AS I DROVE the car in the empty streets, the silence inside was slowly chopping off my head and burying my other half in a haunted forest. Mahigpit kong hinawakan ang manibela, nanggigigil at seryosong nakapokus sa daan, dahil wala pa rin siyang imik.   "You really won't speak?" I scoffed after minutes of getting killed in evil solitude. "Okay, then. Take your time, Babe. I won't insist further-"    "Aalis na ako," putol ni Shanta.   I snorted. "Oh, Baby. You can't go because I won't stop the car."   "Hindi 'yan ang ibig kong sabihin."   My brows furrowed at the icy tone of her voice, which compelled me to steer the wheel and park beside the road. Humi

THE CAR parked in front of a Roman style school grounds and I hopped out with a basket of yellow roses. Kasabay ng pag-alis ng kotse ay ang pagpalo ng malamig na simoy ng hangin sa mukha ko. Somehow, it felt nostalgic and calming. Parang nakikinig lang ako sa malakas na ulan habang nakahiga sa malambot na kama ko.   Mas nakakaginhawa pa ang bugso ng hangin sa nagniniyebeng lugar. Because as I pan my head around the school front yard with meadows covered by snow, I could also feel the wind brushing through my long hair with every move my head made.   Dahil huling buwan na ng taon, talamak ang niyebe sa iba't ibang sulok ng lugar. Afar from the driveway, a bricked path was flooded by small amount of snow while a bald tree was cloaked by white crystals, which served as its jacket against the cold weather. At kung meron mang punong may d

THE LIFE OF A CADET was what I already expected. This is the stage of our lives where everything would be put to the test. Hindi basta-bastang dinadaan ito sa dasal. Before He does the rest, we have to do our best first. Ang dugo, pawis, at maging ang espiritu ang puhunan sa matinding ensayo sa akademiya na ito."One! Two! One! Two! One! Two!" bilang ng lider sa harapan habang sabay-sabay kaming tumatakbo ng mga kadete sa track and field."Kadete Angeles! Nahuhuli ka!" may diing sita ng Lieutenant noong dumaan ang linya namin sa kanilang kampo. "Ayusin mo ang pagtakbo!""Pasensya, Sir!""You okay?" I asked Santino while I jogged and simply glanced behind."Oo. Kaya ko 'to," he said breathfully, then I felt him, speeding up and catching up to my pace. "Masasanay din ako, Vos."Kasabay niyan ay ang pagtuloy ng aming pagtakbo. Naka-ilang laps na kami. Kami na mismo ang sumalubong sa araw at nagsimula ng

I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE you’re back, Anak…” Mama said over a hundred times. “I can’t wait for you to come home.” I looked down at her hand gripping mine. Napangiti ako sa lambot at higpit ng pagkakahawak niya. She caressed it softly with her jeweled fingers and I lifted my gaze at her, still amused at how she’s unstoppable with complimenting her eldest son. “Marami akong ipinahanda sa mga kasambahay natin,” dugtong niya, ang tono ng boses ay nasasabik. “We also prepared your room yesterday… and the other day.” She giggled. “Lahat ay pulido, walang alikabok!” I smiled emotionally. “Thank you, Ma. But you know, I can’t hang out in my room habitually anymore. Now that I’m a busy man. I have to establish my name, my own brand.” “Why? Are you leaving immediately tomorrow?” I chuckled at her tone, hinting of irritation. “Of course not. But I’m only telling you that because you don’t have to work so hard cleaning my room. Trust me, I can do it.” “You really are a

I TOOK A STEP FORWARD. A single step. One with a big impact. One that leaves a trail. Hindi ko alam kung ano itong pinapasok ko. Just two thoughts clashing against each other. Should I hold her and come back to her life again or step back and leave all the work to the police? Pero muli akong humakbang. My mind keeps telling me to quit involving myself, but my soul… It keeps luring me towards her, ordering me to mind her business. Dapat nga ay hindi na ako tumakbo pa rito. Dapat ay hindi na ako nangingialam sa pamilya nila. Sa kanya. But what am I even thinking? Rushing here to find myself useless. Leaving all I sacrificed to move on for this sole cause. Hindi naman ako kamag-anak. Wala rin naman akong mapapala sa mga pulis. So what am I doing here? Simply because I can’t help but involve myself again. Alam kong marami nang nangyari. We have lost each other in the past. We aren’t connected in one way or another. She had already pushed me. Pero ano pa ngayon at tinutul