Chapter 23
"Mallory..."
Nilingon ko si Aaric at awtomatiko akong ngumisi. But my smile faded when I saw the gloomy look on his face habang papalapit siya sa akin.
"Ayos ka lang ba, Aaric?" tanong ko sa kaniya. I scrunched up my nose in disgust when he finally reached me. "Amoy-alak ka..." I mumbled.
"I know," he sighed. Ginulo niya ang kaniyang buhok at bumuntong-hininga sabay sandal sa pader na naghihiwalay sa aming classroom at hallway.
"The guidance counsellor won't be too happy if she learns that you went to school drunk." I pointed out.
"Oh, aren't I such a good student? I still attended my class even though I'm drunk." kaniyang sagot at hilaw na humalakhak. I stared at him blankly. Even his laugh is a pain. Hindi ako sanay na makita si Aaric nang ganito.
"What's your problem?" itinagilid ko ang aking ulo at pinagmasdan siya. Si Aaric ay isang happy-go-lucky na tao kaya naman nakakapagtakang nade-depressed siya ngayon. Whatever he must be going through right now, it must be tough. Maging ako ay hindi komportable na nakikitang nagkakaganito si Aaric.
He lowered his gaze on the ground and started drawing circles lazily using his heavy boots.
"It's Sierra..." he said silently.
My brows shot up in surprise. "Si Sierra?"
Nahihiya akong binalingan ni Aaric. Tapos ay nagtiim-bagang siya. "She won't talk to me anymore and now she's dating a dickhead."
"Aaric!" namula ang aking pisngi sa kaniyang sinabi.
"What?" tinaasan niya ako ng kilay. "It's true. Wala namang binatbat ang Drake na iyon sa akin. He thinks every girl would worship him just because they own a piece of land." Tapos ay napakuyom ang kaniyang kamao.
"Did you two had a fight? Because the last time I saw you with Sierra, you were..." I trailed off as the heat crept up to my cheeks. "You were doing s-something on the ladies room."
Humalakhak si Aaric sa aking sinabi at ginulo ang aking buhok. Magaan ang kaniyang halakhak ngayon kaya medyo nabawasan din ang lungkot sa aking dibdib. "You are so innocent, Mallory." Then his eyes twinkled in amusement. "Bakit? Hindi niyo bay an ginagawa ni Christian?"
My entire face burned in embarrassment. Aaric grinned widely at me as he studied my face.
"I-It's not w-what—"
"Aw, heck. You're blushing, Mallory!" he teased. Humalakhak ulit ito habang pinagmamasdan ako. I turned my gaze away as the embarrassment crept into my bones.
"Aaric naman, you're so—"
"What are you doing?"
Kaagad na inalis ni Aaric ang kaniyang kamay sa aking balikat at tumuwid ng tayo when Sage suddenly appeared, looking pissed. I blinked and swallowed. Aaric cleared his throat.
"Nothing to worry about, cousin. I'm brokenhearted right now and the girls like Mallory..." binalingan niya ako at umiling-iling pa. "Too innocent. Not my type..."
Sage glared at his cousin before he turned to me. Dahil sa kaba ay nag-iwas agad ako ng tingin.
"Let me bring your books." aniya.
Tumango ako. "Okay."
Aaric sighed loudly and squinted his eyes at us. "I'm starting to get bitter, guys. Huwag nga kayong masyadong cheesy dalawa."
"Shut up, Aaric." wika ni Sage habang kinukuha niya ang mga libro sa aking braso. Naka-kulay abo siyang shirt ngayon at faded jeans. Just like Aaric, he's also wearing a pair of black Dr. Martens to school. Both of them are sporting it perfectly as if they were asked to endorsed the shoes in public.
Hindi rin nakaligtas sa aking paningin ang mga nakaw na sulyap ng mga estyudante sa amin. Sage is indeed popular, especially to girls. And his last name made him the hot issue of most girls even the faculty members of the school almost every day.
They must be thinking that I don't deserve Sage's attention. Masyado siyang mataas kumpara sa akin. But it's the last thing I could think of. Masaya ako kapag kasama ko si Sage. Dapat ay makontento na ako doon, diba?
"Did you bring some clothes?" tanong ni Sage sa akin.
Umiling ako. "Uuwi muna ako sa bahay."
"Bakit?" kumunot ang kaniyang noo sa aking sinabi.
"May inutos kasi si Mama sa akin, kailangan ko munang umuwi ng bahay. Susunod lang ako sa inyo sa talon. Alam niyo naman ang daan diba, Aaric?" kinalabit ko pa siya to snapped him out of his carousel of thoughts.
He nodded distractedly at us and resumed being silent again.
"Are you sure?" tanong ulit ni Sage sa akin. "Pwede naman kitang hintayin sa inyo."
"It's okay." I shrugged. "Hindi naman kalayuan ang talon tsaka hindi naman maputik ang daan ngayon."
Sage looks unconvinced and wanted to argue with me more kaya naman inunahan ko na siya.
"Really, Sage. I'm fine. Kaya ko ang sarili ko papunta sa falls."
Aaric suddenly butted in. "Oo nga, Christian. Let's go to the falls first. Kailangan kong magpalamig ng ulo at nabubuwisit ako sa Drake na iyon."
Christian glared at his cousin again and after a few seconds, he finally sighed in resignation. "Okay, fine. Maghihintay nalang kami doon sa talon."
I slowed down my pace when we reached the path that leads to our house. Binalingan ko ang katapat naming rice fields ng mga Monterio. Harvest time isn't until months from now, kaya naman madalas nang nakakagala ang dalawa dahil hindi naman na sila kailangan sa planta at pag-aani ng mga palay.
"I'll see you later." Kinuha ko na ang mga libro ko sa kaniya at kumayaw. Sage shoved his hands inside his pockets and waved back. He watched me walked towards our house before they started walking again.
Magaan ang pakiramdam ko habang naglalakad pero natigilan ako nang makita ko ang pamilyar na mukha ni Uncle Marco na nasa aming patio. Nakatayo siya at mukhang may hinihintay.
Dinalaw ng kaba ang puso ko. The last time I had encountered him, I placed a knife against his throat. Sariwa pa rin sa isipan ko ang nangyari at paminsan-minsa'y dinadalaw din ako ng masamang panaginip na iyon.
He lazily dragged the cigarette from his mouth and smirked when he saw me. Hindi na muna ako pumasok sa bahay at huminto ako sa paglalakad sa tapat namin.
"If it isn't my little Mallory..." he whistled. Pinasadahan niya ako ng tingin bago siya ngumisi at muling humithit sa kaniyang sigarilyo.
"Ano pong ginagawa niyo dito?" tanong ko sa mahinang boses.
"Why, isn't it obvious? I'm paying you a visit! My favorite Mal..." he extended his arms wide open and stepped forward. "C'mon, give me a hug. Ang tagal na nating hindi nagkita. Dalaga ka na..."
Sunod-sunod akong umiling. "I think you should go, Uncle Marco. Baka maabutan ka pa ni Mama dito..."
"Exactly! Siya ang hinihintay ko ngayon. Mag-uusap kaming dalawa." Ibinaba niya ang kaniyang mga kamay nang mapagtantong wala akong balak na lumapit sa kaniya. "Aren't you excited that I'm going to be part of the family again, Mallory? Ang tagal niyong nawala sa aking dalawa..."
Pinilit kog huwag magpadala sa galit na unti-unting sumibol sa aking dibdib. Instead of answering him, I turned away and ran from our house. I heard him call my name but I still continued running. By the time my feet landed on the outskirts of the Monterio's wide rice field, I was breathing heavily. Pero patuloy pa rin ang pagtakbo ko kahit na sumabog na ang aking buhok sa malakas na hangin.
I panted hard as I entered the forest that would lead to the falls. Naupo muna ako sa isang malaking puno para habulin ang aking hininga. I know he wouldn't bother to follow me here pero natatakot pa rin ako. All those days he abused me physically and how he hurt my mother is making me angry. And now he's telling me that he's back? Nababaliw na ba siya? My mother wouldn't accept him anymore!
Nang mahimashimasan na ako'y tumayo ako at nagsimulang maglakad sa pamilyar na daan patungo sa talon. I was wrong when I thought the path isn't muddy today. Lumulubog ang aking suot na puting sneakers sa tuwing tinatapakan ko ang mga basang damo na nagsilbing daan patungo sa aking paroroonan.
I struggled on my way to the falls and by the time I finally heard the water running down, my shoes are covered with mud and small twigs. Napabuntong-hininga ako at isa-isang tinanggal ang dumikit na dahon sa aking suot na sapatos ngunit natigilan ako nang tumama ang aking mata sa babaeng nakatalikod sa akin. She's watching the falls.
The way her hair curled at the tips and her slender figure made me easily recognized her as Jasmine. Tama nga ang aking hinala nang nilingon niya ako. Bigla akong nanigas sa aking kinatatayuan habang tinititigan ako ni Jasmine.
"Mallory..." aniya habang lumalapit sa akin. I blinked at her. She stopped a few feet away from me and her gaze landed on my dirty shoes. She's wearing a pair of boots today and ripped shorts. The white horse nearby neighed softly kaya bigla akong napalingon. So she knows how to ride a horse?
"Nandito ka pala..." tipid ko siyang nginitian.
She scrunched her little nose. I could see the freckles dotted on the bride of her nose that spread beautifully on her plump cheeks. She looks really effortlessly beautiful it's hard to hate her. At isa pa, wala naman siyang ginagawa sa akin kaya bakit naman ako magagalit sa kaniya?
"I actually wanted to talk to you." wika niya. "I overheard Christian and Aaric earlier that they're going to meet you here kaya inunahan ko na sila."
Dinalaw na naman ulit ng kaba ang aking dibdib sa hindi malamang kadahilanan.
"B-Bakit?"
She shrugged and turned away from me. Pinagmasdan niyang muli ang talon. "I just want to ask you something, Mallory."
Lumunok ako at ibinagsak ang tingin sa aking maruming sapatos.
"Yeah?"
"How could you?" she said in an almost inaudible voice.
Kumunot ang aking noo. "Pardon?"
"How could you look at him without being disgusted, Mallory?" tanong niya sa akin. Nilingon niya ako. Hindi ko mabasa ang ekspresiyon sa kaniyang mukha pero ang kaniyang mata'y nagsisimula nang mangilid ang mga luha. "How could you talk to him or hold him without being reminded that the same hands you're holding is the hands of a murderer?"
I opened my mouth in surprise. Biglang sumikip ang aking dibdib.
"How could you be with him all the time and feel secured even though he is capable of killing someone?"
"Jasmine..."
"He used to be my world, Mallory. I used to worship him before but when he killed someone... nawala na iyong lahat. Napalitan iyon ng takot. I wanted to get out of the mansion as soon as I can but I respect his mother. His family is special to me. But he no longer is."
I could feel the pain in her voice that it made me feel bad for actually hating her before.
"Mallory... I always wonder how you could look at Sage in admiration even though you're well aware about his past. How corrupted his family is. How they tried to conceal his crime." She pursed her lips. "I want to learn how to love Christian again but I couldn't. I just couldn't. Nandidiri ako sa kaniya."
"Please don't say that." I shut my eyes close as my hands started trembling. "You have no idea what he went through just for you. His father was forced to kidnap a surgeon just because he's not allowed to enter a hospital. Inoperahan siya sa sarili nilang bahay, Jasmine. And the days that followed, Sage is really miserable. He misses you a lot." Hindi ko na namalayan ang pagtulo ng luha mula sa aking mga mata. "He even escaped from his father's men just to see you. Ganoon ka niya kamahal."
"He's a monster, Mallory!" sigaw niya sa akin.
Umiling-iling ako. "He's not a monster, Jasmine. Nagmahal lang siya. Minahal ka lang niya..." then a sad smile appeared on my lips. "You were asking earlier how I could be with him despite what he had done before?"
Jasmine stared at me with an unbelievable look on her face.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and lowered my gaze on the ground. "Naiintidihan ko ang nararamdaman ni Sage, Jasmine. Nagmahal lang din ako... Mahal ko si Sage, so I will accept him for who he is. I love him that much."