Note: Typographical and grammatical errors ahead
Gambling With Love
Chapter 14: Sorry
Rhea Dorielle Andrade
"KAYA naman pala galit ka sa akin..." Vin blurted out while he confidently leaned on the lamp post beside him. "May iba ka naman palang gusto."
Napahinto ako sa paglalakad nang marinig 'yun. The obvious irritation coming out from his statement made me rolled my eyes heavenly.
"What are you doing here? Sinusundan mo ba 'ko?" I asked while trying not to raise an eyebrow at him.
"Bakit naman kita susundan? Napadaan lang ako kasi kukunin ko 'yung kotse ko. And then I accidentally saw you. So you like blond guys, huh? "
"Are you freakin' kidding me? And who are you to say that I like blond guys? In case you didn't know, I prefer guys who are a little older than me. I don't have time to deal with kids. And..."
Teka nga! Bakit ko ba 'to sinasabi sa kanya?! I should just head home right now, it's getting dark!
Hindi ko na tinapos pa 'yung sasabihin ko at agad ding tumalikod at naglakad palayo sa kanya.
"Wait, where are you heading to?"
"I'm going home. Kung wala ka nang ibang gagawin maliban sa punahin ako at magmodel diyan sa lamp post, mas mabuti pang umuwi na lang ako."
I heard him chuckled for a bit. Hindi pa man din ako nakakalayo ay wala sa sariling napalingon akong muli sa gawi niya, na talagang pinagsisisihan ko. I was just wondering if he was gone there but I'm wrong.
I saw how his lips rose in amusement while he crossed his arms on his usual spot.
"You really know how to amuse me, do you?" Lumapit siya sa akin habang hindi pa rin nawawala ang ngiti sa labi niya.
"I... I was just checking if you really got away. Malay ko bang sinusundan mo 'ko?"
"I won't let you get away with it."
"Huh?"
"You seriously think I'll let you go out with another guy?" Nawala ang ngiti sa labi niya at napalitan ito ng pagka-inis.
"Ano bang—"
"Demi and Garreth knows that you're my girlfriend, Rhea. Anong sasabihin mo sa kanila kapag nakita ka nilang may kasamang ibang lalaki, ha?"
"They didn't saw me!"
"But what if they did?"
"I'll them he's my friend!" Even though he's not. But well, he introduced his self to me, so he's not a stranger anymore and can be considered as a friend now.
"May kaibigan bang hinahalikan sa pisngi?! I saw you kissed him earlier!"
"I can— Wait... You saw that?"
"I saw everything."
"Ibig sabihin, sinusundan mo talaga ako!"
"That's not the point here."
"It is! You said you weren't stalking me but you actually did."
"Okay, fine. I did stalked you... a bit. And so? Does that make you feel happy?"
"You think I'm happy?!" I sighed after hearing myself raising my tone on him.
Napatingin tuloy ako sa paligid, and we were lucky enough dahil walang masyadong dumadaan sa part na 'to dahil kanina pa kami dito nagbabangayan.
And what are we fighting about?! Grr...
"You're changing the topic. In case you missed it, you're destroying the actual deal! In the eyes of Demi and Garreth, I am your boyfriend! I should be the one you're with all the time!"
His brows furrowed even more. I almost hitched my breath for a second just by looking at him. He was so mad.
Pero hindi lang siya ang galit, 'no!
"You should say that to yourself!"
"Why w-"
"Ikaw kaya ang nauna! Just like what you told me, ang alam nila Garreth ay girlfriend mo 'ko pero kung sino-sino naman ang kasama mo!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?! Sino naman ang kasama ko? Ikaw nga 'yung may kasamang iba diyan!"
"Don't play innocent. I heard you yesterday. Magkasama kayo ni Miriam kagabi."
"How did you..." He bite his lips in a sudden and then replaced by a teasing smile. "You were stalking us last night?"
"How dare you? Huwag mo nga akong igaya sa'yo! Hindi ako stalker gaya mo!"
"Then how did you know Miriam was with me last night?"
I coughed intently and fixed my gaze elsewhere.
"I... I accidentally heard you yesterday. You asked her to go with you without even letting her finish her shift. You were actually being unfair. And who knows what you two might be doing last night? If you can go with anyone you want to, then why can't I do the same?"
"You don't know what actually happens last night!"
"And you also don't know the real thing behind what happened earlier, kaya 'wag mo agad akong ijudge! You're making me want to hate you even more!"
I glared at him before finally releasing the heavy sigh I was itching to do. I looked at him before turning my back as I walk away.
My pace turned slow after remembering his expression. It's as if I hit something that made him finally put his hands down. Hindi rin nakaligtas sa paningin ko ang pagkinang ng lungkot sa mga mata niya. Like I was throwing daggers at him and he just remained standing.
I sighed for the nth time. Gusto ko na umuwi! Ayoko nang maramdaman na naman 'tong guilty feeling na 'to!
I took out my phone and search for Giane's number. Napahinto lang ako nang mapansing may message pala akong nakaligtaang basahin.
I opened the message which was actually sent kaninang umaga pa.
It was from Garreth.
From: Garreth
Good morning, Rhea! Si Demi 'to. I borrowed Garreth's phone. Gusto ko lang kasing ipaalam sa'yo na Death Anniversary ng ate ni Vin ngayon. Alam ko kasing hindi niya sasabihin sa'yo pero nag-aalala ako bilang kaibigan niya. Baka kasi doon na naman matulog sa sementeryo si Vin gaya ng ikinekwento ni Tita. She's also worried. Sana alagaan mo siya, he needs comfort from his girlfriend. Baka sakaling magbago ang isip niya kapag nakausap mo siya. Ang kulit kasi n'on, eh! See you, salamat ulit!
Para akong napako sa kinatatayuan ko. Bakit ngayon ko lang 'to binasa?!
I hurriedly looked back to see if Vin was still there pero wala na siya doon. I searched for him and luckily, found him making his way to his car that was parked a few meters from here.
Hahabulin ko sana siya pero napahinto ako. Do I still have the courage to do it sa kabila ng mga sinabi ko kanina?
Wala akong nagawa kung hindi ang pagmasdan siyang pumasok sa kotse niya. I almost bite my lips in frustration sa kung ano ang gagawin ko.
"Wait, a cab!" Muntik pa akong mapatalon nang may mapansing cab na papalapit sa direksiyon ko.
I raised my hand and swing it repeatedly na agad din namang napansin n'ong driver.
"Follow that car over there, please!" Natatarantang pahayag ko sa driver habang itinuturo ang kotse ni Vin sa unahan.
Sinunod naman ito ng driver. Hindi ko inalis ang paningin ko sa kotse ni Vin sa takot na mawala ito bigla sa paningin ko.
Baka nga gawin nito ang sinasabi ni Demi. Talaga kayang matutulog siya sa sementeryo?! Nababaliw na ba siya?!
Sa loob ng mahigit ilang minutong pagmamaneho n'ong driver sa pagsunod kay Vin ay dinala nga kami nito sa isang sementeryo.
Nababaliw na ba talaga siya?!
"Kuya, dito na lang po."
The cab driver didn't even throw any glance at me or stopped the cab kaya nagtaka ako. And that's when I realized na nagtagalog pala ako dahil sa sobrang taranta kaya hindi ako naintindihan. Napabuntong hininga na naman tuloy ako dahil doon.
Bakit ba ako natataranta?!
"I'll be okay here. Thanks for it. Take this," saad ko habang inaabot 'yung bayad sa driver.
I didn't even bother to get the change from him and I just suddenly found myself hiding from one of the mausoleum near the entrance.
Hindi ako makapaniwalang sinusundan ko siya ngayon! Nasa bahay na dapat ako at prenteng nakaupo sa couch at umiinom ng hot chocolate habang nanonood ng Netflix! Unbelievable...
Peeping from the side, I saw Vin getting something from the trunk of his car. He held out a backpack and another backpack before finally locking his car securely.
I sighed in exasperation. It's now or never.
Maingat akong sumunod sa kanya habang sinisigurong hindi siya lilingon sa gawi ko. Mahirap na at baka mahuli ako.
It was getting much easier for me for the mean time not when a minute after, nawala siya bigla sa paningin ko.
Nasaan na 'yun? Don't tell me I lost him?! At sa sementeryo pa talaga, Rhea?!
My body started to shake in fear. Ang dilim-dilim pa naman dito. And who knows if there are lots of ghost in here?! Or serial killer?! Or worst... Freddie Krueger!
With both closed eyes, I tried to stepback. Lumagaslas ang tunog ng mga tuyong dahon nang maapakan ko ito. Mas nakapandagdag tuloy ang tunog nito sa takot na nararamdaman ko ngayon.
Is this finally my karma for everything I've been saying and doing bad to someone lately? Huwag naman sana.
I continued stepping back when I found myself hitting hard on something behind my back. I was so scared to even open my eyes to see kung ano bang nasandalan ko. Or worse... kung sino!
Please tell me, it's not Freddie. I won't be even happy to know that today's Friday must be 13. Friday nga ngayon pero please naman... Don't tell me it's friday the 13th!
Dahan-dahan kong itinaas ang kamay at nanginginig na ikinuyom ang kamao para isangga sa kung sino mang nasa likod ko.
I slowly turned at his way without opening my eyes yet.
"It's not you, Freddie. Tell me it's not you," bulong ko habang paunti-unting binubuksan ang aking mata.
"What are you doing?"
Out of shock, isang suntok agad ang pinakawalan ko sa harapan without thinking about what would happen.
"A... Aray! Ang sakit!"
Marahang paghaplos ang iginawad ko sa dalawang kamao ko na paniguradong namumula na ngayon. Ikaw kaya ang sumuntok sa puno? Sa tingin mo ba madali 'yun at hindi masakit?
"Bakit mo sinuntok 'yung puno?"
Itinago ko ang dalawang kamay ko sa likod at yumuko. Mabuti na lang at madilim sa paligid kaya hindi niya mapapansin ang bahagyang pamumula ng pisngi ko sa hiya.
"I thought it was... Freddie Krueger."
Mentioning those words to him were like embarrassing myself to it's fullest. And I know he should be trying to hide the fact that he was dying to laugh right in front of my face.
"Oh... You didn't think that maybe it was just me?"
"At bakit ko naman iisipin na ikaw 'yun?" kunot noong tanong ko.
"Because you hate me."
Napawi ang kunot sa noo ko. Here goes the guilty feeling again.
We both remained silent after that. Tunog na lamang ng mga crickets at mga paghinga namin ang naririnig ko. Not that I was exaggerating though.
"Do you?" he added after moments of silence.
"I..." Hindi ako makasagot.
Galit ba ako sa kanya? Well, I'm always mad at him dahil sa pang-aasar niya. But I don't actually hate him, right? Do I?
"Bakit mo ako sinundan?"
"Kasi... I want to apologize but then I'm afraid na baka busy ka kasi mukhang nagmamadali ka kaya sinundan na kita."
He raised his left eyebrow while boring his eyes at me like I said something impossible.
"We both know you can't do it." I gulped with that statement. "Giane told me that you'd never apologize for something that easy. Mapride kang tao."
Hindi ko alam kung anong uunahin ko eh. Kung iirapan ko ba siya o kukumbinsihing sincere talaga ako?
But, well, let's get things straight. Oo na, mapride na kung mapride. I usually don't do apologizing kasi madalas kong gawin ang alam kong tama sa side ko. Pero ito? I admit it. I'm wrong and I really am sorry.
I was about to speak up and apologize when I heard him heave a sigh. Meaning? He had enough. And I can't just go on like this!
"You should head back home. It's getting late. Nag-aalala na si Giane sa'yo panigurado."
Napapikit ako nang maalala si Giane. Right. Baka tumatawag na 'yun sa police station ngayon at sinasabing nawawala ako. I can actually imagine her panicking right now.
"I'm sorry! I gotta go!" Natataranta akong naglakad ng mabilis pabalik, without looking back at him.
See how evil I am? Uggh!
Napahinto ako nang tuluyan na akong makalabas ng sementeryo. I stopped from my tracks and looked back. Napailing ako.
Don't look back, Rhea. Giane's panicking right now. Alam mo naman 'yung babaeng 'yun!
I can imagine her calling my dad right now, saying, "Oh my gosh! Your daughter's missing, Tito Russel! Nakidnap na yata siya n'ong kadate niya, Tito! What are we gonna do?!"
I sighed and looked back at where Vin is. I bit my lips, getting torn on choosing between Giane and Vin.
But...
On the other hand... Bakit hindi kaya tawagan ko na lang si Giane? I should've thought of it sooner! Stupid, Rhea!
Inilabas ko ang phone mula sa bag at nagmamadaling tinext si Giane.
I hurriedly ran back inside the cemetery and search for him. Hindi naman ako nahirapang hanapin siya kasi may ilaw sa kinauupuan niya. Mukhang madalas niya nga itong gawin kasi parang sanay na siya, eh.
Dahan-dahan akong naglakad patungo sa kinauupuan niya. Pilit kong isinasantabi ang hiya at guilt sa akin at lakas loob akong nagsalita.
"I'm so sorry. I know I told you lots of times already that I hate you when I actually don't... mean it. And I'm apologizing... with utmost sincerity."
Nakita ko ang pagkagulat sa mukha niya. Maybe he wasn't expecting that I'll came back here after almost tripping sa pagmamadaling umuwi. I don't even know why I'm here too.
"What are you doing? Bakit hindi ka pa umuuwi?"
"Hindi pa ba halata?"
"What?"
"I'm worried about you! Stupid!" galit na sigaw ko.
Napapikit na naman tuloy ako. Ayan ka na naman, Rhea. Sinigawan mo pa siya! You don't look sincere that way!
"I'm... Im-"
"Thank you."
Hindi ako makagalaw lalo na nung hilahin niya ako para yakapin. He was hugging me and I don't know why I'm liking it. Brr...
"I... It's nothing."
"No, really. I mean it. Thanks a lot. You don't know how much this means to me."
I patted his back and closed my eyes as I slowly returned the hug. It felt glad seeing him like this.
"I'm your girlfriend. I should always be with you all the time, especially in times likes this." I whispered through his ears, letting him tightened the hug more.
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