#BHOCAMP #BlaRis #BHOCAMP10TWC
CHAPTER 6: FORCE
ERIS' POV
"Achoo!"
"God bless you and peace be with you."
I blew my nose before I turned to look at the person behind me. Nabungaran ko si Hera na kasalukuyang may tulak na stroller. One that is specifically made for triplets because her daughters and son are on it. She and her husband, Thunder, adopted then after the babies' biological parents died during the volcanic eruption. Sa pagkakatanda ko ay si Hera mismo ang nakapagsalba sa biological mother ng mga bata. Unfortunately she didn't make it.
"You're supposed to only say bless you," I told her while still sniffling.
"Mas okay nga eh para sure. Na-blesss ka na, naging peaceful ka pa."
"Walang gano'n," sabi ko.
"Sino'ng may sabi? Batas ba 'yan?"
Naiiling na niyakap ko ang mga dala ko na folder na para bang magagawa ng mga iyon na salagin ang nararamdaman ko na lamig. "Alam mo, minsan bawasan mo rin ang kakadikit sa asawa mo. Nahahawa ka na sa... sa allergens na laganap sa lahi nila."
Napasimangot ako nang maalala ko ang taong rason kung bakit ako nagdudusa ngayon. Hindi sana maging masarap ang ulam niya ngayon.
"Ay walang contribution si Thunder sa pagiging unique ko. In born na 'to."
Pinaikot ko ang mga mata ko. I can't contest what she said because she's probably right. Na-intensify lang nang mag-combine ang ugali nilang mag-asawa. "Kung sasama ka ng meeting, lumayo kayo sa aking mag-iina. Mahawa pa ang mga chikiting mo."
"Hindi sila sasama. Hinihintay ko lang ang tatay nila."
Sinilip ko ang mga anak niyang tulog na tulog sa stroller. They're all wearing a bear onesie. "Bakit tatlo lang 'to? Binenta niyo na ba 'yung isa?"
"Hindi pero malapit ko ng ipaampon kay Yogi bear iyon." Tinuro niya ang mukha niya. "Iyong eyebags ko may pamilya na. May extended family pang kasama. Napakaiyakin ng isang 'yon. Sa tatlong 'to Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars lang sapat na. Kay Alaz pati Ama Namin nakanta ko na."
I know her pregnancy wasn't easy. We're all worried for her kasi kahit masaya siya na madadagdagan ang malaki na nilang pamilya, alam rin namin na dala niya ang takot sa kahihinatnan ng magiging anak niya lalo na kung naging lalaki si Alaz.
Thunder has a hereditary disease that were passed down through the men in the family. He almost died, his father before him almost did too, and they lost a lot of family members because of it. They didn't want to watch that happen to their child too. That's why they never really wanted to have one biologically. But fate intervened and now they have their new bundle of joy, Mishiella Azul Alazne Night, named after Thunder's Grandmother, Hera's favorite alcohol drink to join the trend of the other agents, and Alazne that came from the suggestion of my sister because it means miracle.
She's complaining now but I can also see that she's loving it. I never thought there would be a day that Hera would settle into domesticity like she's doing now. She looks so happy and contented.
"Here's your other baby bear," I told her when I saw Thunder walking towards us. May suot siya na band na nakabalot sa katawan niya para magsilbing carrier ng isa pa nilang anak na ngayon ay mahimbing na rin na natutulog.
Iniwan ko na sila at nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad papunta sa conference room. Dawn and Triton, BHO Division and CAMP division's heads, called for a meeting. But I have a feeling that this is because of me too.
Nang makarating ako sa conference room ay nakita kong naroon na ang ilan sa mga agent. Sumalampak ako sa pinakamalapit na upuan sa akin na nakita ko at pabagsak na ibinaba ko ang mga gamit ko bago ako muling humugot ng tissue mula sa dala kong tissue box at suminga.
"Are you sick?"
Nilingon ko si Dawn na nakaupo sa kabisera ng isa sa apat na mahabang conference table na narito habang nakatutok ang mga mata niya sa hawak na tablet device. Imbes na pumuwesto sa kabilang kabisera ay kasalukuyang nakikisiksik ang asawa niya na si Triton sa tabi niya habang sumisilip sa ginagawa niya.
"Yep," I answered.
Binaba niya ang hawak at may kinuha siya mula sa bulsa niya. Napamata na lang ako nang basta na lang siyang nag-spray sa paligid niya at sa direksyon ko.
"Sinisipon lang ako. Wala akong flesh eating bacteria," sabi ko sa kaniya.
"Alam ko. I'm not doing this for me. Do you know how hard it is to take care of four children with a cold? Bearable. Pero alam mo ba kung gaanong kahirap na mag-alaga ng apat na anak na may sipon plus asawang may sakit din? Torture."
Nanulis ang nguso ni Triton. "Para ka namang others. Ang mga anak nga natin ang nanghawa sa akin."
"Kaya nga. Mas mahirap kang alagaan kesa sa kanila." Dawn pointed to the opposite side of the table. "Doon ka para makalayo ka kay Eris."
"Gusto ko katabi ka," sabi niya at muling sumiksik sa asawa. Kulang na lang ay yumakap siya kay Dawn na parang koala sa paraan nang pagkakalapit niya sa babae.
"Fine." Umilaw ang mga mata ni Triton pero kaagad din nawala iyon nang magpatuloy si Dawn, "Pero mamaya sa bahay huwag kang tatabi sa akin."
Nagkakandahaba na naman ang mga nguso na kinuha ng lalaki ang mga gamit niya bago nagdadabog na pumunta sa kabilang kabisera ng lamesa. When he saw his wife was watching him, he flashed a big smile. Nag-flying kiss pa siya at kumindat-kindat. Kahit kailangan talaga mga keso.
Inabala ko na lang ang sarili ko sa pakikipagtagisan sa self-control ko na nasusubok dahil pinipigilan kong bumahing. Hindi naman nagtagal ay nagsimula ng magsipagpasukan ang mga agent na hinihintay namin.
I saw my sister entered the room with her husband. Nang makita niya ako ay lumapit siya sa akin para pumuwesto sa bakanteng upuan sa tabi ko.
Kunot ang noo na tinignan niya ang malapit ng maging bundok ko na nilamukos na tissue sa harapan ko. Inangat niya ang kamay niya at idinikit niya ang likod ng palad niya sa noo ko. "Anong nangyari sa'yo?"
"Minalas." Minalas dahil sa fallen angel na 'yon na pinadala rito sa lupa para bigyan ako ng sama ng loob. "I'm fine. It's just a cold. Sa iba ka na umupo, buntis. Baka mahawa ka pa sa akin."
"Sa ating dalawa mas matibay ang immune system ko."
Ako kasi talaga ang sakitin sa aming dalawa. Siguro dahil na rin sa lagi lang akong nakakulong habang siya ay naaarawan pa paminsan-minsan. We're twins but we're also very different.
She's more outgoing than me. She doesn't mind being around a crowd. On the other hand, I'm more introverted. I do love hanging out with my friends and family, but I also love my own company. Ang akala ng mga tao si Enyo ang suplada habang ako iyong gusto ng lahat. I rarely say no and I care too much about others. But Enyo is a really soft person if you'll get to know her. Prangka lang siya pero hindi siya mataray. Ako raw 'yung maldita bagay na nakakapagtaka samantalang people-pleaser nga ako. In short, mahirap akong maintindihan. Minsan mabait, minsan nananakmal.
"Uminom ka na ba ng gamot?" tanong niya.
"Hindi pa. Hindi pa ako kumakain eh. Tinatamad akong magluto."
"I'll cook for you."
Napangiwi ako. Enyo is not a great cook. Kung ihahambing sa education system ang pagluluto niya, wala pa siya sa elementary. Nasa nursery pa lang siya.
"Magaling na ako," lukot pa rin ang mukha na sabi ko.
Pinaningkitan niya ako ng mga mata. "Mapanghusga ka. Si Stone nga nakakain ang mga luto ko." Her husband just gave me a smile before he shrugged. "My cooking is getting better."
"Bulag, pipi, bingi, at walang panglasa 'yang asawa mo pagdating sa'yo. He's not a credible judge of your cooking."
Enyo just rolled her eyes at me as a response. Sa aming dalawa kasi ay ayoko iyong marunong magluto. Ako ang laging nagdadala ng pagkain sa kaniya noon lalo na kapag kagagaling niya lang sa mga misyon. Kapag ako naman ang umaalis ay sinisiguro niyang ino-orderan niya ako ng pagkain mula sa Craige's.
Pinatong ko ang mga braso ko sa lamesa at inunan ko ang ulo ko ro'n. I really want to go back to my room and sleep. Kahit puro tulog na ang ginawa ko pakiramdam ko ay kulang pa rin iyon. Ang bigat kasi talaga ng pakiramdam ko.
"Hoy Sleepy, bawal matulog dito."
I felt a migraine began to make an appearance when I heard the annoying voice calling me another name from that freaking Disney movie. Kung hindi lang masama ang pakiramdam ko baka binigyan ko na siya ng uppercut. This is his fault!
"Huwag mong inisin 'yan. She's grumpy when she's sick," Enyo said to him.
"Lagi namang may sama ng loob sa mundo iyang si Sneezy."
Lord, kung hindi niyo po ako bibigyan ng lakas para gumanda ang pakiramdam ko today, kahit lakas na lang po para hindi makapatay ng tao.
"Your funeral, Blaze," my sister said with an amused tone.
Naramdaman ko na may umupo sa tabi ko. Handa na sana akong manakmal pero hindi si Blaze ang nabungaran ko kundi si Hugo. May binaba siya na tasa sa lamesa at inusog niya iyon palapit sa akin. "Peppermint tea. Maganda iyan para sa may sipon." Umayos ako sa pagkakaupo at inabot ko iyon. He gave me a smile when I took a sip. "Maulan ang panahon ngayon tapos malamig pa rito sa Tagaytay. Drinking tea regularly can boost your health."
"Thank you-"
"Nagkakasakit pala ang mga duwende? Akala ko sila ang nagbibigay ng sakit?"
"Ouch," natatawang sabi ni Enyo.
Blaze grinned at her. "Hindi ikaw."
"We're twins."
"Kung duwende ka rin, ikaw 'yung puti." Inginuso ako ng lalaki. "Iyan duwendeng itim."
Mahigpit na hinawakan ko ang tasa sa harapan ko bago ko pa maisipang itapon iyon sa kaniya. Imbes na kausapin siya ay tumingin ako kay Stone na tahimik na naiiling lang. "Kuya Stone kinakausap ni Blaze si Enyo."
My brother in law looked at me. "Hmm?"
"Sabihin mo layuan ang asawa mo. Malas sa magiging anak niyo 'yan. Dapat humihingi kayo ng blessing sa mga angel hindi sa mga anghel na isinuka ng langit."
As always, basta pagdating sa asawa niya kahit wala ng sense ay pinapatulan niya. Walang kangiti-ngiti na tinignan niya si Blaze. "Layuan mo ang asawa ko."
Nakangising tumango-tango ako habang si Blaze naman ay masama ang pagkakatingin sa akin.
"Si Eris na lang ang lapitan mo tutal lagi mo namang hinahanap," pagpapatuloy niya.
Nawala ang ngiti ko at binigyan ko ng masamang tingin si Stone na nakipag-appear pa sa kapatid ko na parang ligayang-ligaya sa amin. Mga weirdo.
"Hinahanap ko lang ang chihuahua na 'yan dahil ibabalik ko iyong mga kalat niya na hindi niya pa kinukuha sa akin."
I turned my sharp eyes to the fallen angel. "Sa'yo na. Ayoko sa mga bagay na nabahiran na ng negative energy."
"What will I do to two giant penguins?"
Iniwan ko kasi pati iyong pink na penguin sa kaniya dahil sa sobrang inis ko pagkatapos niya akong muntik na lunurin sa baha. Iyong maliit lang na orihinal kong napanalunan ang inuwi ko dahil nag-walk out na ako pagkabalik namin dito sa headquarters.
"Gawin mong friends since wala kang friends."
"Marami akong kaibigan."
Napapalatak na umiling ako. "Ang tanda mo na naniniwala ka pa sa imaginary friends?"
I heard Hugo chuckled quietly beside me. My sister on the other hand is dying with hilarity while her husband is trying to fight back a smile.
Binalingan ko si Hugo. "Ikaw, marami ka bang friends?"
"Marami naman," sagot niya habang kumikinang ang mga mata. "Pero kung madadagdagan mas okay. Lalo na kung maganda at mabait."
"You mean me?"
Lumawak ang ngiti niya at akmang sasagot siya pero naagaw ang atensyon ko ng nilamukos na papel na tumama sa braso ko. Matalim ang mga mata na nilingon ko si Blaze na alam kong pinanggalingan no'n.
"I'm just trying to save him. Parang napipilitan kasi siya sa napaka-assuming mo na tanong."
I gave him a look that could kill if only I can poison him by just staring at him. "Sorry, Blaze. Hindi ko alam na type mo si Hugo. Nagselos ka naman agad. Hindi bale kapag close na close na kami, irereto kita."
This time it was him that threw dagger through his eyes. Kasalukuyang naglalabanan kami ng tingin nang marinig namin ang boses ni Dawn. "Can I have everyone's attention please?"
Lahat kami ay napaayos sa pagkakaupo. She always has that effect to people. Dahil una, wala kaming balak maparusahan kapag uminit ang ulo niya. Dawn has her own way to torture people which is by making us do labor work. Pinakamadali na siguro ang paglinisin ng pagkalawak na pool dito sa headquarters, pagbungkalin ng lupa, at pagtanimin ng kung anu-ano. There was this one time na naparusahan ang isa sa amin na mag volunteer sa isang soup kitchen. Ocean said he peeled what felt like thousands of vegetables so that they can serve food for almost five hundred people.
Ang pangalawang rason kung bakit takot lahat kay Dawn ay dahil wala kaming balak maging hapunan ng alaga niya na mukhang mini-anaconda na si Twinkle.
"We've been hearing circulating rumors about a secret department here in BHO CAMP that most of you are wondering about. Alam kong nag-aalala ang karamihan sa inyo at alam ko rin na sari-saring kuwento na ang nabubuo. Not all of those stories are shining positive light on the organization." Kinuha niya ang remote na nasa harapan niya at binuksan niya ang malaking screen ng conference room. Without even looking at what appeared on it, she continued, "These are the missions that disappeared or got pulled out. Some of them were already assigned to one of you before they were removed. Pero hindi sila nawala, hindi sila na-cancel. These missions were transferred."
Nagsimula ang mahihinang bulangan pero nananatiling nakatingin lang ako kay Dawn. This is not news to me. Hindi man direktahan na inaamin ni Enyo noon ay alam ko na may nag-iba sa kaniya noon. It's not that easy to hide it in the family.
"You've been noticing the changes on the way we approach things. We're relying more on devices and arms that are less fatal to the opposition like Mist." Sa pagkakataon na ito ay si Triton ang nagsalita. He's talking about a BHO CAMP gun that is not lethal to the person being shot. Nakakatulog lang ang tinatamaan niyon. "But despite that we all know that how we operate things can't be exactly called legal. We're a secret organization, masked from the eyes of the public. We're not under the wings of any rules except ours. The moment you took the oath you all know that. The risk and the consequences are always with us, but we always have our freedom."
"We asked for your trust when you took that oath and in return we offered transparency. For justice, we are all ready to lay down our own lives for one another. We're secret agents, but what we are not are mercenaries. Fatalities are inevitable, but we don't kill for fun. But you're right. We're all in deed hiding something from all of you and we call it Ender." Dawn ignored the growing murmurs. "We are not hired killers. Ender is not for that too. The missions under Ender are those that are considered a loophole. There's no way to fix them, no way to stamp the word "accomplished" on their files, and more people will get hurt if they won't be closed. There were two people in Ender, now there's one. We're not recruiting. We're not being paid for the missions. Walang pinilit at walang pipilitin. If you approach us in the hopes of joining, we won't consider it."
"We started it, but we're ending it as soon as we can. For one more time, we are asking for your complete trust. This won't have any blow backs. Not on any of you. That's why we're keeping it this tight. This is why we can't open everything out for you all to see. Dahil kung may mangyayari man ay walang madadamay sa inyo," Triton continued.
"But who got their backs?" I whispered. Nang maramdaman kong nasa akin ang mga mata ni Dawn at Triton ay nagpatuloy ako, "You created Ender but you're not the one operating it right? Kasi hindi pwede. You're both carrying BHO CAMP. BHO CAMP carries everyone here. Pero paano ang Ender? Who have their backs?"
"No one because it doesn't exist," Triton answered matter-of-factly. "There are only a few missions under Ender. Probably one percent of our hundred. They won't be marked accomplished instead they are considered canceled or closed. They are not ours. They won't lead to anything. Ender is a dead end. The only way for us to protect it is to not talk about it and to trust that we will always stick to the oath. It will always be about justice."
"But we understand if you will break your commitment to this organization. It might feel like we are asking for a lot. It's never our intention to take away your freedom. You will always have the choice to leave if you no longer believe in us," Dawn continued, her eyes moving from one of us to another and another.
The room went quiet.
Lahat kami na nandito ay may rason kung bakit kami nananatili sa BHO CAMP. Most of us were born in this life. We watch the life our parents had and we saw the things they fought for. Mga bagay na gusto rin namin na maging laban.
Others wander, got lost, and found their home here. People that were robbed of their choice, their lives destroyed and extorted, and that spark inside them screaming for justice lead them in this place.
"You're not being paid in Ender, you're not having a trigger loving party, and it's not like we're in any less danger than yesterday."
Ang bagong Elite agent na si Killian ang siyang nagsalita. He passed all the tests with flying colors. Something that not everyone could do.
"For me, we're sitting comfortably here while someone is doing the dirty work for us. Bakit kami magrereklamo?" he addressed the whole room. "Pagkatapos ng lahat ng pinagdaanan ko para maging agent, literal na kailangan niyong bunutin ang buong BHO CAMP bago ako mapapaalis dito."
He got a point and I can see that everyone is agreeing with him. Not that anyone looked like they were considering leaving. Isa iyon sa bagay na kahit noon pa man ay kinamamangha ko na sa BHO CAMP. Blood or not, everyone is like family here. And you don't abandon family.
"Lahat ba ay sang-ayon? Kung hindi, hindi niyo kailangan matakot. We're not going to take it against you," Dawn asked to confirm.
The answer to her question was silence. Pero sa pagkagulat ko ay naramdaman ko ang pagkilos ng taong katabi ko. I felt all eyes went to the huge man beside me when he raised his hand.
Dawn didn't look a bit bothered. "Yes, Hugo?"
"You said you're ending the Ender as soon as you can. What's stopping you from closing it?"
"That person that is left handling it. Mahirap isarado ang isang bagay na ayaw pang isarado ng taong matigas ang ulo at sinusubok ang pasensya ko."
The murmurs erupted again by my eyes were locked into one direction. Sa taong nakaupo sa harapan ko na hindi magawang makatingin sa kahit na sino. Not because of shame, but rather because of the chaos he's trying to tame inside his eyes.
I saw those chaos both in him and my sister. I might not be sure at that time but I knew they were hiding something big from everyone else. Now my sister's eyes are full of light, free from those secrets. But I can still see it lingering in his. Just like I always see his other demons.
Dawn pressed a button on the remote and the screen went black. "If there's no more question, and if everyone is sure on staying, we will move forward now."
When the room stayed quiet, Dawn turned to me. Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga bago ako tumango sa kaniya.
"The last thing that we want to cover for this meeting is about Eris Wright."
The introvert in me want to melt when all eyes went to me. Nagbaba ako ng tingin sa ngayon ay magkasalikop ko na mga kamay.
"Eris will be transferring her missions. Lahat ng file na hawak niya ay ipapasa sa iba."
"Hala ate!" Nanlalaki ang mga mata na tumingin sa akin ang pinsan ko na si Nyx. "Are you quitting?"
"She's being responsible," Dawn said for me when I couldn't find the right words to say. "She's just taking a step back. She need to focus on her health. But she's still committing in missions under her specialty. These missions will be backed up by other agents to make sure that the missions under this will be carried out safely."
"May sakit ka Ate Eris?" kunot ang noo na tanong ulit ni Nyx. Pinagmasdan niya ako. "Akala ko sinisipon ka lang? Are you like... terminally ill? Nakakamatay na ba ang sipon ngayon?"
Ang kanina ay nakapikit na si Erebus ay inusog ang vacuum insulated tumbler niya palapit kay Nyx. "Magkape ka muna. Kulang ka lang sa tulog."
Dawn raised an eyebrow as if asking me if I wanted her to explain for me. Umiling ako at napapabuntong-hininga na sinalubong ko ang mga mata ng pinsan ko na babae.
"Hindi ko alam sa iba kung narinig na nila ang kuwento ng nanay ko. She had a condition that almost got her blind. It's hereditary, but it's not life threatening. I tested positive for it." I can feel the tension filling the air. When I said BHO CAMP agents treated everyone as family, I wasn't kidding. "It's not safe for me to do the missions. Hindi ko gustong malagay sa panganib at lalong-lalo na hindi ko gustong mapahamak ang mga makakasama ko at ang magiging subject ng misyon. The disease can attack anytime. I could have blackouts any moment. Much as I like continuing my job like nothing's wrong, hindi ko kayang maging iresponsable."
The room is heavy of concern. I couldn't meet their eyes knowing that they are all worried. Ayokong kaawaan. Ayoko na itrato nila ako na parang imbalido. I don't want to make it a problem. Not now that I can still see. I want to savor the last bit of normalcy that I still have.
"What was that about your specialty? Like the bomb you made in your last mission?"
Sa kabila ng lahat ay hindi ko mapigilang mapangiti sa naging tanong ni Hugo. He's a giant but he seems like a big softy. It's like he's breaking the ice. Katulad din kung paano niya ginawa iyon kanina. For a big guy, he sounded like a small kid confuse about all the grown up talks.
"No," nangingiti pa rin na sabi ko sa kaniya. "My specialty is hostage rescue and recovery."
"Wow," he whispered.
What a teddy bear.
Tumango-tango siya na para bang may kinonsidera siya at pagkatapos ay tumingin siya sa direksyon ni Dawn. "I want to back her up on those missions. I know I'm just a new junior, but I could be helpful."
Naramdaman ko ang kamay ng kapatid ko na ginagap ang akin. "I'm always here for my sister. Whenever she needs me, I'll be there."
"Same goes for me," Stone said quietly.
"I'll be her back up too," came from Nyx with her hand raised. I bit down on my lower lip nang makita ko ang pamamasa ng mga mata niya. "I can stay awake from days straight. I won't let anything happen to her." Siniko niya ang katabi. "Si Erebus din. Hindi ko hahayaan na pumikit siya kahit isang segundo lang."
"I'll volunteer too." Nanggaling iyon kay Chalamity na itinaas din ang kamay ng katabi niya na si Chlymate. "Parehas kami ni Best friend."
"Tinatanong pa ba 'yan?" sabi ni Athena na humalukipkip. "Kami rin ng asawa ko."
"Same here. Me and husband can back her up anytime," Hera said before tapping her brother's back. "Ikaw Kuya?"
Nginitian ako ni Hermes at nag-thumbs up. Sa isa niyang kamay ay hawak niya ang cellphone niya. "Natsismis ko na rin sa asawa ko. Storm's said she'll work again only to be her back up. Field or expi."
His wife Storm Reynolds suffered a lot. For years we thought we lost her. Ang dami niyang pinagdaanan at kinaya na mag-isa. It's also been years when she decided to quit. Minsan sumasali pa rin siya kapag kailangan. Kadalasan ay bilang eyes na lang ng mga nasa field. Alam kong hindi iyon madali para sa kaniya. But it was a decision that we all supported her for. She will always have BHO CAMP's protection no matter what.
So now knowing that she's willing to go back on the field for me means so much and it's taking all my power not to crumble at this very moment as I listen to every agent in the room volunteer for me. They're like a force that is keeping me together.
"And you Blaze?"
I blinked away the cloud in my eyes when I heard Triton spoke. There's humor in his voice habang nakatutok ang mga mata sa direksyon ni Blaze.
"Kailangan ko pa bang sumagot eh balak niyo na atang lahat sumama sa mga misyon niya?" balik tanong ng binata.
"Bro, wala kang spirit of unity.Mababawasan ka ng points kapag hindi natuwa sa'yo ang langit." Tumuro pa si Triton sa kisame pagkasabi niyon.
Pinaikot ko ang mga mata ko. "It's fine." Matagal naman ng hindi natutuwa ang langit sa kaniya kaya nga pinatapon siya rito sa lupa at naging fallen angel.
Tumayo si Blaze at tinapunan niya ng tingin ang mga tao sa paligid namin. His gaze end with me. "Too bad for all of you, she won't need you that much."
"And how can you be so sure?" Triton pressed.
"Because she's going to be fine. No one will hurt her."
An "oooh" sound echoed all around the room, coming from the agents that were just professing their support for me minutes ago, but now are teasing me. Maging ang kapatid ko ay nakikisali rin. No one's even disturbed by the fact that she's joining on teasing me with her ex.
"Kasi nandiyan ka?" tanong ulit ni Triton.
Blaze looked at me and for a moment he held my eyes. Just one tiny moment that I saw a glimpse of something that I'm not really sure what. It was quick, because as always, Blaze is an expert more than Hugo. Not for breaking the ice... pero mas tamang sabihin, magaling siyang manira ng moment.
"Hindi. Filipinos are superstitious kaya sigurado akong takot lahat ang mga iyon sa duwende. You all got nothing to worry about. Gulo na ang iiwas sa kaniya."
Nginitian ko siya ng matamis. Iyong klase na ikabubulok ng ngipin sa sobrang tamis niyon. Umakto akong sumasagot ng tawag at tinapat ko ang kamay ko sa tenga ko. "Hello? O, Lord kayo po pala. Bakit po kayo napatawag? Ay! Sige po sasabihin ko." I dropped my hand at the same time I let my smile melt off. "Pinapasabi ni Lord na denied daw ang application mo sa heaven. Ipapadala niya na lang daw ang renewal ng sungay mo."
Kala mo papatalo ako? Not in this life time!
__________________End of Chapter 6.