CHAPTER NINETEEN
1243 Words
CHAPTER NINETEEN:
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We both stared at each other badly.
"Your brother mentioned earlier about this someone that belongs to Artemis. Planned, arranged, fate, may alam ka'rin ba tungkol dito?"
Tinitigan niya ako ng Ilang segundo bago sinagot ang tanong nito. "I don't know this someone, pero alam ko na naka-planado na ang pagkikita nilang dalawa."
"It's killing me—Don't make me overthink, Athena."
"There's nothing you can do either because tomorrow, you'll be going back to China."
"I won't leave until you—No," His eyes moved on my brother's direction. "Two. Hangga't hindi niyo sinasabi sa'kin kung sino ang taong iyon."
I grinned. "You reminded me of someone. Just like you, he's also madly in lov with his cousin."
"I don't care who it is—"
"Do you know what happened to that person Hermes..." I cut him off. "His father wants to kill him."
Kumunot ang noo nilang dalawa.
Hindi man ako nakatingin sa Kuya ko, pero alam ko na kaagad kung ano ang pumasok sa isip niya.
"Imagine? Your own father wants to kill you? Nang dahil lang sa gusto mong angkinin ang babaeng kadugo mo mismo? Do you want that to happen to you, Hermes?"
He laughed. "My father can't do that."
"Are you sure?" May ngisi sa labing tanong ko.
From the expression on his face, kahit nakakainis pagmasdan ang nakangisi niyang labi, I can see that he is also curious as to who the person that I'm referring to.
I saw in my peripheral view that my brother put his left hand inside his pocket of the black pants his wearing. At tinalikuran niya kaming dalawa. Naglakad siya palapit railings ng building.
I think may ideya na ako na may alam na siya kung kanino ko nalaman ang mga pinagsasabi ko ngayon kay Hermes.
I smirked.
"Then what happened to that person? Was he killed?" tanong ni Hermes.
"Almost."
"Then you can't stop me from loving her, Athena. If ever that my own father will kills me, I will still not let her go."
"Hindi man siya napatay ng Ama niya, but he kicked him out."
The surroundings were quiet for a moment.
"He used to be a Montello, but now, he no longer holds his last name. With the agreement that if he doesn't stop chasing his female cousin whom he loves very much, his father will kill him. At kung hindi man siya nito mapatay, there's only one thing he can do, leave the Mansion, and forget being a Montello."
I wasn't there, nung nangyari ang eksena. But, Hera told me about it...
'You might want to pay attention to what’s happening in America. Poseidon is in serious trouble...'
'He confessed that he fell in love with Hestia. You know that’s illegal, right? Cousin to cousin, especially in our family...'
'And now their father is trying to expel him for it. The whole situation is a mess, and it’s only getting worse. Poseidon is stubborn, and Ares, of course, is jumping in without thinking. He’s ready to take on their father to defend Poseidon...'
'Their father is furious. He believes this is an affront to the family, a violation of all the unspoken rules we’ve held onto for generations. He won’t back down easily, especially since Poseidon’s feelings could jeopardize the family’s reputation...'
Neptunus Poseidon Montello...
He is a kind and caring person, always looking out for his baby brother. He is also a thoughtful, introspective boy with eyes that convey a depth of emotion. His eyes often seem to carry an unspoken sorrow, a reflection of the inner turmoil he face.
In an unexpected event, he met a girl who caused him to change. He deeply fell in love to this girl na umabot sa punto na kaya niyang labanan ang sarili niyang ama para lang mapasakanya ang babaeng mahal niya.
And this girl was 'Hestia Vesta Montes'.
"Now question, kaya mo bang kalimutan ang pagiging Montes mo, Mercury Hermes Montes?..."
Now that nararanasan din ito ni Hermes ngayon.
Hermes sister itself.
But he doesn't know anything. Little did he know that the girl I am referring to was his sister Hestia. Kahit ang lalaking nagkagusto sa kapatid niya ay hindi niya kilala. He knows nothing about what happened years ago.
I think...
Because those times, wala siya, wala sila. They were in China. At that time, he had never set foot in the Philippines. In other words, he and Poseidon have never met.
Aunt Harrycane, Hera and Hermes—the three of them live there in China. Only Aunt Harrycane, which is their Mother and Hera have set foot in the Philippines, including Hestia.
Pero si Hermes, ngayon taon pa lamang 'yan nakapasok sa Pilipinas. Tsk.
"See? You can not answer. Just like your father."
"Athena, enough." rinig kong kalmadong boses ni Kuya Zeus.
"Very well, Zeus, but the situation demands a wise approach."
Nilingon at nilapitan niya na kami. Nang makalapit ay tinapik niya si Hermes sa kan'yang likuran.
"I trust your judgment, but my decision stands."
He stared at me. Kumunot ang noo ko. Kaya napakunot din ang noo niya. I tried to read his eyes. But Godd*mm*t! Basta may dugong Montello at Montes, ang hirap basahin! Tsk!
Ilang minuto kaming nagtitigan ng Kuya ko. Hanggang siya na ang unang sumuko.
"Let's depart."
Tinalikuran niya na ako at naunang bumaba ng building. Sumunod naman si Hermes sa kan'ya.
Pagkaalis nila, naiwan na akong mag-isa sa Senior High Building. Tahimik ang paligid, tanging ihip ng hangin at malayong ingay ng mga estudyante ang naririnig.
Napabuntong-hininga ako bago lumapit sa railings. Mula rito, tanaw ang kabuuan ng campus—ang mga estudyanteng nagkakatuwaan sa track field, ang mga nakaupo sa lilim ng puno, at ang mga nagmamadaling pumunta sa kani-kanilang klase.
Pumikit ako sandali, nilalasap ang presensya ng katahimikan. Ngunit parang may bigat na nakadagan sa dibdib ko, isang bagay na hindi ko maalis-alis. Inilapit ko ang noo ko sa malamig na salamin ng bintana, saka tumingin muli pababa.
"Ang dami palang nangyayari sa baba, pero dito sa itaas, parang ang layo ko sa lahat ng iyon," bulong ko sa sarili.
Hindi ko maiwasang mapaisip. Nakita ko kanina si Aphrodite sa track field. She was running, pushing herself to the limit. Napakabilis niya, pero iba ang nakita ko sa kaniya kanina. Parang hindi lang simpleng takbuhan ang ginawa niya. Para sa kaniya, parang simbolo iyon ng pagbabalik—ng isang bagay na matagal na niyang iniwan.
"Kung alam mo lang, Aphrodite," mahina kong sabi habang pinagmamasdan ang mga tao sa baba. "Hindi lang basta talento ang meron ka. May mas malalim na bagay sa likod ng bilis mo."
Humakbang ako palapit sa gilid ng building, kung saan mas malinaw kong tanaw ang bawat sulok ng campus. Ang laki nito, puno ng iba't ibang tao at kwento. Pero sa gitna ng lahat ng ito, isa lang ang gumugulo sa isip ko—si Aphrodite.
Tumingin ulit ako sa malawak na campus. Ang daming lugar kung saan pwedeng magtago ang mga sagot. At ang mas nakakatakot, ang daming lugar kung saan pwedeng magtago ang peligro.
"Kung ganito kalawak ang view ko mula rito, ganito rin dapat kalawak ang pag-iisip ko," bulong ko. Kailangan kong pag-isipan ang bawat hakbang. Wala akong puwedeng makaligtaan.
Tahimik akong tumayo doon, pinagmamasdan ang bawat galaw sa campus, habang iniisip kung paano ko haharapin ang mga darating na araw.
TO BE CONTINUED .....
- Writer
