Ang Multo sa Manhole - Under revision

Bogart says 45

Eiji’s Point of view

Magdadalawang lingo na simula ng sinabi kong ‘we’re through’ ng harap-harapan kay Buknoy doon sa likuran ng covered court. Doon nya rin akong unang nakitang nanigarilyo. At sya rin ang unang nakaalam nito bukod kay Red. Ang sabi kasi ni Red, nakakapagpabawas ng kaba o tension ang yosi. At hindi nga ako nabigo. Nasabi, I mean, sinabi ko sa kanya ang mga katagang iyon ng walang pakundangan at tuloy-tuloy, na tila ba wala na syang kahulugan sa akin. But the effect was only for that moment. The moment he walked out, I started crying, dreading why I ever said that. It really hurts when I lie because Buknoy has never been meaningless, at least, to my life. But what did I just do? I shove him away. Ayokong parents ko ang maghiwalay samin nor itong situation na pinagdaraanan namin. I rather end it myself than allowing them to do it their own unfairly ways. Wala akong kasalanan. Mas lalo na si Buknoy. Ngunit sa mga nangyayari, kami parati ang nadedehado. We’re living in a world where happiness seems wrong.

“You broke my heart into bits.” Wika nya. I mean, who would have the sane to get happy over that? No one. Just no one. And maybe, kung natuluyan nga sya sa pagpapasagasa nya that day, then I have all the right, the priviledge, the reason, the everything to make my turn and say, “You also broke my heart into bits.”

I wasn’t expecting Buknoy would thought of doing that as he wasn’t also expecting I would crushed his heart. Hindi imposibleng maging reason ito for his action. Guilty ako nung mangyari yun. Nasa loob lang ako ng kotse ni Red while watching Ellis helped him got up. Naisipan ko rin namang lumabas sana. But what could I possibly do, tanungin si Buknoy kung okay lang ba sya? Baka sampalin lang ako ni Ellis and instead, ipasagot sa akin ni Buknoy ang sarili kong tanong which, reading between the lines, I knew very well of the answer.

I've always been sitting by my window at night since I went home after Buknoy and I had been to Picture City. I felt like the moon is feeling me, pitying me, but most importantly, is with me. That night I looked up to it as I told him about Buknoy, how he was close to being hit and how down was he when I finally released him.

Yung mga pictures naming magkasama ay itinago ko sa ilalim ng kama. Dito ko rin itinago yung singsing na pinaghirapan kong tanggalin. Madalas natetempt akong hilain ito nang mamalas ko uli kung gano kami ka-in-love sa isa't isa pero once I did, I cried over them. They WERE picture perfect.

The next day sa school, pumwesto ako dun sa may corridor.Sinusulit ko yung time na wala pa yung next teacher namin. I was thinking about the party Red was telling and it didn't really interest me, not even a bit. Sya pa nga nagpresenta na sunduin ako sa bahay when that day comes ngunit ni-rietirate ko sa kanya na hindi ako babae, crippled, or a crippled girl thus, hindi ako pumayag.

I hate it when they think I can't do things on my own; that I can only function with the helps of others. Mga bagay na to ang nagpapaemphasis na wala akong kwenta - isang basura.

Habang nasa ganoong posisyon - nakapangalumbaba at preoccupied, nakita kong dumaan si Buknoy sa 5th floor ng corridor sa katapat na building. Nagkatinginan kami saglit bago sya sinalubong ng isang babae. Nginitian nya yung babae, nagkausap kaunti bago tumuloy sa paglalakad, ang kamay - sa balikat ng babae.

Mukhang naka-move on na nga si Buknoy. Why would he stay depress when there's so much more in life. Ika nga ni John Lloyd, "hindi lang sayo umiikot ang mundo. At hindi ito titigil kahit mawala ka pa." 

Pero bakit nung lumapat lang saglit ang palad nya sa balikat ng babae parang tumigil bahagya ang ikot ng mundo ko? Ni hindi ko nga namalayang nag-hihintay yung teacher ko sa aking mapansin ko sya doon sa may pintuan.