Chapter 56
The house was quieter than usual when Kairi got home that evening.
Iyong klase ng katahimikan na deserved talaga after a whole day sa ilalim ng araw habang paulit-ulit ang steps at instructions para sa graduation practice.
Her legs still ached. Her shoulders felt heavy with exhaustion that sleep never quite fixed.
She didn't turn her lights on.
Katatapos lang niyang mag-shower at nakahiga na sa kama while her phone rested against her ear as Zoe's voice filled the dark room.
"Okay, but hear me out," Zoe said, half-laughing and half-pleading. "May nahanap na place si Maya which is malapit lang sa inyo. Hindi matao. And uupo lang tayo. You don't even have to talk."
"I really can't," bulong ni Kairi habang nakatitig sa ceiling. "I'm tired."
"You say that everyday," sagot ni Zoe nang mahinahon. "Hindi naman tayo magtatagal. Kahit...one hour lang?"
Kairi shifted onto her side, pulling a pillow closer to her chest. "Maybe tomorrow."
There was a pause. Rinig ang ingay ng kalsada sa kabilang linya—mga dumadaang sasakyan at malayong tawanan. Parang nagpapatuloy lang ang mundo sa labas, habang siya, nakahinto lang.
Then Zoe exhaled. "Okay..."
No pressure. No sigh of frustration. Just acceptance.
"We'll check in again tomorrow," Zoe added. "And Kai? You're not annoying us. You're not ruining anything. Just...yeah. Okay?"
"Okay," Kairi said.
"Text me when you're about to sleep," Zoe added softly. "Just so I know."
"...Okay."
The call ended quietly.
Bumalik ang katahimikan sa kwarto. Kairi let the phone slide down onto her chest. She didn't move. She didn't cry. She just lay there, breathing. Existing in the dark.
Hanggang may marahang pagkatok sa pinto.
"Kairi, anak?" boses ng nanay niya. "Papapasok ako, ha?"
Hindi na nakasagot si Kairi at bumukas na ang pinto. The lights stayed off. Her mother didn't reach for the switch. Pumasok lang siya at hinayaan ang mga mata na mag-adjust sa dilim bago dahan-dahang umupo sa gilid ng kama.
They just sat in silence for a moment. Kairi could feel her mother's presence more than see it.
Tinitigan siya ng nanay niya the way mothers do when they're counting changes instead of words. The way Kairi's room stayed dark. The way she barely moved. The way she seemed smaller somehow.
"How are you?" her mother asked quietly.
"Okay lang po, Ma," sagot ni Kairi.
Dahan-dahang tumango ang nanay niya. "Napapadalas at napapahaba ang pagtulog mo."
Kairi swallowed. "Pagod lang po sa practice."
"Mm," her mother hummed. She didn't call her daughter out. Hindi siya kumontra. But she didn't quite believe it either.
Her mother shifted slightly on the bed, hands folded on her lap. "Kairi, anak, hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong mag-alala," pag-amin nito. "O kung kailangan mo lang talaga ng space."
Kairi stared at the wall. "I just...want to rest."
Ramdam niyang tinitignan na talaga siya ng nanay niya ngayon, like she's waiting. Waiting for her eyes. For a crack in her voice. For something real.
Kairi didn't give it.
Humaba pa ang katahimikan, gentle but heavy.
Bumuka ang bibig ng nanay niya, saka muling nagsara. Whatever question had almost come didn't make it past her lips. Instead, she reached out and slowly brushed Kairi's hair back once.
"Okay," sabi nito nang marahan. "Hindi kita pipilitin."
Sumikip ang lalamunan ni Kairi, pero hindi siya lumingon.
"Nandito lang ako...kami nila ate mo," her mother continued. "Whenever you're ready. Hindi mo kailangang magpaliwanag ngayon. O kahit bukas."
Then tumayo na siya at inayos ang gilid ng kumot. At the door, she paused.
"Kumain ka mamaya, ha? Kahit konti lang."
"I will, Ma," Kairi said, still not meeting her eyes.
Tumango ang nanay niya and left the room the same way she came in—quietly, without turning on the light.
Kairi stayed where she was, the dark settling back around her, heavier now but strangely safer. She pressed her phone against her chest again, nakikinig lang sa sarili niyang paghinga at inuulit sa isip ang parehong sagot na binibigay niya sa lahat.
I'm fine.
I'm just tired.
At sa dilim, hinayaan niyang manatili ang mga salitang iyon—true enough to survive, false enough to hurt.
The gym buzzed with the restless energy that always came after drills were over and no one had been dismissed yet. Shoes squeaked faintly against the polished floor as students shuffled into rows of plastic chairs set along the court.
Kairi sat on her assigned chair near the middle row.
Her shoulders slumped as her hands folded loosely between her knees.
Masakit pa ang katawan niya sa ilang oras na paulit-ulit na martsa—liko, hinto, align, ulit—and the echo of commands still rang faintly in her ears.
She stared at the scuffed floor in front of her at dahan-dahang huminga habang naghihintay sa final announcements na parang laging sobrang tagal i-announce.
Sa paligid, nagsimula na ang mga bulungan na palaging nangyayari kapag walang teacher na nakabantay sa paligid.
"Uy, narinig mo ba iyong sa STEM C?" bulong ng isang babaeng estudyante, leaning closer to her seatmate. "Muntik na raw silang hindi na-clear."
"Really? Bakit daw?"
"Late raw kasi sila sa submission ng research paper nila. Like, sobrang late. Kahapon daw, pabalik-balik pa sila sa faculty room."
Kairi's fingers twitched.
"Isa sa panelist nila si Sir Mark, tapos wala raw siya," dagdag ng babae. "Like cleared out na raw talaga iyong table niya."
Bahagyang umangat ang tingin ni Kairi—hindi para tumingin sa kanila, kundi para mas marinig pa ang pinag-uusapan nila.
"Narinig ko rin 'yan," sabat ng isang lalaki na mas binabaan ang boses para wala ng iba pang makarinig. "Si Miss Herrera nga rin, wala."
Kairi's spine stiffened hearing her name.
"Yeah," someone else whispered. "Sabi raw, sabay silang umalis."
"OMG! Umalis how?" tanong ng isa na masyadong mausisa.
Mahinang natawa ang lalaki. "Makinig kayo nang mabuti ha?"
Sandaling katahimikan. Tapos, mas hininaan pa ang boses pero rinig pa rin ito.
"Sabi ng pinsan ko, na-fire daw sila. At ang reason? Well...si Miss Herrera daw...buntis."
"What?! Talaga ba?"
A ripple of hushed laughter followed. Nervous. Speculative.
"Feel ko, totoo! Palagi silang magkasama diba?" the first girl added. "Ang daming nakakakita sa kanila. Meron pa iyong binibigyan ni Sir Mark si Miss Herrera ng flowers and iba pang gifts."
"Ah oo, naaalala ko 'yang chismis na 'yan! So, totoo pala?"
"Ewan. Ang weird nga ng mga teacher about it, umiiwas kapag tinatanong kung nasaan sila. Tsaka ayaw ng school ng scandal kaya hindi nila ina-address, wala man lang excuses."
Kairi's stomach twisted.
Hindi na niya narinig ang kasunod. Naging ingay na lang ang lahat—shoes squeaking, chairs shifting, laughter echoing too loud for the moment.
Na-fire.
Buntis.
Sabay umalis.
She had heard rumors before—mga usapan sa hallway, half-formed stories about Miss Herrera not coming back. Pero hindi kagaya nito. Not this specific. Not this cruel.
Her chest felt tight and her breath shallowed as her mind tried to make sense of it, pulling at threads that didn't belong together.
Kung alam lang nila ang totoong nangyari. Kung alam lang nila kung anong ginawa ni Sir Mark kay Miss Herrera. Bakit kailangang gawing ganito? Gawing biro, tsismis, haka-haka?
But what is it? Ano ba talagang reason bakit hindi na pumasok si Miss Herrera?
Did she disappear because of what happened with a co-teacher?
Because of that incident in the classroom?
Because of fear?
Shame?
Administration?
Or—
Her thoughts turned inward, sharp and painful.
Because of me?
The question sat there, heavy.
Did Miss Herrera care enough about her to leave?
Para tumakas? Tumakbo?
Para maglaho mula sa school, sa buhay niya, and from everything she built?
O isa lang ba si Kairi sa mahabang listahan ng dahilan?
Her throat burned.
She hated na hindi niya alam.
She hated na kahit anong version ng kwento, masakit pa rin.
She hated that every rumor felt like a different kind of loss.
Sa paligid, tuloy pa rin ang ingay ng gym. May nagtatawanan. Nagkukwentuhan. Just living.
But Kairi sat still, frozen in place. She was surrounded by noise, but carrying silence inside her chest.
Mga tanong na walang sagot.
Sakit na parang wala namang direksyon.
And the growing, unbearable feeling that whatever the truth was...
Mas pinili ni Miss Herrera na maglaho na lang na parang bula.