KABANATA 49

"I'm fine..." mahinang wika ni Lucas at kaagad na tinulungan siya na makatayo. Humigpit ang pagkakayakap ni Hera kay Chantal na para bang mapipiga na niya ang anak. Sobrang lakas nang kabog ng kaniyang puso at nanlalamig ang kaniyang pakiramdam dahil sa nangyari. Sinamaan ni Hera ng tingin si Lucas dahil sa sinabi ng lalabi.

"What do you mean you're fine?!" galit na tanong niya at hinila ang kamay nito. Magkasalubong ang kilay na hinila niya si Lucas at pumasok sa loob ng bahay ni Nathan. Wala ang kapatid dahil dito mula sila namalagi dahil kay Lucas. Hera furiously unlocked the door and went inside.

"Dito ka lang," mariin niyang saad at binitawan ang kamay ni Lucas. Iniwan niya ang lalaki sa sala ng bahay at hinatid ang kaniyang natutulog na anak sa kaniyang kuwarto. Hindi na niya binihisan si Chantal at tinanggal lang ang suot na sapatos dahil sa pagmamadali. Nang masigurado niyang maayos na ang posisyon ng anak, lumabas na siya ng silid na may dala-dalang first aid kit.

Binalikan niya si Lucas sa sala at nakita ang lalaki na nakaupo sa sofa. May hawak-hawak itong maliit na towel na nakatakip sa ulo nito. It was blooded. Napatigil si Lucas sa ginagawa nito nang mapansin na lumalapit siya. Malamig na tiningnan lang ni Hera si Lucas. Nang mapansin nito ang kaniyang reaksyon ay napangiwi na lang ito.

"Let's heal your wound," she said coldly and sat beside him. Binaba niya ang kamay ni Lucas at padabog na binuksan ang kit. Napakislot si Lucas sa kaniyang tabi. She's really pissed. Hindi dahil sa niligtas siya ng lalaki kung hindi dahil sa pagiging reckless nito.

Kinuha ni Hera ang mga gagamitin at nagsimulang gamutin ang sugat ni Lucas. Walang imik na hinayaan siya ng lalaki at kahit na minsan ay dinidiin na niya ang pag gagamot para masaktan ito dahil sa inis, parang wala lang kay Lucas. Hindi naman ganoon ka laki ang sugat nito. It's just a scratch.

"How about your elbows?" she asked with her brow raising. Lucas shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Napabuntong hininga na lang si Hera. Akala niya ay nasugatan din ang lalaki doon.

Niligpit na niya ang mga ginamit at nilagay ulit sa kit. Walang imik na tumayo siya at aalis na sana nang pigilan siya ni Lucas. Sa sobrang bilis nang pangyayari, natagpuan na lang ni Hera ang kaniyang sarili na yakap-yakap ni Lucas. Nakabaon ang mukha ng lalaki sa kaniyang balikat at mahigpit na nakayakap sa kaniya.

"Are you mad?" he muttered in a low voice. Napakurap-kurap si Hera ng kaniyang mga mata at hindi kaagad makasagot. She's not mad, she is just pissed because of what he did. Naiintindihan naman niya na kaya ginawa iyon ni Lucas but he's still being reckless. What if something bad happened to him because he slammed his head? Mabuti na nga lang at hindi ganoon ka laki ang sugat sa ulo nito.

"You're being reckless earlier…" saad niya imbes na sagutin ang tanong nito. Natahimik si Lucas dahil doon. Alam ni Hera na alam ng lalaki na galit siya ngayon. She doesn't want him to get hurt and he needs to know that. Kahit na hindi pa ganoon ka buti ang kanilang relasyon kumpara sa dati, she still cares about him.

"I'm sorry, I'll be careful next time."

Hearing his sincere tone makes her heart pleased for a moment. Parang bula na naglaho ang kaniyang galit sa puso. Ang rupok niya talaga pagdating kay Lucas. She always falls down easily when it comes to him. At ganoon din naman ang lalaki sa kaniya.

"It's fine…"

Silence broke out again after Hera mumbled those words. Wala ulit nagsalita sa kanilang dalawa at tahimik lang na pinapakinggan ang bawat paghinga ng isa't isa. They weren't saying anything and just kept on feeling the warmth of each other, until Lucas suddenly broke out the silence.

"Until now… I still couldn't believe that I got to hug you like this. It feels like a dream that overlapped my reality," Lucas said in a tone Hera couldn't recognize. Ito ang pinaka unang beses na narinig niya si Lucas na nagsalita sa ganoong tono.

"I wanted to kill myself so bad for hurting you…" he continued. Dumagundong ang kakaibang emosyon sa puso ni Hera nang marinig ang mga katagang kailanman ay hindi niya ine-expect na maririnig mula sa bibig ng lalaki. Itinaas ni Hera ang kaniyang dalawang kamay at nilapat ang mga palad sa matigas na dibdib nito para itulak si Lucas.

"W-what are you saying–" Mabilis na pinutol siya ng lalaki.

"I think it would be better if–"

Hindi na napigilan ni Hera ang sarili at tinulak na nga nang tuluyan si Lucas. She thought it would be hard pero parang nagpaubaya na lang si Lucas sa kaniya. Nang tingnan ni Hera ang mga mata nito, it was dead and empty.

Kabadong napalunok na lang si Hera. She has an idea why he's feeling like this all of a sudden. His guilt and conscience in the past week has reached its limit. Ang maalala ang ginawa nito sa kaniya noon, kahit na sino na nasa posisyon ngayon ni Lucas ay ganoon ang mararamdaman.

All Hera could do right now is to bite her lower lip gently and calm her throbbing heart. Nothing can be changed if she'll let Lucas' emotions affect her.

"Lucas…" malamyos niyang tawag sa lalaki at hinawakan ang magkabilang pisngi nito. A sudden spark crossed Lucas' eyes because of it. She smiled softly at the man in front of her and began caressing his cheeks in a gentle and tender way.

Lucas might not look like it but he's more mentally fragile than he looks. Kung wala sigurong magsasabi, hindi siguro nito malalaman. Maging si Bryle, ang kaibigan ni Lucas, ay nagsabi noon sa kaniya na si Lucas ay isang klase ng tao na kailangang intindihin hindi lamang dahil sa sakit nito kung hindi dahil sa ganito na talaga ito mula noong una pa. That's why she needs to comfort him even just…

"You were not in your right mind when you hurted me, remember? You were blinded by your anger because of my father…"

Galit din siya sa kaniyang sariling ama dahil sa ginawa nito. Hindi pa nga siya nakaka-move on dahil sa ginawa nitong kahayupan sa kaniyang ina, may dumagdag na naman na iba.

"Still, it was me who hurted you." Natahimik si Hera at hindi mahanap ang sasabihin dahil do'n. Ramdam na ramdam niya ang sakit ni Lucas sa tono ng boses nito. He really regret what happened and blamed himself.

Hinawakan ni Lucas ang kaniyang kamay na nasa pisngi nito at binaba iyon. Nakatitig lang si Hera sa walang buhay na mga mata ni Lucas. After awhile, he spoke again wearing an expression she couldn't name.

"I promised, didn't I? That I won't let you get hurt? But here I am, breaking that promise I made myself."

Hera's heart throbbed even more painfully. She was supposed to comfort Lucas but because all he said was the truth, she couldn't find herself to speak but even still she forced herself.

"Lucas–" Pero bago pa man niya matapos ang kaniyang sasabihin, mabilis na pinutol siya nito.

"No more words, Hera…"

Sa gabing iyon, ramdam na ramdam talaga ni Hera na nagdurusa si Lucas. At naapektuhan siya dahil doon. Kahit na medyo may hindi magandang nararamdaman pa siya para kay Lucas, may pakialam pa rin siya sa lalaki at ayaw niyang nagdurusa ito.

Hera thought that that night might be the time where both of them should take a step forward and let go of the shackles that make them suffer. And one year later, they did it.

"Mommy! You're so pretty," Chantal said to her for who knows, how many times already. All Hera could do is to smile at her six year old daughter. Kasalukuyan na nag d-drive siya ngayon papunta sa kompanya ni Lucas.

"I'm sure daddy will be happy," her daughter chuckled as if it was really amusing. Napailing-iling na lang si Hera. It's been a year already and Chantal's speech changed. She used to speak using a third person point of view, but now, it's normal na.

"He will?" Hera asked, smiling widely. She's a bit excited since it will be the first time they will visit Lucas without telling him. Gusto niyang supresahin ang lalaki.

"Yes, daddy is marupok to mommy's beauty." In that whole ride, all Hera could do was laugh while listening to her daughter's words. Nang makarating na sila sa kompanya ni Lucas, kaagad na binati sila ng mga empleyado. Ngumiti lamang siya sa mga ito habang ang kaniyang anak ay kumaway pa. All the employees here loved Chantal and adored her.

The way they welcomed them right now is so different compared to last year. Kung saan ang sekretarya pa ni Lucas ay si Andrei. Hindi niya talaga alam kung bakit galit na galit ang lalaking iyon sa kaniya. He even insulted her pero hinayaan lang niya iyon. Hanggang sa dinamay ng lalaki si Chantal. Hindi na niya napigilan ang sarili at nakipag-away sa lalaki.

At sa kabutihang palad, Lucas saw them fighting. Sinabi niya kay Lucas ang lahat at iyon, nagalit at tinanggal si Andrei. Hera knows that Andrei has been with Lucas since childhood but Lucas doesn't seem to care about that.

Andrei seems like he was obsessed to Lucas. He even used someone's name. Like 'yong pangalan ng kaibigang babae ni Lucas noon na Elena ang pangalan. That woman named Elena was already long gone. Patay na pero hindi pa nakaka-move on ang lalaki. That woman died because of breast cancer during the time she and Lucas was away for five years.

Hindi naman siya kuryuso sa babae kaya hindi na rin siya nagtanong. Now that Andrei and other antagonists of their life are gone, Hera can now breathe peacefully without choking.

"Shh, don't tell Lucas," kaagad na pigil ni Hera sa bagong sekretarya ni Lucas nang makitang tatawagan na sana nito ang lalaki. Nang makuha nito kung ano ang gagawin nilang mag-ina ay ngumisi lang ito nang nakakaloko at nag thumbs up.

Ngumisi lang din si Hera at dahan-dahan na binuksan ang pinto ng opisina ni Lucas at pa sikreto silang pumasok doon ng walang kahit ni isang ingay na nagagawa.

"Surprised!" Both her and Chantal exclaimed. Napaigtad si Lucas na focused na focused sa ginagawa nito. Inangat ng lalaki ang kaniyang tingin, kaagad na sumilay ang masayang ngiti sa labi nito.

"Why didn't you tell me," ngisi-ngising tanong ni Lucas at lumapit sa kanila. Lucas wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer for a kiss. Pagkatapos ay yumuko ang lalaki para halikan ang noo ni Chantal.

"We wanted to surprise you daddy," it was Chantal who answered in her stead. Pagkatapos sabihin iyon ng anak ay kaagad na tumakbo ito papunta sa table ni Lucas. Sinundan nila ng tingin ang anak na masayang umupo sa swivel chair at umakto na para bang isa itong boss.

May ngiti sa labi na sinandal ni Hera ang katawan sa dibdib ni Lucas.

"Time sure flew so fast," she mumbled sighing. Narinig niyang tumawa nang mahina si Lucas sa kaniyang likod at hinawakan ang kaniyang kamay. His fingers then found the ring on her finger.

"It is. I still can't believe we're getting married next week." Pinaharap siya ni Lucas at hinawakan ang mukha. Napapikit na lang si Hera ng kaniyang mga mata nang siniil siya ng lalaki ng isang malalim na halik.

"Me too… my heart is overflowing."

Ngumiti si Lucas at si Hera sa isa't isa. That one year has never been easy. It was the most emotional day of their lives, but then they survived.

Sa tuwing naaalala niya ang buhay nila ni Lucas, isa lang ang kaniyang masasabi, forgiveness always takes time and just like what the other had said, everyone deserves a second chance especially when that person is determined and sincere enough to work on that chance.

Life is not all about rainbows and happiness and it has always been fair from the very beginning. Everyone has an obstacle to conquer. It's just that everyone has their own clock, making others suffer and others live in ecstasy differently. Perhaps, when she and Lucas suffered during those days, that time wasn't theirs. But perhaps this time around is theirs.

Their love story has never been a joyful ride. It was a rocky and bumpy road. There are times where she doesn't want to continue driving and there are also times where she doesn't want to stop and keeps driving. It was one of a hell of a ride but then, she was the happiest.