π™²πš‘πšŠπš™πšπšŽπš› 𝟻𝟾

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CJ's POV:

"Saan tayo?" Tanong ni Clover habang nagd-drive.

"Kahit ibaba mo nalang ako sa 7-eleven malapit sa school. Out of the way yung bahay ko sainyo." Sabi ko.

"Bakit hindi pa dun nalang sa mismong bahay niyo?" Ani Clover.

"Out of the way nga." Sagot ko.

Tumango nalang siya at hindi na nagsalita pa.

"Hey uhm, may tanong pala ako." Sabi ko. Lahat sila ay tumingin saakin.

"Shoot." Clover said without taking his eyes off the road.

"Have you ever heard about Snallet mafia and Rose mafia rivalry?" I asked. Kumunot ang noo ni Clover. Tumingin ako sa likuran pero umiling sila.

"Hmm...nope. I didn't even know they exist." Sabi ni Clover.

"Well, what about rose tattoo? Anything from it?" I asked. He shaked his head no.

"Ay wait, ako meron." Tumingin ako kay Ian. "May nakausap ako na kaibigan yung kuya daw niya may sinalihang organization or something. Nagalit daw yung papa nila kasi nagpalagay ng malaking rose tattoo na halos sakop ang buong likod niya." Kwento niya.

"And their symbol is a rose?" I asked. He nodded. "What the hell?" I whispered to myself.

"Bakit?" Tanong ni Kyle. Umiling lang ako at ngumiti. Nakatingin lang ako sa labas ng bintana nang mapatingin ako sa side mirror.

"Gaano na tayo katagal sinusundan nung sedan?" Tanong ko. Napatingin si Clover sa rear-view mirror niya.

"Hindi ko napansin. Baka naman same way lang." Sabi niya.

"No. No I recognize it. Iliko mo diyan." Sabi ko at tinuro yung daan na wala masyadong dumadaan na sasakyan. Tiningnan ako ni Clover bago tumango.

Tama nga ang hinala ko. Pagliko namin ay lumiko din yung sedan na nakabuntot saamin.

"Harangin mo yung dadaanan." Bulong ko.

"What are you planning?" Tanong ni Clover.

"Just do it Clover." Sabi ko at tinapik ang braso niya. Bigla niyang kinabig yung manibela pa-kaliwa kaya naharangan namin ang dadaanan nung kotse. Agad akong bumaba at naglakad palapit doon.

"CJ sandali!" Rinig kong pigil saakin ni Clover.

Kinatok ko yung bintana. Hindi ko makita ang loob dahil tinted ito. Dahan-dahan bumaba ang bintana.

"Hi." Masiglang bati ko at sinilip yung loob. "Hey uhm I'm sorry for blocking your way but uh, I noticed you've been following me around lately. Is there something you need from me? You can just approach me." I said while smiling.

"Cyan Jade Luhence Zia Montefalco." Sabi nung nasa loob.

"Yep. That's me." Sagot ko. Tumingin ito saakin at binaba ng kaunti ang shades na suot niya.

"Come in. I need to tell you something." Sabi nito. Panay rin ang linga niya sa paligid.

"And why should I trust you?" tanong ko dito.

"Blue Leones. She's your mom, right?" naningkit ang mga mata ko at sinuri ang kabuuan niya. Pasimple ko ring tiningnan ang loob ng kotse niya.

"Just give me a sec." I said and stood straight. Naglakad ako pabalik sa kotse ni Clover.

"What were you thinking?!" Bulong niya.

"It's fine. I know the guy. Umuwi na kayo." Sabi ko.

"Peroβ€”"

"No buts. Don't worry about me, okay?" Pinutol ko agad ang tangkang pagpigil saakin ni Clover. Bumalik ako dun sa sedan at sumakay sa passenger's seat.

"Just remember, do something funny I'll break your bones." I said. I heard the man chuckled and started driving.

"You sound just like your mother." He said.

"I don't even know what she sounded like." I mumbled.

After minutes of silence, I decided to talk again.

"Where are you taking me anyway?" I asked.

"To where it all started." He said and smiled at me.

His smile is so familiar...

"And where is that exactly?" I asked.

"You'll see." I scoffed at his answer.

Pasimple ko siyang pinagmamasdan. Sa tingin ko mga nasa early 40's na siya. Matangos ang ilong, medyo singkit na mata at buhok na kulay gray.

"We're here." He declared. I looked around.

"We're in the middle of nowhere." I said as I got out of the car. He smiled and started walking. I inhaled deeply and followed him.

"No, we're not." He said. Naglakad siya papasok sa kakahuyan.

"Are you up to something?" I asked that made him stop walking. He sighed and looked at me.

"No. I told you, I need to tell you something." He said.

"You sure? 'Cause the moment I walk in there and something happens, you won't like what I'll do." Sabi ko. Tumango lang siya at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. Tiningnan ko ang paligid at tsaka sumunod sakaniya.

"Where are we?" Tanong ko.

"To where your mom and dad's love story started." Sabi niya at hinawi yung mga vines na nakaharang.

"Woah." Yun lang nag nasabi ko. Tumambad saakin ang isang maliit na bahay at hardin na nakapaligid dito.

"This was your parents' hide out." Sabi nung lalaki at naunang pumasok dun sa bahay.

Was...it means matagal na itong nakatayo? Hindi halata dahil ang ayos pa rin ng itsura. Malinis, bagong pintura, alagang-alaga ang mga halaman at walang bahid ng nakaraan.

Wow ang lalim nung walang bahid ng nakaraan ah.

Pagpasok ko sa loob ay maaliwalas ito. Nakaayos yung dalawang single sofa at maliit na mesa sa gitna. Nakaayos din yung mga cupboard na puno ng tasa, baso at mga plato. Pati yung bookshelf na pagkalaki-laki na halos umabot na sa kisame.

"Dito nabuo ang love story ng nanay at tatay mo. They we're so happy back then. Having you and your two other siblings." Sabi nung lalaki. Sinenyasan niya akong umupo dun sa isang single sofa. Siya naman ay hinubad ang suot niyang coat at nagpunta sa kusina.

"But things happened, and the once picture-perfect family has become...nothing." Malungkot na saad niya. Inabutan niya ako ng juice na tinaggap ko.

"Why?" Tanong ko. Ever since nagka-isip ako, I've been always wondering. Anong nangyari sa pamilya namin? It's a shame I can't even remember anything from my past.

"Darling, I'm not in the position to tell that, but I can give you these." Sabi niya at may inabot saakin na shoe box. Nilapag ko yung baso sa mesa at kinuha yung shoe box. When I opened it, tumambad saakin ang samu't-saring photocards.

It's like mom and dad's journal in a shoe box. Mga places na napuntahan nila, anniversaries they celebrated together, and the first time they had a child which is kuya LZ then kuya DenDen and then me.

"Bakit wala dito si kuya DenDen?" Tanong ko nang makita ang family picture. Andun si Mom and Dad, si Kuya LZ na sa tingin ko ay 10 years old at ako na sa tingin ko ay 1 year old. Dalawa lang kami ni Kuya dun at halatang ni-crop etong photocard na ito.

"It's a family's tradition to cut out the person who passed." Sabi niya.

"How come I don't know that?" I whispered and continue to look inside the box.

"You may think you know a lot about Montefalcos, but no. There are a lot of things you don't know, and better for you to not know. There are a lot of things they're not telling you." Seryosong sabi niya.

What?

---

"Here's the key if ever you want to back there. Always be careful, okay? Don't give your trust easily." Sabi nung lalaki.

"Wait, I didn't get your name." I said. He looked at me and smiled.

"James Leones." He said. I froze.

"J-james uncle James?" Gulat na tanong ko. He smiled and nodded.

"Don't tell anyone about our little secret, hmm? If ever you need me, jut give me a call." He said and drove away.

"Teka I don't have your number!" I shouted but nakalayo na siya.

Uncle James Leones is my mother's late brother, or so I thought. They all told me he's dead. That he's with kuya DenDen when the accident happened. They said when the car fell on the cliff, bumaba doon si Tito James and then nung sumabog yung sasakyan, pati siya nadamay.

Pero teka, bakit ngayon lang siya nagpakita? After all these years, bakit? Bakit rin ayaw niyang ipa-alam sa iba na buhay pa siya? What is he up to?

Ibinaba niya ako sa may guard house. Pumasok na ako sa village namin at naglakad papuntang bahay.

Just as I entered the main door, realization hit me.

If nakaligtas si tito, then it's possible kuya DenDen survived too!

"Hey Ziβ€”whoa you may want to stop smiling there. You're creepy." Ikay said. I looked at her and walked towards her.

"Ikay." I called her.

"Hmm?" She hummed.

"Ni minsan ba pumasok sa isip mong baka buhay pa si kuya DenDen?" tanong ko. She looked at me confused.

"Kuya DenDen, you mean si kuya Kai? No Cy. They showed us his body. It's impossible for someone to survive in that kind of explosion." Sabi niya.

But someone did survive.

"I know but malay mo diba. Maybe he's out there somewhere. Maybe he's still alive!" Sabi ko.

"Zi, what happened?" She asked. This time, I'm the one confused.

"What? What do you mean what happened? Nothing!" Natatawang sabi ko.

"CJ, listen to me." She said and pulled me to sit on the sofa. "I know it hurts but, we all know he's gone. Heβ€”"

"No you're not listening to me! I know I can feel it he's stillβ€”" Hindi ko natapos ang sasabihin ko nang biglang sumigaw si KZ an hindi ko napansing kanina pa pala nasa may pintuan.

"DENDEN IS DEAD CJ! THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO! FORGET IT! HE'S NOT COMING BACK!" I froze. I know we always fight like cats and dogs, but he never shouted at me like that.

"W-why are you shouting at me like that?" Tanong ko. Nagsisimula nang mag-init ang sulok ng mata ko.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE SO STUPID! ILANG TAON NA ANG NAKALIPAS CJ! NGAYON MO PA BA IISIPING BUHAY SIYA?! I'M SORRY BUT NO! PATAY NA SIYA CJ! PA-TAY NA!" Sigaw niya.

"It's not being stupid! You don't understand! None of you can understand me! Palibahasa kasi hindi ka naman nawalan ng kapatid!" Sigaw ko rin sakaniya. Tuluyan nang bumagsak ang mga luhang kanina ko pa pinipigilan. At nang nakita niya 'yun ay bahagyang lumambot ang expression niya.

"Ziβ€”" Tinalikuran ko agad sila at patakbong umakyat sa kwarto ko. Nakasalubong ko pa sila Ate HZ but I didn't look at them. When I entered my room, I slammed the door shut and locked it.

"CJ..." I can hear them calling me, but I didn't bother to get up and open the door for them. I hugged my pillows and cried non-stop. Kung nakakapagsalita lang ang mga unan na ito, paniguradong magrereklamo na sila dahil basang-basa na sila.

"PATAY NA SIYA CJ! PA-TAY NA!"

Those words kept on repeating in my mind like a broken disc. I just cried and cried until I fell asleep.

---

I woke up at the sound of my ringtone. I checked what time is it. It's already 10:00 p.m. I looked at the caller i.d. and answered it.

"Hello?" I said, my eyes still closed.

"Hey." Napadilat ako ng maayos at tiningnan ng mabuti ang caller i.d.

Yelong Kumag

"Ice? Seriously?" Patanong na sabi ko. I heard him chuckle.

"I'm outside." Automatic akong napatayo sa higaan at naglakad papunta sa sliding door. Binuksan ko iyon at sumilip sa balcony.

"What are you doing out there?" Natatawang tanong ko nang makitang nakasandal siya sa kotse niya. Hindi ko mawari kung nakangiti ba siya o naka poker face.

"Nothing. Maybe I just want to see you and hear your voice." My heart pounded. But I shrugged the feeling away and laughed.

"Yeah right." I said. The line went silent and then I heard a sniff sound. "Wait, Ice are you crying right now?" I asked.

"Maybe." Sagot niya.

"Stay there. I'm coming." Sabi ko. Kinuha ko yung jcket na nakasabit sa likuran ng pinto ng walk-in closet ko at lumabas ng kwarto nang hindi pinapatay ang tawag. Tahimik at mabilis akong lumabas nang bahay.

"Hey." I said. He smiled and ended the call. I walked towards him.

"Hey." He said. Kahit madilim ay kitang-kita ko ang luhang tumutulo mula sa mata niya. Nagniningning ito dahil sa ilaw mula sa buwan.

"Why? Are you okay?" Nag-aalalang tanong ko. Pero imbis na sumagot ay naglakad siya palapit saakin and the next thing I knew, I'm hugging him back.

"Shh. It's okay go on." I comforted him. Ramdam ko ang pagkabasa ng damit ko dahil sa mga luha niya.

This is the first time I've seen him vulnerable. Madalas kasi poker face, cold face, serious face at mad face ang suot niya.

Pero diba sabi nga nila, kung sino pa yung mga ganun ang ugali ay yun pa yung nasasaktan ng sobra sobra.

"It's my mom's death anniversary." I heard him mumbled. Humigpit ang yakap niya saakin. "They said she died in a car accident, but I don't believe them." He said. Tumayo siya ng maayos pero hindi parin kumakalas mula sa yakap. He looked at me in the eyes.

"I know someone killed her." He said.

"Oh, Ice." Yun nalang ang nasabi ko. He smiled at me.

"Thank you for being with me. I just needed someone to talk to." He said. He then leaned forward to give me a kiss on the forehead. "Get inside. Goodnight, mon jade."

(votes and comments are highly appreciated by the Author

and always remember,

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME)

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