Hindi ito ang unang beses na nagkayayan silang lumabas but for Jiedazer this is new, for him there's something off about Scylla's mood and he's not used to it. Dahil ba kagagaling niya lang sa sakit? Jiedazer's thinks. He knows Scylla's really don't talk that much pero para sa kaniya iba 'to.
He can feel it. There's really something bothering Scylla. Paanong hindi niya mararamdaman? Nakailang buntonghininga na ba si Scylla?
"Hey. Just in case you forgot, I'm here, Scy." Jiedazer said with a smile.
Scylla looked at him and smiled a bit.
"Since when did you call me Scy pa? That's new, ah?" She giggled.
"Uhm. Since last week when you were sick, I guess." Jiedazer answered.
Scylla tsk-ed and licked her ice cream. It's 12:46 in the middle of the night and where they are? In the 7/11. Sa 7/11 na walang ibang customer kundi sila lang, not surprising though, it's 12:46 AM anyway.
Scylla didn't know how to speak, how to talk to him. Pakiramdam niya nung isang linggo siyang nagkasakit, nawalan din siya ng karapatang mag salita.
She's always in her room. Hindi papayag ang mga kamag anak niya na lumabas sa kwarto kasi nga raw may "sakit" siya. Binibigyan naman siya ng pagkain, umaga, tanghali at gabi but for Scylla they treat her like she's in jail. Ang mas ikinakainis pa niya, her aunt even confiscate her phone the reason why he can't reply to Jiedazer, hindi niya pa iyon mababawi ngayon kung hindi siya pumasok sa kwarto ng tiyahin niya para kuhanin and that's the reason why she's still up, she waited her relatives to fall asleep so she can get her phone back. Bahala na si batman paguwi. Iyan lang nag nasa isip niya. The foods, flower that Jiedazer gave, ang pinsan niya ang kumuha. Her chest feels so heavy remembering what happened last week. Pero kung iisipin niya ang lahat ng kalupitan sa kaniya ng mga kamag anak niya, baka malaglag siya sa upuan dahil sa sobrang bigat.
"Are you crying, Scy?" Jiedazer panicked. Mas lumapit siya kay Scylla at hinagod ang likuran niya.
"Hindi na nga ako nag sasalita kasi nakatulala ka na lang tapos bigla kang iiyak. Please, talk to me, tell me what's bothering you." Jiedazer said. He knows he's worried, hindi niya maitago ang pag aalala.
"Sorry...gusto ko lang kasi talagang umalis sa bahay." Scylla answered in a lower tone. She meant it, it's double meaning, hindi niya lang ngayon gustong umalis, gusto na niyang umalis don matagal na pero wala siyang choice. Kasi saan naman siya pupunta? She's alone in her 18 years of her existence.
"Can you please tell me why?" Jiedazer asked carefully. Finally removing his hands on Scylla's back when he noticed Scylla's already stopped crying.
"Hindi ko alam kung paano..." Mag isa na siya simula pa nung bata, broken fam, iniwan pa ng nanay at walang kaibigan. Hindi siya sanay mag share ng mga bagay bagay sa isang tao, lalo kung problema.
"Scylla...I'm here, you can talk to me always. I'm not gonna judge you." Jiedazer assured.
"Alam ko.." Scylla said like he was really sure about it. Pero 'yon talaga ang nararamdaman niya. Halos dalawang buwan na niyang nakakasama si Jiedazer at masasabi niyang ganon ang pinaparamdam sa kaniya ni Jiedazer. Na lagi siyang nandiyan para sa kaniya.
"Do you trust me, Scylla?" Jiedazer asked softly and with that Scylla slowly nodded.
Jiedazer smiled bitterly. He suddenly feel bad about everthing he did and was doing. Tama pa ba 'tong ginagawa ko? He suddenly thought about it but he immediately shook his head. May nangyayari na, ito na 'yon. Hindi ka pwedeng maging talunan sa harapan ng mga kaibigan mo just because you feel bad. You can't fucking back out, Jie. He reminded himself.
Jiedazer calm himself down and sighed.
"Can you tell me about what's bothering you, then? Alright, I know you as independent woman, a strong one. Pero okay lang naman mag share lalo kapag mabigat na, trust me it will help." Jiedazer said with full of sincererity. He wants Scylla to feel his seriousness.
Scylla take a deep sighed and nod. She's not really used to it but for her there's something about Jiedazer's word.
Scylla started talking, sharing and for Jirdazer to understand everthing she started from the start. Sa simula nung namatay ang papa niya at kung paano siya iniwan lang ng nanay niya sa kaniyang tiyahin na parang asong pinaampon sa edad na pitong taon. She shared how they relarives treat her, sa bahay man o sa cafe. They treat Scylla as if they are not related by blood. In their house, she treated her as they're "kasambahay" "yaya" and in their cafe they treated Scylla like she's just really an employee. Iyon lang ang pinag papasalamat ni Scylla sa lahat dahil nga nasahod naman siya ng tama, walang labis, walang kulang and just like she said that's probably because they treating her as their employee, nakakaipon pa rin siya at nagkakaroon ng pang gastos para sa mga pangangailangan niya, para sa pag aaral.
Hindi napigilan ni Scylla ang pagluha, talking, remembering and sharing about her life. Hindi ka dapat naiyak sa harap ng ibang tao, eh. Malalaman nila ang kahinaan mo. Scylla said in the back of her mind. She's trying her very best to stop crying, iyon ang ayaw niya, ang iniiwasan niyang mangyari. Ang umiyak sa harap ng iba.
"You're....so strong, Scylla. You're always doing your best to overcome the challenges you're facing.." Jiedazer, said. Still processing Scylla's story. Hindi siya makapaniwala na gano'n pala ang pinag dadaanan ni Scylla.
Scylla chuckles. Patuloy na nangingilid ang luha niya so she removed her big eye glasses to wipe her eyes propely pero hindi naman nag work 'yon so she just closed her eyes and looked up.
"Scy, I want you to know na okay lang lumapit minsan sa iba lalo na kapag hindi mo na kaya, nandito na ako, may mapag sasabihan ka na, may malalapitan ka na." Jiedazer said and he knows that's not part of his plan. Sinabi niya 'yon bilang si Jiedazer Verano, ang kaniyang sarili hindi biglang kaibigan nila Migo na pumayag sa deal para paibigin si Scylla.
Scylla looked at him and nodded, later on a small smile cuved in to her lips.
"Thank you, hindi mo alam kung gaano mo napapagaan loob ko, lalo ngayon." Scylla said because she's admitting it, matapos niyang mag kwento kay Jiedazer, gumaan ang pakiramdam niya at naintindihan niya agad kung bakit, her problems, ilang taon niya ba iyon dinadala mag isa? Pero ngayon she have Jiedazer.
Hindi nakapag salita si Jiedazer. This is the first time she saw Scylla without eye glasses. He was like startruck in the girl in front of her. Is this even Scylla? He asked himself. Parehas lang naman na si Scylla ang kasama niya kanina at ngayon, the Scylla a while ago is wearing a hoodie with messy and her big eyeglasses, the Scylla now in front of him was wearing the same, the hoodie and messy bun she just removed her eyeglasses. What's wrong with me? He shook his head and looked away.
"It's 2:43 na, Jiedazer." Scylla said as he looked at her phone. Ibinalik na niya ang eye glasses at inayos ang mga pinagkaininan.
Scylla stood up but Jiedazer grabber her wrist making him to sit again.
"U-y, bakit?" Scylla suttered out of schockness. Why did he grabbed my wrist? Scylla thought.
"I wan to know if you're okay na...ayokong mag hiwalay tayo ngayon na hindi ka pa okay." Jiedazer said in sincerity. Scylla stopped for a seconds, hindi niya maintindihan kung normal ba ang pag tibok ng mabilis ng puso niya. Hindi niya maintindihan dahil ngayon niya lang ito naramdaman.
"I'm okay na and thank you so much sa lahat, Jiedazer." Scylla smiled.
Jiedazer smiled at her too and pat her head.
"Can I give you a hug?" Scylla's eyes widened bacause of what Jiedazer asked. A hug? Jiedazer smiled. "You know..." He paused. Jiedazer? Putangina. He called himself. Ako ba 'to? "I missed you." He continued and with that Scylla remembered she said it too so she smiled and nodded.
"I missed you, Jiedazer." Scylla whispered.
They hugged. Jiedazer hugged Scylla as tight as he can pero sa paraang hindi masasaktan si Scylla. Iyon lang ang nasa isip niya sa mga oras na'to, because after hearing Scylla's story he feel bad and feel sorry pero alam niyang hindi niya ititigil ang deal.
Scylla hugged him too, she doesn't know but she feels comfort in his arms, the hug from Jiedazer feels warmth and welcoming.
ROSEY