writingcamp Trouble You've Caused Me (Tagalog)

Week 5: How To Design Conflicts

Conflict between characters

-between protagonist & villain

Conflict between the character and environment

Conflict within a character

Conflict will lead to character development.

Good story must contain conflicts.

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The following scene is from Chapter 8 of Trouble You've Caused Me. Conflict starts when Kirsten opens up to Ken about what happened weeks ago. Lucas took Kirsten to Sky 9 without knowing that she had trauma. Ken was obviously mad and wanted to talk to Lucas why he did it. Little did they know, a shocking confession from Lucas will cause trouble again in Kirsten's life.

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Lucas, why did you do that?" Ken asked Lucas as soon as he lost sight of Kirsten. Mas mabuti ng hindi marinig ni Kirsten ang usapan nila kaysa naman na magkaroon na naman ng panic attacks si Kirsten, Ken thought.

Kumunot ang noo nito. Lucas got confused for a while dahil hindi niya alam kung ano ang tinutukoy ni Ken "Huh? What are you talking about bro?"

"Why did you brag Kirsten about your dream to travel with her?!" Ken said. Hindi sumigaw si Ken pero sapat na ang lakas ng boses niya para malaman ni Lucas na iritado ito sa kanya.

"What are you talking about Ken? Wala akong sinabi sa kanya tungkol doon." Lucas explained. He's still confused why Ken suddenly confronted him all of a sudden. 

Ken sighed "Don't ask me back, just answer my damn question!" 

"How the hell am I going to answer your question if I don't know what the heck you are talking about?!" medyo iritadong wika ni Lucas. Ni kailanman hindi naisip ni Lucas na dadating ang time na magkakasagutan sila ng kagaya sa nangyayari ngayon.

Ken smirked "Wow, now you're acting innocent. Don't freakin' act innocent and just tell me why you do it?!"

Lucas rolled his eyes and asked Ken again kahit na alam niyang magagalit nanaman ito sa kanya dahil tinanong na naman niya ito pabalik "What the heck did I do?"

"Why did you bring Kirsten to Sky 9?!" inis na wika ni Ken

Lucas sighed "Ken, that was two weeks ago. Okay nanaman si Kirs--"

"Didn't you know what trouble you've caused, Lucas? She's not freakin' okay!" galit na wika ni Ken. He's mad at Lucas dahil alam niya kung paano nagsuffer si Kirsten noon at ayaw na niya sana iyon maulit kaso naulit na naman dahil kay Lucas.

"Bro, can you chill? That was two weeks ago. Okay na naman siya. Nag-sorry na rin ako sa kanya."

"If she's already okay she will not tear up while she told me what happened when you took her to Sky 9. Lucas, you're causing trouble!" Ken explained.

"But that was two weeks ago, Ken. Settled na yan. Bakit ba binabalik mo pa ha?" Lucas asked, sounding annoyed because of Ken.

"It's not yet settled, Lucas! Can't you understand my point? Hindi pa okay si Kirsten at baka mas lalong hindi siya maging okay dahil sa pagdala mo sa kanya sa Sky 9 two weeks ago." Ken explained but Lucas still didn't get his point.

"Hindi na kasi dapat yan pinag-uusapan, Ken. Okay na nga yan eh. Gagawan pa ng issue?"

"What the hell, Lucas? Dapat pinag-uusapan 'to kasi hindi mo alam ang nangyari kay Kirsten dati kaya ganyan ang sinasabi mo."

"Then fcking explain it to me! What happened to her before?! Wala akong alam sa nangyari dati kaya I don't know why she acted that way! Ayaw niya rin sabihin sa akin kaya why not tell it to me para alam ko diba?" Inis na wika ni Lucas.

Ken just sighed.

"She almost died two years ago," Lucas was shocked when Ken said it to him. “Wala ako sa posisyon to tell this to you but I’m sure hindi niya kailan man sasabihin sa ‘yo ang reason why she had panic attacks kaya sinabi ko na.” Ken continued "She met an accident twice that day. Hindi alam ni Tita Nancy but she met an accident twice on that day pero ang alam lang ni tita ay yung na-hit and run siya,"

"H-hit and run?" Lucas asked.

Ken rolled his eyes and said "Yeah. Bumili lang siya ng pagkain sa convenience store on that day nasa pedestrian naman siya pero nahagip siya nung kotse na matulin yung takbo,"

"When did this happened two years ago?" Kinakabahan si Lucas sa kwento ni Ken at hindi niya alam kung bakit.

"January 28, 2016"

Napatitig si Lucas kay Ken nang sabihin niya iyon. Napaawang din ang kanyang labi nang marinig niya ang sinabi ni Ken sakanya. Hindi niya alam yung kabang nararamdaman niya, sobrang bilis ng kabog ng puso niya.

"Bakit, Lucas?" Ken asked; confused why Lucas asked him the date of the accident.

Lucas just sighed.

"M-My dad died two years ago on that day also... he died on my birthday."

Napayuko naman si Ken. "I'm sorry to hear that Lucas."

Umiling naman si Lucas "No it's okay... p-pero bakit ganon nangyari kay Kirsten?"

"I don't know. She told me na bago siya mawalan ng malay may nakita siyang lalaki na lumabas sa kotse. She thought, tutulungan siya nung lalaki pero hindi. I guess that's what hit and run is. Tinakasan ng nakabangga si Kirsten,"

"After that kahit hindi sabihin ni Kirsten, alam ko may trauma pa rin siya. Kahit na sinasabi niyang excited na siya mag-travel ulit, di niya pa talaga kaya dahil kapag naaalala niya yung nangyari dati she still have panic attacks. Kaya rin natigil ang pagtravel niya dahil doon. All the clips she uploads on her youtube channel is just clips from two years ago, kaya nga rin natigil na siya sa pag-upload dahil di na rin naman siya nagtatravel ngayon eh,"

Yumuko si Lucas. Napasabunot siya ng buhok nito. He looks frustrated.

"Bakit, Lucas?"

Ken kept on staring at Lucas. Inaantay niya ang sagot nito dahil alam niyang may sasabihin pa ito sa kanya.

"I-I think I was the guy who stepped out of the car and just looked at Kirsten two years ago."

Ken was shocked.

Kumunot noo naman agad si Ken "What the hell, Lucas?!" Kwinelyuhan siya nito.

"I'm sorry..." yun lamang ang nasabi ni Lucas ng paulit ulit. He looks guilty now.

"The heck it was you?!!!" akmang susunukin ni Ken si Lucas kaso nakarinig sila ng ingay mula sa kwarto ni Nanay Lola at nakita nila si Kirsten na nakatingin sakanila.

Kirsten's crying.

•••

Bumalik agad si Kirsten sa kwarto ni Nanay Lola nang sabihin ni Ken na bumalik siya doon dahil mag-uusap pa sila ni Lucas.

Ewan ba niya pero kinakabahan siya sa sinasabing pag-uusap nila ni Lucas. Iba talaga ang kutob niya sa mangyayari.

Umupo lang si Kirsten sa couch na nasa tabi ng kama ni Nanay Lola. Tulog pa rin kasi ito kaya wala siyang makausap at nagpasya na lang siyang mag-cellphone.

She have this application called Scrabble. She really love the board game that's why she installed the application kaya iyon muna ang ginawa niyang libangan habang nag-uusap pa si Ken at Lucas.

Tamang tama lang din naman ang dating ni Lucas she thought dahil niyayaya siya nitong lumabas.

Habang tumatagal ang usapan ni Ken at Lucas mas lalo siyang kinakabahan. She kept on looking at her wrist watch and it's been 10 minutes pero hindi pa rin tapos mag-usap si Ken at Lucas. Never naman siya na-bored sa Scrabble app dahil gustong gusto niya iyon pero sa oras na iyon she got bored.

Kinakabahan din kasi siya eh. Hindi niya alam kung tungkol saan ang pag-uusapan nila pero may idea naman siya hindi nga lang siya sigurado kung iyon nga ang ioopen ni Ken na pag-uusap kay Lucas.

Sumuko na siya sa paglalaro ng Scrabble app at nagpasya nalang na sumilip sa may pinto para makita at marinig niya ang usapan ni Ken at Lucas.

When she opened the door a little bit she didn't expect that she would hear that statement from Lucas...

"I-I think I was the guy who stepped out of the car and just looked at Kirsten two years ago."

She saw how Ken got shocked and she was also shocked.

Kumunot noo si Ken "What the hell, Lucas?!" Kwinelyuhan nito si Lucas but still Kirsten remain silent.

"I'm sorry..." ‘yon lamang ang nasabi ni Lucas ng paulit ulit. He looks guilty and that makes Kirsten feel betrayed and sad.

"The heck it was you?!!!" akmang susunukin ni Ken si Lucas but she opened the door widely and that caused a noise. Nakita na siya ng dalawa na nandoon.

Kaagad siyang tumakbo paalis doon ngunit naabutan siya ni Lucas kaya nahawakan nito ang kanyang braso.

"Kirsten..."

She just looked at him. Hindi siya nagsasalita. 

"I.. I can explain..." 

Umiling siya "You don't need to explain yourself." Aalis na sana siya kaso ayaa bitawan ni Lucas ang kanyang braso.

"Y-you're crying..."

She rolled her eyes at pinunasan niya ang luhang kumakawala sa kanyang mata "Of course I am crying. Ano 'to laway ko lang? Saka pwede ba, bitawan mo ko." kalmadong wika niya then she avoided his gaze.

"Please, listen to me first."

"How can I listen to you if you didn't listen to me first two years ago?"

Natahimik si Lucas.

"I... I can explain, Kirs. Trust me..."

"How can I trust you when you didn't help me when I got hit by your car two years ago?"

Natahimik ulit si Lucas.

"Lucas, how can I trust you If you're the guy who just looked at me while I was bleeding because of the wounds I got when I got hit by your car?"

Napayuko lang ito.

"How can I trust you when you keep on creating troubles in my life?"

Lucas tried to hold Kirsten's hand but she refused him to touch her once again.

"Kirsten, just hear me out. Please. I have my explanation. Don't be one sided..."

Umiling si Kirsten.

"Just stay away from me. I don't want to see you ever again."

And then she left him there.