Peace And Quiet Novels & Stories

It’s about choosing to stay, choosing to heal, and choosing to believe again na kahit minsan ay nawasak ka na nang buo. Ngayon, habang pinagmamasdan ko sina Sire at ang mga bata na naglalaro ng saranggola sa malawak na green field sa likuran ng mansiyon namin dito sa Santa Fe, napapangiti na lang ako. Ang saya nilang tingnan. Hindi nakakasawa ang ganitong tanawin. Ito ang mga sandaling gusto kong i-cherish araw-araw. Maybe this is what peace truly looks like—not silence, but a symphony of life’s sounds.

Ngunit paano niya gagawin ang bagay na ‘yon? Alana once read a quote. Rest and sleep requires peace. And that hit her so hard. Kasi alam niya sa sarili niyang there is no peace. Hindi niya maramdaman ang peace na kanyang kailangan para makapagpahinga. Ang daming bagay na tumatakbo sa kanyang isipan at hindi niya mawari kung ano ang kanyang nararapat na gawin para mahanap ang peace na ‘yon.

bulong niya. ⸻ “Used to,” sagot ni Zia. ⸻ Natigilan si Christian. ⸻ “Used to?” ulit niya. ⸻ Zia looked at him. Then slowly said: “Ngayon… I just want peace.” ⸻ Silence. ⸻ Christian nodded slowly. “I can do that.” ⸻ Zia raised an eyebrow. “You sure?” ⸻ He looked at her directly. “I’m already doing it.”

My friends were half asleep and the bonfire was slowly dying. The moon's shining brightly and reflecting on the calm sea, the stars were cooperatedly twinkling in the night sky. Only the sound of waves crashing on the shore can be heard. The cold wind is brushing on my skin so I rub my hand against each other and apply the heat of it on my cheeks. So this is what peace feels like. "Guys, it's already late so let's take a rest on our cottages now," Aya ko sa kanila makalipas ang ilang minutong na pinagmamasdan ko ang paligid.

she whispered. We lingered at her doorstep, reluctant to end the evening, our goodbyes drawn out, our embrace lingering long after the initial farewell. The warmth of her touch, the softness of her skin against mine, left me feeling grounded, content. The peace we had found felt fragile, precious. The drive home was quiet, my mind replaying the sweet moments we had shared, the renewed sense of hope that had blossomed between us. But the peace was short-lived. The quiet contentment was shattered the moment I stepped into my house.

Dito, hindi matraffic, hindi marami ang mga sasakyan na dumaraan, hindi maingay, at hindi magulo. The life in San Gabriel is peaceful, quiet and slow. Unti-unti kong inihilig ang ulo sa headrest ng upuan at pinagmasdan ang kalangitan na punong-puno ng mga bituin. May kung ano sa puso ko ang parang lumaya, ngunit muling nakulong. Hindi ko maunawaan, parang may mga karayom na marahang itinutusok sa dibdib ko.

Behind her, the ultra-modern beach house—a skeletal masterpiece of steel and floor-to-ceiling glass—glowed warmly, a solitary lantern in the middle of the Sulu Sea. It was silent. It was peaceful. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the ghosts of the city weren't clawing at her heels. There was no social media vitriol, no looming deadlines, and no Chloe Rivera. “Ang tahimik dito,” she whispered to the wind. In the city, silence was an expensive luxury, usually interrupted by the low roar of traffic or the hum of a neighbor’s generator. Here, the silence had a heartbeat. It felt alive.

Hindi ko alam kung tulog na ba ako o gising pa, pero naramdaman ko siyang humiga sa tabi ko. Tapos may narinig akong boses—pamilyar, mababa, pabulong. “Next time, I don’t want things to be this messy, Love,” he said softly. “I’ll do everything… everything in my power, to make your life peaceful. The kind where you won’t have to get hurt anymore and our kids. Where you won’t have to be afraid. I promise you that.”

Iisipin n'ya bang ang kapal ng mukha ko dahil iniisip ko ngayon na kakalimutan n'ya ang mahal n'ya para saakin? Hindi ko na alam pa. The silence between us isn't awkward. This is the silence of peacefulness. Kung p'wede lang ay wala nang magsalita. Kahit dito nalang kami habang-buhay kaysa may lumabas pa sa mga labi n'ya na makakasakit saakin. Kung mangyari 'yon ay hindi ko na alam pa ang gagawin.

Pinagpapawisan ako pero normal pa rin ang tibok ng puso ko. Nang mapansin kong normal pa rin ang tibok ng puso ko at wala akong napapansing kakaiba sa sarili ko ay nagpasya akong bumaba sa tulay at umupo sa damuhan at sinubukan kong magconcentrate baka sakaling mayroon akong maalala o bumalik paunti-unti ang ala-ala ko. Hanggang sa lumipas ang mga sandali hanggang sa payapa kong naririnig ang agos na tubig sa ilog, ang huni ng ibon sa 'di kalayuan ay malinaw na rin sa pandinig ko, at ang tunog ng hangin na hinihipan ng mayayabong na damuhan.