(WRITTEN SERIES #3)
Having their hearts broken after an expected affair, Penny and Clifford unexpectedly found comfort from each other. But as the bond between the two of them deepens, secrets resurface as conflicts wreck havoc to their present. Can...
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PENNY
"CORA?" I uttered her name as soon as I saw her standing in the middle of the kitchen, the refrigerator light giving a little bit of light in the midst of the dark.
Her tired and swollen eyes looked at me. Bumaba ang tingin ko patungo sa mga kamay niya at nagulat ako nang makitang may hawak-hawak siyang bote ng alak.
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" I couldnʼt help but worry.
Hindi siya sumagot at yumuko lang. All I could was sigh as I walked towards her direction.
These past few days, magkasama na kaming dalawa sa iisang kwarto. Naalimpungatan ako kanina at nakitang nawawala siya. At first, I thought she went to the bathroom pero nagtaka ako nang hindi ko siya nakita doʼn. Kaya naman dumiretso na lang ako dito sa kusina just in case at hindi nga ako nagkamali dahil nandito nga siya, nasa harapan ko at hindi nagsasalita.
"Are you going to drink?" tanong ko nang makalapit ako sa kaniya at isinara ang nakabukas na ref, dahilan para balutin kami ng dilim.
"Y-Yeah..." she muttered under her breath, as if she was embarrassed that I caught her with the extra bottle of liquor that I was hiding.
I sighed and pursed my lips. "You need someone to accompany you? Like someone you call Bitchshiewap?"
She slowly raised her head. "Is it okay lang ba for you?"
Ngumiti naman ako at tumango-tango. Next thing I know, we were already sitting on the table, two glasses filled with liquor in front of both of us, the nearby window letting the moon illuminate a faint light through the dark.
Tahimik lang kaming umiinom. Only the sounds of the clock ticking and the littlest motions we make filled the quiet space. Makalipas ang ilang sandali, hindi ko na napigilan at napagdesisyunan kong basagin ang nakakabinging katahimikan.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
Ngumiti naman siya at umiling bago lagukin ang laman ng kaniyang baso na ikinagulat ko.. This is the first time I saw her drink, and it hurts me to see her do it in a time like this.
"You know you can tell me anything," I said, drinking from my glass while staring at her. "And by anything, I mean, everything."
Huminga siya nang malalim at muling uminom. Her dull eyes continued to look blankly ahead. Looking at her in this state is such a rare sight to see — one that I would never want to see again in my entire life.
"T-That day... when we went to the airport, I managed to see Mason... Paulit-ulit kong tinawag 'yong pangalan niya noʼn." Tears started streaming down her face as her voice broke with every word. "He stopped, kaya alam kong narinig niya ako. Tinawag ko ulit siya... paulit-ulit. But he didnʼt look back at me. He just kept walking without even looking at me for one last time."
