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We can't just die like this. Ito ang paulit-ulit sa isip ko habang yakap si Masha mula sa kanyang likuran. Pareho kaming nakaupo sa sahig, pilit na sinisiksik ang mga katawan namin sa ilalim ng bar table. Ang isa kong kamay ay nakapulupot sa baywang niya habang ang kabila naman ay nakahawak ibabaw ng kanyang ulo, pilit siyang tinatakpan upang huwag matamaan ng kung ano mang hinahampas ni Tita Letty mula sa ibabaw ng mesa.
Masha trembled as she covered her mouth with her two hands. She was trying hard to muffle her cries but I could still feel her flinch and cry at Tita Letty's every violent move. Alcohol, shards of glass, and even bottles were flying above the table—debris kept falling down on us but we continued to crouch down, not looking up at all, hoping to trick the woman into believing she's all alone, eventually giving up.
I was terrified as hell, but feeling Masha tremble in fear made me even more desperate to survive. We needed to get out of there alive. Both of us. Kahit siya lang ay okay na, pero siyempre mas okay kung ako rin.
Kahit pa para nang sasabog ang puso ko sa takot at kaba, pilit akong dumilat. I looked around the floor, trying to look for the knife that I dropped, or anything we could use as a weapon, but I couldn't find any. I absentmindedly looked at the walls and all of a sudden, an idea crossed my mind when I saw the light switch.
I gasped from the adrenaline, my heartbeat racing even more. Minsan lang ako magkaroon ng bright idea!
Masha heard me gasp. She looked up and turned her head slightly to my direction, eyes brimming with tears and questions.
Pinanlakihan ko siya ng mga mata at ngumuso sa direksiyon ng light switch sa dingding. Sinundan niya ng tingin ang direksiyon, pero mabilis din siyang lumingon ulit sa akin, kunot-noo at may tumataginting na 'HA?' sa mukha. Ngumuso ako ulit sa light switch, mas may pagdidiin at panggigil na.
"Ha?!" Masha mouthed at me after glancing at the wall and failing to understand what I was pointing at.
I love Masha with every fiber of my being but at that exact moment, I just wanted to throw her to the light switch.
"Light—" Bago ko pa man masabi ang pangalawang salita, bigla na lamang lumiwanag sa ibabaw namin kasabay ng isang napakalakas na tunog ng pagkawasak. Napalingon kami ni Masha at parehong nagtilian nang makitang nagawang iangat ni Tita Telly ang buong mesang pinagtataguan namin.
If I wasn't so terrified, I would've been so amazed at her strength.
"Sa dilim!" sigaw ko at dala na rin ng adrenaline ay agad akong napatayo at napatakbo patungo sa light switch, kaladkad si Masha at hindi alintana ang mga paa kong namanhid dahil sa pagkakaupo namin sa sahig. Sa lakas ng palo ko sa light switch, parang humapdi ang buo kong kamay.
Sa pagdilim ng paligid, dali-dali kong tinakpan ang bibig ni Masha, kaso dahil sa sitwasyon namin, pakiramdam ko'y na-high five ko lang nang malakas ang mukha niya. Medyo nasabunutan ko pa siya dahil sa sobrang dilim.
