Garden of Wounds (Panacea Series #1)

Chapter 26

Twenty-six.

There are some people who will treat you badly no matter how good you are to them. Don't waste your time convincing them to treat you right. Invest your time to those things that will give you benefits in the future. For the past months, I stopped needing people. I stopped proving my worth to them. Myself knows that I'm worthy.

Let's accept the fact that there are some people who won't handle you with softness. They can't handle you because they don't know how to handle themselves. But let's always keep in our minds that in right time, there will be someone that would treat us right, would handle us with softness, would look at us with pure adoration and full of love, and would do everything for us.

Luminya ang aking labi nang maaninag ko ang pamilyar na pigura ni Papa hindi kalayuan sa aking kinauupuan. Mayroong siyang kausap na lalaki na hindi pamilyar sa akin. The man looks younger than me. Parang mayroon silang seryosong pinag-uusapan. Nakatalikod si Papa kaya hindi niya ako nakikita. Umiwas na lamang ako ng tingin at hindi na lang sila pinansin.

Wala sa isip ko na makikita ko si Papa rito. Lahat kami sa bahay ay abala kaya minsanan na lang kami nagkakaabutan. Mama is gaining a lot of costumers these past months. Lumalago ang kan'yang flower shop. Gano'n din si Elaine, graduating din kasi siya.

"Nandito si Papa," I informed Margarette when she got our order. She gave me my frappe and turned her gaze to the area that I pointed. "Hindi ko kilala kung sino 'yong kausap niya," dagdag ko.

Bahagyang umawang ang kan'yang labi nang dumapo ang mata niya roon. Naningkit ang kan'yang mga mata na ipinagtaka ko, lalo na nang tumagal ang kan'yang titig doon.

"Tangina, ayan 'yong nakalandian ko, ah!" She spoke loudly, para bang gulat na gulat ito nang makilala ang lalaking kausap ni Papa. "Si Kazuo 'yan! Gago, ano'ng ginagawa niyan dito?" Binaling niya ang kan'yang atensyon sa akin. "Itago mo ako, Elvira, dali. Second year college lang 'yan. Nakakahiya kapag nakita niya ako!"

"Huh? Bakit niya kausap si Papa?" I asked innocently.

"Aba, malay ko!" She quickly answered. "Umalis na lang tayo rito! Libre kita, promise, mamatay man! Hindi kita tatakasan!"

"Sus, parang nakalandian lang," napairap ako at napilitang ligpitin ang aking gamit.

Umalis kami kaagad ng coffee shop. She was too quick to go out of the shop. Napapailing na lang ako dahil sa kan'yang itsura. Tagong-tago ito at ayaw talagang magpakita.

"Kalandian mo lang pala 'yon. Bakit kailangan pa nating umalis?"

"S'yempre, nakakahiya! Mas bata sa akin. 'Di gano'n ang type ko!"

"Hindi ako naniniwala, Margarette."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Tumahimik ka riyan kung ayaw mong ibalik kita kay Zavion."

"Believe me, mas gusto ko pa 'yon," I grinned.

"Landi," inismiran niya ako at tinalikuran.

Nakasunod lang ako sa kan'ya habang namimili siya ng kan'yang kakailanganin. Si Margarette 'yong tipo ng tao na magwawaldas nang magwawaldas ng pera para lang mawala 'yong lungkot na kan'yang nararamdaman. Naalala ko pa noong nasa senior high pa lang kami, may mga araw na hindi siya pumapasok para lang mag-mall. So who says money can't buy happiness?

You have the power when you have the money. You can buy everything you want. And if you want, you can travel the whole world. There a lot of advantages if you have the money. Kaysa naman sa malungkot ka na nga tapos wala ka pang pera, talagang mas lalo akong malulungkot kapag gano'n!

I turned my attention back to Margarette as she pulled me closer to her. Gumuhit ang pagtataka sa aking mata.

"Parang ang dami nating nakikita ngayong araw na 'to," pabulong niyang sinabi iyon ngunit umabot pa rin sa aking pandinig.