“HINDI na kita masusundo pa. Pero may ibang magsusundo sa `yo bukas nang umaga. May kailangan lang akong asikasuhin ngayon kaya napaaga ako ng dating dito sa rest house. Pero `wag kang mag-alala, ako ang unang sasalubong sa `yo sa pagdating mo rito, kasama ang mga magulang ko.”
How is it possible that despite my own pain, my own burdens, I can still feel yours? naisaloob ni Maggy bago pagod na pagod na isinandal ang ulo sa headboard ng kanyang kama. Hinayaan niyang pumatak ang kanyang mga luha na kanina pa nagbabantang bumagsak simula nang magtalo sila ni Clarice sa kwarto niya.
“May problema ba?” namamaos ang boses na nagawa pa ring itanong ni Maggy. Austin’s voice was unexpectedly sad that night. No, sad was in fact, an understatement. Austin sounded lifeless.
“Mahal na mahal kita, Maggy,” sa halip ay sagot ni Austin.
Naipikit niya ang nananakit na mga mata nang marinig ang pagsuyo sa boses ni Austin sa kabilang linya.
“You can break me and everything that I have, sweetheart. But please, not my heart. Spare it.”
Mariing nakagat ni Maggy ang ibabang labi. She can never break Austin’s heart without breaking hers. Dumilat siya at napatitig sa litrato ng mga magulang sa bedside table.
Sa nakalipas na mga taon, araw at gabi, ay walang sandaling hindi siya nangulila sa hustisya. Nangulila siyang makalaya mula sa pagkakabilanggo sa sakit sa puso niya. At magiging posible lang ang paglayang iyon sa oras na maipakulong na nila si Benedict, makuha ang mga ari-arian nito gaya ng ginawa ng lalaki sa kanila o hindi kaya ay makuha ang mismong buhay nito gaya ng ginawa sa mga magulang niya.
Nang planuhin ni Maggy ang paghihiganti ay pumasok ang bagay na iyon sa kanyang isipan, ang kitlin din ang buhay ni Benedict. Tutal, kahit gawin niya iyon ay kulang pa rin iyon dahil dalawang buhay ang walang awang kinuha nito sa kanila ng kakambal niya.
Back then, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him in whatever way she can, she was willing to go that far. At sa nadiskubreng kasalukuyang kondisyon ni Benedict ay alam ni Maggy na magiging posible ang plano niya… Kung hindi lang biglang nakialam ang kanyang puso. Pero naniniwala pa rin siyang hindi nararapat kay Benedict ang sakit na dinaranas nito. Napakasimpleng kaparusahan lang niyon kumpara sa laki ng mga kasalanan nito.
Hindi, ilang sandali pa ay nagrerebeldeng naisaloob ni Maggy. Hindi ko sinimulan ang lahat ng ito para lang tumigil dahil lang sa letseng pagmamahal na ito.
“Nang mahalin kita, may na-realize ako,” pagpapatuloy ni Austin sa malambing pa ring boses. “Love is just like running a business. It’s risky. Nakakatakot, nakaka-excite at nakakatuwa at the same time. And then there will be times that you’d feel... powerless over the situations you never saw coming. Ganoong-ganoon mismo ang nararamdaman ko ngayon.”
Mapait na ngumiti si Maggy. Iyon din mismo ang kanyang problema. “You’ve been talking in riddle since you called, Austin.”
“Am I?” anang binata bago ito nawala na sa kabilang linya. Busy tone na ang sumunod na narinig niya.
hindi lang siya masyadong nanghihina dala ng mga natuklasan ay siguradong tatawagan niya ang boyfriend at uusisain. She would have never given up until she discovered what his
sandaling iyon. At
na ni Maggy ang cell phone. Mayamaya ay inabot ang litrato ng mga magulang at idinikit sa kanyang dibdib bago marahang pumikit. Muli
Mommy… Daddy... pagod na pagod na po ako. Out of all the things I’ve been through
ng mga McClennan ay mismong... Si Benedict. Katulad ng sinabi ni Austin
at inihatid hanggang sa hardin. Hindi niya inaasahang si Benedict kaagad ang makikita roon. Mag-isa lang ito
Umalis ang nurse ng matanda nang makita siya pati na ang katulong na
anumang bakas ng pagiging malupit sa anyo nito. He now looked so fragile. Sino ang
instinct was to push the wheelchair away. Or just shoot him with the
Napasigok siya. “Every time I miss my parents, I kill you in my mind, Benedict. And it sucks, you know. Because I can only do that in my mind. Heck, I’ve been planning your murder since
bagay na mas sasakit pa para sa isang anak na malamang walang awang pinapatay ng iba ang mga magulang nito. Naninikip ang dibdib na napaluhod siya. Pero kung gagawin niya ngayon ang ginawa ni Benedict noon, para niya na ring ipinaranas kay Austin ang mga naranasan niya.
sandaling iyon na puno ng sakit ang puso niya, si Austin pa rin ang nasa isip niya. At sa bagay na iyon siya lalong
Ilang sandali na nakaluhod lang si Maggy roon bago niya marahas na
wish I’m as cruel as you.” Muling namasa ang mga mata niya. “Hindi ko akalain na may puso pa rin pala ako kahit paano sa kabila ng mga masasakit na
was so afraid that she might change her mind and really hurt Benedict who could not even lift a finger at that moment. Nang makita niya ang kasambahay
mag-isa. Baka kung mapaano pa siya,” ani
naglalakad palayo ay naging maliwanag sa kanya ang lahat. Everything was nothing but a trap. Dapat ay nahulaan niya na iyon noon pang nagdaang gabi. Austin was up to something. Kahit pa nagtataka ang gwardiya dahil
you been able to prove something? Anuman ang gawin mo, walang mananalo sa ating dalawa. Dahil
ang kanyang ama ay naroroon lang sila at nagmamasid sa bintana sa library na siyang nakaharap sa hardin. “The ghosts you created were the ones who are scaring you. Dahil hindi kailanman magiging
na isalba ang imahe ni Benedict. Pero huli na. Dahil ngayon, ano man ang
ang ina kaya nanahimik siya. Sadyang hindi niya
puso niya nang mga sandaling iyon. Kung nagkataong wala lang sakit ang ama ay gagawin niya ang lahat ng makakaya para muling mabuksan ang kaso at siya pa mismo ang magsusuplong sa ama sa
hindi ang mga Alvero at De Lara ang sentro ng kasamaan ng ama ay iyon pa rin ang gagawin ni Austin. He will never tolerate
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