One Last Crime

Kabanata 31

Threat

It's been three days since I left his house and he keeps in visiting our mansion. Whenever I sa this car parking infront of our mansion, he looks up at my window and I always close it.

At kahit ayaw kong umalis ng mansyon ah kailangan para sa kaso na tinulungan ko siyang isolve. Si Rochelle ang lumapit sa akin at nangako itong hindi ko makikita si Lendhel sa presinto. Ayaw kong bumalik sa lugar kung saan ko sila nakita ni Mary pero wala akong magagawa kundi ang tumulong.

Pagkadating ko doon ay mabilis kong inasikaso ang mga dapat gawin, sa opisina kami ni Rochelle nagusap. Nakahinga ako ng maluwag ng hindi ko mamataan si Lendhel maski ang presensya nito.

"Salamat dahil pumayag ka Chantrea."

Sinagot ko ito ng tipid na ngiti. Wala akong gana makipagusap sa kahit sino ngayon. Gusto ko lamang mag pulong sa kwarto kahit hindi naman iyon nakakatulong sa pag alis ng mga iniisip ko. Lalo lang akong nababaliw kakaisip ng nga iyon pero mas maganda na kaysa nakasalubong ko si Lendhel. Baka hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili pag nag kataon.

Patungo na ako sa direksyon kung saan nakaparke ang kotse ko ng magtama ang tingin naming dalawa. Kakalabas lamang nito ng kotse niya na nakapark sa tabi ng akin.

Binilisan ko ang pag bukas ng kotse. nang papasok na ako sa loob ay pinigilan niya ang pintuan.

"Chantrea," he said.

Imbis na sagutin ito ay mariin kong hinila ang pintuan ng kotse ngunit hindi niya iyon binibitiwan.

"Let go, Lendhel!"

"You can't avoid me all your life Chantrea. Let's talk," mahinahon niyang saad.

"What's bothering you?"

Ano pa bang kailangan niya sa akin? Hindi bat sila na ni Mary? Oo nga pala, hindi pa nila ako naikukulong kaya hinahabol niya pa rin ako.

Ibang klase rin ang isang ito. Handa siyang manakit para lang maabot ang pangarap. Wala siyang pake sa maapakan at masasaktan niya basta lang sumaya siya... sila.

Padabog akong lumabas sa kotse para harapin siya. "Ano bang kailangan mo Lendhel?"

"Why are you ignoring me? What's wrong? What happened?" he asked. Pinilig ko ang ulo ng marinig sa boses nito ang pag aalala.

He's not concern about me... He's worried about the case. Thats all. Iyon naman talaga una palang, tanga tanga lang ako na naniwala sa kan'ya. Binalaan na ako ni Adrian pero hindi ako nakinig.

"I don't have time for this Lendhel."

"When will you have time for us Chantrea? Bakit ka umalis ng safe house?"

"I know that you want to get back to your life but you're at risk, Chantrea! Sinabi ko naman sa'yong magagawa mo na ang nga bagay na gusto mo sa oras na mahuli ang nagbabanta sa buhay mo hindi mo kailangang umalis---"

"You're the threat to my life Lendhel!"

His eyes widened. He wasnt expecting to hear it but I blurted it out. I don't care anymore what he thinks of my feelings now. He didn't even think about it when he f****d Mary on his car where he used to drive me home, where he f*****g confess to me!

"Buhay at ligtas nga ako pero nakakulong naman ako sa bahay na 'yon! Walang kwenta ang buhay na yon. I'm not living..."

He shooked his head. "You left because you're pressured. You don't need to Chantrea. Hindi natin kailangang mag madali. Mag aantay ako."

His eyes are pleading. Gusto kong matawa dahil alam kong umaarte lang naman ito sa harap ko. He's not gonna wait for me to be his, he's waiting to put mw in jail so he could be with Mary. Maybe that's the reason why he's agreed to the engagement so he could easily plate me on his palms but I won't fall for it.

"You don't have anything to wait on," mariin kong saad habang pinipigilan ang panginginig ng baba.

He tried to reached for my hand but I took it before he can even finished his sentence. "What happened to us Chantrea? I thought we're in love---"

"Don't you dare say that Lendhel!" I paused as the scene played on mind for the millionth time.

I shooked my head. "You don't f*****g love me! You used me!" I said as tears rolled down my cheeks. My chest tightened as I try to stop myself from sobbing.

Ang kapal ng mukha nitong sabihin na mahal niya ako. Kinuyom ko ang palad para pigilan ang sariling sampalin siya dahil hindi ko siya kayang saktan tulad ng ginagawa niya sa akin. Lahat ng lumalabas sa bibig nito ay puro kasinungalingan. Kung totoong mahal niya ako ay hindi siya mag tataksil. Hindi niya ako gagamitin para lang sa pansarili niyang interes.

He tried to shush me but I slap his hands away from me. "I don't know what your talking about Chantrea."

He sighed. "Are you making this up just to be with him?"

Pagak akong natawa. Ambilis niyang baliktarin ang lahat. Mukhang handang handa ito sa konprontasyon. I wonder if he written the lines he's gonna say to me. He probably memorized it after all hes a good actor. He made me believe he was in love me.

"So it's still him huh?"

Ngayon naman ay dinadamay niya na si Adrian dito. Damayan ba kamo ang gusto niya? Sige, pagbibigyan kita Lendhel.

"Or you're just pushing me away to run away."

My forehead creased. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Kaya ka ba lumalayo sa akin para hindi ko malaman ang lahat?"

My heart thudded with what he said. What did he know? Sinabi na ba sa kan'ya ni Mary? That girls desperation for attention and gratification is unimaginable who knows what she's willing to say just to get what she wanted. Everyone would believe her because of her innocent and weak pretentious appearance.

"Kaya ba bumalik ka sa kan'ya?

"So this is all about Adrian? Look Lendhel, hindi kita pinapakeelaman sa relasyon mo kay Mary kaya h'wag mong pakekeelaman ang akin," aniya ko, sasakay sana ulit ako ng kotse, ngunit nahinto ako ng magsalita ito.

"You're with Mariya's ex before he died."

Nanigas ako sa kinatatayuan.

He already knew.

But how?

Adrian said that he cleanup up everything that nothing cab cinnect us to his death.

Hindi rin iyon alam ni Mary, unless Adrian told her.

Konti na lang at malapit niya ng masolve ang kasong kinababaliwan niya.

Kahit alam na nito ay hindi ko siya hahayaang paaminin ako. Ngayong alam na nito ay siguradong makokonekta niya na ang kaso ni Mariya.

"Is that the reason why your running away? I want to know why Chantrea. Why you're with him?"

"You don't need to be scare Chantrea, I'm here, I will help---"

Huminga ako ng malalim. Tanging dignidad at paninindigan nalang ang pinagkukunan ko ng lakas.

Lakas loob ko itong hinarap.

"Where the hell did you get that? From Mary? While you're making out in your car?"

Nangunot nag noo nito sa sinabi ko. Siguradong hindi niya inaasahang sasabihin ko iyon. Akala niya ay hindi ko alam ang mayroon sa kanila.

"Chantrea, that's not what happened---"

Matalim ko siyang tinitigan. "I don't f*****g care what happened Lendhel!" nilapitan ko ito at dinuro ang dibdib niya, "I know you and Mary planned to bring me down and I won't let you!" I said as I shooked my head.

I will never let them bring me down. I'm a Callejo. I will never fall from grace. Never.

"Adrian's right about you the whole time. I was f*****g dumb to believe that you love me." I paused as I remember his clear words on my mind.

"That you even like me! You only used me to solve the case you're so obsessed with!" Tears rolled down my cheeks.

Buong lakas ko siyang tinulak palayo sa gilid ng aking kotse at mabilis na sumakay roon hanggang kaya ko lang pigilan ang nga luhang kanina pa naguunahan sa amin pisngi. Panay palis lamang ako ngunit ngayon ay gusto ko nalang iyon hayaan, baka sakaling may maramdaman ako at mawala ang pamamanhid ng katawan ko sa sakit.

"I don't want to see you ever again Lendhel." Nanikip ang dibdib ko. I pursed my lips to shut my self. I can't bare hearing myself whine just because of him.