War of Hearts (Book 1)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Let's break the distance

Kinuha ko ang yelong bilog na iyon at inilagay sa aking palad. Dinama ko ang tindi ng lamig nito. Pinagmasdan ko ito ng marahan at kitang-kita ko kung gaano kakapal ang yelo na iyon. It is not ordinary ice that was made of water. Kung ang tubig ni Adrian ang gagamitin dito ay hindi ito magiging ganito kakapal. I could feel the coldness of the water in my hand. I could feel my fire wants to burst out of my hand, at tila ba ay nilalabanan ang lamig nito. I was right, I was right when I first confronted him at Shaheal's house. He's my biggest opponent. Ito lang ang kapangyarihan na naramdaman ko sa aking katawan. Ang kapangyarihan na naramdaman kong pilit nilalabanan ng aking kapangyarihan.

It's strong, I could feel it.

"Who the hell threw that here?" Ani Andrew at pinagmasdan ang yelo sa aking kamay. Maging ang bigat nito ay ramdam na ramdam ko. Hindi ito ganoon kadaling malusaw, makapal ito at bilog na bilog. Hindi ito magagawa basta basta sa ganitong hugis. It's slowly melting in my hand. Tumutulo ang tubig mula doon at batid kong dahil iyon sa aking kapanyarihan na pilit kong pinipigilan sa paglabas lalo pa at narito si Andrew na walang kamuwang-muwang sa nagaganap. His lips parted as he examined the ice melting on my hand. Umangat ang mga mata ko sa kanya. He doesn't know what's happening, not even a tiny idea in his head.

Bumuga ako ng hangin at ibinalik iyon sa lapag. I can't melt it here even if Andrew isn't here. I don't know who's watching me. I don't know if one of them suspects me. But they can't catch me now. I will not let them catch me now. Not yet, not now.

"If you're done crying I'll leave now," ani ko sa kanya at akma ng lalakad. Wala na akong rason para manatili pang kasama siya.

"Hold on," aniya at marahan akong pinigilan sa paghawak sa aking kamay. Walang emosyon na bumaba ang mga mata ko sa kanyang kamay sa akin. Without expecting anything, Jaycee crossed my mind again. Why do I remember him always pulling me on my wrist? Umangat ang mga mata ko at sinalubong ang mga mata ni Andrew na nasa akin. Marahan ko lang na binawi ang aking kamay mula sa kanya. Hindi naman natinag ang mga mata nitong na sa akin nang gawin ko 'yon.

"Don't worry, wala akong balak na ipagsabi ang nakita ko. I'm not gonna tell it to anyone," pahayag ko sa pag-aakala na iyon ang inaalala niya. He's popular in this school. Everyone knows him, just like Sky. He also has a lot of friends at hindi ko rin naman maitatanggi na talagang marami rin ang mga babae na nahuhumaling sa kanya.

"It's not that. I don't mind if you tell it to others or not," he said and chuckled a bit, "I want to show you something," he added before a smirk drew on his lips.

"Something?" Kunot noo kong tanong sa kanya. Kumurba ang malapad na ngiti sa kanyang mga labi nang magtanong ako sa kanya. His eyes glanced at me with excitement and assurance in his eyes. Something that he's proud to show me.

"I can't explain it by words," aniya at inilahad ang kanyang palad sa akin, "But I can show it to you if you want," he softly said and smiled at me from ear to ear. Sandali kong pinagmasdan ang kanyang palad na nakalahad sa aking harapan ngayon. Bumalik din agad ang mga mata ko sa kanya at iniisip kung dapat ko ba siyang paniwalaan at samahan sa gusto nitong ipakita.

Pinakatitigan ko siya suot and malapad niyang ngiti sa kanyang mapupulang nga labi. Ilang segundo pa ay bumuga ako ng hangin bago ko nilagay ang aking kamay sa palad nitong nakalahad sa akin.

"Make sure it's worth my time," ani ko sa kanya matapos kong tanggapin ang palad nitong nakalahad. Mas lumapad pa ang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi at halos mapunit na ang mga labi nito sa lawak ng kanyang ngiti.

"It will be very worth it, trust me!" Aniya bago niya ako marahan na hinila. I found myself smiling behind his back as he dragged me gently to something he was talking about. I can't stop smiling watching him being happy with that wide smile after breaking down a while ago. Hindi ko maitatanggi na talaga namang gwapo at attractive si Andrew. Iyon nga lang ay pilyo ito. Who would have thought that behind those widest smiles of his, there is a pain he has been enduring in his chest and no one knows about it.

He has a good heart. Andrew is a good person, and he deserves happiness not pain. Nagpadala ako sa paghatak nito sa akin patungo sa gusto nitong ipakita sa akin. I saw some students glancing at us as they saw our hands together. Hindi ko iyon pinansin at hinayaan si Andrew. I don't care about their thoughts. They can think what they want to think. But you can't justify the truth just by what your eyes see. In our case, there's nothing with us. At hindi ang iniisip nila ang nagaganap ngayon.

Ilang sandali pa ay huminto kami sa pinaka dulo ng garden. Kumunot ang noo ko ng bumungad sa akin ang mataas na pader habang nakatalikod si Andrew sa akin at tinatanaw ang matayog na pader. Luminga ito sa paligid o sa buong hardin ng unibersidad. Tulad niya ay nagtataka din akong luminga sa paligid at kakaunti lang ang narito, may kanya kanya pang mga mundo. Kumurba ang malawak na ngiti sa kanyang mga labi nang napagtanto nito na kakaunti lang ang tao. Even if I don't know if he's really a normal person yet, I can protect myself. Lalo pa at alam ko naman kung sino ang pinaka mahigpit kong kalaban. There's no clarity yet, but that's what I think and I wish it's all just a misunderstanding and not the truth.

"Ano? Pader ba ang ipapakita mo sa akin?" Biro ko at mahinang tumawa. Wala naman iyon sa kanya at mas lumaki pa nga ang kanyang ngiti.

"Of course not! Come on, you were just about to see this breathtaking place," aniya bago ako hinila. Nagpatinaod naman ako at napailing na lamang sa kanya. Dinala ako nito sa isang gilid na tago sa buong hardin. Nakakunot ang aking noo lalo na nang bumungad sa akin ang isang malaking bilog mula sa pader. Sa matayog na pader ay nasa baba ang butas na iyon. Pumantay doon si Andrew at sinilip iyon. Ramdam ko ang hangin sa aking binti na nanggagaling sa butas na iyon. Sumilay ang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi at sinalubong ang hangin. Mas lalo pang kumunot ang aking noo doon.

"What the hell is this hole?" I asked. Tumayo ito at binigyan ako ng malapad na ngiti. Puno ng kapanapanabik ang kanyang ngiti at pakiramdam ko at mas lalo lang tumataas ang kuryosidad ko mula doon.

"Why don't you find out yourself?" He said with assurance and excitement from his eyes. Ilang sandali pa ay pumasok ito sa may kalakihang butas na iyon. Mabilis akong lumuhod at sumilip doon. Agad akong sinalubong ng malakas na hangin.

"Come on!" Aniya. Sinilip ko ang lugar na iyon at puro puno ang bumungad sa akin. Kumunot ang noo ko at muling binalingan si Andrew. Bumuga ako ng hangin bago ko kinuha ang kanyang kamay sa labas ng butas na iyon. Inalalayan niya ako hanggang sa makatayo ako sa paglusot doon. Agad akong sinalubong ng malamig na simoy ng hangin at nilaro ang aking buhok. My lips parted as I saw the place he wanted to show me. May isang malaking puno at ang mga dahon nito ay mayabong na siyang nakapagbibigay lilim mula sa isang upuang kahoy at sa isang banda ay may nakasabit na duyan mula sa puno. Sa palagay ko ay kasya ang dalawang tao sa duyan at upuan na iyon.

"I discovered this place when I was lonely and I don't have someone with me to comfort me from the pain," aniya at nilingon ako ng may ngiti. But I was too amazed by what I saw in front of me. It's very calming and peaceful. Whoever is facing a problem will vanish that problem in this place. Andrew was right. This place is breathtaking and I couldn't deny it from what I can see.

Bumuga ng hangin si Andrew at masayang sinalubong ang malamig na simoy ng hangin.

"I told myself that I will bring that someone who will comfort me," pahayag niya, "Or the girl I like," sinalubong ko ang tingin nito sa akin. His eyes were full of love and appreciation. Pakiramdam ko ay napakahalaga ko sa kanyang mga mata. I feel like I'm a diamond that he treasures. But my mind thinks of a different person who also looked at me like that.

It's Jaycee. Why can't I forget those eyes of his? Pakiramdam ko ay kahit ano at saang detalye ng kanyang mukha ay kabisado ko na. The only difference from the both of them, I don't feel my heart fluttering or being a drum playing in my chest. Andrew kept telling me how much he likes me, and it's obvious in every action he makes me see. But I didn't know that he was serious about it the way he looked at me right now.

"Is it me, then?" I ask, even though I know the answer from it.

"Yeah, I'm not kidding when I told you that I like you. The first time I saw you, you already caught my attention. I was never wrong about the beauty I saw from you. It's not just outside, even your inside is beautiful," napailing ako. He doesn't know what he is talking about. He has no idea of what he's seeing in front of him.

"I am not the person you are thinking, Andrew," ani ko at inipit ang buhok kong takas mula sa malamig na hangin na nilalaro ang aking buhok. Mapakla akong ngumiti, "I'm not the person who deserves you, and I can't be deserving of you." Dagdag ko at hinarap muli ang hangin sa kawalan.

"Is that a rejection?" He asked and chuckled. Nagkibit balikat ako. I'm giving him a hint that I don't belong in this world. Even if I like him, I can't be with him or in any of them here. Because this is not my world. I don't belong here. I'm only here temporarily and soon enough, after accomplishing and fulfilling all my promises and missions in this world, I have to leave this beautiful world and leave behind the people that we know here.

"Maybe, but I can't give you a relationship you want me to," diretso kong saad.

"I'm not asking you for that," aniya at bumuga ng hangin, "I only want you to let me do things I want to for you, because it makes me happy. At wala akong hinihinging sukli doon, Cali." Pahayag niya at malambot akong tiningnan.

I smiled a bit and nodded.

Matagal din kaming nanatili doon at kung ano ano pa ang napag-usapan namin. He told me a lot of his experiences in life and all I did was to laugh from those. I can't deny that I enjoyed and had fun with him. I enjoyed his stories and I wished that I could also share mine. But all of my experiences are full of fights and not enjoyments unlike what he had in his life. I completely understand how different we are from each other.

"I'll see you later! I have practice for the upcoming basketball game, you should watch!" Pahayag niya. Nasa may court kami ng school at naglalaro ang ibang lalaki. Wala rin ibang tao na nanonood sa kanila.

"Sure," ani ko, "I'll go ahead," I added before I left. He waved his hand at me before I turned my back at him.

Napangiti ako at napailing na lamang bago ako nagpakawala ng hangin. I guess I enjoyed this day with Andrew.

Natigilan ako at napahawak sa aking noo nang nabunggo ako sa matigas na bagay. Ngumiwi ako at kunot noong tiningnan iyon. My lips parted when I saw a uniform and that was when I realized that it's not a thing but a person. Kumalabog ang aking dibdib at dahan dahan kong tinaas ang aking mga mata mula sa taong nabunggo ko. My heart fluttered again as my eyes met those eyes. Madilim ang mga mata nito at pakiramdam ko ay may tinatago itong galit sa kanyang mga mata.

"Jaycee," I called. He was about to pull me on my wrist but I was too aware of what he was about to do. Mabilis akong lumayo sa kanya at naglagay ng distansya sa aming pagitan. Nagulat ito at halatang hindi niya iyon inaasahan. I only did what I had to do.

"Enough from your actions, Jaycee. I will not let you confu--"

"You're mine," madiin at malamig niyang saad na nakakapag pahinto sa akin, "And that forbids you to be with other man unless it's m--"

"I'm not yours," madiin kong saad at pinutol ang kanyang sinasabi, "You don't own me, no one owns me, and that includes you, Jaycee." Matapang kong saad sa kanya suot ng blanko kong ekspresyon. Hindi siya nakakibo at natigilan ito. Bumalandra ang sakit sa kanyang mga mata ngunit nanatili ang malamig nitong mga mata sa akin. Matabang akong naglakad paalis at nilagpasan ito, but before I could even walk away and leave him behind, hinila ako nito paharap sa kanya.

"Stop this, Jay--" he shuts me up with a kiss. Naramdaman ko ang malalambot nitong mga labi sa akin at marahan akong hinalikan. Pakiramdam ko ay nanghina ang mga tuhod ko. My legs trembled until I felt his hand supported my back, while his other hand went to my cheeks softly. I found myself with my eyes closed and welcoming his lips to mine. I could hear my heart pounding and butterflies all over my tummy. Napakalambot at marahan ang halik nito sa akin at pakiramdam ko ay nawawala ako sa aking sarili.

Nang nagbitaw ang aming mga labi ay hinabol ko ang aking paghinga. Marahan niyang dinikit ang kanyang noo sa akin habang marahan na hinahawakan ang aking pisngi. That moment, I knew I was out of control and I did something crucial that puts me in danger. I knew I was a prisoner in danger as I accepted his kiss.

Dinig na dinig ko ang mabigat niyang paghinga.

"Let's break the distance between us, Cali. Let's break the distance, bago mo pa ako mabaliw kakaisip sa iyo," he said softly and kissed me on my forehead.

We already broke the distance after kissing. That's it, I'm in danger.

clarixass