Chapter Sixteen | The Contract
Chess' Pov:
Woah. That dream was so intense. I can't believe it kasi It feels so real. Jusko. Feeling ko talaga na ginawa namin yun. Hindi ako makapaniwalang magkakaroon ako ng panaginip na pareho 'nun. Si Rude kasi. Hayys. He alss told me na nakatulog daw ako kaya hindi daw siay nakatapos sa kung ano mang ritual na yun ang gusto niyang gawin ko through phone.
"Erase – Erase!" I yelled all of a sudden. I started slapping my cheeks just so I could stop thinking about it again. Naku.
Bigla naman napatingin ang mga tao sa paligid ko. Nasa library pala ako ngayon. "Uh, Sorry." I hid myself with my book. Namumula ako, habang pinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa ng libro ko.
I decided to go to school today even though nagpe-prepare na ang school for the coming graduation – Our graduation. Because I wanted to read a new book, usually kasi nauuna ang school sa mga bagong libro especially sa mga novels. So I decided na tumambay dito muna. Dinivert ko na ang sarili ko sa pagbabasa nang may kumalabit sa akin. "Hey Chess." Tumingin ako sa taong kumalabit sa akin. Si Onxiel pala, may dalang dalawang mabibigat na libro.
I wanted to stay away from Onxiel. Kasi I keep regretting about the kiss that happened days ago. I distanced my self away from him atsaka nagcontinue na magbasa.
Pero lumapit mismo ito sa akin at naupo sa tabi ko, I realized we were actually quite far from the public, sa kasulok-sulukan pala kaming dalawa ng library. "Chess, are you okay?" Tanong nito bigla sa akin. He noticed I was distancing my self away from him.
"Ah – eh, Oo naman." I didn't dare look at him at saka nagcontinue nalang na magbasa. But he held my face and turned to look at him. "B-bitawan mo –".
"Tell me, was it about that kiss?" He was serious, our faces are both inches apart already.I can feel his breath. "Look..." binitawan na niya ako at napasapo ng kaniyang noo. "I'm sorry."
Tahimik akong tumayo at pumunta sa last section ng mga libro, walang mga tao. I wanted to distract him pero nahuli niya ako. Nakatayo siya sa harap ko, hinarang niya ako gamit ng mga kamay niya sa bookshelf. He looked at me straight in the eye. Magsasalita pa sana ako pero he cut me off.
"Please don't make this hard for me." His voice was... sad. "I –" he looked shyly at me, "I like you." It surprised me. Ba't siya magkakagusto sa katulad ka? Andaming tao na naiirita sa akin dahil daw pabebe ako.
There was just a minute of silence.
"I really do. I know mali yun, pero –"
This time its my turn to cut him off, "Alam mo naman na kami ni Rude diba?" Sagot ko sa kaniya, napataas ang boses ko. Galit ako, kasi bakit ba siya susulpot ng ganito? In fact I don't even know him that well.
"Y-you don't know Rude. We've been friends for five years already."
"What do you mean?" The tension between the two of us started rising up.
"I need to tell you this," he trailed off, "Its about Rude."
"Oh?"
"I just don't like seeing you like this, I guess you also deserve to know the truth." He answered seriously, still looking away.
"Pero ano?" Bigla sumalubong ang mga kilay ko. Naiirita na ako.
"The reason why Rude is in the States is because.." he paused. "He's meeting his Mom, he probably met her already." Mama niya? Akala ko wala na yung mama ni Rude?
Onxiel looks nervous, "We were supposed to keep this from you, because Rude told us so. He— he just wants to meet his Mom." Feeling ko nangingilid na ang luha ko. "That's why he courted you kasi, he made a deal.. with his dad."
"A-anong deal?" nauutal kong tinanong, bigla na lamang ako napaluha. Onxiel started wiping my tears with his fingers.
"Well, do you know about the contract?" he looks so sad, feeling ko ayaw niyang nakikita akong ganito. He caressed my face and strted drying my tears off pero naiiyak pa rin ako.
"What c-contract?" I asked.
"R-rude told me, dating you was a part of that contract." He answered, "His Dad made a deal it was to date you and once maging kayo daw he'll get to see his Mom." His words broke my heart into pieces. Hindi ako makagalaw sa sinabi niya, feeling ko napako na ang katawan ko sa kinatatayuan ko mismo. Pero hindi ako nagpatinag, alam kong hindi ito magagawa ni Rude sa akin. I just know it.
I slapped his hands at saka naglakad palabas, but Onxiel still followed me on the way out of the library. "Chess. Please listen to me." He tried calling my name pero 'di ako lumingon sa kaniya.
"No – Onxiel I've heard enough." pagtatakwil ko sa kaniya as I continued walking out of the vicinity while drying my tears off.
"If – If you need someone, I'll just— I'll be a call away ha." I guess he stopped walking. Kaya naman ay naglakad na ako at lumabas ng school.
...
I feel sick – iredly sad.
"Dad, pwede ko po bang kausapin si Tito Hance?" Pagkauwi ko ng bahay sinalubong ko kaagad si Dad na papuntang office na niya. He was about to go to his office naman.
"Sure Chess. Sama ka nalang sa akin idro-drop ka lang namin sa bahay nila."
"Sige po." 'di na ako nagbihi atsaka sumunod na lamang sa kaniya, sumakay ako ng sasakyan niya atsaka umalis na kami patungong bahay nila Rude.
Dad dropped me off to Rude's house, agad naman akong pinapasok sa bahay nila. Pagkapasok ko sa bahay nila, tinanong ko ang maid nila kung saan si Tito Hance. Agad din naman akong sinama ng Maid papuntang office nito.
"Sir hinahanap po kayo ni Sir Chess." Narinig ko naman ang boses ni Tito Hance na papasukin daw ako kaya pinapasok na ako sa loob ng malaking office ni tito Hance.
Pagkapasok ko, "Oh Chess, Is there something you want?" Nakafocus siya sa pagsusulat.
Tumikhim muna ako bago ako magsalita, pinaupo ako ni Tito Hance sa upuan atsaka hinarap niya ako. "Tito, totoo po ba?"
His face was painted with a confusion. "Anong totoo iho?"
"The Contract."
"Oh, mabuti't alam mo na rin Chess." His smiled turned into a smirk. He rolled his pen under his chin.
"What do you mean?" ani ko rito.
"Hindi ba nasabi sa iyo ni Dad mo?" Umiling lang ako bilang tugon.
"You see, Rude agreed." He paused a minute. Sa bawat salitang lumalabas mula sa bibig ni Tito, sabay din dito ang pagtibok ng puso ko ng sobra. "He agreed to date you, actually at first he's not interested. I offered him only a year contract, then I changed it into a few months. Until he agreed to sign it for the sake of seeing his beloved mother." He added. "I just wanted to change Rude, hes been really distant with me. Im sorry Chess. Im sorry we have to have you involve in this matter." He explained.
"But still Im thankful na binago mo si Rude. Thank you very much Chess, you gave him realisation to change his actions."
Now, everything is pretty clear to me. Sa umpisa palang, planado na pala nila lahat-lahat. Sa umpisa palang pala, hindi talaga ako minahal ni Rude. Kinasusuklaman niya pala ako. Mabuti na nga't maaga pa, alam ko na lahat.
My throat it hurts, theres this big lump inside my chest. Its not even my asthma anymore, feeling ko ive been choked to death by hundreds of realization. Its getting hard to breath. Feeling ko kasi 'di ko masikmura lahat ng pangyaayri ngayong araw na ito.
Para akong bulkang sasabog. Hindi ko alam kung maipapatay ko tong lumiliyab na apoy sa puso ko. Tumitibok sa hindi normal ang puso ko, parang iba ang ihip ng hangin. Simula nang marining ko ang contract na iyan. Bwiset.
Sa contract lang naman pala nagsimula ang pagiging 'kami.' Naiintindihan ko naman ang ginawa ni Rude, alam kong masakit din mawalan ng ina. Naranasan ko 'yan. Kahit alam ko nang hindi na makakabalik pa sa akin ang ina ko. Alam ko ang sitwasyon ni Rude. Hes no different than me. But at least he got to see his Mom.
Pero sana, malaman niya din ang sitwasyon ko ngayong alam ko na din ang katotohanan. Sana malaman niya din na nasasaktan niya ako. He used me, they used me.
Mas mainam na nga't hanggang sa maaga pa, alam ko na ang katotohan. Kahit na naging kami ng ilang araw lang.
He agreed to sign the contract his father built just so he could see his mother. Ang sama nila, akala nila wala akong damdamin.
Hindi ako bato.
"CHESS?!"