Malalim ang iniisip habang nakatanaw sa salamin ng pinto. My mind start to reject anything that is too much for it to process.
Inside that white room, pinapanood ko habang umiiyak si Aling Deborah sa tabi ng anak niyang nagkamalay pa lang. She's holding her daughter's hand with hers, binded by the hand-cuffs while they're talking inside.
"Hindi ka na dapat pumunta dito. Paano kung---"
"It's fine." pagputol ko sa sasabihin niya. He sighed deeply at pinili niyang ipaliwanag ang lahat ng nangyare.
"She's here in the hospital dahil binalak niyang magpakamatay. Naglaslas siya at mabuti na lang, may nakakitang kapitbahay nila at kaagad na isinugod sa ospital. She's at the death's door, fortunately nakaligtas siya." my errand runner's companion explained.
Walang buhay at walang imik. Iyan lang ang tanging naging reaksiyon ko. I'm just silently watching the mother and the daughter inside. Kahit gaano pa din pala kasama ang magulang, hindi pa rin nawawala ang pagmamahal nila sa kanilang anak. Though it's a rare case, those who had the same situation will be called lucky.
"Eve..." I heard someone, calling from a distance.
"Professor Jed..." walang lakas kong sambit. He came rushing at the hallway at kaagad na lumapit sa pwesto namin.
"What happened?" He asked and held my right shoulder. I didn't give a reply and gazed back inside the hospital room.
Si Exrel na ang nagpaliwanag ng sitwasyon sa kaniya. I sat on the nearby bleacher and stare blankly on the floor, clearing my mind from the rushing thoughts. Pagkatapos mag-usap ang dalawa, naupo si Professor Jed sa katabing upuan.
"You look very sick. Umalis na tayo, magpahinga ka sa apartment mo. Pero mas maiging sa ospital na rin tayo dumiretso..." aniya na ikinailing ko. He sighed deeply.
"Bakit ka pa bumyahe papunta dito?" nagtatakang tanong niya. I rest my elbows on my thighs and play with my fingertips.
"May kailangan akong sabihin kay Sheena." maikling tugon ko na hindi na niya inangalan pa.
Ilang minuto ang lumipas nang magbukas na ang pinto ng hospital room at lumabas si Aling Deborah kasunod ng dalawang pulis na nakabantay sa kaniya. Nang makita niya ako, kaagad siyang sumugod, slapping me hard on my right cheek.
"WALANG HIYA KA!!! ANONG GINAWA MO SA ANAK KO! H*YOP KA!" bulyaw niya sa nanggagalaiting tono. Wala akong ibang naramdaman kundi ang sakit ng pagkakasampal niya sa mukha ko.
"HINDI PA SAPAT PAGPAPAKULONG MO SA AKIN HA?! G-GUSTO MO PANG M-MAPATAY ANG ANAK KO?!" sigaw niya na kasunod ay ang pag-iyak habang hawak na ngayon ng dalawang pulis para pigilan ulit itong sumugod.
I'm staring blankly at her habang nasa likod ni Professor Jed na inilayo ako para hindi niya na maabot. Naging agaw pansin ang ginawa niya. Some patients nearby were in turmoil, the same with other people in the hospital halls. She's now hysterical and the two police drag her away at the request of the nurses. It seems that her time out is already done.
I can't bring myself to apologize to her, dahil puno ako ng galit sa kaniya. I didn't owe anything from her, I don't have anything to say sorry at her. I can't bring myself to lower down, knowing that she's one of the cause of everything that had happened. Malaki ang naging kasalanan niya sa mag-ama dahil sa pangingialam nito sa mga ari-arian nila.
"Kausapin mo na siya." Professor Jed said after the scene. I nodded my head and proceeded inside the room.
Gulat ang rumehistro sa mukha ni Sheena nang makita ako nitong pumasok. She look away when our eyes met, feeling uneasy because of my presence.
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Teen Fiction[Soon to be Published] BLURB Eve I. Meneses, a principled fourth year Architecture student and an artist who started hating people after what happened two years ago which changed his outlooks in life. The loathing in his heart created an overwhelm...
