad ko siyang binitiwan, "Listen carefully," I said as I close the door. Naiwan si De Guzman sa labas.
The locker area was wide and has two divisions. One for the boys and one for the girls. Not like the other university locker areas, our lockers are located in a closed room. Para bang dinesenyo bilang isang taguan.
"Hey?" medyo hinihingal na turan ko kay Chavez nang makapasok ako. What's wrong with me? No! Maybe hiningal lang ako dahil sa pagtakbo ko.
Hindi n'ya naman ako kinibuan. Pakiramdam ko nasaktan ko. And I don't know why.
My consciousness wakes me up, 'Do it Charnel! Do it now.'
"I have something to ask you..." I murmured enough for him to stop on walking.
"...about Fear De Guzman," I continued, hinarap n'ya ako.
"Carry on," he demanded. His voice. It's seductive. But... no! I know this is wrong! I'm here to stop Edison at hindi para lumandi. Oo gusto ko si Heaven pero mahal ko si Edison. Lahat ng ginagawa kong 'to ay para sa kanya. I don't want him to become an evil kaya pinipigilan ko siya sa ganitong paraan! Sa paraang hindi siya masasaktan.
Napatingin ako kay De Guzman na nakasilip sa may glass portion ng pintuan ng locker room, 'You should listen De Guzman! You should.'
Agad kong inilipat ang tingin ko kay Chavez at agad siyang tinanong.
"Do you... Do you love her? Do you love Fear De Guzman?"
Silence.
Nagkaroon ng katahimikan nang ibato ko ang tanong na iyun sa kanya. Seems like he's wondering on why I asked him that question.
Just answer it Heaven! Just say yes! Kailangan marinig ni Fear ang sagot mo.
Heaven took a deep breathe, looked at me as he answered my question.
"No."
Bigla naman akong nawalan ng lakas nang marinig ko iyun kay Chavez. Napatingin ako kay sa may glass portion ng pintuan, kitang-kitang ko ang mga matang lumuluha ni De Guzman. Hindi! Hindi 'to pwede!
* * *
FEAR
Hindi ko alam kung anong kagagahan ang pinagagagawa ng epokritang governor na iyun. Hinila niya ako papuntang locker room para ano? Para ipa rinig sa akin na... bwesit!!
Hindi ko na tinapos ang ideyang naglalakad sa utak ko, agad ko nang kinuha ang cellphone ko sa loob ng shoulder bag ko.
"Hell," naiiyak kong bulalas sa sarili habang hinahanap ang numero ni Hell sa contacts ko. Naiiyak ako kasi... naiiyak ko kasi...
'Do you love her? Do you love Fear De Guzman?'
'No.'
Nang marinig ko ulit iyun sa utak ko ay di ko naiwasan na mapahagulhol. Nakakainis! Nakakainis siya! Hindi ko siya maintindihan!
:Hell, sinasagot na kita:
Napahinto ako matapos kong i-type ang mga detalyeng iyun sa cellphone ko. Isang pindot na lang at magiging opisyal na kami ni Hell.
Napatingin ako sa pinanggalingan ko, sa may locker room. Napaiyak ako lalo. Gusto kong magwala pero hindi ko kaya. Parang nawalan ako ng lakas!
Nang walang halong pagdadalwang isip ay pinindot ko ang send. Bahala na! Bahala na si Batman.
MESSAGE SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED!
Kami na ni Hell. Kami na.
* * *
CHARNEL
"No, I can't love her even though I really wanted to," dagdag niya.
"W-what do you mean?" nanginginig labing tanong ko. I'm hopeless! Hindi naring ni De Guzman ang kadugtong ng sinabi ni Heaven! Stupid! I'm so stupid!
Tumawa si Heaven, "If we're meant to be, then we're meant to be. And if it's not, then it's not. Destiny," he ended with a sarcastic tone.
"But do you know that without EFFORRT, DESTINY will not exist? Did you know that! Alam mo ba 'yun ha!!" With all my voice, I shouted him those words, teary eyed like a child who's debating with another child. He's a bullsh*t. I mean it! I really do.
"Wait," he sarcastically laughs as he leans closer to me. "Why are you acting like that Ms. Cazro? Do you know anything about me? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT I AM EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW? DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW MY DAD HATES FEAR DE GUZMAN WITHOUT A VALID REASON AT ALL? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF EFFORT I HAVE GIVEN INORDER FOR ME TO BE NEAR WITH THAT GIRL EVEN THOUGH MY DAD REALLY PULLS ME AWAY FROM HER? DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE HER? DO YOU EVEN KNOW? DO YOU?!" Anger. Pain. That's what I can seen on Chavez' eyes. He had shouted a lot of words towards me, but I only ended up shutting myself up, crying infront of him like a fool.
"ANSWER ME NOW? ANONG ALAM MO?!" he shouted. I crumbled as I lean my sight towards the flooring. Ano nga bang alam ko? Tama. Alam ko nga pala ang lahat lahat. Heaven's Dad don't want Fear De Guzman for him because he doesn't want the witness of the crime he committed become near with his son. On the other side, Edison is playing the contrary, he wants Fear De Guzman to be near with Heaven because he knows that Fear is the main witness on the crime that Heaven's father had done to his mother. Alam ko. Alam ko ang lahat. Pero bakit ganito? Bakit ako hindi makapagsalita? Bakit hindi ko kayang sabihin kay Chavez ang lahat ng alam ko? Dahil ba pinoprotektahan ko si Edison? Is that the reason? Then, I admit. I'm stupid. I'm really stupid.
"If you don't know a thing then, shut your mouth Gov!" he said as he left me stupidly standing inside the locker room. I'm doomed. I am.
I cried harder when I realize that I was alone. What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me that I am protecting Edison? What!! Answer Fate!! Answer!!
Three claps. I heard three claps behind me. Three claps that made me stiff. Three claps made me widen my eyes. It must be him. It must be Edison.
"Great job," he said from my back. His cold voice made me shiver.
"I'm only twisting the plot, and you help me twisting it," he added. I turn around, I saw him. I saw Edison wearing a wolfish grin.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, trembling like a sick person injected with a lethal drug.
"I was not actually making De Guzman isolated with my brother. It's just a trap."
"Trap?" I mumbled, ready to cry anytime again due to the tension that I feel.
"Hmm," he nodded, still wearing his wolfish and fake smile.
"A trap for you," he coldly said that made my heart pound faster. Hindi ako nakahinga ng ilang segundo sa sinabi n'ya.
"You know that I really wanted De Guzman to get near with Heaven but my f*cking father made a great effort inorder for my brother to be separated with that girl. What I did is that, I hired someone to get near with De Guzman. Someone who could hurt my brother's feelings in a way that he could get jealous with it. And that someone is Hell Fortunado, isa sa mga tauhan ko." His grin widens when something rings from his pocket.
A phone. "Hindi madali ang ginagawa ko kaya I manipulated someone to do rest of the plot, and that someone is you, Ms. Charnel Fate Castro," he said as he handed me the phone. It's Hell Fortunado's phone.
:HELL, SINASAGOT NA KITA.:
-Fear De Guzman-
Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang mabasa ko iyun. Hindi 'to pwede.
"Ano na lang kaya ang mararamdaman ng kapatid kong si Heaven kapag nalaman niyang sinagot na pala ni De Guzman si Hell Fortunado?" he sarcastically said.
"No!" I shouted, trying to perish the idea that he instilled in my mind.
"At ano na lang kaya ang mararamdaman mo kung alam mo sa sarili mo na ikaw ang naging instrumento para sagutin ni De Guzman ang tauhan kong si Hell? Kung hindi mo lang sana hinila si De Guzman papunta sa lugar na ito. Kung hindi ka lang sana nangialam." He smiled coldy. His eyes turned darker as he.... hug me.
"Thank you for helping me destroy my brothers' feeling. Thank you, Charnel Fate," he whispered in my right ear. Napaiyak na lang ako. Why are you like this Edison? Bakit ang sama-sama mo? Bakit?
"Okay." Huminga ako ng malalim at ikinalma ang sarili ko at kinausap siya habang nakayakap pa rin siya sa akin. 'Sige lang Ed, gawin mo lang ang gusto mo pero ito lang ang tandaan mo," humikbi ako, "You are no longer your past Ed. You are no longer the pain that you are still feeling right now. I hope you will already live in the present time. Punong-puno ka na ng galit. I really love you and I really want to see the happiest version of you. Hindi pa huli ang lahat. And also, always remember that I'm here. You are not alone."
* * *