Sisihin Ang Bagyo | Wattys 2018 Winner

Wakas

Wakas

Another one of this crap.
I sighed as I opened another envelope sent to me by someone I tried hard to avoid since childhood. I fished out the letter, only it wasn’t on paper but on a glossy card.

I don’t know how he found me, but the letters started arriving after the charity gala. It comes in stationaries and heartfelt epistolaries telling me that he thinks about me and how he wishes to see me, but then he got aggressive. Demanding. I guess he was really running out of time, Selina, his assistant, told me that he had a malignant tumor on his pancreas and it only takes months for pancreatic cancer patients to die because of it.

What a lovely girl!

Written on a messy shorthand. A handwriting I’ve come to know so well over months. I flip the card and my knees almost gave out. I propped my hand above the counter and tried to calm myself down.

It was a picture of Gaby and me on the charity gala, my hand on the small of her back while were both looking at the camera. Another picture was Gaby crossing the road from their firm’s tower. My whole world was like a glass shattered. Realizing the graveness of the situation.

More photos came out, each more disturbing than the last. Snapshots of Gaby and Tito Francis inside the office, family pictures, and a lot more privacy invading photos that only someone who has spies all over the place could shoot. It was a threat and a display of power.

The night I told her parents about my feelings, Tito Francis talked to me on his office. I told him about my father and what he wanted.

"I'll be frank with you," He said, resting his hands above his abdomen. "I don't want you for my daughter. No offense, I don't think anybody in this world deserves her. Now, you're bringing new troubles with you and I can't let my daughter be involved with any of this."

I bowed my head, sincerely getting his point. "I understand."

"Good," He said with a contented smile on his face. "Now you must get out of here, go some place that Selina woman won't find you."

He crouched and opened his drawer to fish something out. "This should be enough." He placed a pile of blue bills on the table. "If you need more, you call me."

My jaw dropped. "I-I can't accept this, tito."

He sighed. "Leave with money or leave without, it's up to you."

I don't have any choice but to accept the money. "You'll leave tomorrow morning."

I tried so hard to pacify everything and avoid putting everyone in danger. So much so that the price I have to pay is high enough for me. In order to keep everyone safe, I have to isolate myself.

I have been dodging my father's spies alone, until I met Dario. With his help and his organization, hiding became more manageable.

"Hey, bastard. You didn't tell me your girlfriend's some kind of an Amazonian." Dario said as soon as he entered his flat.

I smirked proudly as I offered him some leftover pasta that I cooked a while ago.

"I don't get intimidated easily, especially a woman. But your Gaby...damn, for a while I thought she's gonna skin me alive." He chuckled as he ate the food. I joined him on the table and propped my elbows.

"You must've pissed her off big time." I chuckled, remembering Gaby's angry face. How her ear turned red when she's really mad.

Dario shook his head and pointed at me. "Nah, you pissed her off. It won't be so much of a surprise if she turn up here on my front door, looking for you."

Gabrielle was looking for me. I was both glad and guilty at the same time. She must've hated me right now. Leaving her without explaining or even saying good bye. I thought it's much safer if she doesn't know anything and it's safer for me to not see her face. Safer for my sanity anyway.

I don’t trust my senses, but that voice was the hymn of my sweetest dreams. In my dreams, that voice called out my name many times and I would look back. I would look back and walk towards her, crashing my lips to hers, sweeping her off her feet and twirl her around

“Keith...” She said. I stopped, clutching the strap of my backpack tight afraid that I might let it go. That I might let everything go.

“Look at me.” She pleaded. I closed my eyes. No, I won’t.

The first time I saw her, it was impossible to look away. She was the moon, gentle glowing yet profoundly riveting. Her eyes were stars, burning just like her unconquerable spirit. She was the night, with never ending mysteries and delights.

Just one look on her face and I know I’ll become undone.

So, I refused to look.

You may not understand me now, Gaby, but know that everything I do is all for you. 

Dario may have told her more than I permitted him to say, but I couldn’t really blame him. Gaby is the type of person who finds a way to make you bend to her wishes, Dario was no exception to that.

“You idiot. You’re finally leaving. Go on, walk away, because I dreaded your existence. You think you’re so clever and self-less but the truth is you are a selfish coward bastard.”

She was in distress. I know how much this frustrates her, but I can’t get near her. I must gather the last of my will to get away from her.

Her friends must be with her, there was slight murmurs telling her to calm down and lower her voice.

“Fine! Go! Leave! And don’t you dare come back to this place, Andrada, don’t you dare!”

My father’s bodyguard held her down, stopping her. “Don’t touch me, don’t---”

My grip tightens. “Selina!” I almost growled at the woman beside me.
She understood right away and told the guards to back off.

“You said you wanted to be here...you said you wanted a decent job next to my father’s firm and you said you would visit me everyday that the employees would grow tired seeing your face.” Her voice cracked while she sobbed. “You said you would bring me chocolates---”

“You don’t like chocolates.” I immediately corrected her, almost looking back. In my periphery, I saw her hand moves towards her face, bravely wiping her tears.

I heard her laughed, it was bitter, and I wondered when will I ever hear her laugh again. “I don’t like chocolates.”

I wanted to hug her, kiss her, tell her to have faith and everything’s going to be fine, but I can’t. I don’t want to risk ruining every confidence I have built for this decision. This is my fight. My burden to bear, not hers nor her family. I can not forgive myself if they get involved with this mess. I know my father and he won’t stop until he get’s what he wants.

“Goodbye, Gabrielle.” I risked a side look, in my periphery she was kneeling at the floor, her friends curled down beside her, pushing her up. I looked away, burned by my last vision of her, and proceeded to our assigned aircraft.

I'm sorry, Gabrielle. Until next time.

~*~

You’ve reached the end. I congratulate you!

I know what you’re thinking. That’s it? What a shitty ending!

What happened to Gaby? Keith? Sabree? Rachel? Niko? Theo?

I have to admit I did not like how this story goes (went. Whatever). All the enthusiasm for this story has lost years ago and no matter how much I revised the story it would all end up like this, so...

Anyways, they said that every author’s first book is trash and the best way to handle it is to just throw it way. Ha! However, I have a second part coming up and I hope it would be so much better than the first.

I don’t want to spoil anything but it will include something that sounds like shmex scenes and shmaction.

Stay tuned.