chapter theme:
the only hope for me is you - my chemical romance
"People don't just run away or disappear into thin air. I'm still having trouble figuring out what is going on, but to be safe, we have to look out for each other, we have to protect Reika and the others," giit ni Magno kay Haji habang kapwa sila pababa ng hagdan.
"Man, stop watching true crime shows. It's messing you up. It's our graduation party! We're finally out of hell! Loosen the fuck up and go make out with some random girl!" Natatawang sambit ni Haji sabay siko pa sa kanya. Namumula na ang mukha nito tandang nasa ilalim na ito ng impluwensya ng alak.
"Oh? Akala ko ba magc-cr ka rin?" tanong ni Haji nang mapansing magkaibang direksyon ang kanilang punta.
"I just want to check on things," seryosong sambit ni Magno bagay na ikinatawa ng huli.
"Check on things? How about you keep an eye on Reika? Hala ka nilalandi na 'yon ni Slade sa taas!" pabirong pananakot pa nito.
"I trust Slade. She'll keep her safe," sambit naman ni Magno habang nililibot ang paningin sa paligid.
"Suit yourself boy." Napailing-iling na lamang si Haji at nagtungo sa direksyon ng CR.
Nang mag-isa, naglakad-lakad sa paligid ng club si Magno, nilalagpasan ang mga makukulay na liwanag at mga kabataang nagsasaya. Maingay ang paligid ngunit tila ba may sariling mundo ang binata, isang mundong puno ng takot at pag-aalala.
Matapos mabalaan ang mga kaibigan, bumalik siya sa harapan ng bar counter at ngunguto-ngutong naupo. Naihilamos niya ang palad sa mukha at napabuntong-hininga.
"The usual Mags?" tanong ng bartender.
"Just a cold glass of water," tipid niyang sagot.
Habang hinihintay ang kanyang inumin, naramdaman ni Magno na tila ba nakatingin sa kanya ang babaeng katabi. Nilingon niya ito at natigilan siya nang masilayan ang pamilyar nitong mga mata.
Magno's mind went haywire, realizing he's looking at the girl from his childhood who gave him so much to remember. The girl whose attention he always longed for. The girl he always wanted to impress. The reason why he started playing basketball. The person he always wanted to find.
He wanted to blink and speak but he was too paralyzed with disbelief.
"Addamson!" She gaped, smiling from ear to ear, eyes twinkling in happiness.
Tongue-tied and dumbstruck, poor Magno couldn't utter a single word. He tried opening his mouth but quickly walked away upon realizing how stupid he must look like right in front of Kirsten Monreal.
Magno marched like a madman and hid behind a huge pillar. Out of Kirsten's sight, he took a deep breath as it had been the first he took after drowning. With his fists and jaw clenched, he tried taking another but to no avail.
He spotted Jethro, aimlessly walking by his direction. In a panic, he quickly grabbed his friend by the collar and yanked him closer.
"What the fuck?!" Jethro yelled out of shock.
"She's here!" Magno blurted out in a whispery tone, eyes open wide from the panic ruling over him.
"Who?!" Jethro asked with equal intensity.
"Kirsten from elementary!" Magno squirmed, pointing Kirsten's direction at the counter.
Figuring out what is going on, Jethro quickly pried Magno's hand away from his collar and pushed his friend towards her direction.
Magno was about to fall face-first on the ground when Jethro quickly held him by the shoulder. "Just relax! She doesn't know you're an idiot yet!"
Poor Magno nodded hastily and held his head high, taking deep breaths. Mustering up all of his courage, he marched towards Kirsten's direction while trying to paint a confident grin up his face.
"You look familiar? Ikaw ba 'yong mabahong bata na bokya lagi sa basketball?" Magno wanted to kill himself upon hearing the words that came out of his mouth. Still, he hid his panic by trying to look slick. He leaned against the counter sideways, facing her.
"Says the boy who used to cry every single time I beat him in Mortal Kombat. And as far as I can remember, I can shoot my balls better than you. And I don't even have balls, Addamson," Kirsten shot back confidently, making him admire her even more.
"I see you're still the ballsy Kristine."
He knows her name like the back of his hand but he just wanted to annoy her like the good old days. He missed her. A lot.
"It's Kirsten, you buffoon." Kirsten smirked, visibly annoyed.
Magno laughed, his shoulders moving up and down. He was amused to see her annoyed again. It felt just like the good old days when everything was good and things weren't complicated.
"Welcome back to Filimon Heights, Kirsten. Enjoy the night. Drinks are all on me. Balik muna ako sa mga kaibigan ko." Scared that he'll just end up making a fool of himself by keeping the conversation longer, he had no choice but to bid goodbye.
"Welcome back to Filimon Heights. What did we learn?" Natatawang tanong ni Jethro nang sunduin niya mula sa aiport ang pagod na pagod na sina Haji, Sawyer, at Magno.
"Shut up!" sabay-sabay na sigaw ng mga ito.
Magno sighed and fetched his phone from his pocket. "Lagot ako kay Kirsten, kanina pa 'yon naghihintay sa fair."
"Anong oras na ba?" tanong naman ni Sawyer.
"It's only 30 minutes to ten," sagot ni Jethro.
"Pwede namang sabihin mo na lang na 9:30 na!" bulyaw ni Haji kaya agad siyang tinaliman ni Jethro ng tingin mula sa rearview mirror.
"Ano sapakan?!" lakas-loob na panghahamon ni Haji kaya napabuntong-hininga na lamang si Jethro.
"Ignore him, he didn't like the airline food so he's still hungry," Sawyer explained.
"Tangina! Ang mahal mahal tapos hindi luto ang kanin?!" Haji yelled out of sheer frustration.
While everyone was talking about their woes, Magno couldn't keep his eyes off his phone, waiting for Kirsten to respond.
He beamed upon finally hearing from her.
Sumpa
Magno:
just landed
sorry for making u wait
still at the fair?
Sumpa:
yuppppp
ang saya rito hahaha
Magno:
mas masaya pag kasama ako
Sumpa:
I doubt it hahaha
Magno:
aray ko hahaha
Sumpa:
sana 'wag umulan ngayon
Magno:
hindi 'yan
Sumpa:
paano kung uulan?
Magno:
gusto mo makipagpustahan?
Sumpa:
ano itataya mo?
Magno:
dangal ko?
Sumpa:
hahahaha kadiri pakinggan
Magno:
madumi kasi isip mo
Sumpa:
ibig sabihin madumi ka???
Magno:
thats my line!!!
iniba mo lang!!
Sumpa:
sue me, weirdo hahaha
Magno:
I cant fucking wait to see you
just give me 10 minutes
Sumpa:
And if lalampas ka?
Magno:
I will shave off Sawyer's eyebrows
"Hala Sawyer! Kilay mo ang nilalagay nila sa alanganin oh!" Umalingawngaw ang malakas na sigaw ni Haji at doon lang napagtanto ni Magno na nakikibasa pala ito sa cellphone niya lalo't siya ang nasa passenger seat at nasa backseat naman sina Sawyer at Haji.
"Hoy! Ano na namang kasalanan ng kilay ko!" bulyaw ni Sawyer at agad na pilit inagaw ang cellphone ng kaibigan.
Habang nag-aagawan ng cellphone ang dalawa, panay naman ang pangangantyaw ni Haji para magsuntukan ang mga ito. Napabuntong-hininga na lamang si Jethro dahil sa ingay ng tatlo.
"Magno, wait for me to park!" sigaw ni Jethro nang makitang kinakalas na ng kaibigan ang seatbelt nito.
"Ang kalandian, walang hinihintay," seryosong sambit ni Haji sabay hawak sa kanyang dibdib.
"Serbisyong totoo lamang," dagdag pa ni Sawyer sabay taas ng kanyang kanang kamay na tila ba nanunumpa.
Hindi pinakinggan ni Magno ang kanyang mga kaibigan. Kahit hindi pa nahihinto ang makina ng sasakyan, dali-dali siyang lumabas habang may malapad na ngiti sa kanyang mukha.
Magno entered the fair, ignoring all the strobe lights and people around him. He was focused on getting to Kirsten. To reunite once and for all. To tell her everything he couldn't in the past. He was desperate to do things right this time.
His hair was disheveled, it's thin edges jumping up and down in every step. He kept looking around, trying to look for her in the sea of people under the starry night. The plaza was so loud but all he could hear was his gasping and the beating of his heart.
When he couldn't find her, he lifted up his hand and quickly gave her a call. After a few rings, she picked up.
"Hey weirdo," she greeted. A smile was apparent in the tone of her voice.
"Where are you?" he asked in between his heavy breathing. His smile was uncontrollable.
"Find me," she said, challenging him.
"What's the prize?" he asked, looking around, his smile growing even wider.
"The truth," she answered.
He licked his lips and chuckled before answering, "stay where you are."
Magno didn't end the call, nor did she. He continued running around with his phone still up to his ear. He passed among groups of people, citizens of all ages. Everyone looked happy while playing in different booths. Everyone looked like their having the time of their lives while walking along the colorful floors.
"Want a clue?" she asked.
"Nope. I'll find you fair and square," he said confidently.
Magno passed by the Carousel, Ferris wheel, and even the food park but still, he couldn't find her. Despite this, he didn't ask for a clue and continued to run and look around. He was starting to sweat but that didn't stop him from smiling.
By the time he reached the area filled with arcade-like attractions, he felt the need to stop. He looked up and chased his breath, looking around at the sea of people in different booths and machines.
He turned around and saw a basketball court not far from him so he started walking towards it. As he walked past by the people right in front of him, he got closer to the basketball court and realized that there was someone standing just under the basketball ring.
There were people around the court but his eyes were set on that person alone.
"Found you." He smiled, knowing for sure that he's looking at Kirsten.
"I knew you would," she said proudly.
Magno couldn't stop grinning happily. He kept looking up the sky, trying to redirect the overwhelming feeling in his chest.
"Stop walking," Kirsten suddenly blurted out from the other line.
Magno stopped at his tracks and looked at Kirsten's direction. The distance between them was enough for him to see her clearly this time. Dressed in her mini-skirt and white hoodie, Kirsten had her phone up to her ear as she stood just under the basketball ring, a soft light shining down on her. Just like him, she had an uncontrollable smile on her face.
"Magno..." she trailed, this time she sounded nervous.
"Yeah?" he asked, holding his breath, never looking away from her.
"I'm sure," she said and ended the call.
He looked up at the starry night sky with a great triumphant smile. He began to take euphoric steps as he looked at her direction once again. His slow steps grew faster by the second until he found himself running towards her.
She welcomed him with arms open wide and he was quick to pull her into a hug, lifting her up from the ground and twirling her like a doll. All she could do was laugh and slap him lightly by the shoulder.
Their laughter was music on that cold night of October. It felt like they had a world of their own.
He put her down the ground but never let go of her waist. His other hand went up to her cheek, caressing it with utmost care while looking at her eyes tenderly.
She looked up at him, staring at him in the eyes with equal tenderness and longing.
"I love you too," she admitted for the first time.
He closed his eyes, smiling wide and leaning his forehead into hers. Slowly inching closer, planting a kiss that she answered wholeheartedly.
****
With a bag of cleaning materials on her hand, Kirsten knocked on Magno's apartment door. Just a few seconds later, the door opened and he quickly pulled her in, making her shriek and laugh.
"I missed you." He chuckled, making her sit on his lap as they sat on his couch.
"Araw-araw tayo nagkikita, malandi!" she joked and pulled herself away. She stood away from him but their hands remain intertwined.
"Ako malandi?!" he reacted dramatically, clutching his chest.
"Bakit, hindi ba totoo?!" she raised an eyebrow.
He chuckled and nodded. "Sa'yo lang."
"Linisin na nga natin ang kwarto mo." Natawa na lamang si Kirsten at binuksan ang pinto ng kwarto ni Magno. Tumambad agad sa kanya ang dingding nitong tadtad pa ng mga missing poster at kung ano-anong mga papeles. Isang malagim na repleksyon ng malagim nilang pinagdaanan.
"Let's clean this wall up once and for all," she announced with a determined smile.
Before she could even turn around, she felt Magno's arms from behind her. He pulled her to a hug and leaned his chin up to her shoulder.
"Do you still have nightmares?" he asked.
"Nope. I'm done with the darkness... how about you?"
"Last night, napanaginipan kong naahit daw ni Silver ang lahat ng kilay ni Haji," he relayed, making her laugh loudly.
"That is a nightmare!" she commented, reaching up to his face and pinching it.
After hours of taking down everything that's plastered up in Magno's whiteboards and walls, the two sat down for a while and stared at the remnants gathered inside the boxes right in front of them.
"Ten, if hindi mo kayang mag-testify sa court para sa kaso, okay lang--"
"No, I'll testify. They don't scare me. And besides, it's our responsibility to make sure the Abaddons will rot in jail," Kirsten insisted without hesitation.
"They will rot in jail for everything they did, especially Vicky," Magno said. His voice reflected pure hatred at the mention of Vicky's name.
She held his hand tightly and smiled at him reassuringly.
Magno sighed and smiled back at her. "I would've gone crazy if it wasn't for you."
"Matagal ka nang baliw," she joked, making him laugh, making his mood light up once again.
"Are you moving back here?" she asked.
"Only if you're moving in with me." He grinned and pulled her towards him, making her sit on his lap once again. He hugged her tight, burying his face on the side of her neck.
"My Dad will kill you first," she joked. "How's work pala?" she added.
"Stressful, but it's nice to be productive," he answered with a reasonable nod.
"How about you?" he asked.
"Same. Naalala pala kita sa isa sa mga estudyante ko," she relayed.
"Cute gaya ko?" he beamed.
"Siraulo gaya mo," she corrected him with a smirk, making him frown.
All of a sudden, something crossed her mind. She quickly reached her pocket and fetched out a flash drive. "I almost forgot, there's another video."
Magno chuckled. "May isa pa?"
"Yeah, pahabol ni Slade last week." She stood up and went towards the television, plugging it in.
***
Sitting side by side and leaning their heads on each other, Magno and Kirsten held hands as the video began to show Reika. Like the other videos, she was just sitting on her bed with a smile on her face.
Magno held Kirsten's hand. This time, there were no tears in their eyes. Seeing Reika's face, they smiled.
"This video is for Kirsten Rain Monreal... or para na lang siguro sa future nililigawan ni Magno? I sure hope it's still Kirsten though... no offense sa nililigawan ni Magno kung hindi man ito si Kirsten at pinapanood niya ito ngayon," she paused, chasing her breath. She then continued, "wow hindi talaga ako bagay maging rapper. Anyhow, recording this since I can't really say this shit in person. Don't talk to me about this video after watching this. I'm too ashamed to talk about this kaya dinaan ko na sa video. I swear, talk to me about this and uupakan kita."
What followed after was a compilation of clips where Magno was able to score during his games. After, was another compilation footage of Magno on random occasions. Most of the time he's laughing and just fooling around with their younger cousins and friends.
After the footages, Reika appeared on the screen again.
"And that is my cousin's glory days! You may not be around during this time but at least now nakikita mo na kung gaano siya kagaling at kabait. He is the best guy in Filimon Heights so saan ka pa? He loves with all his heart and he gives his 100% in everything he does. He's a very loving and kind person. He's the type who will make sure you're happy even if he's going through hell. You are one of the luckiest people alive if you have him in your life so don't lose him. He's a keeper! Like boss level of keepers! Hindi sa pinagmamayabang ko siya pero parang ganun na nga."
Kirsten couldn't help but look up at Magno just to tease him.
"Yeah, you're a keeper," she commented.
"Yeah," he jokingly agreed, kissing her lightly.
"Hindi halata pero medyo may pagka-mahiyain 'yan. When we were kids, he has this huge crush on Kirsten. 'Di baleng magmukhang gago basta mapansin lang siya ng crush niya, lokong mindset pero wala eh, siraulo ang pinsan ko eh. Noong nag one-on-one sila sa basketball, I'm pretty sure nagpatalo siya. They also matched in Taekwondo and nagpatalo rin siya. Kahit sa Mortal Kombat, lagi rin siyang nagpapatalo kay Kirsten noon. I bet it was because he loves seeing the victorious smile on her face, or he just wants to see her win and be happy. He keeps denying about making her win on purpose but I know him better than I know myself. He likes her and he still likes her... He had been looking for her online and ayaw niya lang aminin. Yes, he flirted sometimes but he was never serious and it's all because of Kirsten."
Reika heaved a deep sigh as she whispered to herself audibly. "I sure hope Kirsten is watching this and she's yours now."
Kirsten and Magno looked at each other once again with twinkling eyes and gushing smiles.
"She is," he said.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
THANK YOU FOR READING FHS 4: PLEASE FIND ME