Athena’s P.O.V.
Using the new Helena’s account, I searched for my old Famebook and read the posts from my real timeline. All public posts came from my original schoolmates and I just couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Oh, come on, people! One year na ang nakalipas, puro ‘rest in peace’ pa rin? Can’t you just move on? You, guys, only pretend that you were concerned about me when you were really not. Plastics!
Bukod kay Helena, wala naman na akong iba pang kaibigan. Dad decided to separate us in school dahil malilito lang daw ang mga tao sa amin. And what would I expect? He would sometimes cut his work just to personally fetch Helena after class… and what about me? I had no other choice but to wait for Mang Carding. Well, Daddy didn’t care if I went home past curfew hours. Of course, I didn’t exist. Pero kahit tapos na silang mag-dinner, Helena would still join me in the long table because she doesn’t want to make me feel alone. Napakabait lang talaga ng kakambal ko.
So, in my school, I doubted if they ever knew that I had a twin sister. I chose not to talk to anyone, except teachers. Most of the time, I preferred to be alone.
Oh, let me rephrase that—I always wanted to be alone. At least, alone but not lonely. I loved just being with myself and that was ‘self-love’ as they say.
What would you do to so many friends when you didn’t know who would bite you like a real snake? Well, it was true when people say that snakes in the forest were now living in the city. And what would you gain from friends who would only betray you in the end? Nothing, only hurt and heartaches. I had more than that because of my father, ayoko nang dagdagan pa nila ang sakit. I always had trust issues and I was proud of it.
I was still the same Athena when it comes to my thinking. I did improve a little in terms of academics but overall, I was still me. Ni hindi ko nga alam kung paano ko na-perfect ‘yong exam kanina sa Physics! Nagpanggap lang naman ako na nagre-review sa bahay kagabi. But then, I believed that only my name died and that… nothing had really changed because I was still a bitch.
Pretending to be Helena was not easy… and what made it even harder was the fact that I had to feign to be the complete opposite of what I was! It looked like I was a nightmare dressed like a daydream all along!
“Helena…”
Nagulat ako nang bigla na lang may nagsalita sa likod ko. Sa sobrang gulat ko, muntik ko pang mabitiwan ‘yong tablet ko. Not knowing what to do next, I immediately placed it back inside my bag.
Shit! ‘Yong totoong Famebook ko pa ‘yong nasa screen no’ng tablet… nakita kaya niya?
“Ikaw na naman? Alam mo bang nakakainis ka na? Bakit ka ba sunod nang sunod sa akin ha?” I lowered my voice so as not to disturb the other students studying and researching in the library. “K-Kanina ka pa ba riyan?” I asked him while silently scanning his reaction if he would tell me the truth or not.
“Kararating ko lang. Hmm, bakit?” tugon ni David.
“S-Sigurado ka? W-Wala kang n-nakita?” tanong ko ulit sa kanya.
“May dapat ba akong makita?” kunot-noong tanong niya pabalik.
“Hmm, wala!” pagpapatay-malisya ko. “Sige, aalis na ako,” agad akong lumayo sa kanya.
“Teka, Helena…” habol na naman niya.
Lakad-takbo na akong lumalayo sa kanya pero ang kulit lang niya. Sunod pa rin siya nang sunod. He crept the hell inside of me. I did all my might to run like a marathoner but damn it! Why was he always following me? Couldn’t he just leave me alone? Nakalabas na nga ako ng school pero sumusunod pa rin siya sa akin.
Who would have thought that I, Athena Cari, the rebellious Delgado daughter, would run like this? My goodness! Wala akong kinatatakutan. All my life, I was intrepid. I would never do this even in my dreams. And when Helena died, I know… I had nothing to lose.
But I was just a transferee here. I wasn’t able to memorize this place and I didn’t have any plans to do so, lalo pa’t sanay ako na laging hatid-sundo gamit ang aming sasakyan. Ang kaso, sa kaliliko at katatawid ko para lang makaiwas sa kanya ay ako naman itong naligaw.
Hay! Pahamak ka talaga, Rivera! I stomped off my feet like a child in tantrums when I realized, I couldn’t make my way back to the school.
After turning left on the last corner, I got trapped in a dimmed alley even though it was still daytime. For that, I stopped. Tatlong pangit na lalaki ang nasa harapan ko ngayon na tingin ko ay lulong pa yata sa droga.
“Hi, Miss Byutipul. Naligaw ka ‘ata sa lugar namin? Tara, ihahatid na kita. Ako nga pala si Jonathan but you call me Athan for sure,” pakilala no’ng isang mataba.
I narrowed my eyes while stepping backwards. Did he mean, for short? Oh my God, RIP English!
“And so? No one is asking for your name, idiot!” I shouted back.
“Uy, inglisera! ‘Wag ka nga, pre. Girlfriend ko ‘yan eh, dinadalaw lang ako! You know,” the man in the middle intervened after he threw his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. He had red and swollen eyes, making me cringed.
“I would love to become an old maid for the rest of my life, instead of becoming your girlfriend even just for a minute. You crazy son of a bitch!” I screamed whilst stepping backwards.
“Ano raw ang sabi? Gusto mong pumunta tayo sa beach, honey? Mga tarantado kasi kayong dalawa eh! Huwag niyo kasing gagalitin ang guardian angel ko na bumaba pa sa langit. Baka bumalik ‘yong pakpak, lumipad siya ulit. Tingnan niyo, ang ganda ng mga mata oh—green!” sabi no’ng pangatlong halos palito na sa sobrang payat, sabay hawak sa kanang braso ko.
“Aray, ano ba? Bitiwan mo nga ‘ko!” pilit kong hinihila ‘yong braso ko mula sa mukhang ulupong na ‘yon. Amoy na amoy ko ang baho niya!
Bwisit! Mukha pang isang buwan nang hindi naliligo ‘tong mga ‘to ah.
“Pare, ang tapang naman ng guardian angel mo. Pero okay lang, ‘yang mga ganyan ang trip ko sa lahat eh. ‘Yong mga tipong pa-hard to get pero gusto rin naman!” sabi no’ng mataba habang malisyoso akong tinitingnan mula ulo hanggang paa.
Ginamit ko ang lahat ng lakas ko para lang makakawala sa patpating lalaking may hawak sa akin at hindi naman ako nabigo. I pushed him in the chest as I continued flinching backwards… hanggang sa may nasandalan ako sa likuran ko.