One Stormy Night

Simula

Tears ran down her face as she remembered his goodbye. The most painful word she has ever heard.

Nakakatawa kasi mahal nila ang isa’t isa pero pareho rin nilang alam na hindi p’wede.

“Ako na lang, Adrian. Please… please.”

“I… I love you so much, Stormy. B-But I need to do this. We need to stop. I love you but I’m so sorry. Goodbye.”

Mapait siyang ngumiti nang maalala kung paano siya nagmakaawa para sa pagmahahal. Ito ang kauna-unahang beses na pakiramdam niya ay nanlimos siya nito.

With her loving family, she didn’t think that she could ask for more. But things have changed the moment she met this man who can make her knees tremble, the man who can wake the sleeping side of her.

She wiped the tears from her eyes that are unstoppably falling down her cheeks and sighed heavily.

Tumingin siya sa labas ng bintana ng kanyang sasakyan at napangiti ulit ng mapait nang makita ang malakas na ulan. Nakakatawang isipin na disyembre na pero biglang umulan ng malakas, kasabay ng malakas pag-kulog at pag-kidlat. Pakiramdam niya ay nakikidalamhati rin sa kanyang namatay na pagmamahal ang kalangitan.

She stepped into the gas roughly not minding how slippery the road was. And what happened next is like a lightning-bolt. It was so fast.

Isang nakakasilaw na ilaw ng isang malaking sasakyan ang kanyang nakita na nasa harapan niya. Sinubukan niya itong iwasan, nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata nang makita ang isang babaeng patawid sa kalsada.

She tried to step into the break but it was too late.

She just found herself shaking out of fear.

She hit someone.

The front of her car was destroyed in the collision but she didn’t care.

What she wants is to get out of here, to get away from this, to run away from everything.

She’s afraid. She’s hurt. She’s broken.

“Adrian!” Bigla akong napatayo mula sa panaginip.

Relax, Stormy. It was just a dream. Everything’s fine, so you need not to worry about it, okay?

I said to myself as if I’ve gone crazy. I just want to comfort myself out of that dream that’s been a part of me for almost two years.

Hinihingal ako at parang pagod na pagod. Pagkatapos ng mahigit isang taon ay heto pa rin ako, ginugulo ng isang bangungot na hindi ko alam kung kaya ko bang kalimutan.

“Excuse me, ma’am, are you okay?” I threw the stewardess a glance and nodded slowly.

“Y-Yes, thank you.” Ngumiti rin naman siya pabalik at ngumiti, “If I may just ask, what time are we going to land?”

“If I am not mistaken we’re going to land within ten minutes, ma’am.” Ngumiti ulit ako at nagpasalamat bago siya umalis.

Bumuntong-hininga ako at isinandal na lang ang ulo ko sa upuan at tumingin sa labas ng bintana ng sinasakyan kong eroplano.

Pagkatapos ng mahigit dalawang taon ay tatapak na ako ulit sa lupain ng pilipinas. Ang pagtapak sa lupaing ito ay parang pagtapak na rin sa bangungot na pinipilit kong iwasan.

Ang pagbabalik sa bansang ito ay parang pagbabalik na rin sa mga ala-alang minsan ko nang tinakbuhan, tinakasan, at sinubukang kalimutan pero patuloy pa rin akong binabalikan.

I shook the thought off my mind and stand up to go to the bathroom.

Mayamaya lang ay napahinto ako sa paglalakad, natigilan at tila nag-ugat sa kinatatayuan nang makita ang pigura ng isang pamilyar na tao na nais ko ring kalimutan.

He’s looking at me intently and it’s damn intimidating. I don’t know if it’s just me but there’s sadness in his eyes.

I acted like I didn’t see him and just continue walking to pass by him. But I stopped as I felt his hand on my left arm.

Biglang kumalabog ng malakas ang pintig ng puso ko nang maramdaman ko ang hawak niya matapos ang halos dalawang taon.

“Stormy…”

His deep baritone voice sent shivers down my spine. I swallowed hard but I tried my very best not to look at him.

Marahan naman niya akong hinila kaya wala na akong nagawa kung hindi ang tumingin sa kanya.

“B-Bitawan mo ‘ko…” I said in a low trembling voice.

“No, Stormy. I won’t let you go. Never again.” I don’t know if it’s just me or there’s something behind those words. Anyway, I don’t want to give myself a false hope.

It’s just funny how he can still make me tremble after all these years of trying to forget him.

I was taken aback when he came closer and wrapped me with his warm embrace.

“Letting you go was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”

Marahan ko siyang itinulak at agad akong tumakbo papasok sa banyo. This isn’t good, knowing the fact that he still has the same effect on me only means that I’m in trouble. Being with him also means living permanently with my nightmares, and I don’t want that.

I need to avoid him. I need to keep him out of my way.