ABKD Mahal Kita

Chapter 24 Kumpas

"Ikaw 'yung kumpas no'ng naliligaw. Naging kulay ka sa langit na bughaw. Sa bawat bagyo na dumayo, ikaw 'yung kanlungan na nahanap ko. Kahit no'ng 'di ko alam ilang beses mo akong niligtas. Ikaw ang hantungan at aking wakas." -Kumpas, Moira

Erich POV

"I have classes this afternoon." Caleb says.

Napatingin ako sa digital clock sa bedside table ko. It's 6:20 in the evening, so 11:20 in the morning naman nila doon sa London.

"Mona's still sleeping, I don't want to wake her up 'cause you know her when she's pissed." He rolled his eyes and then laugh.

Kausap ko siya ngayon through Facetime. Pinag-uusapan namin ang tungkol sa mga sentiments niya na ang tamad-tamad ng kapatid niyang si Mona tapos kapag inuutusan magagalit pa. Nakapagtapos naman ng college pero ayaw magtrabaho. Mag-isa daw tuloy siyang kumakayod. Buti na lang daw at malaki-laki ang insurance na iniwan sa kanila ng papa niya.

Hindi sasakto ang salitang guwapo lang kay Caleb. Kung pakakatitigan, marami pa siyang patataubing artista dito sa Pilipinas. Matangkad, lean at maputi. We were once married. Not because we were in love, but because the situation required us to do it.

He's gay. And his father didn't know that. Nag-iisa lang siyang anak na lalaking, may sakit pa ang tatay niya noon. Hiniling ng daddy niya na kung pupwede ikasal na siya habang nabubuhay pa ito, at para masaksihan ang kasal ng nag-iisa niyang anak na lalake. Caleb couldn't find the courage to tell his dad about his sexuality. He was scared that his confession might lead to his father's untimely death or it may worsen his condition.

He's left nothing but to convince me to marry him and promised that we will divorce once his father died. At dahil best friend ko siya, ayoko siyang nakikitang nahihirapan kaya pumayag ako. Not knowing na magkakaroon pala ito ng conflict sa part ko...

"Urgh! I feel exhausted!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry." I feel his sentiments. Naranasan ko na rin kasing tumira sa kanila. Noong buhay pa ang daddy niya. "If only I could do something..."

Napangiti siya sa narinig. "You're always there each time or whenever I need someone to talk to. That's enough for me."

Napabuntong-hininga ako. "I hope your mom is okay now that your schedule isn't tight anymore."

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine with it." He replied. "Enough about me, how about you love? Are you okay? You seem a little bit... off."

'Are you okay' always hits me differently. I don't know, because when you think of it, and realized that you're not really okay. That there's something... missing.

"I am!" Parang sa sarili ko ito mas sinasabi. "I'm okay."

"Hmm." He looks at me dubiously. "The eyes chico, they never lie."

"She's back." I breathe the word out.

"Oh!" His lips formed a perfect O shape. Alam niya kung sino ang tinutukoy ko. "Isn't that what you've always wanted? To see her again? And maybe patch things up?"

Bumalik sa isip ko ang naging pagkikita namin kahapon ni Angie. Hindi ko inaakala na nandoon pala siya. Alam ko na nandito na siya sa Matalinhaga, sinabi ni Lino. Pero... parang bumalik 'yong sakit?

Inaamin ko naman na malaki ang pagkakamali ko sa nangyari. Ako 'yong adult, plus her teacher too! I was supposed to be her second mom or sister... but - haist!

Noong nangyari 'yon... sobra akong naapektuhan pero itinago ko lang ito kay mama. Ang alam nila nag-resign ako ng kusa sa school but no. Kinausap ng papa ni Angie noon ang School Principal. Hiningi naman ni Mrs. Manzano noon ang side ko. Tinanong niya kung may katotohanan ba ang lahat ng sinabi ng papa ni Angie kaya siya ililipat ng school. I told her the truth. In-advice niya sa akin na mag-file na lang ng resignation kaysa mapilitan ang school na tanggalin ako. I broke the code of conduct. Kahit pa sabihin na wala naman talagang namagitan sa amin ni Angie, sexually, pero 'yong kinonsenti ko at ginatungan, kahit saang anggulo tignan ay hindi maganda at hindi nararapat. Ang ipinagpapasalamat ko na lang siguro that time ay nataong on process na ang divorce namin ni Caleb. At least hindi nila 'yon magagamit laban sa akin.