Chapter Text
Narda
Bago mn ako naging si Darna, isa palang akong Narda. Masiyahin, at may pangarap sa buhay na maging isang doktor na tumutulong lalo na sa mga mahihirap. Ang tanging inspirasyon ko sa pangarap na ito ay ang aking ina na si Leonor Custodio, na nagtatrabaho bilang isang clerk sa gobyerno ni Mayor Vallesteros, at isa rin Health Aid Unit sa Arlegui Foundation.
Galing kami sa bayan ng Amorsolo de Guevarra, dalawang bayan bago makarating sa Nueva Esperanza. Isa lang itong simpleng probinsya kung saan ang mga tao ay nag-depende lang sa pag-aani ng mga taniman, tsaka pag-pastol ng mga hayop.
Mula nung pagkawala ni tatay, medyo naghirap din kami nila lola kahit sa pagkuha lang ng basic na pangangailangan namin. Buti nalang nabigyan si Inay ng oportunidad na makatrabaho sa Nueva Esperanza, ito rin ang naging dahilan sa paglipat namin doon at umaasa ng magandang kinabukasan o sa pag-aakala ko lang.
Estudyanteng Participant sa isang Quizbowl muntik nang makidnap! Babaeng Lumilipad, nagbabalik na nga ba?
Umagang-umaga at iyon ang pinaka-unang balita bumungad sa araw ko.
Kakatapos lang namin mag-almusal nina Lola Berta at ni Ding kaya nanonood kami ng balita. Na-suspend yung classes namin sa NESU dahil sa nangyari kahapon, since nandoon naman ang venue ng quizbowl.
Kamusta na kaya siya?
‘Miss Vanguardia! Gusto ka lang naming kamustahin tungkol sa nangyari kahapon. Maari kaba magbigay ng pahayag?’
Nung pagkarinig ko sa pangalan ni Regina ay napa-focus ako sa pagnonood. Gumaan aking pakiramdam makita na okay lang si Regina. Nasa hospital na siya ngayon at may mga pasa sa mukha.
‘As of now, okay na ako, thanks to the Babaeng Lumilipad. I would’ve died kung hindi pa siya dumating,’ Sabi ni Regina sabay ngiti niyang pasabi. Nalungkot ako bigla isipin na iniwan ko siya mag-isa kahapon dahil sa away namin mula nung natalo kami sa quizbowl.
If you would ask kung anong relationship namin ni Regina? Its not about being complicated, but literal na arch-nemesis talaga. Palaging nagaaway at hindi magkasundo sa lahat ng bagay. Nagsimula ito mula sa pag-transfer ko sa NESU nung junior year pa kami. She was my first seatmate. Naalala ko pa rin ang mga unang salita sinabi niya sa akin.
“Hi, I’m Regina Vanguardia. For sure kilala mo naman ako diba?”
Puta. Akalain mo naman parang sappy romantic comedy ang maalala kong mga unang salita niya sa akin pero hindi talaga.
Si Regina ay napaka-competitive sa lahat ng bagay. Either academic or for extra-curricular activities, active talaga siya sa mga ganun. Siya yung type na tao that will never stop until she gets what she wants. And that was one of those things na ginusto ko sa kanya. Passionate at hardworking sa lahat ng bagay-bagay.
Naibalik ang atensyon ko sa TV nung may tinanong ang reporter kay Regina. ‘May gusto ka bang ibigay na mensahe para sa Babaeng Lumilipad?’ Tumingin siya sa camera at ngumiti. Biglang umiba aking pakiramdam sa pag-aakala na may gusto siya sasabihin sa akin.
‘Whoever you are, I just want to tell you that I owe you for saving my life. I hope I will be seeing you soon to say thank you personally.’
“Uy, si ate kinikilig,” Tinignan ko si Ding na abot tenga ang ngiti. Nakakainis.
“Ha?”
“Ha? Hatdog mukha mo! Ang obvious mo nga diyan oh,” At inaasar na nanaman ako sa kapatid ko. Kinurot ko tenga niya at napasigaw siya sa sakit.
Tumawa ako. “Maligo ka na nga! Sure talaga ako maabot amoy pawis mo sa kabilang barangay,”
“Grabe naman si ate oh, di mabiro. Makiligo na nga!”
Nilabasan ko siya ng dila at ningitian. Kahit minsan bully ako sa kapatid ko ay mahal ko pa rin yun. Sila ni Lola. Ako lang kaya pwede mam-bully sa kanya chos joke lang.
Regina
I sighed as the car stopped in front of my house. I got discharged from the hospital after a week, so it’s expected na dapat pupunta na ako ng school this Monday.
“Di ka paba bababa, Regina?” Sabi ni Ali as he turned his body backwards to look at me.
“7 days and never ako binisita ni Dad,” I replied to Ali, holding myself back from crying. Alam ko naman kahit pa noon nga I was never worth his time, kahit mapaano mn ako. I even started to think he only comes to see me kung gusto niya ako makita mag-fail sa isa sa mga endeavors ko. What did I even do for him to treat me like this.
Ali turned his head away after I spoke, looking at the front. The car engine was still turned on and it whirring sound filled this silence.
“Tumawag naman siya a few days ago kinamusta ka.”
“Talaga ba? O baka gusto niya lang sabihin na nagpakatanga nanaman ako dahil saan-saan ako pumunta at muntik na ako makidnap,”
“Hindi naman sa ganun, Ma’am—“
“Save it, Ali. Papasok na ako sa loob,” Huling sinabi ko sa kanya as I already moved out of the vehicle.
~
Ilang oras ang nakalipas at halos hatinggabi na. Hindi parin ako makatulog, so I decided to go out to the terrace from my room. Maybe I couldn’t sleep because it’s what I’ve been doing this past week. It was one heck of a rollercoaster ride. A thought crossed my mind, and the first thing was about her, the Babaeng Lumilipad. Sa tuwing maalala ko siya, I still feel entranced by her and still felt the same thing from the first time I saw her, electrified. (a/n: ay wowz bacclang conyo)
I really thought I would’ve died that day, judging by the events that could have happened, there was no way I was going to escape from those men. But then she came and saved me, just like what my mom did every single time. It was almost as if coincidental ang nangyari, after I finally found my necklace given by Narda, the Babaeng Lumilipad came to save me.
Narda.
I smiled a bit thinking about that annoying girl. After nung she gave me the thing I long for the most, I think my heart softened a bit after what she did.
Honestly, I never hated her. I was just so afraid of losing and what Dad will think of me, a failure. That’s why I’ve always thought that getting the Arlegui Scholarship will be my last resort for him to finally see me for me, as his daughter.
Ilang oras na nakalipas at nandito pa rin ako sa terrace, contemplating about everything. Ang dami ko pala ihaharap if babalik na ako sa school.
“Regina Vanguardia?”
My heart jolted after hearing a voice of a woman spoke, I immediately turned around to see who it was. It was her, at hindi ako makapaniwala.
She flew slowly right towards me with the same metallic suit she wore when I first saw her. Her boots then touched the tiled floors and walked for a few steps approaching me.
“Ako lang ‘to,” Sabi ng babae.
“W-What are you doing here?”
“Nakita kita sa TV. Kaya nakapagdesisyon ako puntahan kita,”
Mas lalo na ako naguguluhan. I still can’t believe pupuntahan niya ako, sa mismong bahay ko pa.
“I honestly don’t know what to say. Nabigla talaga ako sa pagpunta mo dito,”
The woman smiled at me, as she walked towards and stopped by the wooden rail. “Okay lang kung wala kang masabi. Kuntento na ako makita na maayos ka,”
“I’m really curious about you. You just suddenly came out of nowhere,” I flew my hands upwards in frustration and furrowed my eyebrows because everything still revolved around confusion. The woman also looked at me with the same expression.
I, then turned my back from her as I spoke after a few moments of silence. “…And habang iniisip kita palagi, I just always feel like you’re someone warm, and familiar,” Huminto ako sa paglakad, and I smiled as to what I’ve said. It’s true that just by thinking about this woman makes my heart skip a beat. But the problem is, I don’t even know anything about her. Everything about her arrival was just too sudden, but the sense of familiarity was really strong that made me want to dig dive about her more.
The atmosphere starts to shift as I felt her presence near me. I turned my body and was taken aback as I was already facing her, our faces just inches away. Sinubukan ko huminga ng malalim and all I could do at this moment was just stare at her caramel brown colored eyes. Then I noticed her eyes looking at my lips.
“Ang ganda ng mga mata mo,” Sabi niya habang tumingin ulit siya sa mga mata ko.
“Oh please, have you seen yours?” Ang hina kong pagsabi as I further close the gap between our lips. As our lips were almost touching, I could feel her back away.
“Goodnight, Regina.” Ito ang mga huling sinabi niya dahan-dahan siya lumutang mula sa sahig na tinayuan niya.
“Darna pala pangalan ko.”