Pursuing Our Freedom| ✓

Kabanata 38

Call me - Rainlord., keshi

Kabanata 38

"Noon pa man, sinabihan ko na 'yan si Priscilla. She doesn't need to get married or have children if she doesn't want to. In most cases, hindi naman kasi ang mga magulang ang nahihirapan kundi ang mga nagiging anak." wika ni Tita Juana at sumimsim sa kan'yang kape. We're currently having breakfast at her house.

"Wala na ba silang ginawang tama kundi si Philomena Gracia lang?" Katryna pointed her spoon at me, giving me a quick glance before returning her gaze back at Lavender.

Katryna was swinging her feet under the table, kitang-kita ang puti niyang sapatos. Lavender kept on looking at it, eyes turning to slits.

I decided to cut my pancakes as I listen to the both of them. Solstice told me to call her Lavender instead. Madalas kasi gumuguhit ang irita sa kan'yang mukha sa tuwing tinatawag ko siyang Solstice. Her name also makes her sound more cold too.

"Pwede mo sila kasuhan, Philo..." Lavender alluded, her tone turned out as icy as it can be.

"Hindi na po siguro..." I took a bite from my pancakes. "I still love them and I can't just..."

The weight on my heart only grows more heavy. Lalo lamang akong nagkakaroon ng guilt dahil sa biglaan kong pag-alis. I did it because of impulse, I didn't think it through. Pero pakiramdam ko kailangan ko muna ito. I have to stay away from them for a while; I do not want to plant hatred in my heart.

There's a universal truth, or at least in my universe, that I acknowledge - just because you got hurt, it doesn't give you the right to inflict pain to others too.

I'll always choose kindness; because it's freeing. After all, the foundation of morality is freedom. It is what makes us unique from other species. We are the ones who dictate who we should be and how we should treat others. We are the only ones capable of that.

"A-and besides, wala na po ako roon. I really just want peace po..." mahinang saad ko, patuloy ang pagpira-piraso sa aking pancake kahit maliliit na talaga ang mga parte nito.

"Mas peaceful siguro kung nakakulong sila," Katryna wiggled her eyebrows at me playfully. I tried to smile but my heart cannot see them inside a cell.

"Yna, busog ka na?" Lavender asked in the middle of the conversation, she frowned at Katryna who only shrugged her shoulders off and didn't finished her meal.

"Kakain pa ako mamaya..." Yna mumbled, pilit na iniiwas ang tingin. Lavender only smirked and finished her meal by cleaning her mouth with a piece of cloth.

"Hindi na ba masarap?" ani Lavender sa nangaalaskang tono. Yna only scoffed.

I was staying with Tita Juana for a month now. Siya rin ang gumagamot sa aking mga pisngi. Lavender would once in a while visit me, pero mas madalas kong kasama si Tita Juana at Katryna.

Nahihiya ako sa kanila. Pakiramdam ko kasi pabigat ako dahil hindi naman ako parte ng kanilang pamilya. Albeit, Tita Juana and Katryna treats me with hospitality.

"Uh, ako na po maghuhugas..." I meekly muttered to Katryna. Wala silang helpers dito sa kanilang bahay. Dalawa lang naman silang nakatira kaya naman naiintindihan ko.

"May dishwasher doon, Philo. Tulungan mo na lang ako maglagay. Ito naman parang others," Katryna uttered and gave a small smile, helping me with arranging the dishes. I nodded abruptly.

Lavender and Katryna seems to be intimidating at first. Pero kalaunan ay naging malambing din sila sa akin. They're just snarky whenever boys are involved in our discussions. Lavender is only cold at first but gradually she also warms up. Si Yna naman ay tahimik lang, although she always have satiric remarks for almost everything.