Her Knight Till Night

Chapter 19

HERSHIEL Pelaez let out a deep sigh while sitting on a bench. Nasa isa siyang parke, at parang gusto niyang kutusan ang sarili dahil sa dinami-rami ng pwede niyang puntahan na parke ay doon pa, kung saan numero unong nagde-date ang mga magkakasintahan.

Napasimangot pa siya habang ningangatab ang kanyang kinakain na burger nang maalala ang...mga alaala nila ng lalaking iyon dito sa lugar na ito. Nagbabagong buhay na nga siya tapos heto siya at binabalikan ang alaala nila.

"Hay...buti pa sila may love layf..." Nalulungkot na sambit niya at sumipsip sa iniinom na 7-eleven slurpee.

"Why don't you try?"

Napaatras siya nang biglang may nagsalita sa harapan niya. Muntikan pa siya mabilaukan sa iniinom.

"Ano ba—Mister Demez?!" Napanganga siya nang makita ang lalaki sa kanyang harapan, nakangiti ito habang inaalis ang suot na shades.

Tumabi ito sa kanya at kinuha sa kanyang kamay ang kanyang iniinom at walang pakundangang ininom iyon kahit na nainuman na niya iyon. Ngayon ay wala ng ilalaki ang pagkakanganga ng kanyang bibig dahil sa sinabi nito.

Ito na ang nagsara ng kanyang bunganga na ikinangiti pa nito lalo. Really, this guy is an angel!

"Your drooling..." Helios pointed out as he took another sip on the slurpee.

"W-what are you doing here Sir Demez?!" Pag-iiba niya ng topic saka umiwas ng tingin.

"Changing the topic, are we?" Helios murmured and brought the slurpee back to Hershiel. "I see it's your day off."

Tumango siya at binaba ang sinimot na slurpee ng binata. Medyo nahihiya pa siya dito dahil ito pa lang ang pangalawa nilang pagkikita, pagkatapos kasi nung tagpo sa airport ay hindi na sila nagkita. Which is three days ago. Hindi sa hinihintay niya ito, talagang hindi niya makalimutan yung tagpo sa airport.

"I'm not stalking you if that is what you're thinking, I just happened to pass by here. Then I noticed you here sulking."

Napaatras naman siya sa kaharap. "Uhm, Sir Demez—"

"Don't call me that. I want you to drop the formality when it comes to me, besides we're not at the workplace."

Hershiel touched her left side bangs, it became her habit whenever she is embarassed about something. People doesn't know about her habit for the reason that she restrains her habit for the sake of being professional. She found it embarassing—her habit. But Helios thinks it was cute, though he didn't said that out loud.

"What should I call you then...uhh...Sir?"

"Call me by my first name." Helios grinned as he imagined her calling his name. It would be a great feeling.

He's smile faded when Hershiel finally said his first name.

"Darryl?"

Helios cursed in his head when he remembered that he should fake his name and that he should blend in with other people with a fake profile for his safety.

"Yeah," Helios tried to hide the disappointment on his voice. "Darryl Demez..."

F*ck! I'm Helios, d*mn it! He screamed in his head. He just hoped that Hershiel can read mind.

"So Hershiel, what are you doing here?"

Hershiel once again touched her bangs. "I...uh...just resting after I took a long walk," She honestly said. "You? Sir—Darryl, what are you doing here? Are you enjoying your stay here?"

Helios smiled, and it was genuine. He leaned on his knees and looked at her, maybe admiring her reaction. Last time, he was fascinated to see how a woman could be as beautiful as her when being startled. Now is he eager to know another reaction of her?

"Honestly I don't but everything changed when I see you today," Now Helios got what he was waiting for.

Hershiel's hazel eyes darted restlessly everywhere as long as se doesn't meet his gaze. Then she fake a cough, too obvious, to hide her blushing cheeks.

"So, do you live alone?" He asked making his tone light, probably to make things comfortable between them.

Hershiel nodded, "Yes," She added, "that's why life is harder everyday. It's hard to manage my life alone..."

Napatingin si Helios sa kanya. Muntikan nang kutusan ni Hershiel ang sarili dahil nagtuloy-tuloy na naman sa pagsasalita ang bibig niya.

"Uhm...sorry, I shouldn't have gotten personal—"

"No, go on," Helios smiled and urged her to keep going. "I would like to know, if I can be a part of it—your personal issues—I probably have a way to know you well."

Bahagyang nagulat si Hershiel sa sinabi nito, kaya naman nang makabawi ay napailing siya ng marhas. Napukaw naman ang atensyon ni Helios sa kanyang naging reaksyon kaya binigyan siya nito ng nagtatanong na tingin.

"I can't just believe that someone like you would like to listen to my story..."

Umangat ang magkabila nitong kilay kasabay ang muli nitong pagngiti. "I'm not just someone. I wouldn't say that I am also care about you...I don't even know what I am doing that instead of ignoring you, I am here, interested on what you're going to say."

When she laughed softly, Helios couldn't stop feeling a warmth, slowly creeping it's way inside him. Maybe he is making her comfortble with their second meeting.

"That means you are interested in me?"

Helios once again nodded. "I like you." Now, where did that come from?

But after saying that unconciously, he didn't have regrets, not when Hershiel response was a whole hearted but strangely heart warming laugh.

"You're straight forward. Telling you like a stranger like me."

"You're barely a stranger." He put his hands on his chin. "but would this stranger allow me to know her?"

Natigilan si Hershiel sa sinabi ni Helios. Hanggang sa unti-unti siyang napangiti at napalitan iyon ng halakhak. Natutuwa siya sa lalaking ito kahit wala pa siyang kaalam-alam sa lalaking ito.

"Aren't you something?"

Helios smiled in return.

"Well, you fascinate me, Hersh..."

And I guess, this interest would go beyond than what I expect them to...

__Clacesier's POV__

"I'M not sure when is he going to wake up but the patient were safe now." Lintanya ng tinawagang manggagamot ni Drozell. Inayos na nito ang mga kagamitan at inalis na ang mask nito sa bibig.

"Thanks," is all I managed to say. The quackdoctor nodded and fixed his things.

He threw his scalpel at his kit which he washed with disinfectant. Afterwards wiping it with clean towel to remove any traces of blood or of evidence of it being used.

"Hindi ko alam kung anong grupo kayo ng sindikato, at alam kong may kapangyarihan kayong papatayin ako sa oras na may mali sa pasyente." Bigla nitong sinabi kaya napaangat ako ng tingin at humalukipkip.

"You know much," I concluded. "and I guess I know what to do with you if you expose us to the media."

"If I expose you, it would be the end of my carreer as a real doctor," He said while removing his gloves and wiping the blood off his his chin. "my point is you could trust me even if you won't, cause you're a syndicate and I am a quack doctor, what's make us both similar is that we're both breaking the rule."

My forehead creased, now who the heck is this guy that he could maintain a straight face while spitting such clever words at me.

"I think I get to know why Drozell choosed you as his trustworthy doctor."

"Quack doctor." He corrected. "Just call me Alec, just so you have something to call me."

"Calling card would make it a little convenient."

He shrugged, too elegant for a doctor. "I don't give calling cards but I respond quickly to house call." He said and snatched the bag containing his medical tools and walked and faced me. "now, the payment."

Napailing ako nang ilahad niya ang kanyang kamay. I am starting to think that this guy like money. And as if he heard my thougths, he just grinned.

I let out a sigh. "Just wait outside and I will bring you the check."

"Nuh-uh, just cash, I don't accept check."

"What are you, a talking machine?!" I retorted.

He crossed his arms and fixed his back back.

"Yes, I'm a money machine and this machine is waiting for your payment." Pagkasabi n'on ay umalis na ito sa harapan ko.

Finally, someone like Drozell is out of my way!

I just let him slip away, and focused my attention at Earl. There are many questions in my head that'll be needing answers from him.  Too bad, you're a one lucky b*stard for managing to escape with my interrogation.

Nothing will happen if I just stared at him all day, so I decided to just went outside the abandoned hospital where Alec is waiting for me outside. I just gave him what cash I have in my wallet, at least in that way he would stop bugging me.

The ride towards my subdivision where I live was tiring. I just stopped by a restaurant to fill my stomach, ordered another meal for take out, and finally continued driving home.

I was about to proceed at my house when I spotted Archiel sitting at one of the shed inside the subdivision. I wanted to ignore him since the last time we talked wasn't that...well. However, I can't ignore a lonely kid who have become so close to me.

I parked the car to a spot where I know is allowed. Then I walked towards his direction, he looked up, he didn't smile, just allowed me to sit with him.

"You're not with your dog." I said.

"He can't help with my problem..." He muttered, but enough for me to hear.

Sumandal ako sa kinauupuan namin at tinignan siya habang nakayuko.

"Did you know, that there's an existing fact that animals understands your problem well than I do?"

"It's a fact, but it isn't proven."

I smiled when he laughed softly, his voice, a shaking sound as they came out.

"What's your problem?" I asked through cheery voice. "Maybe I could be your pet...only this time though."

Now he laughed again only that his voice wasn't as dead as it sound earlier.

"Siguraduhin mo lang na hindi mo sasabihin sa iba." He treathened playfully. "You don't need to cross your heart, I'm too old for those sh*ts—"

Pinandilatan ko siya nang magmura siya. "You're still ten years old and I don't thing that's old enough for you to cuss."

Kinamot niya ang ulo niya nang hawak-hawakan ko iyon.

"Why do you always sound like..." He suddenly trailed off as if he remembered something.

The memory sure is painful enought to put away his smile.

"...like my father..." He said sadly, more like to his self.

Gusto ko na sanang magtanong kung anong problema niya nang mapansin ko ang isang papel na nasa tabi niya. Out of curiousity I picked the paper up, he looked at what I did, and he just let me.

I opened the folded paper and the first big letter written in bold were first to greet me.

Tian-su Hospital

My forehead creased and turned my gaze at him. He gave me the same dead stare, pero hinayaan niya lang ako na basahin kung ano ang nakasulat. Nalaman kong isa iyong test.

As I was reading deeper the test result written at the bottom caught my attention.

"I don't know who am I anymore, Clacesier. I don't know..."

HINDI ko alam kung ilang oras na akong nakatulala sa dingding sa itaas. Even when Quiceleth greeted me this evening, I just pass her by without saying any greeting in return. She probably think that I am angry at her once again.

I just can't process all the things that took place this day. Earl was a traitor, and...

"Ampon lang ako Clacesier! Sampid! My mother, is not my real mom! Sino ako?!"

Pinikit ko ulit ang mata ko ng mariin. Gusto ko nang matulog pero hindi ko iyon magawa. Archiel, we have been close enough, and I don't want to see him sad. I don't know, since his problem it's also my problem. And Earl was another problem, how could he do this to my brother?! How could he do this to Enil—

"Okay, let's talk!"

Bigla akong napabangon ng hindi sinasadya nang biglang may magsalita sa tabi ko. Quiceleth were in cross arm while holding the comforter. D*mn! She was with me in bed while I am here thinking?!

"H-huh?!"

"Are you mad at me? Akala ko ba magkaibigan tayong dalawa?"

Parang malabo sa pandinig ko ang mga sinasabi niya. Kinusot ko ang mata ko at muli siyang tinignan.

"What...are you saying?"

Mabagal na tanong ko at napatingin ako sa lumilis na strap ng kanyang suot na nightgown. I am tired, and...I feel beaten, for this day. And when I am this exhausted, there is only one thing to let out all of my frustrations...

Like a drunkard I pressed my hands against her shoulders, and I got a startled face in response. I smiled dizzily as I pressed my way against her soft body.

"M-monster—"

"That...is not my name..." I said, my voice came out raspy.

I heard gasp when I lay her down on my soft mattress. She bounced and I watched the movement of her breast. Maybe they're too soft in my hands, I want to know how soft, so I touched it.

"M-mon—"

Pinisil ko iyon at napangiti ako, finally I would know how beautiful she is this night...

Just a taste from a forbidden fruit won't be bad...