Chapter Seven
"Kuya?" Naalimupangatan na dumilat si Riel nang gisingin ko siya. Still dazed from sleep, he sat up and brushed his fingers through his hair.
"We need to get away from here. Kailangan natin makalayo sa lalong madaling panahon." I said with urgency.
"Bakit?" Worry and fear washed over his face. "Ano bang nangyayari?"
I frantically walked back and forth. My mind was racing with anxiety. Sumilip ako mula sa bintana ng kwarto ni Riel. Luckily, there wasn't anyone out there. He still hadn't caught up on us. I feared for my brother's safety more than my own. Our lives was in danger now that Patricio knew about us.
He could easily do to us what he'd done to both our parents. Riel was young, he had a whole life ahead of him. I didn't care if he kills me, I wasn't afraid to die. Ang kapatid ko ang inaalala ko.
"I don't have time to explain to you. Basta kailangan na natin umalis." Sabi ko sa kanya.
He jumped out of bed and got dressed. Walang salitang, lumabas kami ng bahay at sumakay sa kotse. I could feel his fear. Alam ko kahit hindi niya sabihin, natatakot siya.
"Kuya, ano ba talagang nangyayari? Bakit kailangan natin umalis?" He frustratedly asked as I was driving.
"Nahuli ako ni Patricio. Alam niya na ang totoong pagkatao ko. He's going to kill us, Riel!" I said.
"Ano? Kuya, paano na yan? Saan tayo pupunta?" Bakas sa boses niya ang takot.
"I bought a house in Cavite. Doon muna tayo pansamantala magtatago." Sagot ko.
"Sabi ko naman sa'yo, walang mabuting madudulot yang ginagawa mo. Imbes na tahimik na ang buhay natin, nagkaleche-leche pa ngayon!" There was anger and anxiety in his voice.
"Hindi kita pababayaan, Riel, huwag kang mag-alala. They'd have to kill me first before they could lay a finger on you." I said with firm conviction.
"Paano nga kung mapatay ka nila? Ano na ang mangyayari sa akin? You're not going to be there to proetect me anymore." He sounded as if he was ready to cry. "Kuya, paulit-ulit kong sinabi sa'yo na hindi magandang ideya ang ginagawa mo. See what it did to us! You've put our lives in danger!"
"Pansamantala lang ito! Everything will be okay. Hawak ko na ang ebidensya laban kay Patricio." I explained. "Pagbabayaran niya ang ginawa niya!"
"Paano kung matunton niya tayo?"
"He won't. Just trust me on this, okay?" I gently said. "Kahit kailan ba hinayaan kong may manakit sa'yo? Hindi, di ba? And I won't ever let anyone hurt you, Riel. Do you understand? Not Patricio. Not anyone."
He quietly nodded his head as an answer. After a few hours of driving, narating na din namin ang bahay. It was just a small house in the middle of a meadow. Nag-iisang bahay lang iyon doon at nasa tagong lugar. It was the perfect hiding place. May kalumaan na ang bahay. Some parts of the house was already disintergrating as no one was maintining it. But it was still decently habitable.
I had planned it all out. I had already planned an escape place if anything goes wrong with my plan.
"Kuya, natatakot ako." Riel admitted.
I gave him a gentle pat on the cheek. "As long as I'm here, you have nothing to be scared of."
"At paano kapag nawala ka?" He asked, his eyes watering.
"Hindi mangyayari iyon." I said. "I'll always be here for you."
I pulled him into a hug. And it was like he was a little kid again, crying for mom and dad. He was so young when we lost our parents. Nahirapan akong ipaliwanag sa kanya noon na hindi na babalik ang mom at dad, that they were gone forever. Ipinangako ko sa sarili ko noon na hindi ko hahayaan na may manakit sa kapatid ko. He was the only family I had and I would give my life to protect him.
Hindi ako nakatulog ng maayos sa unang gabi namin. Bukod sa may takot sa dibdib ko na baka nasundan kami ni Patricio at binabantayan ko ang kapatid ko. I couldn't stop thinking about Lux. Hindi ko makalimutan ang itsura niya ng itutok ko sa kanya ang baril. It broke my heart over and over everytime I think of it. It was all I could see everytime I close my eyes.
Her love was genuine. It was as beautiful and pure as she was. Sinayang ko ang pagmamahal na iyon. I knew I would never feel that way for any woman again. She cared so much for me. She saw through me, into my very heart and soul. She saw how damaged I was and she wanted to put my broken pieces back together.
Pinatakas niya ako. Kung gugustuhin niya akong maabutan ni Patricio at ng mga tauhan nito madali niya akong mapipigilan. Pero siya pa ang nagtulak sa akin na umalis. I'd let a good woman go. Sana nakilala ko na lang siya sa ibang sitwasyon. I guess this is what they call the right love at the wrong time.
Two weeks had passed and we were still in our hiding place. We occasionally go out to buy food in the wet market. Habang nasa palengke kami, naagaw ng pansin ko ang isang gossip magazine na nakasabit sa stand.
I took the last hit from my cig before throwing it on the ground and stepping on it.
"Manang, pabili nga nito." I said, pointing at the magazine with Lux as the front cover. I handed her the money and she handed the magazine to me.
Mabilis kong binuklat ang magazine na iyon.
Lux Castellano, pregnant and engaged
Iyon ang nakalagay na title sa article. I could feel the blood draining from my face. It felt as if my whole world had collapsed under my feet. There was even a picture of her with her supposed fiance. He was the son of Patricio's business partner. His arms wrapped around the small of her waist and they were smiling for the camera. Lux was smiling but her beautiful eyes didn't look happy.
It said in the magazine that she was already three weeks pregnant. A realization instantly struck me. Ako ang ama ng dinadala ni Lux. Sigurado ako doon. I was sure I was the only man she'd been with during that time. Ako lang ang nakakasama niyang lalaki. We were always together and she wasn't even allowed to get out of the mansion. Imposibleng siya ang ama ng dinadala ni Lux. Sigurado akong palabas lang nila iyon. Patricio probably just wanted to save face.
After the initial shock, anger took over me. I won't let another guy father my child. My fingers tightly closed on the magazine I was holding. Iniisip ko pa lang na may ibang amang kinikilala ang anak ko parang bumigat na ang dibdib ko.
Lux was carrying my child. Akin iyon. Sa amin.
"Kuya, nakabili na ako ng pang-ulam natin." Sabi ni Riel habang hawak ang mga napamili niya.
I took another cigarette out, putting it in between my lips and lighting it. Walang salitang naglakad ako at sumunod naman sa akin ang kapatid ko. I felt powerless. Lux was engaged to someone else and she was with my child. Pero wala akong magawa. Hindi ako pwedeng lumapit sa kanya. Nagtatago pa rin ako hanggang ngayon.
Bakit ba kami ang nagtatago when in fact it was Patricio who did us wrong?
"Hoy, kuya, okay ka lang?" Siniko niya ako habang naglalakad kami pabalik sa tinitirhan namin. "Kanina pa ako salita ng salita, di ka naman nakikinig."
"Buntis si Lux." I blurted out after exhaling the smoke.
"Si Lux? Anak ni Patricio?" He asked.
I answered him with a nod.
"O, ano naman kung buntis siya?" He asked, apathetically.
"Anak ko ang dinadala niya, Riel." My jaw clenched.
Sandaling hindi nakakibo ito bago nagsalita. "Are you sure?"
"A hundred percent sure."
"How did that happen?"
"May nangyari sa amin noong nagtatrabaho ako sa kanila." I answered, matter of factly.
"Pucha! Magiging pamangkin ko apo ni Patricio?" He said in disbelief.
I turned, looking at him straight in the eyes. "Kukunin ko si Lux"
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Riel. "What? You're crazy! Alam mong papatayin ka ni Patricio kapag nakita ka niya. Nakakalimutan mo ba na nandito tayo ngayon dahil nagtatago tayo?"
"I don't care! That's my child she's carrying. Ayaw kong may ibang lalaking umako sa anak ko." Mariin na sabi ko. "Mahal ako ni Lux. Sasama siya sa akin."
"Yan ka na naman sa pabigla-biglang desisyon mo." Naiiling na sabi ni Riel. "Patricio will kill you. Alam mong mainit ka pa sa kanya. Sigurado akong inaabangan ka nun. Bakit hindi muna tayo maghintay katulad ng napagplanuhan natin? You can have your kid afterwards."
"I can't just sit here and let her marry another man!" Tumaas ang boses ko dahil sa frustration. "Hell be damned before I let that happen!"
"Kuya, pag-isipan mo muna yan."
"I already have. I'm taking Lux and my child."
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