CHAPTER 52: The Departure

CHAPTER 52: The Departure

BLAIR WADSON

The next morning, we were all gathered on the first floor. Ayon kay Kaleon ay may importanteng sasabihin si Maru sa lahat. I sat beside Kaleon who was comfortable seated on the sofa.

"Hey, how was your sleep?" tanong niya nang malingunan ako sa tabi niya.

I smiled at him. "It was good naman," tipid kong sagot. "Ikaw?"

Nagkibit-balikat lang siya. "Natapos ko na 'yong War and Peace," mukhang proud na proud siya sa sarili niya.

Hindi ako maayos na nakatulog kagabi. Jem's words were carved inside my head. And my mind kept playing it over and over again. Hanggang sa tuluyan na akong nakatulog. But I felt okay when I woke up. Nararamdaman ko ang pagtitig niya sa akin mula sa kabilang bahagi ng unang palapag. But I kept my focus on Maru who was saying something.

"Good for you," saad ko kay Kaleon.

Noon naman nagsalita si Maru. "Okay, mukhang nandito naman na ang lahat kaya magsimula na tayo," aniya na seryoso ang tono. "Halos ubos na ang mga prutas na nakuha namin sa kagubatan noong isang araw. At sigurado akong huling batch na iyon dahil matatagalan pa siguro bago muling mamunga ang mga puno na pinagkuhanan namin niyon. And this is a serious matter. There's a huge possibility that we have to not eat for a few days para ma-rasyon ang mga natitirang prutas."

Tahimik ang lahat pero bakas sa kanilang mga mukha ang pagkagulat at pagkadismaya sa sinabi ni Maru.

The day I was dreading for a long time had finally come. Tuluyan na kaming mauubusan ng pagkain. Matagal pa kaming maghihintay bago muling mamunga ang mga puno, ayon na rin kay Maru.

He continued, "So if you have any suggestions, now's the time to speak up."

Maru looked at our classmates in front of him, waiting for them to speak. Nabalot ng katahimikan ang paligid nang biglang magsalita si Kaleon.

"I-I…" nauutal na sabi niya. Inayos niya ang salamin sa mata at nagpatuloy. "I suggest that we go out there. I highly believe that there has to be something more beyond this forest. Hindi ako naniniwalang puro kagubatan lang ito. There has to be something out there. There has to be."

Nakatingin lang sa kanya si Maru, contemplating what Kaleon suggested. Some of my classmates nodded their head in agreement and some were still waiting for him to continue.

"Th-that's my suggestion," pagtatapos niya.

Dahan-dahang tumango si Maru. "You have a point, pare. But it's dangerous out there."

Si Samuel naman ang nagsalita. "We have to take the risk if we don't want to die out here."

I found myself agreeing with what he said. Tama siya, it's better to take a risk than die here.

Napakamot si Maru sa ulo, frustration was evident on his face. Mabilis namang lumapit si Evangelyn sa tabi niya at kumapit sa braso pero mabilis na inalis ni Maru ang kamay ni Evangelyn. They were speaking to each other in silent. Maybe weighing things.

Tumayo si Ryan. "I want to go out there to search for foods," aniya na seryosong nakatingin kay Maru.

Tango lang ang isinagot ni Vanessa at tumingin muli sa amin. "It's decided then. Some of us will go and the others will be left here," saad niya. "Who wants to go with them?"

Nagtaas ng kamay si Jem. I had to come with them. Gusto kong makita ang mundo sa labas nitong malawak na kagubatan. Maaaring mahanap din namin ang kasagutan sa sa mga tanong na hindi namin magawang sagutin.

Maaaring tama si Kaleon. There had to be something out there. Hindi puwedeng puro kagubatan lang ang lugar na ito.

Huminga muna ako nang malalim bago itinaas ang isang kamay ko. "I'll go," sabi ko na nasa iba ang tingin.

Maru was about to say something when Evangelyn cut him off. "We'll leave after an hour," aniya. "Isang bag lang sa bawat isang tao. We can't bring large things with us, it will only slow us down."

And with that, they left us all there. Mayamaya pa ay isa-isa na rin kaming nagtayuan. Napalingon ako sa kaliwa ko nang biglang may humawak sa braso ko. When I turned to see who it was, si Jem iyon.

"Sigurado ka bang gusto mong sumama?" he asked me.

I gave him a tight smile. "Oo," matipid kong sagot.

"I want to come too," hindi ko namalayang nasa tabi ko pa rin pala si Kaleon. "But I'm afraid I will only slow you down. Anyways, mananatili na lang ako rito. There has to be someone to manage the things here once you are all gone, right?"

Nakita kong tumango si Jem at tinapik sa braso si Kaleon. Nginitian ko lang si Kaleon at nagtungo na sa itaas para ihanda ang mga kailangan kong dalhin.

It could be death waiting for us out there, I told myself. Mabilis kong pinalis ang isipin na iyon.

"Hey, Blair," boses iyon ni Jem. Nasa pasilyo na ako ng ikatlong palapag at tumigil ako para harapin siya. I waited for him to continue. "I just want to say I'm really sorry for what I did and what I said. I wish I could take everything back. Dapat hindi ko 'yon ginawa sa 'yo. I'm really sorry."

Nang magtaas ako ng tingin, nakita ko ang sinseridad sa kanyang mga mata. We've become closes ever since we got here. And we have no time for this kind of drama.

"Apology accepted," sabi ko na lang at tumalikod na.

"So, friends?" he quickly added.

When I turned to look at him again, he was scratching the back of his head. At may awkward na ngiwi sa kanyang mga labi.

I bit my lower lip and nodded my head. At dumeretso na ako sa aking silid.

*****

Ang tanging dinala ko lang ay dalawang patalim at mga extrang damit. Hapon na nang tuluyan kaming pumasok muli sa kagubatan—ako, Jem, Maru, Evangelyn at Ryan. Nagdala kami ng kaunting pagkain dahil sigurado akong mahaba ang tatahakin naming daan para marating ang dulo nitong gubat.

Naiwan ang iba roon sa gusali. They were left with enough amount of food that could last them for a week, if they rationed it properly.

The path at our feet faded as it led into the darkness of the woods, yet we continued walking nonetheless. Hindi ko na nabilang kung ilang oras na kaming naglalakad. Namayani ang katahimikan sa paligid namin. Walang nagtangkang magsalita.

We continued to walk north, as was suggested by Maru. Kasi hindi pa raw nila iyon napupuntahan. Unti-unti nang lumulubog ang araw nang mapatingin ako sa kalangitan. And soon the darkness would cover the entirety of this forest.

Hindi kami nagdala ng kahit na anong pang-ilaw. Ayon sa kanila ay maaaring makapag-attract iyon ng kung anong nilalang. They didn't want to risk it.

There was no map to follow, I realized. It was no use. Only the never-ending darkness before us. Banda rito, masyadong matatayog ang mga puno, makakapal ang mga dahon kaya naman natatabunan ang paligid ng pinaghalong amoy ng lupa at amoy ng basang kahoy.

Nauna sa paglalakad si Maru at Evangelyn, sumunod naman kami ni Jem at ang huli ay si Ryan, na tahimik ding naglalakad sa likuran namin.

*****

It was the dead of night when we finally stopped in front of a huge rock. Nang pasadahan ko iyon ng tingin, I realized that it was a cave with a huge opening staring at us. Mula sa aming puwesto, nababalot ng kadiliman ang loob ng kuweba. I could almost see water dripping down from its entrance.

Ibinalik ko ang tingin sa gubat. The moon was giving a dim light throughout the forest kaya naman bahagyang malinaw ang paligid sa mga mata ko.

"We could stay here for the night," ani Maru.

Napayakap ako sa sarili ko at kinuskos ang palad sa braso ko. It was starting to get cold out here. Unti-unti nang bumababa ang temperatura ng paligid.

Naramdaman ko ang pagtabi ni Jem sa akin. "Let's take a look inside," ani Jem.

Si Maru at Jem ang nauna. Naiwan kami nila Ryan sa labas, hinihintay ang signal ng dalawa kapag ligtas nang pumasok. Lumipas ang ilang minuto at wala pa rin kami naririnig.

Marahas na bumuga ng hangin si Ryan. "I'll follow them, just stay here, okay?" aniya at pumasok na rin sa kuweba.

Pinagsalikop ko ang palad ko at hinipan iyon.

"So, are you and Jem a thing now?" narinig kong tanong ni Evangelyn.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Why did she have to come out here? It should've been someone else. Nang lingunin ko siya, naghihintay siya ng sagot ko.

"Why do you care?" asik ko.

Mahina siyang tumawa. "Ang showbiz naman ng sagot mo, Blair. How about my boyfriend, do you like him too?"

Napakunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. "What are you saying? You cheated on him, Evangelyn."

"Oh come on, Blair. You know what I'm talking about," she smiled at me, dangerously. "I see the way you look at him. And Maru may be my ex now, but he's still mine," she made a step towards me. "Don't even try, you whore. He's mine."

Madiin niyang dinuro-duro ang balikat ko. At nang uulitin niya ulit iyon, marahas kong pinalis ang kamay niya.

"Stop, Evangelyn. I don't want anything to do with both of you," I said and walked past her.

She quickly took me by the arms. "I'm not done talking, whore," pinihit niya ako paharap sa kanya.

Unti-unting dumidiin ang pagkakahawak niya sa braso ko. Sinubukan kong kumawala pero lalo niya lang hinigpitan ang pagkakahawak doon.

Inilapit niya ang mukha sa tainga ko. "Watch your back, Blair," she whispered in my ear. "Don't ever try me, I'm warning you."

Marahas niyang binitiwan ang braso ko. Napahawak ako roon dahil sa sakit. When I looked back at her, I could only see her figure entering the cave.