Haruka

"Nagkita na ba tayo?"

It took me a couple of seconds to reply at simpleng iling lang ang isinagot ko.

Linampasan ko siya and I was back again at kicking the stones over but he stopped me.

Hinawakan niya ang balikat ko kaya napalingon ako sa kanya.

"What? " tipid kong tanong habang hindi tumitingin sa kanya sa mata.

I waited for him to say something but after a couple of seconds, I hadn't got any reply.

Kaya ako naman ang tumikhim.

He was spacing out.  Anong nangyayari sa mundo?

Napakurap siya ng pang ilang beses pero agad din itong nawala at napalitan ng kalmadong awra pero iyong kakaibang dating niya ay naroon parin.

"I was just wondering if you could escort me to the principal's office, matagal tagal na kasi noong nakapunta ako doon, I could barely remember where it is now. " sabi nito habang nagmamasid sa paligid.

"Please? I wouldn't take no for an answer." pangungulit nito.

Napatango nalang ako. Baka may makukuha akong impormasyon tungkol sa pagkakakilanlan niya.

I started to walk to the direction of the principal's office at sinundan naman niya ako.

"A lot has changed from the last time I came here. " sabi nito habang nagmasidmasid sa paligid.

Tumango lang ako. I don't find it necessary to reply to his statement.

"You see,  I'm here because I'm visiting my sister,  she runs the school." hula ko ay si Mrs. Ivanna Fuentes ang tinutukoy niya.

Tumango nalang ako habang pasimpleng tinititigan siya sa mukha. Kung titignan mong mabuti ay medyo magkahawig nga sila.

"Ikaw naman iha,  anong ginagawa mo dito. " I  abruptly stopped on my tracks for a second pero nagpatuloy rin.

I was caught off-guard by his question. The plans I have schemed from the moment I stepped in the Philippines flashed before my eyes.

Revenge.

It's why I go to this goddamned school on the first place anyway . May alam ba siya?

Bago pa man ako makapagsalita, inunahan na niya ako.

"I mean,  anong ginagawa dito ngayon.  I may already have grey hair but I know when it's class hours or not." sabi niya habang nakangiti.

Mahina akong napabuntong hininga,  I'm becoming paranoid all of a sudden.

"Class sucks" sabi ko nalang.

And by 'sucks', I mean Saito and a certain slut 'sucking' their face off. Disgusting.

Bigla kong naalala ang nangyari kanina. Ang sagwa.

Naipikit ko ang mata ko,  forcing the images to go away.

Napatawa lang siya. This man sure is cheerful.

"I know,  that's exactly how I feel when I was about your age."

Napatango nanaman ako. Tiningnan ko ang dinadaanan namin.

Ngayon ko na napansing nandito na pala kami.

I really distracted by our conversation, though it's more of him talking and me listening, I didn't notice we were already there.

We stopped a few feet away from the office.

"Anyways, kanina pa tayo nag-uusap hindi ko pa alam ang pangalan mo. I'm Lucca Leferius by the way. "

Inilahad niya ang kamay niya sa akin para makipagkamay. Tiningnan ko lang ang kamay niya.

"Just to make it clear, I don't date old men. "sabi ko na siyang ikinatawa niya.

"Young lady, you really humour me. Hindi pa ako ganoon katanda. 45 years old palang ako atsaka.. "

Itinaas niya ang kanan niyang kamay para ipakita ang singsing sa palasingsingan niya.

"I'm already married at wala akong planong palitan siya sa puso ko." I scoffed at his corniness.

"Well, I bet she's a gorgeous woman to have you head over heels for her." sabi ko sa kanya.

Matagal siyang nakasagot, tiningnan ko siya. I saw pure sadness in his eyes.

"She was... "

The word 'was' caught me off guard. Patay na?

"H..ha.. Y-you mean..she's..." hindi ko na natuloy ang sasabihin ko nang biglang bumukas ang pinto.
Mrs. Ivanna Fuentes was standing on the doorway, para siyang gulat na gulat sa nakikita sa harapan niya.

"L-lucca.. "

Ang matang niyang napupuno ng kalungkutan at pangungulila ay napalitan ng kaligayahan.

"Hello Ivanna."

Lumapit si Lucca sa kanya at niyakap ito.

I figured my presence wasn't needed anymore kaya umalis na ako.

"Nice meeting you, old man" paalam ko dito. Lumingon siya sa akin and our eyes met. He smiled at me at tumango lang ako at tuluyan nang umalis.

Habang papalayo ako, his face kept popping into my head. Come to think of it, his eyes reminds me of something or rather someone but I just can't put my finger on it.

It was really bothering me that I stopped on my tracks, di ko na namalayang naglalakad na pala ako pabalik doon sa principal's office.

I sneaked beside an open window behind the office kung saan naririnig ko silang nag-uusap. Mrs. Ivanna Fuentes was standing near the window.

"We've got no choice!" rinig kong sabi ni Lucca.

"I can see that, but you think we're just gonna hand him the mafia?He's not even related to us!" pasigaw na sabi ni Mrs Fuentes.

"Again, we have no other choice,  without a successor, ang organisasyong pinaghirapan natin ay mauuwi sa wala, her death will be put in vain." sabi ni Lucca. I could feel pain in his voice,  especially on the last part.

"I know that but, are you really just gonna entrust the whole mafia to a maid's son?"

Napataas ang kilay ko sa narinig.

"Don't worry, baka nakalimutan mong ako ang nagpalaki sa kanya matapos....." bigla siyang napatigil sa pagsasalita.

"After the massacre...I know, a lot was lost, it's been 16 long years, move on. " dugtong ni Yvanna.

" Can we not talk about it" he said,  nearly shouting, hanggang dito sa pinagtataguan ko,  I could feel that this man was broken beyond repair, malayo sa ipinapakita niya kanina.

Somehow I felt pity for him which was odd. Pero I was rather curious sa sinasabi nitong massacre.

"Besides he's practically family, kaya nga pinapupunta ko siya sa inyo,  so that you will be more acquainted with each other. I know he can handle it, I trust him,  I trust Claude. "

I was so absorbed on eavesdropping them na di ko namalayang may tao pala sa likod ko.

"They say curiosity killed the cat..." bulong nito sa tenga ko. My heart nearly jumped out of my body dahil sa pagkagulat.  I could practically feel his hot breath fanning my neck and it gave me goosebumps.

Susuntukin ko na sana siya pero na salag niya, I tried to kick him but it's like he predicted my moves, isinandal niya ako sa pader at hinarangan ang mga paa ko.

Before I knew it, I was trapped between him and the wall. We were a few inches from each other.

"Let's see if this cat have nine lives." bulong nito at mas nilapit pa ang mukha sa akin.

Sinubukan kong makawala but I was constrained. Either he is just too strong or I am just too weak.

Napamura ako sa sarili ko dahil sa kinasasadlakan kong posisyon.

I really don't like it when I am put in a situation where I am rendered weak.

I gave him a head bang pero hindi man lang siya natinag, I was expecting him to loosen his grip but he just groaned loudly.

Dahil sa lakas nun ay mukhang narinig ito ng dalawang nag-uusap sa loob.

"Did you hear that?" narinig kong tanong ni Mrs. Fuentes.

"Ang alin? " Lucca asked.

May narinig kaming yabag papalapit sa bintana.

Dahil dito, we were forced to squeeze into each other and I find it really awkward, his breath was back again at fanning my neck. Napapikit nalang ako.

I was trying hard refraining myself from cursing out loud kahit ang loob ng isipan ko ay bumabaha na ng mura.

"I thought I heard something, pero baka guni guni ko lang yun, I've been stressed lately , after what happened last night..." pabiting sabi ni Mrs. Fuentes.

Di ko na napakinggan ang sinasabi niya dahil isinirado na nito ang bintana.

Agad ko siyang itinulak at lumayo naman siya.

"What the fuck Angelo?!" I said to him, half shouting and half whispering.