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CINCO'S POV
"Hindi ko inaasahan 'to, mahal ko. Lumapit at ipinahayag ko ang ating kasunduan sa isang nakakatandang kapamilya mo. Kung alam ko lang na mangyayari ang bagay na 'to, hindi na sana ako nagpabulag sa sinabi mo noon na nahihirapan kang aminin sa kanila ang tungkol rito. Akala ko'y sa paraan na 'yon, papayag ka na agad na ako'y pakasalan. Ito pala'y isang kamalian. Gumuho ang lahat ng aking inaasam sa paraang hindi ko inaasahan."
The light slightly laces into my face. My eyes are closed in a stationary while listening to the sound of the forest. I heard the wind of the trees, the distant sound of the stream and slight chirping of the birds. I also felt the peace of the forest that washed over me. Everything feels so serene.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Habang nakahiga sa mga tuyong dahon ng talisay, iginala ko ang mata sa paligid. I'll roam my attention around and see the things that I've noticed. The forest was bathed in a warm sepia glow, as if the sun had been filtered through a layer of old photographs. The trees were tall and slender, their trunks and branches twisted and gnarled by time. That was so evident. The trees are grown taller and its shadows grew darker. Also, the leaves were a deep green, and the air was filled with the sound of chitter. I slightly bit my buttom lip to hear the sum sound of the surroundings.
I pull myself up to sit properly and part place the strand of my hair in the side of my ears.
One month already had passed but still, the flashbacks hurt. There's no percentage of ideas to savvy how bad it gets. Comfortable silence is so overrated at times like this but the sad birds keep singing, tila sinasamahan akong mangulila sa nangyari noon. Kapag naaalala ko ulit ang huling pangyayari at huling linya ng taong hinahangad ko, I'm lacerated into pieces. Dismal experience, indeed. It was very unhappy moment. It leaves scars in my lifeful melancholy. It was like, in that time, I'm running out of lanterns to keep him abreast of me. And likely in the end, everything's filled with dark surrounds.
Erro...
His name hurts.
After what happened between us, after that very last moment with him, hindi ko na mabanggit pa ang kanyang pangalan. Naiisip ko palang, it's already hurting me. The sharp thing that is stamped in my chest, becomes deeper. Hindi ko kayang masambit, hindi na kailanman pa narinig ng aking paligid.
Nanatili ang aking paningin sa sapa habang inaalala ang huling nangyari, months ago.
Bago ko maihipan ang kandila, iyon ang pinakahuling mensahe ni Erro sa akin. Hindi ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na sagutin siya dahil sa aking nagawang malalim na paghinga, namatay ang kandila kasabay ng pagkawala nila. That's the very last moment. We were stunned for a second and tried to recover ngunit ang pag-agos lang ng luha ang aming nagawa.
Natapos ang ritwas at seremonyas kaya agad na kaming ibinalik sa bahay nila Lola. I feel so wasted and devastated. Masakit sobra ang aking puso na halos hindi ko na madama. We stayed at Lola's place for a while hanggang sa kinabukasan, pinayagan na niya kaming bumalik sa aming mga bahay. Pinaliwanagan niya pa nga sila Mama kaya nakahinga na ito ng maluwag dahil nalamang tapos na ang iniisip nilang sumpa sa akin ng engkanto.
Lola remain her mouth closed to keep the pact unsaid. Wala siyang sinabi sa tunay na ugnayan namin ni Erro sa isa't isa. Wala siyang sinabing ugnayan at purong dahilan lang na"nabati ako". Ang alam ng lahat, nabati lang kami ni Rica, nothing more, stay less. Kahit sila Roy at Ken, wala pa ring alam sa tunay na ugnayan. Basta't nakahinga lang sila ng maluwag dahil tapos na raw ang aming paghihirap.
