Witness
He barked a laugh, but the anger mingled in it, and if I were not a woman, he would have already slammed me on the ground so hard.
I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for being friends with those rumored to have drug issues, but the changes I've seen in him and the obvious flirting with the girl who wasn't Patricia fuel something in me.
"And you think I like girls like you? Hindi ako uhaw sa babae," giit niya.
Tumawa ako. "Ah... but you have a kissing video circulating around the internet of you kissing Patricia, and now another girl is grinding at you! Wow... Hindi ka nga uhaw, Wallace," I smirked flatly, highlighting his famous name now.
Halos umukit ang dilim ng gabi sa kanyang ekspresyon. Nagpapaligsahan ang matalim naming tingin sa isa't isa, kapwa galit.
"Dami mong alam ah? Let me remind you that I am not your boyfriend. Bata pa tayo noon. We were teenagers."
"Oo nga! I was just seventeen! At ano ngayon kung hindi kita boyfriend! I am not jealous! Ikaw ang hindi makalimot sa ating dalawa that you were seen kissing multiple girls just to forget me. Who's crushing on who now, huh?" I taunted.
His cheek bubbled as I saw a glimpse of his tongue pushing on the side of his mouth while he put his hands on the side of his waist. His expression looked so disappointed and pissed.
"Bumalik kana sa lalake mo at tigilan mo ang pangingialam sa buhay ko," he ordered in his thick voice.
"I cannot believe I once had feelings for you if you will stoop this low." I gritted my teeth. "Go back to your girls too, and may you find comfort in their thighs..."
Ngumisi lamang si Trison, ngunit kita ko kung gaano iyon ka hilaw. Nailing siya at tumalikod na, desperado ang paglalakad paalis.
Sa iritasyon at sarkastiko kong ipinakitang ngiti, tumalikod din ako, mararahas ang hakbang palayo dala ang aking galit, ngunit dahan dahan iyong bumagal, hanggang sa tumigil ako.
Bumaba ang aking balikat. Ang galit na yumakap sa akin, unti-unti ring nawala nang mapalitan ng pangungulila. I was longing for his presence, for his warmth, and for the home that I once had before it abandoned me.
Lumingon ako at natagpuan ang likod niyang tuloy tuloy ang lakad palayo. I could sense how desperate he wanted to get away from me; even looking back was the last thing on his mind.
"Trison..." I called achingly.
Kung lilingon siya... baka sa gitna ng dilim, iyon ang makita kong liwanag para lapitan siya. Kahit daplis lang na tingin, kahit tumigil lamang siya, para lang maabutan ko siya, at makita ko na sana parehas na rin kami ng nararamdaman sa isa't isa.
Ngunit hindi siya tumigil. Kahit lingon, kahit saglit lang sana. Hindi. He continued walking.
His back was now shadowed by my tears. Hindi naman dapat ito masakit eh. Desisyon ko ito. Ang pagtalikod sa kanya ay parte ng ikakabuti naming dalawa. But why does it hurt?
Umugat ang paa ko sa kinatatayuan, pinipigilan ang sarili na takbuhin ang distansya naming dalawa at lumuhod na sana, kahit ako nalang, kahit sapat na ako bilang liwanag niya sa dilim na ito. Na sana, maalala niyang meron pa ako.
Na pamilya rin ako. Na nandito pa ako.
But maybe, he despises me because I didn't even try my best to come near him while he was grieving. I didn't comfort him. I immediately distanced myself as he faced everything. Alone.
Kung... sinubukan ko bang manatili sa kanyang tabi noon, kahit sumakit ang kamay niya kakatulak sa akin, mapapagod kaya siya at hahayaan akong manatili? Kung pinili ko ba siyang ipaglaban, kaysa ang tumayo sa ipinaglalaban ng aking pamilya sa oras na iyon, at sinamahan siya, mababago ko ba ang naging takbo ng buhay niya ngayon?
