The Last Quarantine

Season 2: Episode 10

Malakas ang pagtibok ng puso ko dahil sa kaba. Binabalot ako ng kilabot habang niyayakap iyong nanginginig na bata. Sa gulo at ingay ng paligid, napapaigtad na lang talaga kami sa tuwing may babangga sa mga katawan namin.

"We need to atleast find a place to hide in, Venice." Santhy told me as he observed the deadly commotion around us. Ngayon kasi ay patuloy na nagtatakbuhan ang mga zombies. Lagi nila kaming nababangga dahilan para sila ay matumba sa mismong tabi namin.

I nod at Santhy. "Yes, we really need to." I let out a nervous breath. "Hindi tayo safe dito, at saka may bata tayong kasama. It's better for us to just find a place to hide and rest in to. The last thing that we should want is to impose more trauma on this little girl's mind." I sigh as I rub the arms of the trembling little girl.

"We should move now." Santhy told me with a creased eyebrow, he is still observing the situation around us with his ears. "Let's focus with the wall. Doon muna tayo pumunta. Saka na natin isipin ang susunod nating gagawin kapag nandoon na tayo. Right?"

I nod at him without any hesitations. Kasi that specific moment, all I wanted was to end the storm out of the little girl's mind. She needed time to calm down. She really need it.

"Okay ganito ang gagawin natin." I saw Santhy's adam's apple to bob up and down. Pawisan ang noo niya. Nagmomoist rin iyong salamin ng eyeglass niya dahil sa paghinga niya. "Katulad ng ginagawa natin kanina, we will move to that wall while sitting. Okay?"

I nod at him.

Like a pawn, I found myself ready to be the disadvantage on a chess game. I found myself craving to fight for the second chance to breathe that Kuya Brylle and Ate Janelle gave me.

I need to make their choices of saving me to be worthwhile.

"Kahit na may bumangga sa atin. Masaktan man o hindi, tutuloy tayo. Kahit na anong mangyari, dapat tayong tumuloy sa paggalaw hanggang sa mahawakan na natin iyong pader, maliwanag?"

"Yes, Santhy. I understood." Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na hininga para palakasin pa lalo ang sarili ko. "Let's go?"

Santhy nodded at me. And then we started to move. Idinudulas ko ang pwetan ko sa malamig na tiles. Ganoon rin si Santhy na sinisiguradong hindi mahuhubad ang pangharang namin sa ulo.

Sa bawat pag-galaw namin ay ganoon rin naman ang ginagawang pagbangga ng nagtatakbuhang zombies sa amin. Maya't maya iyon. Puro sipa ang inabot namin ni Santhy sa nagdaang ilang minuto.

Pero ilang minuto pa ang lumipas, nagsimula kaming makakita ng liwanag sa sitwasyong ito. Naramdaman ko na lang na nakasandal na pala ako sa pader. Bagay na ikinangiti naming dalawa ni Santhy na ngayon ay bumubuga ng hangin habang napapailing.

"What should we do next?" I asked him. Nawala na rin iyong panginginig noong bata. Pero iyong higpit ng yakap niya sa akin ay hindi pa rin nagbabago.

"I really don't know." Santhy grimaced. He is looking around. Obviously, wala siyang makita kung hindi itong tela na bumabalot sa ulo namin.

"We should go south na lang siguro." I suggested with my not so good basis of choosing direction.

"Why?"

"Don't know. Through out my life kasi, kapag may daan na hindi familiar sa akin; I always turn right. I really don't know now pero it's suprisingly working."

"Ah, akala ko you always turn right because he left." Santhy chuckled and that loosen up my nervous situation. Minsan talaga, right timing itong kalokohan ni Santhy, eh.

He let out a deep breath again. "Okay, we should turn right. I trust your instincts."

I smile as I failed to prevent myself from chukling, "Thanks."

We started to move. Our backs are hitting the wall as we walk sideward. Wala ni isang aberya ang sumalubong sa amin sa mga oras na ito. Hanggang sa makaramdam ako ng malamig na bagay mula sa likod ko.

It was a glass!

It was a glass door!

Nakangiti akong binaling ang tingin dito and swear, halos mamutla ako sa takot nang makitang may isang zombie ang binabangga ang ulo doon. We decided to just move as I calm my petrified self.

Noong muli akong nakaramdam ng malalamig mula sa likod ko, I am wincing as I turn my face on it. Niready ko na ang sarili kong makakita ng zombie mula doon.

But there was nothing inside of that office. Bukas ang mga ilaw, gulo-gulo man ang nga swivel chair ay wala itong bahid ng kahit na anong dugo.

"Shall we enter this office?" I asked Santhy.

He seems conflicted as he turn his gaze at the back of me. But he concluded it with a sigh, "yeah. Mukha namang safe. Saka as if may choice tayo?"

Sinimulan ko nang igiya ang likod ko sa pinto. I pushed it open. Pero natigilan talaga ako nang unti-unti naming narinig ang paghiyaw mula sa itaas na floor.

As far as I can approximately count all of the voices, it was coming from probably, five persons. They were shouting for their lives as the zombies started to yell on the top of their lungs. At iyon ang dahilan kung bakit nagsitakbuhan ang mga zombies papunta doon.

They left us here, alone.

They left us which gave us a total push to stay alive.

Bumagsak ang tensed na tensed kong balikat nang makapasok na kami. At katulad ng iinaasahan ay walang kahit na anong panganib dito. Wala na kaming hinintay pang oras, tinakpan na namin agad iyong glass door. Iyong bata ay pinili naming ipalaro kay Orion para kumalma. And it worked.

Noong matapos kami ay doon lang nag-sink in lahat ng pagod sa akin. Napaupo talaga ako sa sahig habang nginingitian iyong batang babae.

"What's your name, kid?" I am smiling as I watch Santhy to sit the girl on his lap.

The little girl seems still intimidated to us. She is looking away when she said, "Eirene po."

"You know what? Parang pamilyar siya sa akin." I began. I put my chin on my palm. I am squinting my eyes as if it will help me remember a series of memories on my mind.

"Anak ni Kuya Joshua." Santhy told me.

At nanlaki ang mga mata ko! Right! Anak siya ni Kuya Joshua! Iyong tinulungan namin sa daan!

"So that means, nandito rin si Kuya Joshua?"

"Or he was one of those people who is shouting on top of this floor." Santhy winced.

Pero pareho kaming natigilan nang makarinig kami ng boses mula sa labas. It was coming from a man. A crying man.

"Bunso?"The voice sobbed as he continued calling for someone with a low controlled voice, "Eirene? Anak, nandito si Papa."

Nanlaki ang mga mata naming dalawa ni Santhy. That moment, I literally stood up. I was the quickest to unravel all of the things we used to cover the glass door.

"Thanks, God . . ." I smile the moment I saw Kuya Joshua and Kuya Nero. Kuya Joshua is crying while Kuya Nero widened his eyes the moment he saw me.