Opposite

Chapter 12

Death wasn't the biggest fear of Harlow, but her world seemed to stop moving when she heard Dukeh talked about it.

"Patay na siya."

She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that the man she just met in Plesingko had died that suddenly... that furious. Was it real?

She looked at the man lying, still holding his face. Once again, she felt his heartbeat, ngunit hindi na talaga ito tumitibok. She had been holding her tears. Sabay dapat sila ng lalaking ito na lalabas sa Plesingko, ngunit tila malabo na iyong mangyari.

She turned his gaze to Dukeh. Hindi nawala ang masamang tingin niya rito. She thought he was unfair; he controlled the game. Really, she didn't imagine of Tyson's head nor brain, pero ito ang parteng sumakit dito. Obviously, Dukeh did it.

Actually, Harlow loved playing before, but it was all over already. Hindi na maganda ang takbo ng laro. If she could enjoy playing games before, hindi na ngayon. Sa mga laro ni Dukeh, laging may nasasaktan. Was it even justifiable?

"This can't be..." Harlow said, still staring sharply at Dukeh.

At last, her tears fell down through her cheeks, hindi na talaga niya napigilan. Her tears meant a lot. Those were symbols of her care and affection about Tyson. She didn't know if it was days or just hours being with him, pero iba na ang pakiramdam niya sa taong iyon. It might sound ridiculous, but she thought she already liked him.

Love at first sight.

Many believed in such saying, including her. Thou she believed it for how many years, ngayon niya lang naranasan, minsan niya lang naranasan. Ngunit, palyado pa yata ang lahat. Minsan na nga lang ma-attract nang sobra, mabilis pang nawala.

"Wala ka man lang bang sasabihin?" she asked Dukeh.

Dukeh offered the tokens to her again. "Tanggapin mo na ang mga ito."

"Aanhin ko nga 'yan? I don't want them!" she shouted. "Ang gusto ko ay buhayin mo 'tong kasama ko. Sorry for being rude, pero hindi na kasi makatarungan ang lahat."

"Naiintindihan ko."

Harlow chuckled. "Naiintindihan mo?"

Dukeh didn't respond.

"Nakakatuwa naman kasi naiintindihan mo pala. Sa sobrang nakakatuwa, hindi na kapani-paniwala."

Tanggapin mo na ang mga token na ito at maaari ka nang makalabas sa loob ng Plesingko."

Harlow continued to cry after Duked spoke those words. She really wanted to go outside of this place, but she didn't want to go as long as there was left behind. If that made sense.

"Thinking and caring for yourself is such a good thing, but caring for others is countless," Harlow said. "Well thank you for teaching me this, Dukeh."

Dukeh smiled for once in a blue moon. "Nalulugod akong malaman na may natutunan ka pala sa akin at sa mga karanasan mo rito sa loob ng Plesingko," he said. "Kaya naman, ano ang nais mo?"

"Ang makalabas dito kasama ang taong ito."

"Hindi pa ba malinaw? Patay na siya at hindi na siya maaaring makalabas. Ikaw ang nagwagi sa patimpalak kaya nasa iyo ang gantimpala. Nasa kaniya naman ang kaparusahan sapagkat siya'y sinawing-palad."

"Are you serious? Dalawa pa lang ang nalalaro namin, he won in the first game and I won in the second. That means, parehas kami ng score. Why are you claiming that I already win?"

"Hindi mo ba tanggap? Ano ba ang iyong nais? Mamili ka," ani Dukeh. "Ang makalabas dito o ang maiwan?"

"Huh?"

"Kung patuloy mong ipinaglalaban ang kasama mo, siguro mas mabuti na lamang na siya ang makalabas at ikaw ang maiwan."

"Pota."

There was silence for a bit. Then later, Harlow broke the silence.

"Alam mo ang gulo mo. Siguro mas maganda kung ikaw na lang ang lumabas dito."

Dukeh smirked. "Sinusubukan mo bang makipagbiruan?"

"Ah hindi."

After Harlow spoke, the walls started to change their formation again. Bumalik na sila sa orihinal na hitsura ng Plesingko. She wandered her eyes all around. Sa bawat mesa ay may nakahain na mga pagkain. Ang mga pader ay sinabitan ng mga banderitas at makukulay na mga lobo.

Harlow confusingly raised her eyebrows. Ano bang meron? Isa pa, nasaan si Tyson? Inilibot na niya ang kaniyang paningin sa buong paligid ngunit hindi niya siya makita; ang tanging nakita lamang niya ay si Dukeh.

"Bakit ang daming mga pagkain?" she asked. "And where is Tyson?"

"Nagdiriwang tayo para sa iyong pag-alis, hindi pa halata?"

"Then where is Tyson?"

Dukeh didn't respond.

"Ayaw mo talagang sabihin? Okay fine, I won't leave not until you'll show him to me."

"Hindi lahat ng gusto mong mangyari ay mangyayari, Harlow. Sa ayaw mo man o hindi, makakaalis ka sa lugar na ito nang hindi siya kasama," ani Dukeh. "Ngayon kung ayaw mong umalis nang kusa, ang Plesingko na mismo ang magpapaalis sa'yo."

Time by time the sunlight entered the place as the door slowly opened. Pagkabukas n'on ay walang ibang makita si Harlow kundi puti, kundi liwanag.

"Bukas na ang pinto, maaari ka nang lumabas."

She looked at him, doubting. "Anong meron sa labas? Bakit wala akong makita?"

"Makikita mo lamang kapag nakalabas ka na," sagot ni Dukeh. "Ngunit kung ayaw mo pa ring umalis, ang mga kasamahan ko na ang mismong magpapaalis sa iyo."

Dukeh clapped his hands thrice and then two men just entered the place. They went to Harlow and held her hands, saka mabilis na hinila papunta sa pinto. Sinubukan ni Harlow na bumitaw mula sa pagkakahawak nila ngunit hindi siya nagtagumpay, hanggang sa tuluyan na nga siyang mailabas mula sa lugar.

When Harlow finally stepped out from the place, the two men disappeared, though she didn't notice it anymore because her focus was on the outside. Letter 'O' automatically formed in his lip and eyes when she saw the view.

The outside was a paradise.

There were a lot of trees, in different types and colors. There was even a pond right in front of her. The place was so quiet even though there were a lot of people, the humming of birds could still be heard. Mountains from afar could also be seen. Then she looked up high. The skies were totally different in color because they were pink.

She focused on the people walking and passing by. The women were wearing simple dresses while the men were wearing plain shirts and slacks. They were quiet yet jolly. Smile could be seen on their faces. They were greeting each other. They seemed so happy in their village. Bukod doon, mukha pa silang mga respetadong mamamayan. Really, they were different from the people of the Earth.

But, wait... was she really on Earth?

She was in the middle of her thinking when she remembered what Dukeh had told her and Tyson. Right, she was in the world of Heallven!

Wait again...

Heallven?