Searing Burst of Rage (Fireheart 2)

Chapter 28

"Are we sleeping early?" I asked Dafiah as I watched her getting ready to sleep.

She has been silent since Murcia, even when we were eating lunch, she wasn't her usual self. I don't exactly know what happened with her, I was with Alfe the entire time this afternoon. I felt relief when Alfe didn't try to talk to me about going back to the mansion or try to make excuses.

He told me that if I feel like to back to the mansion, I'd tell him. I didn't bother to ask about Signora, I'm sure she's infuriated. Maybe Alfe had tried to talk to her, I don't know, he said he is on my side.

I turned to Dafiah and watched her face. It seems like her battery had just dried out. Her eyes are dispirited and her lips were pursed.

"Yea. I'm so tired," she answered and dropped her body.

"Let's do heart-to-heart," I suggested and jumped onto the bed beside her. I'm weary but I'm trying to boost myself to cheer her up.

"What's your problem? Mukhang nagkakamabutihan na kayo ulit ng asawa mo. Dapat kasama mo sya ngayon. Asawa mo yun tapos magkahiwalay kayo ng bahay. Ano bang klaseng set-up yan?" reklamo nya.

"Let's talk about you first," I insisted. I don't want us to talk about me. I don't want everything to be just all about me. She also has to talk about herself. It should be fair when it comes to both of us. Hindi pwedeng sya ang ang palaging nandito para sa akin, dapat ay nandito ako para sa kanya.

"What I think is you should be with Alfe right now," she insisted either. "He misses you. He likes you. You should acknowledge it before it's gone."

Napaisip ako sa sinabi nya. Maybe I'm just too hard on Alfe, or I'm too hard on myself. I missed him, too.

"He keeps asking you to come to the mansion. Hindi mo ba nahalatang naghihintay din syang sabihin mo na dito nalang din sya umuwi kasama ka at huwag na sa mansion?"

"I don't know," I confessed.

"Kasi ang atensyon mo ay nasa ibang bagay. Sabihin nga natin na ipapabagsak nila si Tito Don, sige sila ang masama at ayaw mong mangyari yun. It's not your responsibility. I'm sure Tito Don is doing something about it already. He's not dumb, Trea. You look up to him so you should just trust him," mahaba nyang litanya.

"Ayoko ang walang ginagawa, Dafiah. Naguguluhan pa din ako. Hindi pwedeng hindi ako malinawagan."

"Ang hindi ko lang naman maintindihan. Kung masama sila ay bakit ka ipinakasal kay Alfe? You told me it's for your protection, then that means you don't have to worry about," she stressed out.

"Because Papa didn't know that Alfe's family is using him."

"Using him for what exactly?"

"That's what I am trying to figure out."

"I think you're just ruminating. It's just nothing. It's nothing," she said and turned her back on me.

"It isn't nothing, Dafiah. Everything happens for a reason. Everything matters. What I am doing is gathering and putting it all together. Hindi ko ito bibitawan hangga't hindi ko makukuha ang gusto ko."

"Have you let go of your dream? Mukhang wala na isip ang mag-aral, a," aniya.

"Hindi ko na alam," I honestly uttered.

I veered and I lost my way back. With all the thoughts I have, I don't know if I could find the one I left untouched for a while. I know that it's just there.

"I'll cheer you up with your studies," I said as I rested my chin on my palm.

Humarap ulit si Dafiah sa akin. "I wanted to be a paralegal so I can assist you. Nakayanan ko lang naman ang PolSci dahil sayo, hindi ko alam kung makakaya ko ang Law ng wala ka."