(FREE AND COMPLETED) TAKBUHAN

WAKAS

"Gago din pala yang pinsan mo, e, 'no?"

Hyacinth said when I told her that after almost three months of not hearing anything from her, Clara went to my unit. Nagsusumbong habang nag-uumiyak. Ayaw daw syang panagutan ni Roco, her boyfriend and also my cousin.

"Nasa lahi nyo pala talaga ang pagiging gago. Too bad for you... hindi na mawawala sa sistema mo. Tsk tsk!" habol nya pa habang tinatapos ang kung anong sinusulat sa isang maliit na notebook. Hindi ako nagsalita. Lampas tatlong buwan narin pala ang nakalipas mula nung huli kaming nagkausap. That day when she said those words that broke my heart and shattered it into almost a million pieces. Three months have passed but the pain she caused me is still there. Kumalma lang iyon pero hindi nawala. Three months have passed and I realized that almost nothing have changed. Walang nagbago. I am still very much in love with her. Mahal na mahal ko pa rin sya.

At nang makita ko sya kahapon, lalo ko lang napatunayan na sarili kong wala talagang nagbago. Wala pang pagbabago. I am still the same Bryce who's head over heels in love with her kahit na alam kong hindi sya magiging sa akin ng buo.

Isang kanta ang halos matapos na nang magsalita ulit si Hyacinth. Well, she's always like this. She's always giving me time to digest every freaking words she said. Palagi nya akong binibigyan ng oras para mag-sink in sa utak ko ang mga sinasabi nya. And it somehow helps. Silence is the best thing you can offer to someone.

"So, bakit daw ayaw panagutan ng hayop na pinsan mo? Ang lakas ng loob nyang bumayo ng bumayo, wala naman palang ibang matigas sa kanya kundi yung etits nya. Wala syang buto! He couldn't even stand on his own tapos mambubuntis pa sya ng gagang babae?!" gigil na litanya nya. Tumungga ako ng beer bago sumagot.

"I told you, it has something to do with Roco's Dad. Kung strikto ang Daddy ko, dominante naman ang Daddy nya. My uncle doesn't want hassles. He's living with his own principles and standards. At bilang myembro ng pamilya nya, you have to follow and live with those. Or else...." tumigil ako sa pagsasalita at umiling. I have lots of memories on how dominating my uncle was. Kahit ang Daddy ko na kapatid nya lang ay gusto nyang mapasunod sa mga prinsipyo nya. But my Dad has his own standards and would not want to live under his brother's hands. Kaya naman maagang namulat sa mundo si Daddy. He did everything to prove that he can live without using the power of their surname.

"Or else what? Itatakwil sya ng uncle mo? Mawawalan sya ng mana? Huh! What a coward!" sabi nya at inabot ang baso ko at sinalinan ulit ng beer.

"Roco gave her an option..." sabi ko at nagtiim-bagang. Tuwing maaalala ko ang sinabi nya ay parang gusto kong sugurin ang pinsan ko at pagsusuntukin.

"What stupid option did he lay this time?" kunot noong tanong nya.

"Option that he will continue seeing her," tumaas ang kilay ni Hyacinth. "Only if Clara will abort their child—"

"What a load of bullshit!" gigil na putol nya sa sinasabi ko at napapalo sa ibabaw ng counter. Kahit medyo malakas ang tunog ng trans na kasalukuyang tumutugtog sa loob ng bar ay dinig na dinig ko ang sunod-sunod na mura nya. Now that I am seeing her mad, bumangon na naman ang galit na nararamdaman ko para sa pinsan ko.

"So, what the hell is her plan? Don't tell me susundin nya yung siraulo nyang syota?" tanong nya at nagsimulang magtimpla ng order ng iba. I watched how she skillfully mix those liquor into a stainless container. Inaalog nya iyon habang tumitingin sa akin halatang hinihintay ang sasabihin ko.

"She still don't know. Gulong gulo daw ang utak nya at natatakot syang magkamali ng gagawing desisyon." I answered and took a sip on my glass.

"Didn't she ask for your help kaya sya pumunta sayo?" tanong nya habang naghahanda ng shot glass para pagsalinan ng alak na kakatapos nya lang matimpla.

"No. She didn't ask for anything. Actually, I was the one who asked her something." sagot ko habang pinapanood syang sinasalin na ang alak sa coctail glass.

"And what did you ask her?" hindi nakatinging usisa nya habang sinisipat sipat ang coctail glass na hawak.

"I asked her to just leave my cousin and marry me instead." sagot ko at hinawakan ang baso ko para makainom ulit doon pero agad ding napatigil.

A sound of broken glass suddenly filled my ears. Kahit sa lakas ng music ay hindi iyon nakaligtas sa pandinig ko. Agad na napatingin ako kay Hyacinth na tulalang nakayuko at nakatingin sa nabasag na baso sa paanan nya.

Kahit ang customer na ipinagtimpla nya ng alak ay nagtatakang nakatingin sa kanya.

"Did it slipped off your hands, Miss Beautiful?" rinig kong tanong ng lalake sa harapan nya. Ilang sandali pa bago nakasagot si Hyacinth.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Sir. I'll make another one for you." hindi magkandatutong paumanhin nya sa lalake pagkatapos ay sumulyap sa gawi ko.

"A-anong sabi mo? Hindi ko narinig. Dumulas yung baso sa kamay ko!" sabi nya at saka agad ng tumalikod para umabot ng alak. Kunot noong pinanood ko sya.

"Sabi ko pakakasalan ko sya at aakuin ang anak nya."

Bumagal ang pagkilos nya habang nakatalikod sa akin. Mukhang pinapakinggang mabuti ang sinasabi ko.

"S-so? Anong sinagot nya sayo?" she asked. Still not looking at me.

"Bigyan ko daw sya ng time para pag-isipan." sagot ko. Tsaka lang sya humarap sa akin at tinitigan ako ng diretso.

She didn't say anything after that.

She's probably thinking that I am this hopeless for me to bring out about marriage that easily.

She's probably thinking how stupid I am for still keeping this feelings up to now.

Yeah, right, Cinth!

You were right by saying that I am such a pushover coz I really am.

My stupid ass won't let me move on. I guess, I am trapped in this mess for quite too long.

And it's not as if there's gonna be someone who would want to save me from this mess.

Kung mayroon man, that woman might probably insane.

Mas hibang pa sa akin.

That was the very last time that I saw Hyacinth. Ang sabi ni Earl ay nakakuha ng bagong offer sa ibang bansa. After three freaking years of hesitations, she finally grabbed it.

And I don't know why I strangely felt lonely after going to that bar and sitting on my usual spot. Iba na ang bartender. At nang tanungin n'ya ako kung anong order ko, doon ko lang na-realized na sa ilang taon kong pagpunta dito ay ngayon na lang ako obligadong sabihin kung ano ang order ko.

"Mojito..."

Yuan walked towards the counter and answered for me. Ngumiti s'ya sa akin kaya tinanguan ko lang s'ya. The new bartender smiled and confirmed what he said. Tumango ako kaya tumalikod na s'ya para ipagtimpla ako ng alak.

I sighed as I gently tapped my fingers on the table.

I missed her.

I missed her blunt and nonstop naggings.

I missed telling her how I feel.

I suppossed to be happy tonight because finally... Clara accepted my offer.

But why do I feel so lonely without someone beside me who would hear the good news?

Without Hyacinth's presence, something is still missing.

O nasanay lang akong may takbuhan sa mga oras na malungkot at masaya ako?

**** THE END****