Hello, Stranger (COMPLETED)

04

Medyo kinakabahan ako na nandito kami sa lugar na hindi tinatao pero kasama ko naman siya.

Walang dapat ipangamba.

"Are you nervous?" he asked na kinakunot ng noo ko.

"No? Why did you asked?"

"Because we're here. There are no other people here except us. I'm a stranger. Aren't you afraid that I might do something bad on you?"

Hindi agad ako nakapagsalita sa sinabi niya. Nanatili lang akong nakatitig sa kanya habang pilit dina-digest ang mga sinabi niya. Gusto niya bang matakot ako sa kanya? Kasi kanina niya pa sinasabi yan. He wants me to be afraid. Sinabi niya pang hindi siya naniniwala kay God but he said that he'll not remove my faith in Him.

That he will save me.

"I know that the last person that could kill me is you," diretsong sabi ko na lang. "I don't know why you don't believe in Him but that's not enough reason for me to be afraid on you. I respect your faith though. Ba't ako matatakot sa taong puro kabutihan ang pinakita sa 'kin?"

Sandaling namayapa ang katahimikan sa pagitan namin.

Lalong lumamig ang hangin. Hindi ko mabasa ang tumatakbo sa mga mata niya kahit na sa 'kin lang siya nakatingin.

"I have my reason why I stop believing in Him," he said kaya bumuntong-hininga ako at ngumiti nang bahagya.

Alam kong babalik din ang paniniwala niya sa Diyos. Isa lang siyang nilalang na naghahanap ng kasagutan. Na kahit marami na siyang nalalaman, kailangan niya pa rin ng tamang gagabay sa kanya.

"I respect that, Elias. Whatever the reason was, I know that He will forgive you and He will wait for you to comeback. He's a father. Fathers never leave their kids in nowhere," ngumiti ako pero nawala naman ang ngiti niya.

"You don't know what you're saying, Miss. You can't tell something about the thing that you didn't experience yet. And how can you believe in one thing that you can't see?"

Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. Akala ko ba, nirerespeto niya ang paniniwala ko?

Ano 'tong kabastusang pinagsasasabi niya tungkol sa Diyos ko?

"I... I believe in Him because I know that He's real," naaasar na sabi ko.

Napangisi siya at umiwas ng tingin sa'kin. "How did you know that He's real?"

"Because I experienced His miracle. His grace."

"Tell me. For sure, there's an explanation about to what happened," pagtataray niya sabay tingin sa'kin.

Natahimik ako.

You, Elias, are my miracle. You are His grace. He saved me using you as His instrument.

Pero hindi ko masabi kasi sinabi ko na 'to kanina. Alam ko na ang magiging sagot niya.

Natawa na lang ako out of frustration.

"I'm grateful that I know how to trust without knowing the reason why I should trust someone. But you? You always have your explanation to everything. You always have your reasons. Ang dami mong alam! Kaya siguro naguguluhan ka rin minsan kasi 'di mo na alam kung alin ang tama at mali sa mga nalalaman mo," seryosong sabi ko.

Hindi na ako natutuwa sa usapan naming 'to. Alam ko naman na komplekadong pag-usapan ang ganitong topic lalo na sa kanya-kanya naming paniniwala. Pero hindi ko lang matanggap na babastusin niya sa harapan ko ang Diyos ko.

"Hindi ako naguguluhan. I know what I have to do. I never commit suicide. I don't have God--yes. But I think, you're the worst between the two of us. Because you doubted Him, don't you? You asked yourself, is He real? If that so, why He left you behind? If I'm not mistaken--don't kill is one of His rules, right? You're a rule breaker. You disobeyed Him."