Stolen Glances

Chapter 14

[Navy's POV]

I didn’t expect that day to feel heavy.

It started like any other morning, the kind that drifts quietly, like nothing important is supposed to happen. The sky was pale, almost sleepy, and the air carried that soft warmth that made everything feel slower than usual.

I woke up earlier than usual, staring at the ceiling of my room while the faint light of the sun slowly crept through my curtains. Tahimik ang paligid, pero ang isip ko hindi.

“Why do I feel like something’s wrong?” bulong ko sa sarili ko.

I tried to brush it off. Baka pagod lang. Maybe I just didn’t get enough sleep. Pero kahit anong pilit kong kumbinsihin ang sarili ko, the feeling stayed quiet, but persistent.

I got up, got dressed, and prepared for school like I always do. Routine, safe and predictable pero kahit gano’n, may kulang.

On the way to school, I kept checking my phone para kasing may something hindi ako mapakali.

Maaga akong dumating sa school ngayog araw, too early, actually. The gates were open but the usual noise wasn’t there yet. Wala pang masyadong students, just a few scattered figures walking lazily across the campus, like the morning itself hadn’t fully woken up.

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and exhaled softly. “Ang aga ko naman,” I whispered to myself.

Since wala pa kaming klase, I decided to walk around muna, just to pass time. I didn’t really have a destination, I just let my feet take me wherever they wanted. Past the quiet hallways, down the stairs, hanggang sa mapunta ako sa likod ng building without even realizing it. And before I knew it… I was already standing at the entrance of the garden.

Napahinto ako, the place felt… different.

It was quiet, but not peaceful. Parang may lungkot na nakasabit sa hangin. That’s when I saw her.

“Solenne…?” I murmured.

She was sitting on the old wooden bench under the tree, her back slightly hunched, her shoulders shaking faintly. Even from where I stood, I could tell... she was crying.

Not the kind of crying na tahimik lang. It was the kind that comes from something heavy… something painful.

My chest tightened instantly.

“Sol…” I called, walking towards her slowly.

Hindi na siya lumingon, she just kept her head down, like she didn’t even notice I was there that scared me.

“Solenne?” I tried again, my voice softer this time.

The moment I got close enough, she suddenly stood up and she hugged me, tightly.

Yumakap siya sa aking ng mahigpit at humagulhol at hinahabol ang kaniyang hininga.

“Navy…” she cried against my shoulder.

I froze for a second, then immediately wrapped my arms around her.

“Hey… hey, I’m here,” I whispered, gently rubbing her back.

“What happened? Anong nangyari, Sol?” she shook her head, crying harder.

“I… I don’t know what to do…” she said between sobs.

“It’s okay,” I murmured. “Take your time, I’m here.”

We stayed like that for a moment, just holding onto each other habang unti-unti siyang kumakalma. I could feel how heavy her emotions were, how her hands clutched onto my uniform like she was afraid to let go.

After a while, she slowly pulled away, wiping her tears but failing to stop them.

“Navy…” she said, her voice breaking. “I have a big problem…”

I nodded, looking at her gently.

“Tell me.”

She took a deep breath, but it came out shaky.

“Yung lola ko kasii…” she started.

“Inilipat niya yung libingan ng papa ko.”

For a moment, I couldn’t process it.

“What?” I said softly.

“She moved his grave…” Solenne repeated, her tears falling again. “Without telling us, without asking our permission, wala man lang pasabi, Navy…”

My brows furrowed, my chest tightening.

“Why would she do that?”

“Hindi sila magkasundo ni mama simula pa noon, pati kami hindi nila tinatrato na pamilya. We were just nothing for me, okay lang yun tanggap naman namin eh. Pero Yung inilipat nila yung libingan ni papa na walang paalam sa amin iyong ang hindi namin matatanggap, ang sakit sakit” Solenne answered, her voice filled with pain.

“Matagal na silang hindi magkasundo ni mama at papa and I think… ginawa niya ‘to without even thinking about us, sarili lang nya ang iniisip niya.”

“That’s not right…” I whispered.

“Yeah, it’s not…” she nodded, crying.

“We went there yesterday, we brought flowers… we were going to visit Papa…”

She paused, her lips trembling.

“But when we got there…” she continued, her voice almost breaking completely, “wala na siya.” My heart dropped.

“Empty na yung libingan, Navy…” she cried. “Nauna na siyang inilipat ni Lola… without even letting us know…”

I didn’t know what to say.

I just reached for her hand and held it tightly.

“I felt like I lost him again…” she whispered. “Parang kinuha ulit siya sa’min…”

I pulled her into another hug, tighter this time.

“I’m so sorry, Sol…” I whispered against her hair. “That shouldn’t have happened… hindi tama ‘yon…”

She cried into my shoulder again, her grip tightening.

“Hindi man lang niya kami tinuring na pamilya…” she said painfully. “Not me… not my mom…”

I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling her pain like it was my own.

“Hey…” I said softly after a while, gently pulling back just enough to look at her. “Listen to me.”

She looked at me, her eyes red and full of hurt.

“You didn’t lose him,” I said quietly, her brows furrowed.

“But it feels like it…” she whispered.

“I know,” I nodded. “And that feeling is valid. Pero Sol… your dad isn’t just in that place. He’s in your memories, in your heart at kahit saan pa ilipat ‘yan… he’s still with you pero mali parin yung ginawa ng lola mo. Tinanggalan niya kamo ng karapatan sa sarili niyong ama”

She stared at me, tears silently falling.

“I just wanted to visit him…” she said softly. “To talk to him…”

“And you still can,” I replied gently. “Hindi mo kailangan ng specific place to talk to him. He’ll hear you… wherever you are.”

She bit her lip, trying to hold herself together.

“Do you really think so?” she asked.

I gave her a small, reassuring smile.

“I know so.”

She let out a shaky breath, her shoulders finally relaxing a little.

“And if you want…” I added, squeezing her hand. “We can find out where he was moved. Sasamahan kita.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“You’d do that?”

“Of course,” I said. “You’re not alone in this, Sol.”

She looked at me for a moment...then slowly, she nodded.

“Thank you…” she whispered and smiled softly.

“Always.”

We sat down on the bench after that, side by side. Tahimik lang sa paligid, pero this time, the silence didn’t feel as heavy.

Paminsan-minsan, she would sniffle, and I would just stay beside her, no pressure, no rush.

Just presence.

And sometimes… that’s all someone really needs.

______________________________________

Hindi ko namalayan kung gaano na katagal kaming nakaupo doon ni Solenne sa bench. The world felt slower in that corner of the garden, parang kami lang ang gumagalaw habang ang lahat nakahinto.

Paminsan-minsan, she would take deep breaths, trying to steady herself, and I stayed beside her quiet, present, making sure she didn’t feel alone. Unti-unti, kahit papaano, I could see her calming down.

Hindi man nawawala yung sakit, pero at least hindi na siya ganon kabigat sa bawat hinga niya.

Then suddenly...“Nandito lang pala kayo!”

Napalingon kami pareho, I saw Jace and Marco walking towards us, parehong medyo hinihingal na parang kanina pa kami hinahanap.

Jace ran his hand through his hair habang si Marco naman ay nakatingin sa amin na parang relieved.

“Kanina pa namin kayo hinahanap,” dagdag ni Marco, raising his brows slightly. “Wala kayo sa classroom, wala din sa canteen.”

I glanced at Solenne, then back at them.

“Naglakad-lakad lang kami,” I answered softly.

Jace’s eyes shifted to Solenne. Mabilis niyang napansin yung namumugto nitong mata.

“What happened?” he asked, his tone immediately softer.

Solenne hesitated for a second, then looked down.

I gently squeezed her hand, silently telling her it’s okay.

“She’s having a hard time,” I said instead, letting her decide how much she wanted to share.

Marco stepped a little closer, concern clear on his face.

“Hey… you okay?” he asked.

Solenne gave a small, weak shake of her head.

“Yung Lola ko kasi ehh.... She… moved my dad’s grave,” she said quietly. “Without telling us.”

Both Jace and Marco went silent.

“Wait… what?” Marco said, confused.

“She transferred it somewhere else,” Solenne continued, her voice still fragile. “ We went there yesterday… and it was empty na.”

Jace’s expression tightened.

“That’s messed up,” he muttered.

“She didn’t even inform us,” Solenne added. “Parang… wala lang kami, wala naman talaga kami para sa kanila ehh.”

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Marco exhaled and sat down on the edge of the bench.

“Okay,” he said, trying to lighten his tone a bit. “That’s really heavy. So… we need to do something.”

Solenne looked at him, slightly confused. “Something?” she repeated.

“Yeah,” Marco nodded. “We’re not just gonna let you sit here and feel like this the whole day, right?”

Jace smirked faintly, crossing his arms.

“For once, I agree with him,” he said. “We need to distract you kahit konti.”

Solenne blinked, surprised.

“I’m not really in the mood…” she admitted.

“I know,” I said gently. “But maybe… just a little? You don’t have to force yourself to be okay. Just… breathe with us.”

She looked at me, then at them.

Marco suddenly stood up, clapping his hands once.

“Alright, plan,” he said. “Simple lang we stay together today, walang iwanan.”

Jace nodded.

“And we do something after class,” he added. “Food, maybe, or somewhere quiet, your call.”

Solenne hesitated again, but this time… there was a small shift in her expression.

“Oum sige…” she said softly.

Marco grinned.

“See? That wasn’t so hard.”

I couldn’t help but smile a little.

Jace glanced at me briefly, just a second but I caught it. There was something in his eyes… something quiet. But before I could think about it, he looked away again.

“Classes are about to start na,” Jace said.

Napabuntong-hininga ako.

“Yeah…”

We all stood up, brushing off the quiet heaviness that still lingered but now, it felt shared.

Habang naglalakad kami palabas ng garden, I stayed beside her, our shoulders occasionally brushing.

“You okay?” I whispered.

She nodded slightly.

“A little better,” she answered.

“That’s good,” I smiled softly.

Pagdating namin sa hallway, the noise of students filled the air again, laughter, chatter, footsteps. Normal ulit ang mundo.

But something had changed.

We were walking together now and that made a difference.

“Engineering people, this way po,” pang aasar na sabi ni Marco and pointing towards our building.

I rolled my eyes a little.

“Kala mo naman ang layo.” He laughed.

“Important ang direction, Navy.”

Jace shook his head, amused.

“You three go ahead,” he said. “Different building ako.”

“Political science boy,” Marco teased.

Jace just smirked.

“At least hindi ako nalulunod sa numbers.”

“Excuse me,” I cut in. “Engineering is not just numbers.”

“Sure,” he said, raising his hands slightly. “Whatever you say.”

I tried not to smile.

Solenne glanced at me, noticing, and for the first time that day, she smiled too.

Small, soft but real.

“See you later?” I asked Jace.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Take care of her.”

“I will.”

He looked at Solenne.

“You too,” he added. “We’ve got you.”

She nodded.

“Thank you…”

And just like that, he walked in a different direction away from us.

For a moment, I watched him leave.

Then I turned back to Solenne and Marco.

“Let’s go,” I said.

As we walked towards our classroom, I realized something.

The day still felt heavy.

But not as heavy as before.

Because now.....we were carrying it together.