Chapter 36: I Lost

Pusangina?! Ano ang ginagawa ni Moran kay Tatsulok?

Alam kong mapanganib ang ginagawa ko ngunit ako si Sunny Gallego, and I always act impulsively and later regret my actions. I crawled on the floor, opening the door a little, just enough for me to eavesdrop and take a look on what’s happening inside.

“Why are you crying, Triangle?” tanong ni Moran habang tinatapik ang kanyang balikat. “I thought your loyalty is on me. And just as I predicted, it wasn't. Whose body should I cook first in exchange of your total loyalty? Sunny’s? Trench’s?”

Hindi nakaligtas sa paningin ko ang pagkuyom ng kamao ni Tatsulok at ibinagsak niya ang kanyang tinidor. He wiped away his tears at tiningnan nang masama si Moran. “It will never be yours.” Iniluwa nito ang kinakain-- and basing on the smell na kanina ko pa naaamoy, it’s steak. Puto, nakakagutom tuloy. “I’m done pretending, Moran. Ayaw ko na.”

Tumawa si Moran at tumayo. “You are never the good actor, Triangle, dahil kahit kailan ay hindi mo naman ako nakumbinsi na nasa akin ang loyalty mo. You can act cold and distant to everyone to fool them, but not me. I know from the very start what game you’re playing and I am just generous enough to consider how hard you try and eventually played along. Pero sinasabi ko sa iyo, Triangle, you can’t fool me. Nauna ako sa duyan kaysa sa ’yo.”

His eyes went down on the food in front of Triangle. “It’s veal and not human meat like you think. So you don’t have to worry. I just know that making you eat something will eventually unmasked your true intentions, and guess what? I wasn’t wrong.”

Lumapit siya sa likuran ni Tatsulok at hinawakan ang balikat nito. I saw how Triangle stiffened on his seat, at hindi maikakaila ang frustration sa kanya mukha. Puto, kung ako nasa sitwasyon niya mandidiri ako. Like yuck, hinawakan ako sa balikat ng taong mas madumi pa sa ipis na naninirahan sa pinakamaruming imburnal! At sorry ulit sa mga ipis ng imburnal, malamang na-offend ko ulit sila dahil kinumpara ko na naman sila kay Moran na wala nang mas sasahol pa.

“Your mom said you are the most transparent among you three, and I guess she’s right. Ang bilis mong mabasa, Triangle. I know immediately what your plan is; trying to get my trust and destroying me in the process. Kid, you have so much to learn.”

Tinabig ni Triangle ang kamay nitong nakahawak sa kanyang balikat. “Mali ka ng iniisip, I wasn’t trying to earn your trust, I wanted to earn money at nang mabawi ko ang posisyon ng mga Grande.”

“Ah,” Moran smirked. At puto, ilang beses ko bang uulitin na hindi bagay sa kanya ang smirk?! “That explains why you offered so many inventions and services to the Capital and demanded a high amount of fee for the rights and others.” Tumawa siya na tila ba tuwang-tuwa siya. Siraulo! “Grande, Grande, Grande. Do you have any idea how much I earn annually? Alam mo ba talaga kung magkano ang assets, liabilities at net worth ng isang Elpidio Moran? Kid, your high-priced patents are just a fraction of my money.”

“Wala akong pakialam, babawiin ko lamang ang sa amin naman talaga,” matigas na sagot ni Tatsulok.

“That’s the spirit, kid,” sabi ni Moran at tumawa. “Bumalik lang ang kambal mo, nagkaroon ka na ng lakas na loob na aminin sa akin kung ano ang binabalak mo. How about I’ll pick with your twin instead?”

Nagulat ako nang bigla na lamang hinablot ni Tatsulok ang kwelyo ni Moran. Go lang, Tatsulok, higpitan mo pa hanggang sa masakal at mamatay ang hayop na ‘yan!

“Lay a finger on him at ako mismo ang papatay sa ’yo.”

“Scary,” Moran replied with sarcasm at inalis ang pagkakahawak ni Tatsulok sa kanya.

Pero pusangina, kung sakaling may gawin man si Moran kay Pentagon tapos papatayin siya ni Tatsulok, papatayin ko rin ang patay na niyang katawan! Subukan lang niyang galawin si Pentagon, hindi ko siya titigilan kahit patay na siya!

Humigpit ang pagkakahawak ko sa doorknob. I bend my body down to hear more ngunit bigla na lamang akong nadapa papasok sa loob ng pinto dahil binangga ako ng kung anong bagay ang puwet ko. Pesteng chef ‘to! He pushed me forward with a cart!

“Oh, we have a visitor,” wika ni Moran at tinanaw ako habang tinatayo ko ang sarili ko. “What are you doing here, Gallego? How long have you been eavesdropping?”

Pinagpag ko ang tuhod at umayos ng tayo. “Long enough to conclude you’re a good for nothing human-- if you’re even human. And that means I’m here for a short time dahil isang segundo pa lang, alam ko na na wala kang kwentang nilalang.”

I walked towards Triangle and grabbed him on my side. “At kapag may ginawa kang masama kay Pentagon, papatayin ko ang bangkay mo na pinatay ni Triangle.”

Natawa lang nang nakakabwiset si Moran, like it was something really funny. “You two are scary.”

“Well, you should be scared,” I sneered at him at hinila si Tatsulok palabas ng silid na iyon.

Gigil na gigil ako habang hila-hila siya. When we reached the elevator ay saka ko lamang siya binitawan. I pressed the elevator door open at pumasok ngunit nanatiling nakatayo si Tatsulok. He was looking at me with pain in his eyes. Kagagaling lang niya sa pag-iyak kaya medyo mapula pa ang mga mata niya.

I raised my brow as I looked at him. “Oh, ano pa ang hinihintay mo? Pasko?”

He stepped forward ngunit hinila lamang niya ako palabas at niyakap nang mahigpit. My eyes widened as my body was slammed against his body. Isinubsob niya ang mukha sa leeg ko at humagulgol. I stood still, blinking and unsure what to do.

“Why did you do that? Why do you have to witness me in such state? Why are you here? Bakit ba kailangan mong sumingit sa eksenang iyon? Why did you involve yourself, ha? Tangina naman, eh, kaya ko ‘yon! You should have runaway at that moment, hindi mo siya sinagot ng ganoon because damn, he might do something to you and I can't bear  such thought!”

“T-tatsulok...”

“F*ck! You have no idea how much I have to endure and sacrifice just to keep up such act but damn, just one threat against you, I lost.”

I bit my lip to prevent myself from sobbing, too. Kumawala ako sa pagkakayakap niya at ngumiti nang mapait. “That’s because you wanted to run alone when everyone is willing to run with you. Puto Triangle ang pabibo mo kasi, bakit mo sinasarili? We can share all hardships with you. We will run with you until the end but you left us, you run by yourself at malayo na ang narating mo, kaya nakakahingal na humabol.”

Binuksan ko ulit ang elevator at pumasok. “Sa tingin mo sarili mo lang ang sinasaktan mo dahil sa ginagawa mo? You hurt us, everyone who cares for you that’s why it’s hard for us to catch up dahil ang layo mo na. Maybe you should try running back.”

Pumasok siya sa elevator at matatag na sumagot. “I will.”

***

“Kitten, gising! Kitten, yuhooo! May itatanong ako.”

I turned away and covered my face with a pillow. Uh, kay aga-agang nambubwiset nitong si Gon, ah. Inaantok pa ako!

“Ayaw mo, ah?” bigla na lamang niyang kinuha ang talampakan ko at kinamot iyon. Puto!

“Pentagon!” I shouted and kicked him ngunit mas binilisan lamang niya ang pagkamot sa talampakan ko, causing me to wriggle to the bed at nahulog. “Ano ba?!”

“Gising kasi sabi,” he said and grin as he sat up on my bed.

Napatingin ako sa digital clock na nasa dingding. Puto, 6:00 AM?! Alas sais ng umaga! Hindi nga ako gumigising nang maaga kahit may pasok tapos ngayon?! “Siguraduhin mong importante ‘yang itatanong mo ah?”

“Oo, importante ‘to,” sagot niya pero duda ako sa ngiting aso niya.

“Ano?”

“Do you remember what you told me noong nakita mong naghahalikan sina Twin Bro at Sophie--”

“Pentagon, it’s Stella, not Sophie, tsaka pwede ba, ‘wag mong ipaalala ‘yan sa akin?! Kagigising ko lang ah, at sapilitang ginising mo pa ako!” Nag-peace sign lang siya sa akin.

“Oo, si Stella, naalala mo? ‘Di ba sabi mo ‘pag ayaw na ni Twin Bro sa ’yo, ayaw mo na rin sa kanya. Kahit na magmakaawa at lumuhod pa siya? You said you won’t look at him the way you did before unless magpakalbo siya at maghubad habang tumatakbo?”

“Puto, Pentagon, ah. Those questions can wait until I wake up! You didn’t have to wake me up just to tell me those!” Pusangina, ah, medyo uminit ulo ko!

“Pero naalala mo?” tanong niya.

I rolled my eyes and sneered at him. “Oo!” Pusangina mo talaga, Pentagon!

His face was hiding a laughter and he was wriggling his brows naughtily. “Guess who’s outside, bald and naked?”

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at tila nawala ang antok. “Puto, si Coco?!”

Napaingos siya at binato ako ng unan. “Damn, Kitten, ang laswa naman isipin ‘pag si Coco. Parang nai-imagine ko na mukha siyang ‘yong palaging kong din-drawing na peni--” Hindi na niya natapos ang sasabihin dahil bumalik sa mukha niya ang unan na tinapon niya. Bwiset siya, na-picture out ko rin tuloy!

Malutong ang tawa niya at nagpagulong-gulong pa sa kama. “Just go and check, Kitten.”

Nagmamadaling tumakbo ako sa labas at naroon sina Coco, KL, Megan at AndE. Nakatingin sila sa bagong gupit na si Tatsulok. Gone was his spiky hair at pusangina, naka-boxer shorts lang siya at nakahawak pa siya sa garter ng boxer niya.

His face lit up when he saw me at akmang ibababa na ang boxers habang nagsasalita.

“You’re finally awake now. Sabi mo mas pipiliin mo pa ang kalbong gaya ni Coco. You told Pentagon that you will never look at me like you did before unless I shave my head and run naked. Can I start running now?”

#