Chapter 57: Glowed

Days had passed after that incident with Reena. My wounds are already healed... well not all. May natitira pang mahahapdi but I'm already recovering. Hindi na masakit yung katawan ko dahil sa ginawa niya sa akin. It's just that may mga mahahapdi pang sugat na natitira. But I already managed to go to my classes.

Pagkatapos kasi naming magkaroon ng konting pagtatalo ni Dark, he excused me from my classes. Umabot rin yung excuse na iyon hanggang tatlong araw. Hindi ako nakapasok sa mga klase ko ng tatlong araw dahil sa masakit talaga ang aking katawan.

Actually, dapat isang linggo talaga akong pagpapahingahin ni Dark dahil hindi raw ganoon kadaling gumaling pero pinilit ko talagang tatlong araw lang na umabsent at hindi na aabutin pa ng isang linggo. I know he's just worried of me and I love how worried he is for me. I am loving him more because of his concern for me. Pero kasi kaya ko naman talaga kaya ayos na yung tatlong araw na pagpapahinga.

At si Julia naman, galit na galit siya kay Reena dahil sa nagawa nito sa akin at susugurin niya sana pero agad ko naman siyang pinigilan. I truly understand Reena. I truly understand why she did this kaya dapat na hayaan na lang siya.

At sa tatlong araw ko na pagpapahinga, todo alaga si Dark sa akin. I couldn't be more thankful of him. At sa tatlong araw rin na pag-iisip, napatunayan kong mahal ko talaga si Dark. Palagi ko siyang iniisip at ayokong mawala siya sa buhay ko. Dahil kapag mangyayaring mawalay ako sa kanya, siguradong hindi ko kakayanin. I will feel like I'm dying.

Hindi ito yung naramdaman ko kay Devrin noon. I loved him before. Pero ang pagmamahal ko ngayon kay Dark, sobra-sobra pa sa naramdaman ko noon. With Dark, I feel so secured. And it feels like Dark Damier Syracuse is my life. When I think about him leaving me, I think I can't take it. I think I'm gonna die if he'll leave me.

I stayed for the whole three days in Dark's dorm. Gusto niya raw akong alagaan at gusto niya rin daw na siguraduhing safe ako. Ang sarap lang sa pakiramdam. Binibisita rin ako dito ni Julia at kasama niya si Godwin.

At ngayon, kasulukuyan kaming naglalakad ni Julia at kakatapos lang ng mga klase namin at papunta kami sa fountain area upang mag-usap tungkol sa aklat.

When we reached our destination, we sat on one of the benches. Biglang sumagi sa isipan ko ang pananakit ni Reena sa akin. It makes my head hurt just to think of what she did to me. Parang kahapon lang nangyari. I can still feel the way she hurt me... I still can feel the pain.

I immediately snapped out of my thoughts. Tapos na 'yon at dapat huwag ko ng alahanin pa. I'm healed now and that's what matters the most. Ngayon, dapat kaming mag-usap ni Julia tungkol sa aklat.

We first looked around to see if there's anyone but there's no one besides the two of us. I then started to talk. "Hindi ko pa nasabi kay Dark ang tungkol sa aklat."

"You should say it to him, Zee."

"P-Pero magagalit 'yun." Sabi ko naman dahil syempre, si Dark yun eh.

"Kung magagalit nga siya, lilipas din 'yon. Ipaliwanag mo sa kanya na kumikinang ang aklat kapag ikaw ang humawak."

Well, Julia has a point. I will just explain it to him na ganoon ang nangyari.

Magsasalita pa sana ako ng may narinig kaming ingay mula sa isang punong kahoy. Agad naming tinignan ni Julia kung ano ang nandoon pero wala naman. Bigla akong kinabahan. Papaano kung may tao pala ditong nakamasid sa amin? Oh no... please don't.

"What was that, Juls?" Natatakot kong tanong sa kaniya.

"Don't worry, Zee. It must've been the wind. Let's go now. Gumagabi na rin." Sabi niya at tumango lamang ako at umalis na kami papunta sa dorm namin.

Nang makarating kami sa dorm, hindi maiwasang maisip ko si Dark. I miss him. I want to see him right now. Naalala ko yung kulay blonde niyang buhok. He really looks good with it.

At nagtaka ako, diba magkapatid sila ni Julia? Eh bakit pure brown 'yung buhok ni Julia habang dirty blonde 'yung kanya? Nagpakulay ba siya? Siguradong may lahi sila. Maybe they're half Filipino and half American or something?

"Julia, I have a question." Sabi ko sa kaniya. Eto kami ngayon at nakaupo sa sofa at siya'y kumakain ng popcorn.

"Fire,"

"Diba dirty blonde 'yung kulay ng buhok ng Kuya mo? Bakit brown naman 'yung sayo?"

"Well, I haven't told you that our father is half Filipino and half Australian while our mother is Korean."

Nagulat ako sa sinabi ni Julia. What the heck, bakit ngayon ko lang nalaman ito? Of course you didn't ask, Zaya! Kaya ngayon mo lang nalaman dahil hindi ka man lang nagtanong!

I remembered Selton... He has golden brown hair and gray eyes. I remembered that he said his father was Filipino-American. At ngayon naman, pati pala si Dark? He's a Filipino, Australian, and Korean by blood! So he's probably 1/4 Filipino, 1/4 Australian, and half Korean! Kaya pala may angkin siyang kakisigan! At first I really thought that Dark just dyed his hair or something but he didn't. And it's natural and I like it so damn much! He looks hot with his dirty blonde hair! And it means that he knows how to speak and write Korean!

Wait... fuck Zaya, bakit ka nagkakaganito?!

"A-Ah kaya pala," Sagot ko kay Julia at nautal pa dahil sa naiisip ko tungkol kay Dark.

I looked at Julia and I just noticed that her hair is already long. Noon, 'nung una ko pa lang siyang nakilala, ang buhok niya ay hanggang balikat lang. Ngayon, mahaba na ito at lampas na sa balikat. And I can really see Dark on her. Marami silang pagkakahawig na dalawa kahit na magkaiba ang kulay ng buhok nila.

I wonder how their parents look like. Ang gwapo siguro ng ama nila at maganda ang kanilang ina kasi ang ganda ni Julia at ang gwapo ni Dark! I wish I could meet them someday... Why am I even thinking of this?! I'm just curious... yun. This is just curiosity, that's all.

"Ako naman yung may tanong, Zee." Seryoso niyang sabi at agad akong kinabahan.

"A-Ano yun?"

"What was the most tragic thing that happened to your family? If there is any."

I was stunned by her question. At seryoso ang kanyang mukha. Bumuntong hininga muna ako bago magsalita. "My Mom cheated on my Dad when I was young."

Siya naman ngayon ang nabigla sa sinabi ko. "I-I'm sorry for asking, Zaya—"

"No, it's okay." Sabi ko naman sa kanya at ngumiti ako. Pero hindi iyon umabot sa mga mata ko.

"Ours was when Dad was shot."

Nabigla na naman ako. What the heck? Pero okay lang naman ang ama nila diba?" "Buhay naman yung ama niyo diba?"

"Yes, he is. But that was the most tragic part that happened. Tatlong araw pang lumipas bago siya nagising. I thank God that he was alive. When he was shot, Mom couldn't eat. Kuya Dark was silent and me, I'm trying to cheer them up." May bahid ng lungkot sa kanyang boses.

I decided to open up about the tragic part that happened in my family. "I was young back then when my Mom cheated on Dad. He was on a business trip for a week and when he arrived, he saw a pregnancy test. A damn pregnancy test."

"Zaya, it's okay if you don't wanna talk about it."

"It's okay, I want to open up now." I said and I paused for a bit before continuing. "Oo, bata pa ako 'nun pero naaalala ko yung mga pangyayari."

"So you have a half brother or sister, Zee?" Tanong sa akin ni Julia.

"Meron sana... pero nalaglag ang bata. And the father was my dad's best friend. It was painful for me but I know it was more painful for my father." Hindi ko na naiwasan at lumuha na ako.

"Zee, tama na—"

"Okay lang talaga. I promise." Mapait akong napangiti. "Naghiwalay sila ng isang taon. And thank God nagkabalikan sila. I think I couldn't take it if our family will fall apart. Pero nagkapatawaran na sila. All they need was the time to heal, especially my father. And the time came at nagkaroon na ako ng kapatid. Kapatid ko na talaga this time."

"I hope you're okay. Have you already moved on?" Tanong ni Julia sa akin.

I smiled at her, yung totoong ngiti na. "I think I already did. But it hurts to think of it. My heart was shattered because of that experience... Pero ang sarap rin sa pakiramdam na may nakausap ako tungkol dito."

My best friend hugged me and I hugged her back. I'm so happy that God gave me Julia as a friend.

Nang kumalas na kami sa pagkakayakap sa isa't-isa, nagsalita ako. "I thank God because of you, Juls."

Lumuha na siya ngayon at tumawa ako sa kanya. Nakakainis, nagdradrama na lang kami lagi!

"So ano na? Sabihin na natin kay Kuya yung tungkol sa aklat ng matinding kapangyarihan." Sambit ni Julia.

May kaba akong nararamdaman dahil sa magiging reaksyon ni Dark. Maybe he'll get angry because I stole the damn book and oh, it's not "maybe" because he'll surely be angry!

I immediately snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a knock on the door. Nagkatinginan kami ni Julia at agad siyang tumayo para tignan sa peep hole kung sino ang nandoon at kumakatok.

"Kuya!" She said and she opened the door for her brother.

When Dark entered, I shifted from my seat dahil parang hindi ako komportable at ako'y kinakabahan. Pero alam kong mamaya, ay huhupa rin ang kabang ito. Sana nga.

"What's with your faces? Bakit parang may bumabagabag sa inyo?" He asked and he eyed me and his sister. Pero mas tumagal ang titig niya sa akin.

"K-Kuya may gusto kaming sabihin sayo," Nauutal na sabi ni Julia at umupo siya sa tabi ko at umupo rin si Dark sa harap namin. Sa bean bag siya umupo.

"What is it?" Tanong ni Dark.

"Kuya—"

"I stole something from Madame Selina," Pagputol ko kay Julia. We should get to the point and I should be the one to tell.

"What the heck? What did you steal from her?"

"A book... The book about the rarest power." Sabi ko at yumuko ako.

Hindi ako makatingin sa kanya dahil alam kong galit siya. Pero napilitan akong humarap sa kanya dahil hindi siya umimik sa sinabi ko. And right there, I saw the shock on his face. Para bang nagulantang talaga siya sa sinabi ko.

"Kuya, a-ayos ka lang ba?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Julia sa kay Dark.

"Why did you damn stole it, Zaya?" Matigas na sabi ni Dark. Hindi siya sumigaw pero alam kong galit siya. He's just holding back his anger.

"I was curious, okay? And alam kong magagalit ka dahil kinuha ko iyon. But when I touched the book, it glowed. A-And I saw a picture of me inside the book. I don't—"

"W-What?!" Kanina'y nagulantang si Dark, pero ngayon, mas nagulantang siya sa sinabi ko.

"I-I saw my face on the book..." Mahina kong sabi.

"Show it to me," Seryoso niyang sabi.

I ran to the bedroom and I took the book and I ran back to the living room. And as usual, the book glowed because of my hold.

Nanghihinayang si Dark. Gusto niyang kunin at hawakan yung aklat pero parang ayaw niyang gawin. And now, I can sense that he's hiding something from me again.

"Dark, what now? Bakit parang nagdadalawang-isip kang hawakan ang aklat?" I say with irritation.

He's hiding something again and I can really feel it! Pero... bakit nararamdaman ko na parang may tinatago siya? Why did I sensed it immediately?

He took a deep breath before getting the book from my hands and I was then shocked. Pati si Julia ay nagulat rin sa nasaksihan.

The book glowed because of Dark's hold. What the heck is the meaning of this?

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