WIFE SERIES : Silent Scars [Tagalog]

Chapter 13

Ilang araw ang lumipas. At napapansin ko na may parang nagbago kay Nicholai. Matapos nang pagkikita namin ni Cheni sa Dream Café ay napapadalas ang late niyang pag-uwi.

I just shrugged it off. Baka marami siyang trabaho sa opisina. Not even once I asked why he was late. I respected his privacy, and he respected mine too.

I sighed and just went out of our gate. Balak ko sanang magdilig ng halaman. Wala din naman kasi akong magawa sa bahay. I was literally bored inside the house.

"Excuse me, Miss," I was startled when someone suddenly tapped my shoulder.

"Y-yes?" sagot ko dito.

"Pwede bang mangutang? Kahit isang libo lang? Promise babayaran ko!" My forehead creased when I heard what she said. She was weird.

"Mangungutang ka?" tanong ko sa kanya sabay tiningnan siya mula ulo hanggang paa. She was wearing a hoodie and a slipper.

Bigla nitong tinanggal ang hoodie. Halos napasinghap ako sa gulat nang napagtanto ko kung sino ito.

"A-Avianna? Avianna Alejandro?Hindi ko alam na may artista na pa lang nakatira rito sa South Ridge—" bigla na lang niyang tinakpan ang bibig ko at ngumiti nang alanganin.

"Shh! Actually, naligaw lang po ako kagabi and I need to go home na, kaso, wala akong dalang pera. Promise babayaran ko kita kaagad. E-g-gcash ko na lang. Please!"

"Bakit di ka na lang magpasundo?" Umiling lamang siya. Ahh. Wala siyang cellphone. Naisip ko bigla. Kaya naman inabot ko sa kanya yung dala kong phone.

"Ibibigay mo yan sa akin?" I chuckled from what she asked. Iba din itong si Avianna. Gusto pa ata na angkinin yung phone ko. Di ba pwedeng pinapahiram ko lang?

"Silly. Hindi. Pinapahiram ko lang sa'yo. Go call your friends. Magpasundo ka na lang dito. Hindi naman ata maganda na ang isang katulad mo ay mag-commute, 'di ba?" Tumawa siya sa sinabi ko.

"Sus! Ayos lang n, hindi porket artista hindi na marunong mag-commute. Pero sige na nga, magpapasundo na lang ako sa driver ko," sabi niya sabay kuha nung cellphone na inabot ko sa kanya.

Agad naman siyang tumawag at nagpasundo. Mga ilang saglit matapos niyang tumawag ay may dumating na sundo ni Avianna.

Medyo strict ang security ng South Ridge kaya naman kinalaingan ko pang kompirmahin na may susunduin sa tapat ng bahay namin.

Pasakay na si Avianna sa Van nang bigla itong bumalik at ngumiti sa harapan ko.

"Ano nga pala ang pangalan mo?" tanong niya.

"Denima Cris, sagot ko sabay ngiti.

"Thank you ulit, Cris. And last favor na lang din pala. Secret lang natin na napadpad ako sa village niyo ha? Nice to meet you. Sana maging neighborhood tayo someday," she said before she went back to the van at tuluyan nang umalis sa village.

***

The next day came. It was one in the afternoon and I was busy watching a movie when my phone suddenly rang.

It was Cheni again. Ano na naman kailangan nang isang ito? Ang daming free time.

[Dosh!]

"Cheni. May kailangan ka?"

[Luh! Kapag ba tumawag sayo ibig sabihin nun may kailangan na agad? Hindi ba pwedeng nangangamusta lang?]

"Ewan ko sayo. Dami mo atang free time. Kung nangugumusta ka, well... I'm still alive and kicking." I grinned. I heard her chuckled on the other line.

[ know you are still alive and kicking. But I know that you are also bored staying the whole day inside your house. I'm on my way to Greenbelt. Let's watch a movie together.]

"I'm currently watching a movie right now."

[But it would be much better if you are watching at the movie theatre, Dosh! I'll wait for you. Don't you dare bail me!] she said before dropping the call.

Great! Ano pa bang choice ko? Napaka-bossy talaga ng gaga. Tsk!

Dahil wala nga akong magawa sa bahay ay pumayag ako. Mas maganda nga din naman kung sa malaking screen manonood. Kaya why not?

I went to my room and changed my clothes. I wore a sunflower design spaghetti strapped maxi dress and flat sandals. I just applied light makeup too because I look so pale. After changing, I looked at myself in the mirror. Napasimangot ako. Ang taba ko na nga. I took my phone and shoulder bag before I went out of my room.

Nakasimangot akong lumabas ng bahay at pumasok sa sasakyan ko. I dialed Nicholai's number. Gusto kong sabihin na aalis ako saglit. May pagka-paranoid pa naman yun.

After two rings, he answered the call.

[Hon? Why are you calling? I'm in the middle of a meeting.] Bungad agad niya pagkasagot ng tawag. Napabuntong-hininga ako.

"Sorry. I just want to tell you that I'm going out. Cheni wanted to watch a movie at the Cinema with me. Yun lang. Bye," sabi ko sabay baba ng tawag.

I was about to put my phone on my bag nang biglang tumunog ito. It was Nicholai calling. Napataas ang kilay ko habang nag-iisip kung sasagutin ko ba ang tawag hanggang sa natapos ang pagtunog nito. But then, he called again. So I didn't have a choice but to answer it.

[Saang mall kayo manonood?]

"Greenbelt daw. Maybe I'll buy some clothes too. Parang tumataba na yata ako. Hindi na kasya ibang damit ko dito." I frowned. Hindi ata 'parang'. Tumataba na talaga ako. Sinong hindi tataba kung kain at tulog lang ginagawa ko sa bahay? Hays!

[You are not fat. You are just pregnant.] Pssh! Hindi daw. Eh ang obvious.

"Whatever. I thought you were in a meeting?"

[I went out for a bit. Text me where you are after seeing Cheni. Susunod ako kapag tapos na ang meeting at sasamahan kang mamili.]

"Fine. I got to go. See you later," I said before ending the call and then put my phone on the passenger's seat. I maneuvered my car out of our house and then drove it going out of the village.

An hour passed and I was already close to Greenbelt. Tumunog ang phone ko and I forgot that I put it on the passenger's seat. I took a glance at the screen and saw that it was Cheni.

I slowed down the car and reached for my phone using my free hand. I was about to hold it when someone at the back suddenly honked their car's horn. I was startled and the phone fell on the car's floor.

"Aish! Seriously?" Napamura ako sa isip. I sped up the car a bit and glanced at the road. And then glanced back at my phone. It didn't stop ringing.

Nagbilang ako ng tatlo saka dali-daling kinuha ang phone ko. And then what happened next was so fast. Something suddenly bumped my car. The impact was so strong that it flipped the car that I was driving. And that was the last thing that I saw before I lost my consciousness.