Taste of Poison

Kabanata 14

Azar

I inhaled sharply. I don't have any plans to reject his invitation so after calming myself down, I drove and followed his car. Napuno ng buntong-hininga ko ang loob ng sasakyan habang binabaybay ang daan. Minsan ay nawawala siya sa paningin ko, pero mayamaya ay susulpot ulit ang sasakyan niya sa harap ng akin.

He let those cars overtook him just to make sure na nakasunod ako sa kaniya. My heart hammered as we drove our way to his house. Habang palapit nang palapit, palakas nang palakas ang t***k ng puso ko sa hindi ko malamang dahilan. Maybe because of excitement.

I haven't seen his face and I feel excited for no particular reason. I literally uttered thanks because he made the first move and not me. Hindi na ako nahirapan pa. Siguro kung hindi siya nag-text, nasa parking lot pa rin ako ng mall at binabatay na lang sa edad ko kung magpaparamdam ako o hindi.

What a shame, Emory! Para akong bumalik sa pagiging teenager.

Muntikan ko ng mabangga ang compartment ng sasakyan niya nang bigla siyang tumigil. I beeped twice. Segundo bago ulit niya iyon pinaandar.

I gritted my teeth. Kaya naman nang makarating kami sa bahay niya ay kaagad akong bumaba sa sasakyan, padabog ko pang sinara ang pinto. Lumakad ako palapit sa kaniya.

He was smirking when he went out of his car. Pero nabura iyon nang makita ang ekspresiyon ko.

"What did I do?" he raised both hands in the air as if submitting himself. To me.

I flipped my hair and continued walking towards him. Nang nasa harap niya na ako ay walang pakundangan akong tumingkayad at kinintalan ng halik ang kaniyang labi.

And damn! Still soft as ever.

Binaba niya ang kamay sa beywang ko. Yumuko siya at pinatong ang kaniyang noo sa akin. Eyes locked at each other.

"Are we still friends?" I asked in a soft voice.

Ngumisi siya. "Are we even friends?"

"I don't know... Friends can f**k each other, too."

"Then let's stay as friends... We both don't want to commit, right?"

Lumayo ako at nakangiting tumango.

"Okay..." I squint my eyes. "But let's talk," I told him seriously.

Namulsa siya. "Talk about?"

I shrugged. "You."

"Personal?"

"Friends can ask personal questions, too," pangangatwiran ko.

"Friends..." aniya at umiwas ng tingin.

Tumango-tango ako. "Yep, we are so, shall we? Let's talk inside your house."

Tumalikod ako at lumakad patungo sa bahay niya. It was locked so I waited for him to unlocked the door. Nang makapasok ay tumigil ako sa bungad ng pinto. Nilingon ko siya sa likuran ko.

"Where did you stay?" I asked, assuming. Mukha kasing hindi nagalaw ang mga gamit niya.

Nilibot niya ang tingin bago bumaling sa akin.

"I was out for a business trip. Kakabalik ko lang noong isang linggo, then I stayed at the hotel."

"Why?"

"Nanibago ako..." sagot niya.

Nilampasan niya ako at dumiretso sa kaniyang sofa. Umupo siya roon. Ngayon lang din pumasok sa isipan ko ang ginawa sa labas. I just kissed him like nothing happened! Like seriously. Baka isipin niyang na-miss ko siya pero iyon naman ang totoo. Kung tatanungin niya ako, hindi naman ako magd-deny.

I mean, I'll say what I want. Kung magugustuhan ko man siya, aaminin ko iyon sa kaniya. Pero hindi iyon mangyayari. Humans weren't made for vampires. Kung magiging tao ulit sila, siguro oo.

Sumunod ako sa kaniya at umupo sa tabi niya. Pero may kaunting distansiya pa rin sa pagitan namin.

Humarap ako sa kaniya. "So, can you tell me facts about you? Maliban sa isa kang bampira."

He faced me, too. "Why don't you search my name on the internet?"

My forehead knotted. "Sikat ka?"

Ni hindi ko alam ang apelyido niya kaya paano ko siya mahahanap?

He let out a chuckle. "Yes, I think I am..."

Umiling ako. "I want to hear it from you."

"Everyone knows I'm a vampire."

"Huh?" Namilog ang mata ko. Everyone what? Bakit ako hindi ko alam.

"I mean," he faked a cough. "My clients know, especially the old and loyal ones. There were articles about me being a vampire pero, depende na iyon sa lahat kung maniniwala sila o hindi. I admitted it once sa isang interview."

Pati ang babaeng kasama niya noon sa restaurant ay alam din?

"My cousin... Mallory knew, too?"

He nodded. Umiwas ako ng tingin at sa harap tinuon ang atensiyon. She knew yet she paired me with Azar. Kumurap ako bago muli siyang binalingan.

"How did you know each other? Mallory and you?"

"I'm a friend with Alaric... and your older cousin, Aamon."

My lips parted. So those two knew he's a vampire? Pero wait... Naalala ko ang kuwento ni Mallory. Kaya pala pamilyar sa akin ang Men's Company dahil nabanggit na rin iyon ni Azar, tapos acting President pa si Kuya Aamon doon!

Saglit akong pumikit. Ano ba ang pumasok sa isipan nila?

"Do you know me before we screwed each other?" Tanong ko.

Umangat ang gilid ng kaniyang labi. "Yes..."

How? Gusto ko sanang itanong ngunit si Mallory lang ang pumasok sa isipan ko bilang sagot.

"I saw you at Alaric's birthday," dagdag niya.

"I didn't," sabi ko.

"Nasa loob ako ng bahay niya, sa balcony..."

Tumaas ang aking kilay. "Baka pati Mama ko at kapatid ko kilala mo rin?"

Umiling siya, natatawa. "I'd love to know them, too."

I rolled my eyes. Pinilit kong intindihin ang nalaman. Being friends with vampire were my cousins choice. Baka mamaya ay malaman kong may kaibigang bampira rin ang kapatid ko! Naalala ko bigla si Mama Astrid. Parang naging taliwas na ang babala niya sa akin sa sinabi niya noong nasa bahay ako.

Don't be friends with a vampire but she let my cousins.

"I'm not twenty-four, but thirty-two..."

"Ano pa?" Mahina ang boses ko.

He stared at me intently. "No comment?"

Pinandilatan ko siya ng mata. "Seven years is my ideal age gap," pag-amin ko.

Nagtaas din siya ng kilay. "If you told me that before, I wouldn't have lied to you."

"Ano pa?"

"Unlike other vampires, I get burnt by the moon, rather than the sun," he said calmly.

My eyes widened in shock. Surprised and amazed. I never heard anything like that before! Who burnt under the moon? Azar. Iyon pala ang tinutukoy niya noong niyaya ko siyang mag-star gazing. Pati ang kuwarto niya...

"Moon fascinated me at the same time, burn me literally."

"But that night, you went out with me that night..." tukoy ko noong huling gabi namin.

Tipid lang siyang ngumiti. "A little sacrifice won't kill me."

Napatitig na lamang ako sa kaniya. Now that I think of it, I assumed all his mirrors are modern. Mirrors backed with aluminium so he would be able to see his reflection. Palihim kong pinagalitan ang sarili. Bakit ba hindi ko iyon naisip? Vampires traditionally cannot see their reflection because mirrors used to be backed with a reflective layer of silver.

"I figured you're not a keen observer. We were together for almost a month, yet you didn't notice the absence of my shadow."

Ngumuso ako. "I always forgot my real intention whenever I'm with you," sinabi ko.

Tumawa lang siya at hindi pinansin iyon.

"My parents were infected, so I was born as a vampire four years after the virus was created. I couldn't control my blood lust before that led me to something heinous... Unforgivable and unforgettable."

I waited for him to say something about it but he didn't. I smiled at him as an assurance that I'm listening and always will. Hindi ko kayang magtanong sa kaniya tungkol sa bagay na sinasabi niya. I'll just wait. Ayaw niyang magsalita kaya rerespetuhin ko iyon.

It's not that he's obliged to. But since we're friends, he says, I should at least know something about him. I don't want to stay clueless.

"My mother is still alive, I don't know with my father though. He's missing for years now, we couldn't trace him or more so," umiwas siya ng tingin. "I really don't care, anyways. The last time I heard about him, he has a new family. I don't know and I don't have plans to know."

"Family with a human or an infected?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

Hindi ko maiwasang mapaisip. I have my mother, too, then a missing father. I don't know if he's missing or just really chose to ran away from responsibilities or what. The fact that he's not here, means he doesn't really care at all.

Nang lumingon siya sa akin ay mabilis akong napatayo sa gulat. Muntikan na ako roon mapatakbo! Kung hindi lang niya binalik sa dating kulay ang mga mata niya ay napalabas na ako.

I glared at him. "Don't do that again!"

He laughed heartily. "Come here..."

I shook my head. Humakbang ako paatras nang sinubukan niya akong abutin.

"Baby..." tawag niya sa napapaos na boses.

Pinagmasdan ko siya roon na umisod sa gilid ng sofa para maabot ako. Hindi na ako pumalag nang nilibot niya ang kaniyang kamay sa hita ko at pinaupo sa kandungan niya.

I rolled my eyes. "Bakit green ang mga mata mo?" Tanong ko.

Usually, pula ang mga mata ng mga bampirang nakasagupa ko noon.

"I'm not normal," aniya.

I rolled my eyes again. "Obviously."

He chuckled and buried his face on my chest. I sighed heavily when he didn't give me an answer. Ano pa kaya kung tanungin ko kung bakit berde rin ang dugo niya? Instead of forcing him, I choose to caress his jet black brushed up hair. Ginulo ko iyon.

Akma niyang tatapikin ang kamay ko nang inunahan ko siya. Hindi na siya nagtangka pa.

"Do you sleep?"

"No," I felt his breath on my skin.

May nabuo na namang tanong sa isipan ko dahil doon.

"May hangin ka pala?"

He raised his head to looked at me. "Yes... I breathe whenever I talk. But I tend to breathe out a sigh because..." he grinned. "I always caught you doing it, ginaya lang kita."

Napangiti ako dahil sa sagot niya.

"What about your abilities as a vampire?"

Umingos siya. Ang ekspresyon niya ay para bang may sinabi akong impossible. Bahagya lang akong tumawa. I heard vampires doesn't have those powers you'll see in movies, I just want to confirm it.

"We're no superheroes, Emory. I told you, vampires, in reality, are not much greater than humans. We can't read minds, we don't have the ability to teleport nor see the past or future and such. All we have are sharp senses, we are also physically strong, and can run fast. Other than that, wala na."

Tumango-tango ako. "Tell me what you hear now."

He sighed deeply. "The rustling of leaves, insect's sounds, sea waves, I heard a car's rumbling noise, then," he looked down. "Your heart beating... normal."

Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga sa huli niyang sinabi. Pinakiramdaman ko ang paligid. Lahat ng sinabi niya ay hindi ko naririnig maliban sa kaluskos gawa ng dahon dahil nasa labas lang naman iyon.

And sea waves? That's meters away from here. Ang dagat na pinuntahan yata namin noon ang tinutukoy niya.

"Do you feel any kinds of emotions? Feelings ganoon?"

He nodded. He raised his hand and tucked the strands of my hair behind my ears.

"Just like humans, we don't want to be alone. Or to feel lonely..."

"Even without your heart?" I asked. "And why is your heart not beating? Unlike other vampires..." sinabi ko nang maalala ang nalaman noon na tumitibok ang puso nila.

Pero bakit ang kaniya ay hindi?

"I don't like the thought..." He looked away. "I'm dead, Emory."

We spent the whole afternoon talking basic things about him. Nag-text ako sa bahay na hindi makakauwi. Sa susunod na linggo pa naman ako papasok sa trabaho. I received no response. Nang gumabi na ay nagluto kami ng dinner.

I don't know but Azar was extra touchy or it was just me?

"Do you crave for blood?" Tanong ko nang nagsimula na kaming kumain. We're facing each other.

"I take pills to stop myself from craving whenever I smell blood," aniya. "But I drink blood twice a week. Nasa mini fridge."

Napalingon ako sa tinutukoy niya. I knew it. Kaya nga hindi ko siya pinakialaman noon dahil posibleng dugo ang nakalagay doon. Tumingin ulit ako sa kaniya.

"Human blood?"

He nodded. "In a gable top carton with a label of Strawberry juice."

Napangiwi ako. Nakangiti pa siya nang sinabi iyon.

"Saan ka kumukuha?"

"Hospitals and my friends were generous enough to donate their blood," he wiggled his brows. "Baka naman..."

Umismid ako. "Marami ka yatang stock, hindi na kailangan ang akin."

"Your blood is sweet, I want to taste it."

I shook my head. "Soon."

The whole night was peace with Azar. I felt delighted. Kung alam ko kung gaano kagaan sa pakiramdam ang malaman kung bakit may bampira, sana ay noon ko pa inalam. I didn't think of hate now, but I know deep inside I till hate them particularly those evil vampires. Pero pinipilit kong hindi ako pangunahan ng pagkasuklam.

"Your name?" Tanong ko nang matapos kaming kumain.

He stared at me for a second. I thought he's going to dodged my question but instead, he answered willingly.

"Azar Saint Laurent."