CHAPTER NINETEEN
"ATE, she wants to talk with you--"
"I don't want to talk to her. I don't want to talk to anyone, just leave me alone" putol niya sa kapatid na si Lilie. "Leave me alone, please"
"Why are you shutting me out, Ate?" Nangingiyak na sambit ni Lilie. "W-What happened to you?"
"I said leave me alone!"
Parang binuhusan ng malamig na tubig si Lilie nang sigawan siya ng kapatid. This is the first time she raised her voiced on her, mula ng umalis sila ng mamatay ang Papa nila ay hindi na niya ito makilala.
Mas lalo itong nagbago nang makapunta sila rito sa puder ng ina. She just wiped her tears away and walked out of the room, who's she?
Hindi na niya ito makilala.
NAKATULOG si Vhal sa loob ng bisig ni Natalie, he was like a little boy that was lost and eventually found his home, para itong batang-takot-maiwanan-ng-ina kung makayakap sa kanya.
It's already morning, hindi naman siya nakatulog dahil sa bilis ng mga pangyayari. Bukas na ang laban nila, bukas na magtatapos ang lahat at bukas, kakalimutan na niya ang mga ito.
She have decided, she has to move on.
"I love you, Hon.." Vhal murmured, naalimpungatan pa ata ito but he was always like this, kahit noon pa. "I'm sorry"
Napakagat siya sa labi, bakit ba sila umabot sa ganito? Bakit kailangan nilang pagdaanan ang mga ito?
Dahan-dahan siyang umalis at inhiga ito sa unan, she has to go. Hindi niya kayang manatili sa loob ng silid na ito, hindi niya kayang magtagal pa na kasama si Vhal.
Why? Because after what happened last night, just seemed to change something. Hindi niya maintindihan, hindi niya maunawaan.
You can't back out, Natalie.. You can't
That's why she has to leave before she lose again, before she lose herself again to him.
"Natalie, saan ka pupunta?" Saktong papasok si Anjo nang buksan niya ang pinto.
"M-magpapahangin lang" she said and walked out. Actually, hindi niya alam kung babalik pa ba siya doon pero ang alam niya lang,kailangan niyang tapusin ang laban na ito.
Pumunta si Natalie sa coffeeshop hindi kalayuan sa hotel na tinutuluyan nila. She just sat there and pretended to relax, malay mo nga naman ay maging totoo.
"Would you like some breakfast, Madame?" Tanong ng waiter sa kanya. "French toast or waffles,perhaps?"
"What's your specialty, here?"
"Our specialty was Pasta but for morning, I recommend the big breakfast! " masayang sambit ng waiter sa kanya.
"I'll have both" she said. " and cappuccino"
"Right away, Madame" nagpaalam na ito at umalis na. She leaned on the chair and closed her eyes, sandali niyang sinulit ang malamig na simoy ng hangin.
Kailan ba ang huling beses niyang ginawa ito? She can barely remember.
"Good morning, Sir Vhal!"
"I'll have the usual" napakunot ang noo ni Natalie, what is he doing here?
"Alright, Sir"
Umupo ito sa harapan niya at pinagmasdan lang siya, like what he usually do before.
"Hindi mo ako ginising" he said as the waiter approached them serving their coffee's.
"M-masarap ang tulog mo" tipid niyang sagot. "What are you doing here by the way?"
"Really, Natalie?" Ani Vhal as he took a sip on his brewed coffee. "Bakit hindi mo ako ginising?"
Ang kulit!
"Nagugutom ako, gusto ko kumain!" sagot naman niya. "Alangang gisingin pa kita para lang--" napatigil si Natalie, no she can't use thay excuse. Its lame.
"Kahit naman masarap ang tulog ko kapag gutom ka. Gutom ka." He's right, how could she forget? "Aalis ka? Iiwan mo na ako?"
Nagkatitigan sila sa mata, nababasa ba nito ang iniisip niya? "Aalis ka ano?"
"What are you doing, Vhal? Hindi na kita maintindihan" she said while not taking her eyes off him. "Alam mo na ang lahat ng nangyari sa akin, then you're still here. Why?"
"Because I love you"
"Bullshit" she hissed.
"I love you" paguulit nito. "You knew I never stopped"
"Tapusin na natin ito, Vhal" Nagiba ang expresyon ng mukha ni Vhal sa mga narinig. "I am scarred. I am no longer the same Natalie you have loved thirteen years ago"
"But you love me, too. Alam ko at ramdam ko, Natalie--"
"Ayoko na" tipid niyang sagot. "Magkakasakitan lang tayo ulit--"
"I don't care" putol sa kanya ni Vhal. "Kaya tayo nagkakasakitan dahil pinipilit nating maghiwalay kahit mismong mundo na ang naglalapit sa ating dalawa." Dagdag niya.
"I c-can't do t-this anymore.." hindi malaman kung paano niya nakakayanan na sabihin ang mga salitang iyon.
"What's stopping you?" Biglang dumating ang waiter at sinerve ang orders nila.
Napakunot ang noo ni Vhal sa dami ng inorder niya. Sino kakain ng mga iyon?
"Natalie--"
"Vhal, please. Malapit na ang tournament, I have to stay focused and what you're doing to me wouldn't help me to stay focused." She grabbed the fork and knife and started eating.
Tama naman siya, alam ni Vhal iyon. She should be focused inside the field dahil isang pagkakamali lang ay maaring ikapahamak niya.
"Okay" he murmured.
Napatigil sa pagkain si Natalie. "A-ano?"
"I said, okay. Naiintindihan kita" he smiled. "But we're still partners inside the field,we have to be in each other's back at that time"
"I will" sagot ni Natalie. "M-meron pa ba?"
Sandaling napatitig si Vhal sa kanya. "We have the rest of the day until the game. Can you spend this day with me?"
"W-what?"
"So that we could plan for tomorrow. We need to have a strategy" napatango si Natalie, akala pa naman niya--
It's not a date!
"So, what do you think?" Tanong ni Vhal. "Are you okay with it?"
Tumango naman si Natalie. "Okay"
