Chapter XIX: Her
Bella's POV
The water was surprisingly not cold. Habang dinadamdan ko ang pagdaloy nito sa katawan ko, di ko maiwasang isipin ang lahat.
First, Gino, Rino and Inspector Akinu's lie, and now Vee being shot. What else could go wrong in my life?
Since Stephanie gone missing everything became complicated. She seems to always know what to do in situations like this.
How would I deal with all of these without her. I was used to her being by my side everytime, telling me what's the right thing to do. Now, I'm just a hopeless sister and a friend.
Where is she when I need her the most?
I can't help myself but to blame her for everything that happened. If she hadn't messed with the organization we could have been living a peaceful life by now. Laughing and smiling like nothings wrong.
Why does she always have to drag everyone she loves into every single mess she makes?
I hate the fact that I love her but there's also something within me that hates her. This was all her fault after all.
I was glad that the running water were there to wash away my tears. It somehow felt like it was washing all my pain away.
Nang makalabas na ako ng paliguan, nakita ko si sir Tyrron sa labas na nakabihis na rin. He looks young with his wet hair though I still prefer his looks when he wears his glasses.
Medyo malaki sa akin ang damit na binigay ng matanda ngunit pede na rin itong masuot.
I don't know but I kind of like the smell of this t-shirt. Napakafamiliar ng amoy. Di ko alam.
I was still formulating all the questions in my mind to ask sir Tyrron when he spoke.
"If you're thinking of asking me questions, I say that we should check on Vee first. Maybe you'll understand everything when we get there. " Did he just read my mind?
"And no, I did not read your mind." Nagulat ako sa sinabi nya. Nagsimula syang maglakad pababa ng hagdan kaya sumunod na rin ako sa kanya.
"And by the way, Bella. " Napahinto si sir Tyrron sa gitna ng daanan kaya huminto na rin ako.
Lumingon sya sa akin, habang nakapinta sa mukha nito ang isang ekspresyon na hindi ko mabasa. Is it sadness?
No. It's much more than that. Guilt?
"Please remember what I told you before we came here. " Napakunot ang noo ko sa sinabi nya. May naaalala ako na may sinabi sya sa akin bago kami umalis pero hindi ko matandaan kung ano iyon.
Parang nahalata nya ata ang pagkalito sa mukha ko kasi pinagpatuloy nya na lang ang kanyang sinabi.
"You promised me to stay calm whatever you'll see here, remember? " Oo nga pala. Naalala ko na. Sa dami ng nangyari hindi ko na matandaan ang ilan sa mga iyon.
"I want you to brace yourself and understand that there are things that we should just understand even if it is really hard to." Hindi ko sya maintindihan ngunit tumango na lang ako bilang tugon. Nagpatuloy na sya sa paglakad kaya sumunod na rin ako sa kanya.
Nang makarating na kami sa harap ng pintuan kung saan ginagamot si Vee ay tiningnan muna ako ni sir Tyrron bago sya huminga ng malalim at pinihit ang door knob.
I still can't figure out his facial expression. Parang kanina pa talaga ako nagtataka sa mga kinikilos nya at lalong lalo na sa matanda kanina na tinawag nyang mom.
Sir Tyrron pushed the door open. Sumunod ako sa kanya ngunit bigla akong nabato sa aking kinaroroonan sa nakita sa loob.
Yes, he warned me about something that I might see but this is way beyond what I expected.
I want to cry.
Jump in joy.
Shout in rage
Hindi ko alam kung anong nararamdaman ko. Masikip sa dibdib. Para akong mahimatay.
Anong ibig sabihin ng lahat ng ito?
Inside there were three women.
Vee in her bed still unconcious...
The old lady...
And...
Her.
Stephanie.
My sister whom I was been looking for, for two years. She's here. In front of me.
Pilit syang ngumiti sa akin nang makita ako. Para bang ineexpect nya na ang magiging reaksyon ko. Kahapon lang akala ko wala ng lalala pa sa nalaman ko tungkol kina Gino, ngayon ito na naman?
Lumapit sya sa akin habang nananatili pa rin akong nabato sa kinatatayuan ko.
Nang nasa harap na nya ako sinubukan nya ako yakapin pero hindi ako tumugon. Gulat na gulat pa rin ako at may kung ano sa dibdib ko na di ko mawari-wari.
She seperated herself from the hug while I was still not moving.
I looked at her face. Her nose. Her auburn hair. Her brown eyes. These are all too good to be true.
How could she do this to me? Something within me boiled.
I slapped her hard. I can feel the stinging in my hand when it left her face with a red mark.
Did she really expected me to celebrate in joy while seeing her here? Ang lakas naman ng loob nyang magtago dito habang ako ay parang nababaliw na sa kakahanap sa kanya! Vee almost died because of her!
Everyone believed that she was already dead and they treated me as a fool for believing that she isn't!
Nagulat ang lahat sa ginawa ko at walang nagtangkang magsalita. Namayani lamang nakakabinging katahimikan at ang tunog ng heart monitor ni Vee ang tanging naririnig sa loob.
"How long have you been here?" Pinipigilan ko ang sarili na sumigaw. I did promised sir Tyrron to keep calm.
"Bella, if you please. Just let us explain. " Her eyes were pleading. It's not that I am not happy to see her alive. It's just that I am so upset. Hindi nya lang naman naisip na may nag-aalala sa kanya!
"Your sister sister was taken by the Moon Organization, two years ago. Months later while I was driving to visit my mom here, I accidently found her at the road. I wanted to tell you about it but your sister insisted that I should not." singit ni sir Tyrron. Nakasandal lang sya sa pinto habang pinapanood kaming magkapatid.
"Kung ganun, bakit di nyo lang naman sinabi sa amin?! All these time alam mo pala kung nasaan sya? Ganoon ba kahirap sabihin ang totoo? I asked you many times, but you kept denying everything! " Hindi ko na kaya pang hindi sumigaw at magalit.
Nanatili pa ring kalmado ang mukha ni sir Tyrron, sa kabila ng mga sinabi ko sa kanya. Well, magaling naman talaga sya dun. Ang magpanggap.
"Bella, don't blame him. Wala syang kinalaman dito. Ako ang nakiusap sa kanya na huwag sabihin sayo. Ayaw lang kitang napahamak tulad ko. " Mula kay sir Tyrron ay nabaling ang tingin ko kay ate.
"Kapag makuha nila ang ate mo, magiging huli na ang lahat upang pigilan sila. Alam ko yun dahil ako at ang anak ko ay dati nang nagtatrabaho sa kanila. " Hindi ko namalayang kanina pa pala nanonood ang matanda sa amin. Tumingin sya kay sir Tyrron nang mabanggit nya ang salitang anak.
So she really is his mother.
But these are bullsh*t! Why would they hide my sister from me? At ano naman kung makuha nila ang ate ko?
Oo, alam ko may atraso sya sa organisasyon ngunit ganoon na ba kalala yun para hindi lang man sabihin sa akin? May plano ba silang ipaalam sa akin?
"Bella, please have a sit, I know these are too much to take, but if you please stay calm first and listen to us, " mahinahon na saad ni sir Tyrron. Inalalayan ako ni ate papunta sa isang upuan sa tabi ni Vee para umupo.
I still can't believe this! My sister. Here. Alive.
"Sorry for taking you by surprise. We were planning to tell you everything, when all of these are taken care of but I guess we don't have any choice but to tell you everything now. " Malumay na binabanggit ni ate ang bawat salita upang panatilihin akong maging kalmado.
She was still the sister I remembered. Brave. Beautiful. And caring.
"Ang rason kung bakit di namin sinabi sayo ay dahil naniniwala kami na isa sa malapit sayo ay ang may pakana ng lahat ng ito." Kunot noo ko lang tiningnan si ate dahil sa sinabi nya. If she was referring to Gino and his uncle and brother, well she is too late for that.
"Someone we know," pagpapatuloy ni ate. Napalunok ako ng laway sa sinabi nya. Kung ganon hindi si Rino, at hindi rin si Inspector Akinu ang tinutukoy nya. Pero kung si Gino naman dati na nyang sinabi sa akin na magkakilala sila ni ate noong naging exchange student sya. Could it be him?
"Is it Gino? " pabulong kong tanong.
"Sino?" Sa halip na sagutin ako ay sinundan lang ni ate ng isa pang tanong ang tanong ko.
Di nya kilala si Gino? So Gino lied to me, when he said that he knew my sister. Pero kung ganun, paano nya nalaman na nawawala si ate at nag-iimbestiga ako nung una kaming nagkita sa library?
"Nevermind. Do you have any idea who is it? " pagbabago ko ng aking tanong.
"Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin namin alam kung sino pero malakas ang kutob namin na nasa paligid lang natin sya. Ang alam lang namin ay may kailangan sila sa ate mo, " si sir Tyrron na ang nagpaliwanag.
"Ano iyon? "
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DareMe19
A/N Not the kind of reunion you'll expect. Bella has a strange way of saying "I miss you".😆