April 5 1973
“David! David tulungan mo ‘ko parang awa mo na!” nag-e-echo ang boses ng isang babae sa loob ng abandonadong building kung nasaan ang ‘hideout’ nina Cyrus.
“Sandali, ano ba ‘yon?” tanong ni David habang papalapit sa pintuan, sina Diana at Cyrus naman ay hinihintay kung sino ang iluluwa nito. Pare-parehas silang kabado sa kung anong dahilan ng pagkatok.
Isang babaeng naliligo sa pawis ang umakap sa paanan ni David pagkabukas niya ng pintuan. “David parang awa mo na tulungan mo ‘ko,” nagsusumamong sambit nito.
“Martha! What happened?!” alalang tanong ni Cyrus at agad na nilapitan ang kaibigan.
“Tulungan niyo ‘ko, m-may mga armadong lalaki sa bahay namin ngayon,” umiiyak na sambit nito.
“Maupo ka, anong nangyari?” tanong ni Diana at inakay si Martha papunta sa upuan.
“M-May nagpuntang mga armadong lalaki sa bahay, hinahanap ang kapatid kong si Alfred. Hinalughog nila ‘yong buong bahay. Nakataka
[DISCLAIMER: This chapter is not a documentary/biography of any character depicted. No information should be construed to represent a true or accurate recreation of the actual events that transpired. The story, characters, scenarios, and events are just a work of fiction.]
May 8, 1973Isang buwan matapos pagbawalan sina Diana na makipagkita kay Cyrus. Mas naging komplikado hindi lamang para sa relasyon ng dalawa ang mga sumunod na araw matapos ng pagpatay kay Lucia, mainit ang lahat grupo nila at kapwa nasa panganib.Napagdesisyonan ni Cyrus na magpunta sa bahay ng dalaga, umaasang masilayan niya kahit papaano ito. Ma-ingat niyang tinignan ang paligid ng bahay, hindi niya nais na manggulo at magpakita kaninoman sa kanila.“Are you gonna stand here all day?” rinig niya mula sa kaniyang likuran, boses ito na matagal niyang inasam marinig.“Hi there,” bati niya sa nakapameywang na si Diana.“Hey there, creep,” nakangiting saad nito at bahagyang lumapit sa kanya.“I missed you.” Hinawakan ng dalaga ang magkabilang pisngi at bakas sa mukha nito ang pangungulila sa nobyo.Pinagkasiya nila sa ilang sandali ang isang buwang hindi pa
Isang linggo matapos ang insidente sa ospital ay walang naging balita sina David kay Cyrus, tinanggap na lamang nila na nadampot ito ng mga awtoridad... subalit hindi si Diana.Panibagong araw na nanatili siya sa bintana ng kwarto, inaasahang makita ulit si Cyrus sa labas ng bahay nila. Panibagong tray ng pagkain ang ilalapag sa lamesa ng kwarto niya kasabay ng pagkuha ng isa pang tray ng pagkain na hindi niya ginalaw o tinignan man lang.Pinanood ni David ang kapatid na araw araw maghintay kay Cyrus, sa loob loob niya’y tahimik din siyang naghihintay pero hindi ba’t mas madaling asahan ang pinaka-masamang mangyayari kaysa umasa na ayos lang ang lahat?“Asaan si Diana?” tanong ng ama nilang si Javier kay David.“Nasa taas, Dad. Hindi pa nga rin lumalabas ng kwaro, ni hindi ginagalaw ‘yong mga pagkaing dinadala namin nina manang,” saad ni David.“That doesn’t matter, Hijo. Bring her here, I got s
‘I do believe in multiverse, resurrections, aliens and other things that we haven’t discovered yet. Maraming pruweba para patunayan ang mga bagay na ‘yon but we chose to ignore those, why? Perhaps, we are blinded by the thing we called “reality” or we’re stuck inside this world where things that are considered “fantasy” are the real thing. Hindi ko rin alam, napapa-isip na lang din ako minsan... those people na tinatawag nating “baliw” pa’no kung sila ang nakakakita ng isang daang pursyento ng katotohanan tungkol sa mundo? Baka masyado tayong normal kaya't limitado lang din sa “normal” ang nakikita natin. Halimbawa na lang, resurrections, maniniwala ba tayo sa mga taong nagsasabi na naaalala nila ang past life nila? No. Instead, we’re going to treat them as someone who have lost their minds. Deja vu? When there’s a specific smell na sigurado tayong pamilyar sa’tin, alam natin kung anong amoy ‘yon pero hindi natin matukoy kung saan galing, kanino and why do
It’s almost 11 in the morning when Apollo decided to get up and have his breakfast. He went downstairs and see his Dad holding a newspaper and while having his coffee. “I heard hindi ka na naman pumapasok sa klase mo? Ano bang plano mo sa buhay?” his Dad asked as soon as he sat down on the table. “Dad, please naman, ang aga aga. Don’t nag at me first thing in the morning,” he irritably said. “Maaga? It almost 11 o’clock Apollo when will you learn to be responsible sa oras at sa buhay mo like your--” “Like my brothers?” Apollo interrupted what his father was about to say. “Hijo, I’m just saying that you should be more responsible. Hindi ka na bumabata, anak,” his Dad added. “Hindi mo ‘ko nakikitang nage-excel sa career ko kasi paulit ulit mong pinupuna kung ano yung mga bagay na hindi ko kayang gawin. Unfair ka, Dad. Sana si Mama na lang yung naiwan dito!” he shouted and banged his hands on the table. His voice echoed in the four walls
It’s 8 in the morning but she can feel the heat of the afternoon as she walks on the sidewalk, Mayari stood in front of a tall building, this is her first day as a writer intern at Moonlight’s publishing house. She took a deep breath and walked towards the crowded hallway of the building and nervously reached the elevator buttons. Unfamiliar faces greeted her as the elevator door opens, she grabbed her phone and turn the volume up to ease the rising tension in her chest. She’s nervous and excited at the same time. Elevator reached the 7th floor where she was supposed to go. The door opened and there goes the people who will work with her for the next months. She stood on the corner while waiting for their team leader. Minutes passed and the elevator opened again and a man his age came out from it. He looks familiar… “Apollo?” she called the guy and the latter look behind him to see if she was talking to him.
Mayari was awakened by a loud knock on her door, she rubbed her eyes and slowly walked outside. She didn’t bother looking in the mirror or wash her face because the knock sounds urgent. “Ms. Torres?” a guy in suit and tie greets her, behind him was a small middle-aged lady “Uhm, yes? Ano po ‘yon?” she asked “We will just leave a notice that you must vacate this apartment before the end of the month,” the guy said and hand her an envelope Her eyes widened with the guy's statement and checked the papers inside the envelope handed to her, she just woke up and still feels hazy to process the information written. “Sorry I must be spacing out, I just woke up. Can you please repeat what you just said?” she asked again, trying to convince herself that she heard it wrong. “Attorney, ako na po,” Sumingit ang babae sa likuran nito “Hi, Mayari, you might not remember me but we’ve met before. Maliit ka pa no’n, your parents decided
Mayari came home from the coffee shop, tears immediately fell down the moment she closed her front door. She looked around the apartment, this is the last thing with her parent’s memories; she grew up here. On the side of the doorway were the scratches her mom made to monitor their heights, the last scratch was five years ago—before her parents died. The phonograph that her Dad gave her mom as a birthday present was still there, it looks old now. They use to play their wedding song there and dance in the living room, setting aside their furniture and dance like crazy. That’s weird for her when she was younger but it all made sense now. That’s what love looks like. Most of the things turned grey covered with dust. She’s been too busy with her life to at least sweep the floor and clean their stuff. She walked towards the couch and lay down, she used to sleep here when she was a kid and everything feels like magic when she wakes up in her bed in the morning. She u
Nanatiling nakayakap si Mayari kay Apollo. Sa mga oras na ‘yon ay ramdam niyang ligtas siya sa bisig nito. Maya maya’y tumunog ang telepono ng huli, dahilan para bumitaw sila sa pagkakayakap sa isa't isa. “Hello?... Ha? Bakit?... Anong nangyari?... Saan?... Okay papunta na ‘ko,” halata sa boses niya ang pag-aalala, hindi na nakapag-paalam si Apollo kay Mayari at madali nang tumakbo palabas Hindi na niya tinangkang sundan pa ang binata, ngayon niya lamang nakita ang gano’ng mukha ni Apollo. Namumutla ito at mangiyak ngiyak na. Inabot niya ang telepono at nag-iwan ng mensahe sa kaibigan. “I don’t know what happened but if you want to talk about it, I’ll listen. Whatever it is, I hope it will be alright, I hope you’re fine.” Hindi na niya hinintay pa ang reply nito at ipinagpatuloy na lang ang pagliligpit. Sa kabilang anda, pawis si Apollo na tumatakbo papasok sa isang ospital. Tila wala siyang naririnig at nakikita, tuli