Imprint Keeper

Chapter 21

CASON'S POV

Breathing is chore now after that accident. Malaking parte ng katawan ko ang nasabugan at nalapnos na nagiging dahilan kung bakit hirap akong huminga.

My chest skin is burned and so was half of my face. Kung hindi lang dahil sa makakapal na bakal na natumba sa 'kin malamang nasunog ang buo kong katawan.

That nightmare visits me most of the night. Parating pinapaalala sa 'kin ang pagkakamaling nagawa ko sa buhay. And this night is no different.

Panting, I stood up on my comfy bed and drank the water that is readily available next to me. I haven't healed completely but thanks to my brother, mabilis ang naging paggaling ko.

The night of the incident, habang pabalik ako sa warehouse para kunin muli si Althea, I called my brother, Vito. Sinabihan ko siya sa mga gagawin ko at agad na pinasunod sa pupuntahan ko.

He just came right in the nick of time. Mabilis niya akong natunton dahil sa gps na nasa cellphone ko. As a paramedic, he knows exactly what to do.

Now that months had passed, the scars maybe starting to heal but the wounds inside my heart doesn't.

Uminom ako ng pampakalma, whenever I get this dream my heart pumps rapidly. Hindi raw iyon maganda sabi ng kapatid ko kaya naman kailangan ko raw itong pakalmahin.

"Kuya, are you okay?"

My younger brother peeks at the door. Nakapang-alis pa siya kaya sa palagay ko kadarating lang niya galing labas.

"Same damn nightmare." Bulong ko as I rest my back on the headboard.

"Will it still be a nightmare after this news I got for you?" Bahagya siyang pumasok sa pintuan habang inilalabas ang phone galing sa kanyang jacket.

"I finally found her."

Agad kong kinuha ang phone mula sa kamay niya. It focuses on a face I long for. The video was taken on the streets. Mabagal na naglalakad si Althea at nakayuko. Vito, V as I call him, ran on her and intently bump her.

His ear piercing have an hidden camera which I asked him to install. Pinilit ko siyang hanapin si Althea. I just wanted to make sure that she is okay.

"She lives far from the city kaya hirap akong mahanap siya." He added while handing me a laptop.

"I was able to scan he phone noong binunggo ko siya. All her traces recorded are now transferred in there."

Hindi ako magkanda-ugaga sa pagtingin sa mga impormasyong nakuha ni V. Seeing this made me smile a little. Para akong siraulo na natatawa sa pinag-gagawa ko. I know she manage to escape from the fire with the help from Sayer but still I want to know what happened to her after what I did.

"Now what?" Ani V, briefly stopping me from what I was doing.

Sandali ko siyang tinignan then came back to the video which I paused, timing just right to see Althea's face.

"I just want to make sure that. . . Sayer is treating her well." I closed the laptop and put his phone on top of it.

"All this trouble Kuya para lang doon?" V exhaled disappointed.

"Binabayaran naman kita ah."

Umiiling si V habang kinukuha ang gadgets niya at hindi nagtagal ay lumabas na rin ng kwarto.

Before our last dance at that Christmas Ball, I knew I want her back but after I just couldn't know anymore. Kinakain ako ng konsenya ko, nakataktak na sa isip ko ang pagtataksil na ginagawa ko para lang sa pera. I am the reason why they got her. I sent her there at that warehouse.

Bringing her there is the same as agreeing with the extraction they did to her. Wala na akong mukhang naihaharap pa sa kanya. She suffered because of me.

That's why it was a good thing that her eyes were closed when I danced with her at that party. Dahil panigurado ako na makikila niya ako. How can she forget someone who lied to her?

Gaya ng dati, sa tuwing mapapanaginipan ko siya, lalagok ako ng alak para makatulog ulit. Binuksan ko muna ang bintana para man lang makaamoy ako ng sariwang hangin bago ko uminom ng alak.

I want to see her. I want to talk to her.

But my mind kept clouding with questions. Para saan? Iyon ang hindi ko alam. She doesn't have anything to do with me anymore. Lalo na't kasal na sila ni Sayer.

Matagal-tagal bago ko muling nagamit ang motor skills ko at maging ang pagbalik eye sight ko. But as soon as I did, I checked all my files and databases to find information about them. It didn't took long before I could find one. Her last name changed so I checked on Sayer's info. And because of that, I found them.

"Takot na takot akong malaman nila na bumangon ako mula sa hukay." Muli akong lumagok ng alak at inubos na iyon.

At that time I thought it was better for them to believe that I'm dead. But each and every time, I see her face from other people. I hear her laugh. Nababaliw ako sa pagisip lang na wala na siya sa piling ko. I badly want her back.

Sandali akong naghilamos sa banyo. I see my chest again, all crumpled up. Dahil sa alaga at panggagamot na ginagawa ng kapatid ko, hindi na masyadong halata ang nasunog na balat sa mukha ko.

I looked at myself in the mirror, not sure what I was wanting.

"What do you want?" I murmured at myself.

Her face filled my mind that I couldn't think for an answer. Muli kong binasa ang mukha ko bago tuluyang bumalik sa kama.

Kinukulit ako ng puso ko na alamin pa ang ibang detalye tungkol sa bago niyang buhay. But my mind kept saying no, I should not meddle anymore. Nagpaikot-ikot ako sa kama, pinipilit na makatulog ulit. Muli pa akong bumangon para uminom ulit ng alak pero wala iyong nagawa sa kagustuhan kong malaman ang buhay ni Althea.

I opened my laptop which is connected to V's. Kinopya ko lahat ng files mula sa cellphone niya at maging ang video sa bagong database na ginawa ko. It took a little time before it completed copying all the information. One month of text messages, log calls, even those deleted ones, exact location posted detected.

A message popped up and it was from Vito.