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= A/N: =
Friday talaga ako nakapag-upload. Bangag kasi ako this past few days... pinupuyat ang sarili sa panonood ng 'Heartstrings'.... hehehe
Kaya to make up for it... hinabaan ko ulit ang chapter na 'to.
Special Chapter From IV's POV
Kaya ENJOY!!!
Muah. ^^
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~* Special Chapter *~
Is This Coincidence Or Fate?
Being here in our wooden niche makes me think about the day that decided everything that happened since then.
It was like any other boring day for me...
... flashback ...
I was walking towards 'The Cottage' during lunch break because I'm not in the mood to eat in the cafeteria. Maingay kasi dun. Nakakairita pa ang mga babaeng panay ang pa-cute, mga mukha namang hilaw na manok. Dun na lang ako sa cottage, matutulog na lang.
Instead na sa normal route ako dumaan sa kabilang side naman ako dinala ng mga paa ko. And that's when I saw her again, sitting on a bench under a manga tree, inside the greenhouse.
Naka-braid ang buhok niya this time at may suot pa siyang reading glasses while perusing a hardbound book on her lap.
The girl that came out of nowhere that night, the girl who kicked her way through eight goons that we're unsuccessfully trying to beat me up, the girl who insisted na dalhin ako sa ospital to get me treated, the girl that I.... never mind.
Mayumi Santibanez.
I wonder why Mike didn't told us that he has a sister. Hindi ko din naman siya tatanungin kung bakit. In the first place, tinago niya nga eh, so wala talaga siyang balak ipaalam. Secondly, he must have a deep reason kung bakit.
She suddenly stood up, gathered her things and ran out of the greenhouse and out of my sight. May klase na yata.
...ooOoo...
I saw her there again the next day. This time she's typing something on her laptop tapos may nakapatong pa din na libro sa lap niya.
Must be a project.
Lalapitan ko sana, but then I heard whispering ahead of me and they mentioned Mayumi in their conversation. I walked silently a little bit closer and eavesdropped on them.
"Pare yan yung sinasabi ko sa'yo na loner kong classmate. Gandang chicks di'ba? Lagi yang andiyan! Ilang araw ko ng nakikita diyan yan around 6am. Parang diyan na nga nakatira."
Sumilip ako sa gilid ng building at tiningnan kung sino-sino ang nag-uusap usap. Mga hayop lang pala.
"Maganda nga Pre. Pwedeng-pwede. Ano 'tsong... pustahan tayo? Kung sino ang unang makakatikim diyan sa chicks na yan..." sabi nung kambing. ( IVtionary: maliit, payatot, mabalbon at may droopy eyes )
"Call. Magkano." medyo umabante sa pagkakasandal yung isa kaya nakita ko kung anong hitura niya. Kalabaw. ( IVtionary: maitim, malaki ang katawan at malaki ang butas ng ilong )
"Five thou. Bukas ang start. Tutal sabi mo maaga yang napasok. Toss coin na lang tayo bukas kung sino ang unang lalapit." si kambing ulit ang nagsalita.
"Maghanda ka na lang ng limang libong piso." mayabang na sagot ni kalabaw. "Ako ang unang makakatikim ng alindog ng babaeng yan!"
What I heard made my blood boil in just mere seconds. Lalabas na sana ako sa pinagtataguan ko kaso may humila naman sa sleeve ng shirt ko. Paglingon ko si Edge lang pala.
"What are you doing man?"
I just shook my head.
Pagtingin ko dun sa dalawang hayop, wala na sila.
Tch!
Makikita nila bukas, i said to myself.
...ooOoo...
Morning came.
Dumiretso ako sa greenhouse pagdating na pagdating sa school grounds and the assholes are already there, by the shed. They didn't notice me enter kasi dun ako sa likod na gate nagdaan, malapit sa cottage, tsaka busy sa pagpaplano ang mga hayop.
"Kapag napasagot ko yung chicks tol, aaraw-arawin ko naman siya sa kama. Naiimagine ko na kung anong itsura niya kapag walang damit. Pucha pare! Naglalaway ako!"
Tumawa naman yung kalabaw habang kumukulo na naman ang dugo ko dito sa likuran nila. Ang kakapal ng pagmumukha ng mga tarantadong 'to. Wala na ngang mga face value, wala pang moral values!
"Tsong, kung ako, ooras-orasin ko! Kahit hindi na sa kama. Kahit saan pwede tapos kapag napag-sawaan ko na, ibibigay ko na sa'yo!"
Mga putang-gala!
Hindi na ako nakapagpigil at inumbagan na yung kalabaw. He fell on the ground clutching his cheek and his nose na dumudugo na.
"Pucha! SIno kang tarantado ka?" sigaw pa niya.
May gana pang sigawan ako! Dalawang malalakas na sipa ang ibinigay ko sa mga binti niya.
"IV? Si IV kas di'ba ng Crazy Five?" tanong naman ni kambing. "Bakit? Anong ginawa naming masama?" I can feel the underlying fear on his tone kahit nagmamatapang ang boses niya.
Instead na sumagot, actually hindi naman talaga ako makakasagot, wala pa ang lintek na boses eh, kung meron lang napagtadtad ko ng mura ang mga tarantadong 'to eh, pinakawalan ko na lang ang mga kamao ko. I gave him consecutive punches on every vital part on his body that I can reach, mas lalo na sa mukha niya until he can't stand on his legs anymore.
Habang busy ako kay kambing, nakatayo na pala 'tong si kalabaw. Naka-fighting pose pa! Nakakapagpakulo talaga ng dugo ang isang 'to. I walked towards him and delivered a blow on his stomach and a hook on his jaw, followed by a kick to his side.
Parehas na silang walang malay sa paanan ko pero hindi pa din humuhupa ang asar ko. Kinuha ko ang paa ni Kalabaw at kinaladkad siya palabas ng greenhouse at dinala sa tambakan ng basura. I dumped him inside the huge green garbage bin.
Bumalik ako sa greenhouse at yung kambing naman sana ang ididispose. However, I saw her already walking towards the greenhouse.
No other choice.I grabbed the goat-looking asshole of a guy by the collar and dragged him inside the shed. Nakakita ako ng straw na tali, so I trussed him up and hanged him on one of the hooks. Pinasakan ko dun siya ng piece of cloth sa bibig para 'di makasigaw. Medyas niya lang naman. Pinaikutan ko din ng straw sa bibig para 'di niya mailuwa.
This is the reason why I'm being feared. I can be quite merciless.
I heard footsetps outside kaya I immediately opened the door. Napalakas yata kasi may narinig akong thump at pagsilip ko, nakasalampak na siya sa lupa.
"Naman!" reklamo pa niya habang nakahawak sa noo.
Seeing her like this, made me calm down. Which is just so weird. Unang-una, I don't feel disgusted touching her and now this.
I slouched down in front of her at inilapit ang mukha sa kanya. Wala talaga. Wala yung kinikilabutan na feeling. She suddenly opened her eyes and lifted her face a bit and again I'm struck with her gaze. Seeing her this close is unnerving yet I don't want to glance away. Nakipaglaban pa siya ng titigan sa'kin, kaso parang namumutla siya.
"Move away please." sabi niya.
"Will you move away please...?" inulit pa.
"Layo ka sa..." tinakpan ko na ng daliri ang bibig niya. Anong tingin niya sa'kin hindi nakakaintindi ng English? Kinuha ko ang phone at nagtype.
~ r u ok? btw i cn understand eng
Then I showed the message to her. Sumimangot muna siya bago sumagot.
“YUN NAMAN PALA EH! BAKIT HINDI KA KAAGAD NAGRE-REACT!! MOVE ALREADY!”
Ang bilis din palang mabadtrip na isang 'to.
~ r u ok?
“DO I LOOK LIKE I’M OKAY?! WHY DON’T YOU MOVE AWAY?” she said through clenched teeth. To answer her question, hindi ko din alam kung bakit eh. Hmm... I think I like being close to her? Pero hindi ko aamin yan. Mamatay man yung kambing sa loob.
~ y?
“BECAUSE YOUR INVADING MY PERSONAL SPACE AND YOUR HANDSOME FACE IS SO CLOSE TO MINE… I’M HAVING A HARD TIME breathing and it’s making my chest hurts…”
(" O___O )???
(" O//////O )!!!
Did she just complimented me while shouting those words at me? Pffft. I lightly bumped my forehead to hers as I laugh. Silently.
“BAKIT?” tanong pa niya. Mas lalo tuloy akong napatawa. “BAKIT NGA?” she asked again.
~ u sounded lyk ur confessing
As expected she reacted violently and called me Nar-something. Dineny pa. Or baka hindi lang siya aware sa mga sinabi niya. Tch! Whatever. I just told her my name and she explained that she doesnt remember what she just said. Galing!
~ f u say so. Cn u stand?
“Eh paano ko malalaman kung makakatayo ako eh NAKAHARANG KANG DAMUHO KA?!”
Tch! Nakasigaw na naman. No doubt na magkapatid nga sila ni MIke. Pinagkaiba lang, hindi ako naaasar kapag siya ang sumisigaw. Kapag kasi si Mike, sarap upakan. That made me smile as I stood up and gave her room to stand up.
~ u say such weird things
Akala ko may violent reaction na naman but she just ignored me and concentrated on standing up. Parang hirap siya... and that's when I noticed that she has a twisted ankle. Pinagpapawisan na siya at lahat, ayaw pa ding humingi ng tulong. Ma-pride din. She has his brother's stubborness also and his strong will as well.
Normal grirls would have cried, bawled or fainted by now, but not her. She even tried to put her weight on her twisted ankle. Masakit siguro masyado kasi nakapikit na siya ng mariin ngayon.
For unknown reason, I had the urge to take a picture of her and I did. Hindi ko na din natiis ang katigasan ng ulo ng babaeng 'to kaya binuhat ko na siya.
She looked up at me in surprise. “ANONG GINAGAWA MO?!” sigaw pa niya. “IBABA MO AKO!”
I just gave her a frown.
“HOY! ANO KA BA?! IBABA MO SABI AKO! ANG ALAM KO PIPI KA HINDI BINGI HA!”
“HOY! DAMUHO KA! IBABA MO SA…AGHHH!!!”
Ibaba pala ha. I let go of her back. Nanlalaki ang matang kumapit siya sa leeg ko at balikat.
“Anak ka ni Satanas! Ang sabi ko ibaba mo ako HINDI ILAGLAG.”
Pffffft. Napatawa ulit ako sa reaksiyon niya. Anak ni Satanas? Sabi nga nila! Pero kung iba lang ang nagsabi nun, malamang nakilala na nila agad si Satanas because I'll beat them to death.
*PAK*
Natigil ako sa pagtawa. Did she just...? Anger ignited in me
“SAYA MO HA!” reklamo niya. Tapos inayos niya pagkakahawak sa'kin. And just like that, my anger died down and was replaced by an alien feeling. Tumaas tuloy ang kilay ko ng 'di sinasadya..
“IN CASE IHULOG MO NA NAMAN AKO JUST FOR YOUR SADISTIC GRATIFICATION!” she explained.
Sadistic gratification. What a mouthful! I smiled again. I tok out my phone and typed on it.
~ur so loud
“SIRA KA PALA EH, YOU OPENED THE SHED’S DOOR SO VIOLENTLY, I CAN FEEL SWELLING ON MY FOREHEAD ALREADY! MY ANKLE’S TWISTED! YOU SUDDENLY CARRIED ME WITHOUT MY CONSENT AND PLAYED A PRANK ON ME BY SCARING ME TO DEATH AND NOW YOU’RE COMPLAINI…”
~ill kis u 2 make u shut up
I texted on my phone. Edge always use that pickup line and it works like a charm.
“ANO?! SUBUKAN MO LANG NA UGOK KA HINDI LANG SAPOK ANG MAKUKUHA MO SA’KIN. MANGHIHIRAM KA NG MUKHA SA PALAKA AT GAGAPANG KA SA LUPA BECAUSE I’LL BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR LEGS!”
Or not. Tch!
~ur hurt, u cn’t do much damage.
“OH? Wanna bet?” Pinagapang niya ang mga daliri niya sa leeg ko. “You’re kinda vulnerable right now, since your hands are full… so wanna test it if I can do you damage..?” she taunted with a sultry voice and smirk on her face. Ugh... i'm getting tempted.
~ill pass, doesn’t ur ankle hurts?
Tch! Naweweiduhan na ako sa sarili ko. Change topic. Sinigawan niya na naman ako.
~play a game 2 take ur mind away from d pain
Then I tossed the phone on her stomach tapos binalik ko na ulit yung braso ko bilang suporta sa likod niya. She let go of me and somehow I felt bereft. Tch.
"Thanks."
*DUG-DUG DUG-DUG*
What the hell? Tumango na lang ako sa kanya at nagsimula ng maglakad, I even fished her things from the bench before walking out of the greenhouse towards the front gate. Tricycle na lang siguro kami. Hindi ko kasi alam kung paano siya isasakay sa kotse. And maybe because I don't want to let her go yet.
WHAT THE FUCKING HELL? Erase what I just said. Before the 'wtfh'.
At the gate, tinulungan kami ni Mang Bert na pumara ng tryke. Dun ako sumakay sa likod ng driver para mabubuhat ko pa din siya at hindi siya mahihirapan sumakay sa loob. Hinawakan ko din ang left leg niya para hindi maalog sa biyahe.
Naramdaman ko na nakatingin siya sa'kin so I raised my eyebrow in a questioning way. She just shook her head and turned her attention back to the phone in her hands. Parang bata.
“Ang kabataan nga naman ngayon, napagka-pupusok!... Kaaga-aga eh lampungan na kaagad… buntis siguro kaya pupunta ng ospital” bulong ni Manong.
FUCKING WHAT? Kumukulo na naman dugo ko!
And with the way her body tensed, I guess na narinig niya din ang comment ng tarantadong driver at hindi din siya natutuwa. Hinawakan ko ang kanang braso niya at baka masiko niya pa ang hayop, mabangga pa kami. Mamaya na lang ako gaganti sa tarantadong yan.
Pagdating sa tapat ng emrgency room, inalalayan kong bumaba si Mayumi at ng makita na nakakatayo siya ng ayos, agad din akong bumaba at hinawakan sa ulo ang tarantadong driver at ibinalya ang pagmumukha sa manibela.
Tapos binuhat ko na si Mayumi ulit bago niya pa makita kung anong ginawa ko sa hayop na driver.
“Ano yun?”
She asked but I just shrugged my shoulders like I didn't know the answer. And thankfully, I heard a somewhat irritating voice called her name.
While they we're talking, I internally questioned my actions. I know for a fact that she's not like any average girl, she's doesn't succumb to pain, she fights her way through even if it's agaisnt the odds, she can defintely take care of herself.
But I get this overwhelming feeling to protect her at all costs from the people around her and even from myself. I don't definitely think of her as a kid that needs protection but as a...
Agh! I don't fucking know what's hapenning to me!
"OH MY GOD! MAYUMI! YUMI? ARE YOU OKAY?" sigaw nung haponesa.
Shit! What happened? Mayumi's eyes are closed and she lay limped on my arms.
*DUG-DUG DUG-DUG*
Apprehension crawled all over my body and something weird clutched my heart as I gaze at her still body.
"DALHIN MO SIYA DUN! BILIS!" utos sa'kin ni haponesa at itinuro ang isang bakanteng kama.
I laid her carefully down on the bed while the japanese nurse checked on her. I reached out and grabbed her left hand and gave it a small squeeze.
Wake up missy...
...ooOoo....
Nawalan lang pala ng malay si Mayumi kasi hinampas ng babaeng 'to yung paa niyang may bali. Kung hindi lang 'to kaibigan ni Mayumi at concerned talaga dun sa tao, kanina ko pa naingudngod ang mukha nito sa pader.
Nandito kami ngayon sa private room na pinaglipatan kay Mayumi matapos lagyan ng cast ang paa. Wala pa din siyang malay.
"Schoolmates pala kayo... thank you for bringing her here. I don't think na may ibang makakabuhat sa kanya eh." imik ni Mika. Alam ko na pangalan niya ngayon.
I gave her a questioning look.
"She doesn't like being touched. Sa'yo ko nga lang siya nakita na ganoon kakomportable..."
I gave her another questioning look but she didn't elaborate what she just said. What does she mean by 'doesnt like being touched'?
"Gusto nga pala ni Mayumi na kumain ng ice cream whenever she's hurt..."
Whenever she's hurt? So does that mean na lagi siyang nababalian? Nasusugatan?
I guess I'll get my answers from Mayumi kasi 'tong haponesa na 'to ang hilig lang magbigay ng cryptic remarks. Ayaw namang ipaliwanag. Tumayo ako at naglakad na palabas.
Ang naintindihan ko lang sa lahat ng sinabi niya eh yung last. Kaya 'eto... bibili ng ice cream para kay Mayumi.
"... she likes Rocky Road and Double Dutch..." pahabol pa ni haponesa.
Oo na nga po. 'Eto na.
But when I got back, she was already taken home by her older brother. Tch! I'm sure she won't be able to attend classes for the next few days because of the cast around her feet. I guess I need another way to get in touch with her.
I can't simply barge in her home as much as I wanted to. I still don't know the reason why Mike hid her from us. And I don't think their older brother would welcome me in their home with open arms because of what I did last time. Tch!
Hmmmm... I need to know her mobile number.
I went back to school and looked for Mike. Hindi man lang ako nahirapan. Nasa gym na naman siya, nagpapraktis. Dumiretso na lang ako sa locker nila and looked inside his bag.
I scrolled through his contact lists.
Walang Mayumi or Yumi. Tch!
I checked his inbox. Walang laman.
Tiningnan ko namang sunod ang call logs niya. I found Tres' number, his Kuya Fritz' number and then another number that belongs to a Sissy.
Could it be?
One way to find out. I copied the number on my phone.
... end of flashback ...
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= P.S.: =
Okay ba? I'd love to hear your comments...
Tapos click niyo na din yung like and vote buttons...
One click lang naman yun.... hehehe...
I'll try to upload Chapter 15 this weekend. Muah ^^