"Mr. Bryan Christian N. de la Isla, you are summoned here in the Court of Love to clarify your feelings for Mr. Toot. Please stand on the raised platform to your right so that we, the Council, will be able to see you, and judge with the help of interpreting your movements, whether you have the right to claim his heart or not."
I walked towards the platform with my head bowed and my hands tied. The... angels (I couldn't find any better word to describe them) were now all gathered in front of me. Their heads were shrouded in polychromatic light, and it was difficult to look at them directly so I kept my eyebrows furrowed. Just looking at them and accepting what I saw was a struggle. I have learned that in this place, it was best not to think too much.
A sound of something, like a heavy iron cage being raised, erupted to my left and as my head turned, my eyes landed on Mr. Toot himself, his hands also tied. But unlike me, he was blindfolded. Two of the creatures were on either side of him and they kept whispering to him and to each other. A horn sounded and his two guards stopped their muttering and transferred their attention wholly to me.
"Mr. de la Isla," the biggest angel, who seemed to be leading the proceedings pronounced. "You are accused of feeling *something* for Mr. Toot over there. Will you clarify to us present in this Court what exactly those feelings are?"
I was about to open my mouth to ask why the hell should I do that when he boomed, "Do not question why. It wasn't our choice that you are standing here in front of us right now."
Frantically, I tried to remember what I did that led me here but my head began to throb. My tied arms were half-raised when I felt this hand squeeze my shoulder gently. A female voice spoke softly to my ear, and a sense of assurance soaked on me. I felt that whatever she said was for me and for me alone. "Follow your heart," was all she said, and my head immediately turned towards Mr. Toot. Outwardly, he was very calm. But I was beginning to worry about him. Was he safe? Was he feeling okay?
I cleared my throat. This will just be like speaking in front of my class.
"I admit that I am fond of him. A little." I answered.
Murmurs rippled through my audience, but Mr. Toot remained silent. I thought I saw a small frown form on his lips. It escaped me that I didn't think that he will be able to hear whatever I said here in this Court. I must be more ready to show him how I feel than I previously thought.
"Fondness, is it? I suppose that is a safe enough answer?" the big angel turned around as if to consult the others. When he turned to face me again, he was holding a scroll.
"Do you know what this is, Mr. de la Isla?" he asked.
I thought I knew what was written in there, but what I said was "No."
"This is your contract. A contract you proposed and now duly signed and approved by the members of this Council. This states that you swore upon your heart's honor that you are not going to enter a romantic relationship. That you are going to devote your time for your own improvement in the other aspects of your life. That are going to take this time to heal yourself, and that..."
"Have I broken it, then?" I cut in.
"Well, no..."
"Then why are you doing this?"
"Because you need to be reined in."
I said nothing.
"Because you have been following no one but your own heart. And it is becoming too powerful."
I kept silent.
"Unbind our guest."
My head whipped towards Mr. Toot, but as one of his guards moved to bring him his eyeglasses, I tensed and my legs gave a twitch. It was too late for me to run. I turned my head away from him before I can catch his expression. Shame, perhaps. Disgust that I had the nerve for feeling something like this for him. I've had enough of those, I thought. I closed my eyes to keep the tears in, and cursed myself for becoming too soft and vulnerable.
Again, murmurs rose through the crowd.
"This is not going as we thought!" somebody said in a panicked voice.
"You've been too hard on him," another one said.
"Poor boy," one murmured softly. I thought that came from the female one who touched my shoulder.
Remembering her brought back what she said earlier. "Follow your heart". And wasn't that what I've been doing these past few years? Wasn't that why I am where I am right now? Revenge welled upon me, and my courage came back. I shouldn't be here in this so-called Court of Love to be questioned. I should be the one questioning them instead! But before I could open my mouth to demand my rights, the big man forestalled me.
"You have become too weak, Mr. de la Isla. You should learn to control your emotions. Not the other way around. How will you react when..." The big man raised his arms.
From behind Mr. Toot came crawling Mr. Bang, the man I used to have a crush on whom I now despise. It wasn't really a personal war between us. It was just that Mr. Bang, when I got to know him better, represented the things I hate in a person. Not all surely, but most. And to think that I used to like him! And...!
All thoughts fled as Mr. Bang entwined his fingers with Mr. Toot's.
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