Chapter 41 | Patch

"Na saan si Trinity?" tanong ko kay Olivver.

Tapos na kaming magligpit ng mga kalat sa tulong din ng mga katulong mula sa party kagabi. Nandito pala ang mga kaibigan ko at parehong hinanap sina Mia at Trinity matapos magsi-alis sa kanilang puwesto.

After I took care of Mia, I talked to them. Pinatulog ko sa iilang guest rooms dahil hindi na rin kayang umuwi kagabi. Nagising kami nitong umaga at napagpasiyahang tumulong sa paglinis.

"Tulog pa yata, tanungin mo si Gierro. Siya ang nag-asikaso sa kanya kagabi," sagot ni Olivver.

I nodded and walked toward the kitchen. Gierro volunteered to cook our breakfasts because the maids were still cleaning other parts of the house.

"Gierro, si Trinity?" I asked my friend.

"Dulong guest room," he answered.

"Gising na ba?"

He shrugged and answered, "Hindi ko pa tiningnan, inuna kong magluto."

"Sige, akyatin ko lang, ha?" pagpa-alam ko.

"Ayos lang," he said like it was nothing.

I left the kitchen and went to the room where she was. The party was her idea in the first place anyway. The room was unlocked kaya madali ko itong nabuksan.

Nang pumasok ako ay pinanatili kong bukas ang pinto. Naka-upo na siya sa kama nang nilingon ang aking gawi. She looked stunned yet sick at the same time.

"What?" she asked me.

"Anong what?" I asked back.

She slowly swayed her head and massaged both sides as if it ached when she moved.

"Ikaw ba ang nagdala sa akin dito?" she asked me using her tired tone.

"As if," sagot ko.

Her eyes widened and asked, "Sino?"

"Gierro," simple kong sagot na kanyang ikinagulat.

"Hoy, fuck, shit—" she said, "bakit siya?"

"Kasi siya ang nakahanap sa 'yo kagabi, you were about to go naked sa pool when he saw you—"

"Naked!" she said.

"Yeah, I wasn't there so I didn't see you. Dami mong nainom kagabi, bakit kaya?" I asked with a serious tone.

Mukhang alam niya ang ibig kong sabihin mula sa aking tono. She knew she disappointed me because of what happened between her and Mia last night.

"Lukan, sorry—"

"You know, Mia said a lot of things about you last night and she was drunk... but her words were real. I really need you to talk with her to clean everything," I told Trinity, "and I don't care if you aren't feeling well."

Her shoulders fell and she looked down, "I-I know... I guess I just come too far."

I sighed and said back, "Trinity, you are my only girl best friend and I really treasure you... but I can't justify some of the things you've done. Alam kong mali rin ako dahil hindi ko napansing lumalayo ka na—"

"Alam ko, Lukan, and I'm sorry. I'll explain to her everything and I won't make any excuses," she cut in.

"And really, it isn't your fault. You know how my mindset works, kung gusto ko ay gagawin ko. Busy ka nitong nakaraan sa hospital kaya hindi mo rin ako napansin. Maybe because I was so full of myself, I forgot when to stop," she whispered.

"I forgot that Mia wasn't just someone, she was your girl. I disrespected her in some ways or maybe even triggered her insecurities—"

"Aware ka naman pala—"

"But those... I only did those to test her feelings for you—"

"Well, guess what, Trinity?" I cut in, "you don't have to continue it from now on. We can both handle the two of us."

She sighed and gazed at me, "Then that's good to hear. I won't meddle anymore... I'll just apologize and if ever mapapatawad niya ako, we can also be good friends."

I finally smiled and said, "Fix yourself, breakfast will be served any minute now. Tawagin ko ba si Gierro to assist you?" asar ko.

She rolled her eyes and groaned in frustration.

"I can't believe I let him touch me. What if he took my virginity last night?" she asked me.

"Paano mo nasabi—"

"My vagina hurts!" she announced.

I raised both of my brows and looked away.

"Kayong dalawa na lang din ang mag-usap after ng kay Mia," I suggested.

"My god! Lukan!" she cried.

"Look, maybe something just happened to you last night without involving sex—"

"Like what?" she eagerly asked.

"Uh, like..." I tried thinking of possible things yet nothing came, "I don't know."

I laughed when she groaned in pain again, feeling hopeless.

"Tanungin mo nga siya kung nag-sex ba kami," she commanded me.

I looked at her with an unbelievable expression, "Are you serious? Bakit ako?"

"Kasi ayaw ko siyang kausapin—"

"Pride mo pa rin ang nakasalalay, ha?" tukso ko, "hindi ko 'yan itatanong sa kanya. Kayong dalawa ang mag-usap."

"Lukan, hindi ko matanggap kung may nangyari talaga sa amin kagabi... bakit?" she asked.

"Why do you hate him so bad?" I asked in a serious tone.

"Because he doesn't like or love me to do such sexual intercourse!"

"But before you also want to do it with a random guy without feelings involved," I mentioned.

"But it's different with Gierro," she whispered.

"Why?"

"Because I love him... still love him... after everything," she literally cried, "feelings 'yan kaya nga ang hirap tanggapin."

I got alerted of her sudden break down, it was my own body who neared her to comfort.

"Mahal ko siya pero hindi pareho ang nararamdaman niya para sa akin... even before when we were young and our parents teased us, he never liked me. Pinapansin niya lang ako dahil utos ng iba o dahil napipilitan siya," she told me.

"Tapos since na sa America ako at na sa Pilipinas siya, less interactions kami. We only talked with each other online tapos lagi niya akong pinapaasa... like he'd tell me we'd call tonight but he would purposely not do it," she narrated.

"He'd tell me a lot of sweet words through chat pero the next day malalaman kong in a relationship siya with someone," she laughed.

"Ang gago lang... he knew I had this undying feeling for him and he took it as an advantage to play me. Alam niyang hindi ko kayang humindi, hindi ko kayang matulog nang hindi siya naka-uusap," she added.

"I felt so used... akala mo ba ay hindi ko sinubukang pigilan ang sarili ko?" she asked me, "ang babaw kung tutuusin pero ang tagal kong nagpakatanga sa kanya."

"Umabot sa puntong gabi iyon nang ni-chat niya ako. He told me he was in California that night and he said we could go out the next day. Ako namang si tanga, umo-o," pagkuwento ni Trinity.

"But that time, my father was also facing a hard time sa hospital... and the time of my meet up with Gierro was also the time of my visit to my father," her tears could not stop anymore.

"Lukan, I sacrificed that time for Gierro," she sobbed.

"Tandang tanda ko pa kung paano ako tinawagan ni mama habang na sa daan ako patungo sa date namin ni Gierro. She reminded me to come quick sa hospital dahil aalis na siya dulot ng trabaho," she continued with a shaky voice.

"Nagsinungaling pa akong malapit na ako, ma," she cried.

"Trinity," I softly called her.

"Tapos alam mo ba? Tangina, pagdating ko sa meet up place ay wala pa siya. I kept on asking him his location, kung malapit na ba o pupunta pa ba siya? Halos dalawang oras din akong nagmukhang bobo ro'n pero ang na sa isip ko, ayos lang kasi dadating naman siya," she said.

"Pero tangina, Lukan," she whispered.

"Dumating nga siya pero may kasamang iba," sabi ni Trinity at tuloy-tuloy nang tumulo ang mga luha.

"Ang malala? Kasama niya 'yong childhood girl best friend ko na naging tulay ko pa noon upang makilala si Gierro. Magkasama sila at tila walang paki si Gierro sa akin," she told me.

"Sanay na ako pero nasaktan ako nang nakitang magkasama sila. Kaibigan ko 'yon, naging tulay ko pa noon pero ano? Sila na pala?" she cried.

"Ang bobo ko," she ranted.

"Tapos paalis na ako ng venue nang tumawag muli si mama, tinanong kung na saan ako at bakit wala sa kuwarto ni papa," she added.

"Lukan, hindi na ako pinapunta ni mama sa sobrang galit sa akin... she was so mad at me to the point she almost forgot I was her daughter. Nabawian ng buhay si papa sa oras na dapat ay napigilan ko kung nandoon lamang."

"Kailanman ay hindi nagdalawang isip o pumili ng iba si papa kung ako ang nakasalalay. T-Tapos ako? Noong pinakakailangan niya ako..."

I couldn't say anything yet Trinity kept crying when she finally told me what happened before between her and Gierro. Now I understood more why she was acting like this all this time.

"Ilang beses akong tinaboy ni mama, galit na galit siya, Lukan. I was having a difficult time accepting my father's death and at the same time hating Gierro for what he did. I had no one to talk to."

"Hindi alam ni mama na si Gierro ang lalaking dapat kong kikitain dahil ayaw kong lumaki pa ang gulo, she is close to his family and I see no reason to say it dahil ako naman ang mali," she told me.

"Instead, I tried my best to gain her love and trust again. I proved myself by studying hard and being a good daughter. Himala na lang at kinausap niya ako muli nang nalamang pasado ako sa med school sa college. Pangarap nila iyon sa akin na noon ay inaayawan ko pa dahil gusto kong mag-law," kuwento niya.

"Kaya Lukan, masisisi mo ba ako at ganito ang galit ko sa kanya? I do hate myself too, don't worry. I will never forgive myself on what happened to my father. It still haunts me every damn time I am alone, the reason why I love going out and partying until wasted," she added.

"Ang hirap tanggapin, Lukan..." she cried to me.

I hugged my friend and gently tapped her head. She sobbed against my chest as she bursted the emotions she'd been hiding for too long. Knowing she never told of this to anyone, she carried a lot from her teenage years until this day.

"And it's hard for me whenever he's around because he is your friend. Hindi ko puwedeng sabihing huwag siyang isali dahil alam kong hindi lang naman sa akin umiikot ang mundo mo. Nauna mo siyang naging kaibigan kaysa sa akin at hindi ko kayang sabihin 'to sa 'yo," she whispered to me.

"Baka kasi isipin mong ang babaw o ang tagal nang nangyari, ako lang itong hindi maka-move on," she added.

"Trinity, hindi ganyan ang iniisip ko ngayong nalaman ko na ang totoo—"

"Thank you, Lukan," she cut in and sobbed, "ikaw lang talaga ang lalaking kaya kong pagkatiwalaan bukod sa papa ko. He'd always warn me about men and their stunts, funny how I got brokenhearted of an unworthy boy."

"Pinipigilan ko talagang mahulog sa kanya lalo na ngayong ako na ang lagi niyang inaasikaso kahit pa ayaw ko. I can't accept and love him again like before. Pakiramdam ko ay mahal ko pa rin siya ngunit hindi sapat upang maging kami," she confessed.

"I can't forgive myself and I can't fogive him or my ex-best friend. Kahit may palusot man o reasonable siyang story behind, I don't care. I lost my father the night I chose him."

And that hurt big time.

It took some minutes for Trinity to compose herself again and I didn't mind. This was the first time she ever opened up to someone and the weight she carried was too much for the young Trinity.

Unlike me, I had some companions along my struggles. I had people who encouraged me through the days I doubted myself yet Trinity... I bet the motivational words she received never motivated her to continue. I think it was her mother she only held onto to move forward.

"I'll order a maid to bring you breakfast. No need to go downstairs if you don't want to see him yet," I told her.

She smiled weakly and said, "Thank you but how about my talk with Mia?"

"Don't think of it muna. I bet she's also sick from last night. Rest for a while," I answered.

She nodded and it was my cue to leave. When I fully opened the parted door, I stood still meeting the man in front.

"You heard everything?" I asked him.

"I did," he softly answered.

I sighed and finally closed the door. I looked down at what he was holding, a paper bag that I thought clothes for Trinity.

"You still have the face to face her?" I asked.

Gierro didn't answer and he wasn't also looking back at me.

"Akin na, ako na ang magbibigay. I don't know how you can patch things but please, stop hurting her," I said to him.

He handed me the paper bag without saying anything.

🌹

HM: I got to cut this chapter here because I wanted it to be for Trinity and Gierro only. Inform ko lang po kayo na wala silang own story kaya dito ko ni-reveal. Kayo na lang po ang mag-isip sa maaaring ending ng dalawa, thank you!