Wind and Sail

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Dayn’s POV

"Hindi ba, Alexie Ky?"

Gulat na gulat siya nang nakita niya ang mukha ko. Mas inilapit ko pa ang kutsilyo sa leeg niya, kitang-kita ko ang sunod-sunod niyang paglunok samantalang hindi pa ito dumidikit sa balat niya.

Bakit kaya lahat ng mga dating nasa Dark Line ay nasa Dark Society na ngayon? Pangalan lang ba talaga ang iniba nila? Siguro may mga iilan din na umalis at mayroon din tiyak na mga bagong recruit.

"Ano? Speechless ka? Kung sabagay wala ka palang alam kung ano ang nasa isip ko. Gusto mo bang malaman? Namiss kita Alexie alam mo ba ‘yon?" Nakangisi kong sabi.

Bakas pa rin ang takot at pagkagulat sa mukha niya. Hindi na niya kailangang malito pa kung ano ba talaga ang nararamdaman niya, kaba lang talaga iyon. Habang papalapit ako ay nakita ko ang pag-atras niya nang marahan ngunit wala na siyang maatrasan pa dahil toilet bowl na ang nasa likuran niya.

"Sabi ko pa naman, ‘Ay si Dark na nga iyong last’ though Xavier could’ve been the second to the last victim, did he tell you that?” Xavier is or was, I don’t know if they are still together, because back then, they are sweet as honey.

“So, it was really you? How dare you---”

“…Hah! He f*****g deserves it. Hindi ka ba happy?” I cutted her off.  “Kaso, baka ikaw naman yung maging last victim? Gusto mo bang palitan ang place ni Dark?"

"Just tell me if you are ready to die, I will gladly make your dreams come true. Actually, you don't need to because I will kill you naman talaga. I want you dead Alexie, since you know na that I was the one who really killed him. But I thought everybody knew that!" I snapped my finger due to disappointment. “Hindi rin pala mawawala sa inyo ang pagkaslow.”

My eyes circled when she started crying. Like she is bawling right now, her hands are covering her face and sobbing. "Please, do not kill me," she pleaded after she uncovered her face.

Her makeup is now ruined, she is still crying. I slowly moved the knife away, whe she wiped her face I saw a diamond ring on her finger.

The three of us were friends before, we all went together to every mission we had to accomplish back then. I smiled at the back of my mind.

“Oh, you are engaged,” I uttered. She looked at her finger with a ring on it and nods.

“Yeah, I am, so please, we aren’t married yet.” She held my shoulders as her tears continue to cascade off her cheeks.

I slid my knife back to its place and just sat there to watch her cry. I do not know why I am doing this, but it is very awkward, yet it feels nostalgic.

“I get it, but you really don’t have to be that dramatic you know. Plus, you can fight me well like before. I bet you improved so…” I explained. I really don’t have the intention to kill her, she was my friend, even with all this anger, I know that she didn’t want to do this, she is just being manipulated.

“I am sorry!” she yelled. Nakita niya na nagulat ako sa naging reaksyon niya. “Oh, sorry, it’s the hormones you know,”

Mas nagulat ako sa susunod na sinabi niya. Hinawakan ko ang kamay niya at sabay kaming tumayo. Hindi ko mapigilan ang tuwa ko at napatalon na ako. Nakangiti siya habang pinupunasan ang luha niya.

“Oh my gosh! You are pregnant?!” I exclaimed in joy. I don’t know why I am so happy when she’s literally sent here to kill me.

She nodded and hugged me. I pulled myself away first. “I do not know what to do, Dayn,” she worriedly said.

“Oh, have you told Xav?” I asked.

“No, I haven’t. I don’t think he’s going to be happy about this news. Everything in Underground is chaos.”

I twitched. “Chaos? What do you mean?”

“Just whole chaos, I don’t think Karina is going to leave any time soon since you know, what you did to her father,” she said.  I am so confused right now.

“Aren’t you here to kill me?” I put my hand on the handle of the knife. She saw it but she just rolled her eyes at me.

“Kill you? How can I kill you? Dumbass,” masungit niyang sagot.

Napanganga na lang ako dahil sa mabilis na pagbabago ng mood niya. Parang ayoko na tuloy magbuntis.

“Then why are you here?”

“b***h, I missed you! Haven’t seen you for so long,” she said and hugged me once again.

“I am so confused, you see.”

She tapped my shoulders. “I know, hey, your instincts are still intact ha? You noticed me agad, e.”

I laughed it off. Trauma has taught me to trust my instincts and follow my guts, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not because there are times that I think too much about it and it drives me crazy at night.

 “So, what now? What are your plans?” I looked at her and asked. Something touched my heart when she placed her hands on her tummy.

“I want to run away with him. Just like you did,” she tells me.

I scoffed a little. “Oh, no,” I muttered, she looked at me with worries in her eyes. “I mean, yes. Wait? Run? I didn’t actually run; I left a letter.”

“A letter? Really? No, you never did,” she said. I creased my forehead.

“What do you mean I did not? Yes, I did. I slid it under Dark’s table,” I stated. She looked at me confusedly. 

“f**k him. He never told us that he got one, I remember he just went crazy, Karina can’t stop him. You are the root of all this, I hope you know that.”

“Yeah, I know, but leaving was my only choice back then. Leave, Alex. Be happy with Xav and don’t involve your kid to any of these. I will help the both of you, so just leave.”

“It’s not that easy, Karina has got us pretty tight. But I can’t raise a kid to this environment, I don’t know what step to take next anymore.”

“Talk to Xav. Work this all out. Think what’s best for your child, Alex. You are going to be a Mom in nine months. Protect that child, hunny bunny.”

I used to call her hunny bunny back then, it wasn’t far ago but still, it felt like a decade since I’ve seen her and called her that.

“Karina has sent---”

She was interrupted with a knock on the door. I knew I had to go, I kissed her cheeks goodbye, and touched her tummy. “We’ll meet again,” I said teary eyed and had no other f*****g choice again but to leave.

I opened the door and told the lady that’s next to the queue that the toilet is unavailable so that she’d leave and go to other restrooms.

I wiped all the evidence and headed back to the store.

Kanina pa ako palinga-linga sa loob ng F21 pero ni anino ni Clarene wala. Nasaan na ba ang babaeng 'yon? Nakalimutan niyang ibigay sa akin ang cellphone number niya kaya hindi ko siya matawagan para matanong kung nasaan ba siya. Naikot ko na ata ang buong F21 pero wala akong Clarene na nakita. Lumabas ako ng store para tingnan baka lumabas siya, ilang saglit pa ay nakita ko na siya. Napansin ko na may kinakausao siya, lumapit pa ako ng kaunti para makita kung sino, iyon pala ay sa cellphone niya iyon kausap. Tumatango-tango lang siya habang lumilinga sa paligid.

Lumapit pa ulit ako, umaasang kahit papaano ay may maririnig.

"...Matutuloy ang plano." Kumunot ang noo ko sa narinig. Plano?

Napagpasiyahan ko nang lumapit sa kaniya para ipaalam na nandito na ako, at para na rin magtanong tungkol sa narinig.

"Ano ang matutuloy? May hindi ka ba sa akin sinasabi Clarene?" kaswal tanong ko sa kaniya.

Para siyang nataranta sa aking tanong. She immediately put her phone down and fixed her facial expression.

"W-wala ah,” nauutal niyang sagot. Hmm, suspicious. “May narinig ka ba? Ano lang iyon, it was just about my nephew’s birthday party. They were just asking if the plan for his party is sure na para raw makapag-prepare na sila,” paliwanag niya.

"May hindi ba dapat akong marinig? Birthday party? Invited ba ako?" tanong ko.

Medyo taranta pa rin siya pero agad din namang nakabawi.

"Ofcourse. Sabihin ko na nga dapat sa iyo mamaya pag dating mo e, n-narinig mo na pala." 

"Bakit ka nauutal?" Nakataas ang kilay ko na nagtanong. Mas nataranta siya noong sinabi ko iyon, kaya she’s kinda off talaga today.

"Tsh, hindi kaya. Nagulat lang ako s aiyo, duh. Tara na nga kumain muna tayo. Sa Goldilocks nalang. My treat." 

Umangkla siya sa braso ko at hinila ako papunta sa Goldilocks.

“Gaga ka, Dayn. Paano kapag may nakakita sa atin dito tapos sabihin tayo kay Ma’am?” tanong niya habang kumakain.

Luminga-linga ako. “Tangeks, walang mags-snitch niyan. Kita mo si Reyes? Ayun oh.” Lumingon si Clarene kung saan ko nakita ang kaklase namin sa subject na iyon. “Lahat iyan nasa labas, at saka we’re adults, she’s not in control of us and she can’t just deduct our grades without proper grounds, she’ll receive a lot of complaint.”

Pagkauwi namin ay binati niya si Ate at nagpaalam na mauuna na siyang umakyat nabusog daw kasi siya masyado at mukhang tinamaan ata ang tiyan niya sa dami ng kinain niya. Paano ba naman two slices ng cake, lumpia, lasagna, nachos habang naglilibot, at pizza sa sasakyan. Hindi tumigil ang bibig niya sa pagngata.

"Do you trust her?" Napakunot ang noo ko sa tanong ni Ate.

"Of course... Not. Yet? But I'll take care of it. Don't worry,” I answered. 

Hindi pa ako sigurado sa kaniya. Nag-aalala lang sa akin si Ate, naiintindihan ko naman siya, pero alam ko naman itong pinasok ko.

"Then know her more. Baka saksakin ka niyan patalikod, sinasabihan lang kita, Dayn. Huwag mo akong masamain," she warned.

"Yeah, I get it. Thanks,” I said. I was halfway upstairs when she warned me again.

“Be careful, walls have ears.”

I sighed and went down again. “Subukan niya ako, wala siyang ibubuga sa akin. Akyat na ako." 

"Okay." 

Paakyat na ako nang muli siyang nagtanong. Hinarap ko siya at tinaasan ng kilay. "Ah, Dayn? Ang aga niyo atang pinauwi kanina? Sinabi sa akin ni Mang Gejer."

Akala ko ay si Clarene na naman ulit ang itatanong niya. "Ah iyon ba? Papausukan daw kasi yung school para raw makaiwas sa Dengue. Government achuchu ra." Sagot ko. Tumango siya at umakyat na ako. Sinilip ko muna si Liquor bago pumunta sa kwarto ko at nakita na mahimbing na siyang natutulog kahit na alas nuwebe pa lang.

"Dayn? What took you so long? Nakaligo na ako! Pasabay bukas papasok sa school ha? And can I come here again tomorrow?" Napaamang ako sa binalita niya. Manggugulo na naman siya dito? Taragis.

"Nawili ka naman. Wala ka bang bahay ha? Dito ka lagi sa amin? Ampunin na kaya kita?"

Umupo ako sa harap ng vanity table at nagsimulang tanggalin ang make up. Tinatamad akong mag double cleanse at maligo ngayong gabi.

"May bahay ako duh! Ayoko lang don. Ampapangit ng mga nakatira! Baka mahawa pa ako! At saka sobrang boring!" maarteng sabi niya. Inirapan ko siya at dumiretso na sa kama.

"Ewan ko sayo! Matulog na tayo! Bukas nalang ako maliligo!" sabi ko at tinabihan siya sa kama.

"Kadiri ka!" Hirit pa niya. Inirapan ko nalang ulit siya. “Magpalit ka nga!” She started kicking me off my own bed.

“Hey! You are rude! This is my bed, ang kapal mo namang paalisin ako rito,” I complained.

“I am doing you a favor. Go wash up, removing you make up is not enough, you are going to get a lot of pimples, do you want that?”

I sat up. “Did you just threaten me?”

“Yes, and no. Dumb, so it’s okay for you to have acne popping out on your face?”

“Of course not, duh. Okay, I’ll wash up. Gosh,” I hissed then went to the bathroom to wash up just like she ordered.