IX. The truth.
᯾✵𖣘⍟۞✫᯽᯾
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I decided to wear my white French V-neck blouse for my top and then for my pants, I decided to wear my brown highwaist pants. I set my hair into curls and I put on my simple make-up.
Then I decided to wear my tan stiletto shoes.
Kinuha ko na yung bag ko at tsaka ako nauna sa coffee shop. Pag pasok ko doon, agad ko nabunggo si Vion. I smiled at him cutely at kumaway ako.
"Brad!" Sigaw ko
Agad napangiwi ito ng di oras at lumayo sa'kin. I looked at myself in the mirror at maganda naman ako, ah! So, what's wrong with him?
"Pre, nanahimik ako ah! Pag pinagkamalan na naman ako nung blondie na galit sa mundo ewan ko na lang pre. Gusto ko lang naman maging kabute na lang sa gilid!Ay jusmeo ka Sarissa! Wag ako please!"Reklamo niya at umirap ako sa kanya.
"Gago, dami mong arte!"Tawang-tawa ako sa pagrereklamo ni Vion.
"Ayoko maging third wheel na naman ha." Duro niya sa'kin at tila ba parang may hinahanap siya.
"Wala yon! Madaming requirements and he's been busy on his plates lately kaya di ko kasama." I assured him.
"Sige na! Wag lang talaga ako samaan ng tingin non ha! Sabihan mo kasi yung jowa mo na di tayo talo, pre. Para akong kakatayin sa titig e! Jusmeo!" Reklamo ni Vion
Yuck!
Di ko jowa yon! Saka, wala ako balak na magkamaling magka-jowa ng red flag!Ew, please.
Paparating na ako nung may mga nagtatawanan at dimuduro si Saturino. May iba pang nasusuka. Lumapit ako sa kanila at nag-init ang ulo ko and I crossed my arms.
"May problema kayo sa bakla?" Tanong ko and I rolled my eyes.
"Oo! Salot ng lipunan!"
"Nagkakalat ng kabaklaan!"
"Eh gago pala kayo eh!" Sasapakin ko na sana kaso humarang naman si Saturino para pigilan ako.
"Tama na yan!" Pigil niya sa'kin.
"Bawal dito mga racism! Pumunta kayo ng ibang coffee shop kung ganyan tingin niyo sa kanya! Go back in elementary to get educated, fuckers!" Sigaw ko and I raised my middle finger.
"Hay jusmeo! Kaganda-ganda mong babae pero yung kilos mo gwaaaahd!" Napairap na lang siya sa'kin.
"What? Bastos sila, edi they get what they deserve!" Sigaw ko
He put down his tote bag at saka niya siya umupo doon sa pwesto namin. He looks pretty good. He wears a white and light blue striped oversized shirt and cream khaki pants. Simple lang ang porma niya but he stands out a lot.
Umubo siya ng bahagya, "I received the call. Ano yung gusto mong malaman?"
"Saturino, you were there, on that day. Noong binugbog ako ni Dad, right..?"Tanong ko sa kanya and I gripped my handkerchief at ramdam ko ang panginginig ko.
I want to make sure.
Gusto ko malaman kung siya yun. Alam ko kung ano yung nakita ko noon. May nakikita siya noon and that's something that a human wouldn't do. I can even sense that he's not a human. Kaya gusto ko malaman kung ano ang totoo.
"Oo.. ako yon."He admitted."Pauwi ako noon, tapos may narinig akong mga hagis, pagwawala.. I feel like something's wrong in your house. Hanggang sa nakita kita with those dirty foot, you're wounded and ang gulo-gulo ng night dress mo."
I held my head as I tried to recall things. Oo, naalala ko yon. He saw me and my dad. And he saw something. What did he see?
"You activated your powers when he tried to hit you. Sarissa, he had bad spirits with him that night. Hindi kaya ng konsensiya ko na pabayaan kita. I had a best friend who was killed, so I don't know.. pwede mong sabihin my body moved on its own dahil kailangan mo ng tulong ko." Pag-amin niya sa'kin.
I took a deep breath at huminga ako ng malalim at nagulat na lang ako sa pag-amin niya,"And Sarissa, I'm a Demigod. So if you want to know, Sadipa is my godly parent."
Tumingin ako sa paligid ko at huminga ako ng malalim. He's my friend, wala naman sigurong masama kung sabihin ko sa kanya di'ba?
"Isa rin akong Demigod. I'm the daughter of Idiyanale. And my mission is to stop the destruction. To stop the war. Kaya kailangan ko dumikit sa kanya. Kay Rebel. Because the Gods fear that he's going to destroy everything. I'm the protector of Apolaki's Descendant." Pag-amin ko
Ngayon sigurado na ako. There are Demigods who're here as well. Hindi ako nagkamali from the very start. That's why he's familiar! He saw me and Dad on that day. And he's also a Demigod.
Hindi ko lang talaga maalala kung sino yung nakita ko pa noong araw na yon at nawala yung alaala ko noong araw na yon. As much as I tried to recall, I can't. I can only remember the guy full of blood and he has pretty eyes.
Wala ako ibang mapagtanungan tungkol sa nangyari, siya lang.
"So please, if you remember something.. kahit ano sabihin mo sa'kin. Gusto ko malaman ang totoo." Sabi ko sa kanya
"Talagang hindi mo natatandaan?"Gulat niyang tanong.
Umiling ako.
I remember his face pero hindi ko alam kung sino siya. Something's blocking my memories. A magic, perhaps. Sa tuwing gusto ko alamin ang katotohanan, I used to see some fragments of my memories pero hindi ko maalala kung saan ko nakita yon.
Ang dami lang talagang gumugulo sa'kin.
It's because of him.
Dahil sa mga pinapakita sa'kin ni Rebel, naguguluhan na ako. Bakit niya ako niyakap? What does it mean? I should be protecting him, pero why does it look like that I was the one who's getting protected?
May alam ba siya sa nangyari? Ano ba talaga ang totoo? At kung hindi niya aaminin sa'kin ako ang pipilit sa kanya para sabihin niya kung ano ang totoo.
"I don't..."
"Your dad said clearly.. na halos bugbugin siya noon, and he was so beaten up badly nung nahuli ka niya, punong-puno siya ng dugo. I could tell who's capable of doing that." Sabi naman ni Saturino
This is giving me a headache. Kung si Rebel yung batang yon, why didn't he tell me? And why does he need to test me? Is he playing around with me?
Hindi biro to para sa'kin!
"Girl, may iba pa ba? Close kayo di'ba? So you should know that he's capable of those things, with those eyes he has, alam mo dapat ang kakayahan niyang gawin."Sabi ni Saturino
Why did he lie to me?
Bakit?
Gusto ko malaman kung bakit. Is there something that he's hiding? At ano yon?
The more I think about it, the more confusing that it gets. Ginulo ko na lang yung buhok ko and I feel so frustrated to all of this. Lalong-lalo na at gulong-gulo na ako sa mga pinapakita ni Rebel sa'kin.
What a childish hobbies he had! First, testing me. Testing my worth.. And second, this set up! And lastly, what I feel so angry about is why he didn't tell me that he's that kid.
I don't want to look like this. But I just feel betrayed. I should be happy dahil sa nalaman ko but the way Rebel treated me, he's nothing but an asshole.
I stomp my feet angrily and I pouted, "Humanda sa'kin ang lalaking yon!Ako mismo ang sisiwalat ng katotohanan sa kanya."
"What are you planning, Serissa?" Tanong ni Saturino sa'kin and he was worried at me.
I started clenching my fist and I bit my lip, "Makikita mo. He's not getting his own ways here, si Serissa ako, hindi ako papayag na ganito ako itrato ng lalaking yon!"
"Serrisa, you're not doing any crazy stuff now, aren't you?" Biglaang tanong ni Saturino.
I rolled my eyes at him, "I'm not. Kung inaalala mo na may mangyayari sa'kin, girl wala!And hey, don't address me that para kang si Giordan e, bagay nga kayo." Irap ko sa kanya at literal na napairap ako.
Kung iniisip niya na gagawa ako ng delikadong sitwasyon or what, hindi sa ganun. And I told him already, no one can tame that bastard other than me.
"Baliw, hindi!" Ngiting-ngiti niyang sinabi.
"Neknek mo. Halata ka. Magsinungaling ka sa lahat pero wag sa'kin Saturino. I guess we have someone who's crazy for a hot guy with glasses." Asar ko sa kanya at halos nangamatis sa pula yung mukha niya. Hahaha girl, got you!
"Girl, mahihimatay ako sa kilig!" Tili niya
I never had a chance to talk to him with this close but for some reason, I enjoy his company. At lalo na ngayon! Knowing that Saturino is one of my saviours on that day made me feel happy. Masaya ako na naging kaibigan ko siya.
And I held on his hand at di ko napigilan ang emotions ko and I cried, "But thank you.. Thank you for running towards me and for protecting me from dad. Thank you for being a witness, kung hindi dahil sa'yo hindi ako magkakalakas ng loob na harapin siya at ipakulong."
"Dahil ayoko ng may nakikitang nabibiktima ng kasamaan. I lost Iyanna so please Serissa mangako ka sa'kin... kahit anong mangyari... I want you to live. Gusto kong mabuhay ka. I want to continue being friends with you."
Napahawak ako sa bibig ko at mas lalo bumuhos yung luha ko. I never had any connection with anyone, I was alone. Kung hindi dahil kay Yara baka sa States na ako nanatili.
Because living here is tough. I was traumatized. A victim of a child abuse. And isa pa, hindi rin maganda ang background ko because I'm the daughter of some lunatic police officer. That dirty scumbag!
Ramdam ko kung paano ako tignan ng iba. Not just because I'm a Demigod. Dahil sa background ko. Everyone sees me always a threat, marami ngang nayayabangan sa isang kagaya ko. Naririnig ko din kung paano nila tapakan yung pagkatao ko.
Na baka corrupt din daw ako..and I don't like it.
Kaya pinapakita ko sa kanila na hindi ko sila uurungan. No matter what shitty things they say. Kasi kung mananatili kang mahina at lulunukin mo na lang yung mga sinasabi ng ibang tao, mas magkakaroon lang sila ng reason to look down to you.
Learn to set your boundaries. To have some respect for yourself because you deserve that.
"I do too.." I smiled at him.
"Call me Sat!"He smiled at me.
"Got it, Sat."I lend my hand to him.
It was fun talking to him. Feeling ko mas nakilala ko pa ng husto si Sat dahil sa pag-uusap namin.
He doesn't want me to treat him to some expensive coffee but I still did. Plus hindi ko naman mauubos lahat ng cards na bigay sa'kin ni Lola noh! Hinatid niya ako sa sakayan ng jeep saka siya nagpaalam.
"See you, Serissa! Mag-ingat ka ha." Paalala niya sa'kin and I rolled my eyes.
"Kita mo to." I tapped my arms, "Matigas pa ako sa bato. Kidding aside, next time don't stop me from spending some clothes to you! Bibilin ko na kanina yung damit na type mo pinigilan mo lang ako! Sige na!"
When I went home, agad bumungad yung mukha ni Rebel na nakasalubong ang mga kilay.
"And you skip your class. Tapos di ka man lang nagpaalam kung saan ka nagpunta. Do you know how worried I was!?" Lumapit siya sa'kin and he cupped my cheeks. He bombarded me with questions at umirap ako.
Kung marupok ako, maniniwala pa ako. But he lied to me. Tinabig ko naman ang kamay niya at sinamaan ko siya ng tingin.
"At ikaw, kelan mo balak sabihin na ikaw yung batang yon? Your grandfather is Lolo Antonio. And we used to attend museums. Masaya ka bang pinaglalaruan mo'ko ha, Rebel?"