"Ate..."

When I called out to Ate Grapes, she turned to me before shaking her head. She also put down her phone before approaching me in my bed.

"Nagtanong-tanong na si Zade sa dating kaklase ni Yhael kung may nakakita rito pero wala," aniya. "Hindi ko rin ma-contact ang cellphone niya."

I covered my face as tears streamed down my cheeks again. Ate Grapes hugged me and stroked my hair.

Yhael has been missing for two days. No one knows where he is now.

His parents have been coming back and forth to our house for two days. Mommy has threatened them, but they seem not to care.

I haven't slept properly for two days, worrying about Yhael's whereabouts.

I have a fever, but I'm not showing it. I'll deal with it once we find Yhael.

Ayoko mang isipin pero bumabalik kasi sa akin na baka may kinalaman si Mommy at Daddy sa pagkawala ni Yhael.

Pero ayokong maniwala. Hindi naman siguro nila magagawang saktan si Yhael. Tinigilan ko na siya e.

Over the next few days that Yhael was missing, I felt worse and worse. Ate Grapes noticed, but I just shook my head.

I'm really okay, though.  It's Yhael I'm worried about. We don't know where he is. We don't know if he's eating. We don't know if he's safe.

Yhael loves his parents. Hindi niya magagawang hindi kausapin sila Tita at Tito. Ako lang dapat ang hindi niya kinakausap.

Because I hurt him.

"Yhael, where are you?" I whispered to his picture on the back of my senior high ID.

"Please, let us know you're okay. Even if not to me, at least to your parents. They're worried... I'm worried."

"Please come home. Even if you don't come to me, just let me know you're safe. That's all I need. I'll be okay. I'll get better." I sobbed.

It's midnight, but here I am, crying and talking to the picture of the man I love.

"Come home, please."  That's what I kept repeating until I fell asleep.

***

"Green Aphle..."

"Walang hiya kayo! Pinatay niyo ang mga magulang ko!"

"Hinding-hindi magkaka-ayos ang pamilya natin. Walang Poniente ang makakapag-asawa ng Pueblo! Pinatay niyo ang anak ko!"

"Sinabi ko sa'yo, poprotektahan ko si Aphle dahil mahal mo siya."

"Kasalanan mo 'to! Kung hindi ka lang sana minahal ni Yhael, buhay pa sana siya!"

"H-Hindi siya patay, 'di ba?"

"Hindi kaniyang bangkay ang nakita niyo. Sabihin niyo!"

"Aphle..."

"Anong ginawa mo, Mommy?"

***

"Aphle, gising!" Napabalikwas ako sa pagbangon nang marinig ang boses ni Ate Grapes.

Hingal na hingal akong humarap sa kaniya. "Ayos ka lang? Nanaginip ka ng masama?" tanong niya.

Tulala akong tumango. What did I dream about? The events are blurry, but the voices were clear.  I just can't remember whose voices they were.

It was all mixed up. Different people, different places. There were even gunshots.

Pinunasan ni Ate Grapes ang aking noo na punong-puno ng pawis. "Kalimutan mo na 'yon. Panaginip lang 'yon," pampapalubag-loob niya.

Pero hindi ko magawang kalimutan.

My bedroom door opened and Kuya Zade came in. He went to the window before turning to Ate Grapes and me.

"Your parents left. Should we follow them?" he asked.

I looked at Ate. I was confused by what Kuya Zade said. Ate just smiled at me before nodding at Kuya Zade.

"Alright. I'll just make a few calls to get an update on where your parents are going," Kuya Zade said before typing on his phone.

I couldn't take my eyes off him. I don't know why, but I had a bad feeling about what we were going to do.

But maybe the other part of my brain is right. Maybe Mommy and Daddy know where Yhael is.

***

It was already night when we arrived at a secluded place. We were led there by Kuya Zade's companion.

We saw the car Mommy and Daddy used at the entrance of this place, so we went inside even though we weren't sure what awaited us there.

Ate Grapes held my arm while Kuya Zade walked ahead of her, holding her hand.

We walked around until we found a small nipa hut. I don't know why, but I felt really uneasy in this place.

The three of us stared at each other as Kuya Zade's trusted man approached the nipa hut.

"May lalaki rito sa loob!" Dumagundong nang malakas ang dibdib ko nang marinig ang sinabi ng katiwala.

Ate Grapes pulled me inside the nipa hut. Thankfully, there was light inside, so we didn't need to use a flashlight.

Upon entering, I felt a wave of despair. I felt that if Ate hadn't been holding me, I might have collapsed to the floor.

Yhael was sitting in a chair, covered in blood. From head to toe, he was drenched in it.

His head was bowed, so I couldn't see his face. But I knew it was him; I remembered what he was last wearing.

Kuya Zade approached Yhael, intentionally blocking my view of his face.

My sobs grew louder as I heard Yhael's painful moans.

"Yhael, are you okay?" Kuya Zade asked him.

I wanted to see his face, but I was terrified of what I might find.

"S-Si... A-Aphle?"

I closed my eyes because even though he was near death, he was still thinking of me.

I couldn't hold back anymore. I pulled away from Ate Grapes' grip and, despite my weakness, approached Yhael.

"W-What did they do to you?" I stammered, my voice laced with anger.

His entire face was covered in blood. Even the whites of his eyes were stained red.

He offered me a weak smile. Kuya Zade's accomplice approached and untied Yhael from the chair.

As soon as he was free, he hugged me. I felt his weight against me. I hate blood... but I was willing to endure it to hug Yhael.

I hugged him back tightly. My sobs were so loud, it felt like I was the one who had been tortured for days.

"B-Bakit ka nandito?" Nanghihina niyang tanong nang makaalis siya sa pagkakayakap ko.

"What do you want me to do? Sleep and lock myself in my room and do nothing to find you?" I asked angrily, because it felt like he didn't appreciate what I was doing for him.

Kahit punong-puno ng dugo ang kaniyang kamay ay hinawakan niya ang aking pisngi at pinunasan ang aking luha. Pumikit ako upang damhin ang kaniyang haplos. Na-miss ko siya.

"Sorry," mahina niyang sinabi. "P-Pinag-alala pa kita."

Umiling ako bago magmulat. "Ayos lang. Ang mahalaga ay nahanap na rin kita."

"Sinong gumawa niyang sa'yo, Yhael?" Tanong ni Ate. Tumingin kami sa kaniya ni Yhael at kita sa kaniyang mga mata ang awa para sa lalaki.

"Maniniwala ba kayo kapag sinabi kong... ang mga magulang ninyo ang gumawa nito sa akin, Grapes," sagot ni Yhael.

Everyone looked at me when I released Yhael's hand.

I accept that Mommy and Daddy are capable of this. I just can't bear to think that I'm the reason, or that I'm just adding to the reasons. I know there are other reasons why they did this to Yhael.

And those reasons are because of the parents of the man I love.

"Siguro mamaya niyo na ipagpatuloy ang usapan ninyo. Kailangan na nating makaalis dahil baka biglang dumating ang mga salarin," sinabi nung katiwala.

Kuya Zade nodded at the man's words. He approached Yhael and helped him to his feet. Ate attended to me.

The accomplice and Kuya Zade helped Yhael walk. They went out first.

I thought Ate and I would leave, too, but she looked around the hut. Her gaze stopped on a gun resting on a small table.

She picked it up before approaching me. I stared at her in disbelief. "W-What are you going to do with that, Ate?" I asked, stammering.

She answered me firmly. "They're our parents, Aphle. But what they're doing is inhumane."

"If they don't let us leave, I'll be forced to forget that they are our parents."

"Pero Ate—"

Naputol ang sasabihin ko nang sumilip si Kuya Zade sa pinto. "Love, Aphle, let's go."

Hinawakan ni Ate nang mahigpit ang aking pulsuhan bago ako kinaladkad palabas.

We walked through the forest. Kuya Zade's accomplice was good with directions.

We stopped at the edge of the ravine we had passed earlier. "Yhael's wound is getting deeper. We need to get him to the hospital," Kuya Zade said.

We were about to walk further when Ate Grapes and I screamed at the sound of a gunshot. At the same time, Kuya Zade's accomplice fell to the ground in the grass.

"And where do you think you're going with the son of that criminal?!" Mommy shouted like thunder.

I rushed to Yhael. Kuya Zade stepped aside to let me get closer while he moved towards Ate Grapes, who was gripping the gun behind her.

"Are you okay?" I asked, but Yhael didn't respond; he was focused on his bleeding wound.

My gaze lifted to the sky as it began to rain.

I turned back to Ate and Kuya. They were now blocking Yhael and me, with the gun that Kuya Zade was holding aimed at the direction of the threat.

"Put down your gun, Zade. You have nothing to do with this. You need to focus on marrying Grapes," Dad said.

"And what? Let you kill the innocent Yhael?" Kuya Zade asked sarcastically.

I started to cry again because this situation felt familiar. It was as if it was happening all over again.

Kuya Zade turned to Ate Grapes, who was now trembling with fear. "Love, help Aphle.  The two of you get Yhael out of here. I'll handle your parents."

"What?!" Ate Grapes shrieked. "Hindi kita iiwan dito kaya 'wag mo 'kong utusan!"

"Please, 'wag nang matigas ang ulo. Sundin mo 'ko," matigas na sinabi ni Kuya Zade.

Napatingin ako kay Yhael nang indahin niyang muli ang kaniyang sugat na nababasa na ngayon ng ulan.

Biglang dumalo si Ate Grapes kay Yhael. "Halika na, Aphle," utos niya.

"Paano si Kuya Zade?" Nag-aalala kong tanong.

"K-Kaya niya ang sarili niya. Kilala ko 'yan," nauutal niyang sinabi.

Pinagtulungan naming itayo si Yhael. "Gising, Yhael, dadalhin ka na namin sa hospital," bulong ko pero tuluyan na siyang nawalan ng malay.

"You wanted this, Zade. I can't do anything about it," Mommy said before we heard three consecutive gunshots.

We all turned to look behind Ate Grapes. I knew it felt like the world had stopped for her when we saw Kuya Zade slowly retreat until...

He fell into the ravine.

"Zade!" Ate Grapes screamed.

I thought that was where it would end, but we heard another gunshot. Yhael and I quickly laid down on the grass as she lost her grip.

"Daddy!" I shouted as I watched him fall to the ground with a gunshot wound to his chest.

"You're all animals!" a woman screamed in pure rage, holding a gun now.

"Tita," Ate Grapes whispered.

"Hinding-hindi magkakaayos ang pamilya natin! Walang Poniente ang makakapag-asawa ng Pueblo! Pinatay niyo ang anak ko!"

-iamlunamoon