Episode 16
707 Words
Life was just as hard in that small town in Bicol as it was in LUnion. Most of the local folks lived in poverty. They survived on boiled rice and corn. Boiled sweet yam and cassava and whatever was available in their backyard garden. Occasional fish, pork and poultry were a treat because their livestock has been the target of periodic raiding from both the military and the rebel camps who came at night foraging for food supply.
It was doubly hard for Soraya whose fragile health continued to deteriorate since giving birth. Watching Soraya broke Ricky’s and Aida’s heart. It was painful for them to see Soraya’s zombie-like existence though they both worked hard to lift Soraya from her depression..... to put the light back in her eyes, the will to live into her broken heart and frail body.
But as months turned to years, Soraya’s innate strength of spirit gradually freed her from the shackles of paralyzing depression. Although the sadness is still in her eyes, and the deep pain, never left her heart.
With Soraya’s improving health, and the situation in Manila reportedly getting a little better than before, Ricky thought it best for them to leave Bicol. Aida reluctantly let them go, advising them to be extra cautious as she tearfully hugged her best friend.
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Ricky and Soraya settled in Baguio City, they lived in the house of Ricky’s grandmother who lived alone with just her housemaid. There, they went back to school and managed to finish their aborted studies.
Eventually, Soraya landed a job as a teller in a local bank. Ricky did not have the same luck. He could not find a suitable job in the locality. After much thought and consultation with Soraya, he reluctantly accepted the job offered him by a friend. Working as a sales agent in a big Pharmaceutical firm is a good opportunity, the pay and commission was very tempting. But the catch was that he had to work in Manila where the main office is located.
“Well, I think it is up to you , but you don’t have to worry about me here. I’ll be okay with grandma.” Soraya assured him, knowing Ricky will be home only on weekends given the 8-hour drive from Manila to Baguio.
Ricky took the job. He stayed in his house in Quezon City on weekdays and would drive to Baguio on weekend. It was fortunate that his work included provision for a car.
Life was good for them as it gradually fell into a normal pattern of activities of husband and wife who cared for each other. Ricky proved to be a very good husband for Soraya. He loved her so much. There is nothing he wouldn’t do just to make Soraya happy...to ease her mind and forget her traumatic past.. It hurts him to know that she was still hurting despite her best effort to put up a happy front. .
He knew that she cried secretly in her sleep. He knew that sometimes she uttered someone else’s name in her dream. There were times when she caught her deep in thought , with a far away look in her eyes. He knew she wasn’t him on her mind. He knew that behind her smile, is an empty space in her heart that he could never fill.
He had long ago accepted the fact that she could never love him the way he wanted to. Yet he has not given up hope . Time is on his side, and he knew, a day will come when she would learn to love him with all her heart.
For now , he has to be contended with what he’s been offered. And he had nothing to complain about. Soraya is a dutiful wife. She was caring and nurturing, diligently performing her duties as a good wife. She cooked for him and cater to his needs . She was very accommodating even in bed. Their s*x life was very healthy. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to satisfy him . But still, for Ricky there is something amiss ....he just couldn’t say or explain what was it. He cannot put a name on it. He just felt it.
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- Writer
