Keeping Quiet Mga Nobela at Kwento

Hindi agad sumagot si Amanda Sa halip ay bahagya siyang huminga nang malalim isang kilos na halos hindi mapansin kung hindi ka nakatingin nang mabuti. “Silence,” tugon niya, “is not always absence. Sometimes it is restraint. Sometimes it is strategy. And sometimes,” dagdag niya, “it is the only way to survive while the truth is being buried under noise.” May ilang napasinghap ang iba nama’y napahinto sa pagsusulat.

seryoso nitong sagot. Napangiti ako nang malaki. Napansin ko kaagad na work mode na ang lalaki dahil hindi na ito ngumingiti. Lumapit ang lalaki sa kanyang malaking mesa na gawa sa hard wood at ska naupo sa kanyang swivel chair. Tahimik siyang nagbasa habang nanatili si Harris sa kanyang tabi. Siniguro kong nasa silent mode ang aking cellphone para hindi maka-istorbo sa meeting mamaya bago nagbasa ng magazine na nasa center table na si Abe ang nasa front cover.

"Love... Ughhhh...Uhmmmm" He suddenly went fast moving up and down, following the unspoken desire of our bodies. He is wild but I won’t complain. The night gets deeper and in the midst of the silence outside this room, is our echoing voice in every corner in here. Mabuti na lang at sound proof ang kwarto niya. *****

wika nito at muling tumingin sa laptop niya. Inirapan ko ito “shut up” pabulong na panggagaya ko sa kanya “pwede naman sabihin na keep quiet para hindi masyadong harsh” dagdag ko pa at laking gulat nang masama na itong nakatingin sa akin. “Keep. Quiet” madiin na wika nito.

Pero lately, she’s been quiet in ways that don’t feel normal, alam ko naman na kasalanan ko. But that silence… it’s louder than anything I’ve heard all day.

Mariin ang pagkagat ko sa pang-ibabang labi ko, pinipigilan ang sarili na muling bumahing. The silence between us made me feel both awkward and somehow comforting. Parang gusto kong magbukas ng topic para maiwasan ang awkwardness sa hangin na ayoko rin. I want to nurture this silence because like what I've said earlier, it's comforting. It's relaxing. I feel like I'm in my own home or something.

Pagkatapos ay bumalik ako sa pagkakahiga sa tabi niya at sabay kaming natulog. As the quiet night passed, the only sounds in this room were the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the loud beating of our hearts, along with the unspoken promises we silently made to each other.

“Probably still asleep. You know how late she stayed up last night.” I hummed in response and stepped further in. But despite all the noise, the chatter, the laughter, I found myself searching for his voice. Why was he so quiet? Stupid. I shouldn’t care. I don’t care. I started toward the kitchen, hoping to escape even for a few seconds, but Wero’s voice stopped me. “Wait… why do you and Clyren look so… awkward?” Just like that, the room fell silent. I froze. Clyren froze.

dagdag niya, may pagtataray. Bago ako sumunod sa inutos niya, pinlay ko na ‘yong creepy sounds ng babaeng umiiyak. I made sure it wasn’t too loud—just faint enough that it wouldn’t be heard right away unless there was complete silence. At para hindi niya agad-agad marinig, I intentionally clinked the utensils on my plate, making just enough noise to mask the eerie sound.

[The Quiet After Power] Paola’s POV For the first time in months, the silence between Gabriel and me isn’t sharp. It’s… fragile. His hand is still resting at my waist. Not gripping. Not claiming. Just there. Warm. Steady. Careful. I don’t move. Neither does he. Outside the glass walls of his office, the Alcantara building hums with normal life—phones ringing, assistants walking past, executives pretending today was just another day of corporate politics.