s i Ni s t e r

Untitled Part 38

NO." ITINULAK NI AMBER PALAYO SA KANYA ANG LAPTOP NI PACO, "I've no idea why she draw that." Nasa screen ang pinagsama-samang drowing ni Blanche at ang picture ng parehong landscape na kuha raw ni Paige. "But we all know she loved to draw and those drawings are...gifts." She sighed, "Which is so sad. It means, she'd been planning to....for a long time."

"How come you didn't get one?" Si Sean. Ito pa talaga ang nagtanong ng tanong na iniiwasan ni Amber. Lahat binigyan ni Blanche ng drowing maski si Paige, pero siya na pinakamalapit sa babae, wala.

"Because maybe I got a letter---" Sagot niya. Hindi totoo pero hindi naman malalaman ng mga ito. "---which I've no plans of sharing with anyone." Sinulyapan niya si Sean,"It's too personal. I don't want to expose Blanche any more than she already is."

Tumango si Ty.

"Hey, where's Paige?" Tanong ni Amber, gusto na niyang mapalitan ang topic. Ayaw sana niyang magpakita sa mga ito pero excited nang tawagan siya. Blanche gave them something , at siempre, kailangan niyang makita kung ano iyon.

Another thing, Sean was getting on her nerves. Laging nakadikit sa kanya, and he was either talking incessantly or getting in her pants. He has utter disregard for her personal space, he would not even let her think. So, she went and joined Ty and the rest at the coffee shop.

Sean was against that, of course. Kaya pasimple siyang nilalaglag. Pero wala naman itong alam and he only cared about fucking and Ollie's pills.

Damn, she's been so...stupid. The Sean she loved...or thought she loved was not the Sean beside her. He wasn't even good in bed.

"May trabaho pa s'ya, eh." Sabi ni Ty.

Amber eyed him intently. How come she never saw it before? Ty may not have that in-your-face good looks but he wasn't bad-looking either. He wasn't obsessed with his looks unlike..ugh. Wala na sigurong mas turn-off sa lalaking tsine-check ang appearance sa bawat shiny surface na madaanan. Hindi pa niya nahuhuli si Ty na nanalamin. More importantly, Ty got that no nonsense air about him .

Sumabad si Papa John, "Have you been there? Do you know that place." He pointed at the screen.

"I'm really not sure." Sagot ni Amber. "Maybe. But even if I've been there, I won't immediately recognize that place as this place." She pointed at the drawing again. "Same way we won't recognize someone kung extreme close-up ang picture, di ba? And...uh, why do you ask?"

"The guys are intrigued." Sagot ni Kim. "What's the significance of that place to Blanche. Baka alam mo."

Umiling si Amber, "Sorry, no. I know what you're trying to do, guys." Pinalungkot niya ang mukha, "You want answers. What Blanche did is painful for us. Natural lang na maghanap tayo ng ibang explanation...anything but the real reason. Ang hirap kasi tanggapin na...pinili na lang ni Blanche na iwanan tayo kasi , hindi natin s'ya kayang tulungan."

The guys looked down. Kim wiped a tear. Ashley sniffled.

Nagpatuloy si Amber, "Ang sakit -sakit isipin na ...sa isip ni Blanche, wala tayong magagawa para sa kanya."

"You're right." Sabi ni Ashley. "This feeling sucks. You know why? Because otherwise, we'd just be forced to accept that it was her decision...her life, her rule. And we must respect that and that sucks even more. I don't want to feel guilty, but I don't want to respect her decision too..not that kind of decision. Saan tayo lulugar?"

Amber patted Ashley's hand, "Maybe we don't have to choose what we're supposed to feel. It's not this or that, but both--"

Ty raised his phone, "May text si Paige. Nandun daw si Tita Monique, she's asking about the drawings."

"Oh, crap!" Bulalas ni Amber. "You mentioned Tita Monique, D-Darby wants to speak to her and I have to tell Tita." Kinagat niya ang labi , sabay tayo. Tayo rin kaagad si Sean.

"I don't envy you." Sabi ni Kim.

"Wish me luck." At humawak siya sa braso ni Sean, "Why don't you stay here na lang?"

"I'll go with you."

"Sean, please. I need to think of what I'm gonna say..i need to do this alone."

Halatang pikon na naupo uli si Sean.

Ugh, what a loser.