Wrath

Chapter Seven

"Kuya?" Naalimupangatan na dumilat si Riel nang gisingin ko siya. Still dazed from sleep, he sat up and brushed his fingers through his hair.

"We need to get away from here. Kailangan natin makalayo sa lalong madaling panahon." I said with urgency.

"Bakit?" Worry and fear washed over his face. "Ano bang nangyayari?"

I frantically walked back and forth. My mind was racing with anxiety. Sumilip ako mula sa bintana ng kwarto ni Riel. Luckily, there wasn't anyone out there. He still hadn't caught up on us. I feared for my brother's safety more than my own. Our lives was in danger now that Patricio knew about us.

He could easily do to us what he'd done to both our parents. Riel was young, he had a whole life ahead of him. I didn't care if he kills me, I wasn't afraid to die. Ang kapatid ko ang inaalala ko.

"I don't have time to explain to you. Basta kailangan na natin umalis." Sabi ko sa kanya.

He jumped out of bed and got dressed. Walang salitang, lumabas kami ng bahay at sumakay sa kotse. I could feel his fear. Alam ko kahit hindi niya sabihin, natatakot siya.

"Kuya, ano ba talagang nangyayari? Bakit kailangan natin umalis?" He frustratedly asked as I was driving.

"Nahuli ako ni Patricio. Alam niya na ang totoong pagkatao ko. He's going to kill us, Riel!" I said.

"Ano? Kuya, paano na yan? Saan tayo pupunta?" Bakas sa boses niya ang takot.

"I bought a house in Cavite. Doon muna tayo pansamantala magtatago." Sagot ko.

"Sabi ko naman sa'yo, walang mabuting madudulot yang ginagawa mo. Imbes na tahimik na ang buhay natin, nagkaleche-leche pa ngayon!" There was anger and anxiety in his voice.

"Hindi kita pababayaan, Riel, huwag kang mag-alala. They'd have to kill me first before they could lay a finger on you." I said with firm conviction.

"Paano nga kung mapatay ka nila? Ano na ang mangyayari sa akin? You're not going to be there to proetect me anymore." He sounded as if he was ready to cry. "Kuya, paulit-ulit kong sinabi sa'yo na hindi magandang ideya ang ginagawa mo. See what it did to us! You've put our lives in danger!"

"Pansamantala lang ito! Everything will be okay. Hawak ko na ang ebidensya laban kay Patricio." I explained. "Pagbabayaran niya ang ginawa niya!"

"Paano kung matunton niya tayo?"

"He won't. Just trust me on this, okay?" I gently said. "Kahit kailan ba hinayaan kong may manakit sa'yo? Hindi, di ba? And I won't ever let anyone hurt you, Riel. Do you understand? Not Patricio. Not anyone."

He quietly nodded his head as an answer. After a few hours of driving, narating na din namin ang bahay. It was just a small house in the middle of a meadow. Nag-iisang bahay lang iyon doon at nasa tagong lugar. It was the perfect hiding place. May kalumaan na ang bahay. Some parts of the house was already disintergrating as no one was maintining it. But it was still decently habitable.

I had planned it all out. I had already planned an escape place if anything goes wrong with my plan.

"Kuya, natatakot ako." Riel admitted.

I gave him a gentle pat on the cheek. "As long as I'm here, you have nothing to be scared of."

"At paano kapag nawala ka?" He asked, his eyes watering.

"Hindi mangyayari iyon." I said. "I'll always be here for you."

I pulled him into a hug. And it was like he was a little kid again, crying for mom and dad. He was so young when we lost our parents. Nahirapan akong ipaliwanag sa kanya noon na hindi na babalik ang mom at dad, that they were gone forever. Ipinangako ko sa sarili ko noon na hindi ko hahayaan na may manakit sa kapatid ko. He was the only family I had and I would give my life to protect him.