She's Your Girlfriend

*Naomi's POV*

"Ma!"

I stood up the moment I saw her and Papa.

I stayed outside Nathan's room after what happened. His doctor told me na okay naman siya kaya hinintay ko nalang sila. Pagkalapit nila sa'kin, hinawakan ko agad yung kamay niya.

"Ma, take it easy."

She looked so stressed.

"Si Theia? Is she going to be alright?"

"They took her home, Ma." Sabi ko. "Alec said na mas okay kung sa bahay muna siya."

"Ano ba talagang nangyari?" Papa asked. "Anong sugat yung sinasabi mo kanina?"

"She stepped on a broken glass and collapsed."

"Oh no..."

"Stepped on a broken glass?" Papa looked confused. "May natira pa bang bubog dun sa nabasag na baso kagabi?"

"I don't think so." Sagot ni Mama. "Pinalinis natin kagabi yung room ni Nathan diba?"

"Yes, Ma. Hindi nga po siya dun nasugatan.."

"Saan siya nasugatan?"

Hindi ko alam kung paano sasabihin yung totoo.

"Don't tell me.."

Napatingin kami ni Papa sa kanya.

Nahulaan niya na kung anong nangyari.

"Hon, bakit?" Inalalayan siya umupo ni Papa. "May masakit ba sa'yo?"

"I'm okay." Mama kept her eyes on me. "Si Nathan ba, Naomi??"

I slowly nodded my head.

Masakit mang aminin pero, oo.

Si Nathan nga..

"Oh god.." Unti unti siyang naluha.

"Kawawa naman si Theia.."

"I'm sorry.." Sabi ko. "I shouldn't have left her alone with Nathan."

"Naomi.." She hugged me. "You didn't know this would happen."

"Ano na pong gagawin natin?" Tanong ko. "Hindi ko na maintindihan yung nangyayari, Ma."

"Ano nga bang dapat gawin?"

"We'll talk to him." Papa answered. "Don't think too much, maiistress ka lang."

"I don't think I could control myself."

She stood up and went in front of his room.

"Kakausapin ko siya."

"Pero, Ma.." I started to say pero hinawakan ni Papa yung braso ko.

Umiling siya.

Sa sobrang lakas ng pagkakabukas niya ng pinto, napatingin agad si Nathan sa'min pero bumalik rin yung tingin niya sa tv.

"We need to talk."

He ignored her.

"Nathan, patayin mo yang tv!" She shouted. "I'm freaking mad at you right now!"

"I'm watching, Ma." Sabi niya. "Pwede bang mamaya nalang? Tutal hindi naman yan importante."

"You're watching? Pwes, wala akong pakialam."

She snatched the remote off his hand and turned the tv off.

"Ano ba naman yan, Ma? Hindi mo ba nakitang nanunuod ako?"

Si Nathan ba talaga tong nasa harapan namin?

Ang bastos niyang makipag usap kay Mama.

"Nathaniel, anong karapatan mong sigawan ang Mama mo??" Papa said. "Anak ka parin namin kaya umayos ka."

Tama si Papa. Hindi dapat siya ganyan makipagusap sa kanila.

He took a deep breath and stared at us.

"Is this about that girl Theia?"

"Bakit mo ginawa yun?" Sabi ni Mama. "What did she ever do to you at ganito mo siya tratuhin?"

"It's not my fault." Sagot niya. "Wala akong ginawang masama sa kanya."

"She's lying unconscious on bed and it's not your fault?!" Papa said. "How can you say that? Tapos nagagawa mo pang manuod dyan? Hindi ka namin pinalaki ng ganyan, Nathan!"

"Hindi ko kasalanan yun, Pa."

"Did you or didn't you throw that glass??"

"I did." He admitted.

"And you're saying that it wasn't your fault??"

"I threw that glass because I was angry. Malay ko bang mahihimatay siya?"

Hindi ako makapaniwala.

He doesn't care about Theia anymore.

"What? Paano mo nasasabi yan sa sarili mong girlfriend??"

"Ma, hindi siya si Ivy." He said. "I don't even know who she is. She's a nobody."

"Sinabi mo ba yang mga salitang yan sa kanya??"

He didn't have to answer.

I'm sure he did.

"Why would you do that?" She held his face. "How can you be so cruel to her? Ang tagal niyang naghintay sa'yo. Ang tagal niyang nagtiyaga na umupo dito sa tabi mo hanggang sa magising ka."

"Ma, stop." He pulled away from her hands. "Ayaw ko nang pakinggan ang kahit ano tungkol sa Theia na yun."

"Why won't you listen?? Girlfriend mo siya at yun ang totoo."

"How can I believe something that I never knew?"

"Kaya nga kailangan mong makinig sa'min kasi yun ang totoo." Sabi ni Papa. "When did we ever lie to you??"

"Dahil hindi ko kayang tanggapin yung mga sinasabi niyo!" He said. "And I won't ever apologize to her. Kung nakinig lang siya kanina nung pinapaalis ko siya, hindi sana ako nagalit."

"It wasn't my fault if she stepped on the broken glass. Malay ko bang wala siyang suot maski sapatos manlang?" Dugtong niya. "Atsaka alam niyang may bubog. Baka nga sinadya niya pang tapakan yun para mag-alala kayo sa kanya."

Paano niya nasasabi yan?

"Now, kailan ba ko pwedeng umalis dito?" Tanong niya. "Gusto ko nang makita si Ivy."

"You wouldn't." Mama said.

"Hindi ka makakaalis dito until I say so, James." She's mad. "You wouldn't ever see Ivy."

"This is so unfair, Ma." Sabi niya. "Mas importante pa ba siya kaysa sa sarili niyong anak?"

"Anak pa ba talaga kita?"

"Ma..."

"This is your punishment." She said. "If I knew you'd become like this, siguro nagdalawang isip akong paoperahan ka. Atleast kung namatay ka, hindi mo nakalimutan si Theia."

Kahit kapatid ko siya, alam kong mali yung ginawa niya. Amnesia or not, sumosobra na siya.

"Naomi, we need to go." Sabi ni Mama. "Ikaw na bahala sa kapatid mo."

Binato ni Nathan yung remote pagkalabas nila. I automatically picked up the pieces of it.

"Is this your new hobby now?" I asked him kasi wasak yung remote. "Pagbato sa lahat ng bagay na hawak mo?"

"Pati ba naman ikaw, Ate?"

I can hear the disappointment in his voice.

Lagi kasi akong kumakampi sa kanila ni Nicole. I stood up and threw the broken remote inside the trashcan.

"Bakit? Sa tingin mo ba tama ka?"

I looked at his eyes.

Galit at confusion yung nakikita ko.

"Mali ba ako?" He asked. "You're forcing something na imposibleng mangyari. Isang bagay na hindi ko kayang paniwalaan."

"Imposible? Kasi mahal na mahal mo si Ivy noon diba?" Nagbago yung istura niya sa sinabi ko. "At natatakot kang totoo yung sinasabi namin dahil di ka makapaniwalang kaya mo palang magmahal ng ibang tao bukod sa kanya."

It's true.

Mahal na mahal niya si Ivy kaya nung naghiwalay sila, matagal bago niya natanggap.

But after he met Theia, nagbago yun lahat.

He was all about her and she was all about him.

"We're forcing you to believe kasi yun ang totoo." I explained. "You heard what Papa said, right? Tama siya. Kailan nga ba kami nagsinungaling sa'yo? You won't even listen to your own family. Kaya paano ka pa maniniwala?"

Hindi siya sumagot.

Bakit hindi ko ba napansin nung una palang?

He doesn't want to believe us.

Kaya kahit anong sabihin namin, hinding hindi niya tatanggapin kasi hindi niya kayang tanggapin.

"She's not just any other girl, bro." Sabi ko. "She's your girlfriend."

He was about to open his mouth so I raised my hand to stop him.

"Hindi mo dapat ginawa yun sa kanya. You don't know what she's been through this past few days." I told him. "Kahit anong sabihin mo at kahit sino pang tanungin mo, Theia is your girlfriend and that's the truth."

I know he doesn't agree. Pero atleast nakikinig siya.

May maitutulong naman yung pakikinig niya diba?

"Sana hindi mo siya itulad sa mga bagay na ibinato mo. Sana hindi siya matulad sa mga bagay na nasa kamay mo na, sinira mo pa."

I finally opened the door.

Kanina ko pa gustong makaalis sa lugar na 'to.

"Just shout if you need anything. Sa labas lang ako."

Hindi ko kayang mag-stay sa tabi niya. Hindi ko siya kayang kampihan at i-comfort lalo na't alam kong mali siya.

Hinintay ka pa naman niyang bumalik tapos ganyan kang babalik sa kanya?

******