One Lost Summer (Brave Series #2)

Chapter 48: Majarlika

Majarlika De Luna

Majarlika woke up in the middle of the night. Naramdaman niya si Tria sa kanyang tabi dahil naghalo ang buhok nilang dalawa. She's curled in a fetus position facing her direction. Her best friend has been staying with her during weekends at babalik din ng Pampanga ng Lunes ng madaling araw.

Sa totoo lang may parte sa kanya na nakokonsensya dahil totoo naman na nakakapagod ang pabalik balik na biyahe but not once she heard Tria complaining about it. Oftentimes she visits with a lot of stories from their hometown and their university.

Majarlika stopped schooling. Masakit man pero may mga bagay siyang kailangan bitawan dahil habang tumatagal na kumakapit siya mas lalo lang siyang napapagod. Kung tutuusin kaya naman niya pero ayaw niya nang makadagdag pa sa mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya.

When she angled her head to the other side of the room, Majarlika's eyes caught Stacy, Grale's not-so-favorite cousin. Nakahiga at tulog din ito sa spare bed. Sa mga nakalipas na buwan ni Majarlika sa ospital ay mas lalo siyang napalapit sa babae pati na rin sa ilang relatives ni Grale na ilang beses kung bumisita kada linggo. Ramdam na ramdam niya ang pagmamahal sa kanya ng angkan ng nobyo.

Si Grale naman ay nasa mahabang sofa. He's laying on his back with his one arm resting on top of his forehead, covering his eyes. Based on his deep breaths, he's sleeping. Grale stopped accepting projects two weeks ago. Halos pagtalunan pa nila ito dahil ang alam ni Majarlika na kahit hindi na ito pansalamantalang tumatanggap ng mga big projects ay gumagawa pa rin ito ng mga commercials and other short activities.

"Stop pushing it, Maj," he glared.

She sighed. "Grale, naman. Hindi mo naman kailangan magsara ng mga pinto. I won't go anywhere. Dito lang ako sa ospital. Ayos lang na gawin mo yung mga dapat mong gawin."

"Baby, look. My life there? Pwede ko 'yon balikan anytime I want. Those opportunities, I can have still have them in the future, too. I'm not closing any doors. I'm just simply pausing them because right now you are my priority."

"Grale naman," she closed her eyes hardly.

"Stop being selfless, okay. You will always come first. Sa kahit na ano at sa kahit na kailan..."

"But this isn't what I want for you," she bit her lip. "Grale, ninanakaw ko na ang oras at panahon mo. Even those wonderful opportunities I'm destroying them. I think... I think it's better—"

His eyes darkened. "You better not go down there, Majarlika."

She stiffened. Halata sa nobyo ang pagtitimpi sa bawat diin sa salita nito dahil sigurado na kalagayan pa rin niya ang iniisip nito. She's been sensitive these past few days and her emotions were all over the place. And strong emotions are apparently not healthy for her current condition.

Majarlika couldn't help but admire how Grale controls himself but then it just added to her conscience. Knowing that he has to hold back many things in his life now just for her sake. Hindi siya sakim at ayaw niyang lamunin si Grale ng paghihirap niya.

"Grale..."

He tiredly ran his fingers through his hair. His blood shot eyes losing their glow. "When will you truly understand that you are the most important person in my life, Majarlika? That everyday I struggle with the possibility of waking up one morning without seeing you again. That I want to stay beside you as long as I can because it's the only way for me to stay sane," he inhaled harshly. "I also get tired, baby, and scared and fucked up about all of these. But everytime I think of seeing you after a long tiring day, I feel okay again. As stupid as it may seem but you are my fucking life, Majarlika, and I'm not even kidding about it."