ISLAND ROMANCE SERIES: LAURA'S ETHAN

CURSED

Iyon ang pinakaunang araw na nasilayan ni Ethan ang ganda ng umaga sa isla.

Talagang sinadya pa niyang gumising ng maaga para Makita ang pagsikat ng araw sa kalangitan at hinayaang dampian ng init ng sinag niyon ang kaniyang balat habang nakaupo siya sa balkonahe at may isang tasa ng mainit na kape sa mesa.

Hinahayaang ihipin siya ng malamig na hanging dulot ng alon sa karagatan kung saan lumulutang ang villa, at ang init ng araw na bumabalanse sa nararamdaman niyang lamig.

Tahimik niyang pinagmasdan ang pagbabago ng kulay ng kalangitan, maging ang karagatan habang nasa utak pa rin nito ang dalagang nasilayan niya sa dalampasigan.

Kahit iniisip lamang ay sapat na upang magsitaasan ang balahibo niya sa kamay na siyang nilabanan niya, pang-iinsulto sa edad niya at kasarian kung masisindak siya ng isang hamak na kwento at isang dalagang walang ginawa sa kaniya kundi matulog lamang.

Hindi pa nag aalas sais ng umaga, at masyado pang maaga, kaya kahit sa bahagi ng dalampasigan kung saan nakapwesto ang mga food stalls ay walang katao-tao. Tila lahat ay nasa kani-kanilang silid tulugan, o kaya naman ay sa kaniya-kaniyang balkonahe sa tinutuluyang villa at pinagmamasdan ang alon tulad ng ginagawa niya.

~Um, I, I just found someone, a woman, lying on the bay, quite the furthest from here. She looks like she’s sleeping. I figured I might tell it to you, in case, something happens, or no one knows she’s in there. That’s it.

Muli niyang inalala ang napag-usapan niya ng manager kagabi habang dahan-dahan siyang naglakad palabas ng villa habang bitbit pa rin ang kape.

Tila hinahayaan niya lamang dalhin siya ng paa niya kung saan nito gusto habang patuloy na iniisip niya ang gawa gawang kwento at ang imahe ng babae kagabi.

“I can’t believe yourself Ethan. Napapaniwala kana ng mga gawa-gawang kwento ng ganon ganon na lang. pano mo nagagawa ng maayos ang trabaho mo kung makukumbinsi ka ng isang likhang kuwento.”

Pangaral niya sa sarili at tuluyang naglakad sa dalampasigan at bitbit pa rin ang isang tasang kape.

~I suggest, you just disregard whatever you saw on the coast. The woman WILL be fine.

How can that manager be so sure that she’s gonna be okay? Paano?

Hindi naman siguro gagawa ng storya ang isang manager ng resort. Imposible.

Pagkausap niya pa sa sarili habang napaharap sa karagatan at tinitigan ang hamppos ng mga along hindi na gaanong kalaki, tsaka tumingin sa kalangitan at pinagmasdan ang ganda nito.

~ The waves are genormous tonight, and the clouds are thick and dark.

Kahit siya ay nakapansin kung gaano kapangit ang panahon kagabi. Para bang hindi nagustuhan ng karagatan ang pagdating niya at ganon na lamang kalaki ang bungad sa kaniya ng mga alon. Maging ang mahinang pagkidlat, at ang kapal ng ulap ay kita niya kahit gabi.

Bihira na ngang Makita ang sinag ng buwan, at hindi maaninag ang mga bituwin kagabi sa kapal ng ulap. Pero kahit kailanman ay hindi umulan buong gabi, nasisiguro niya yun. Kung kaya’t ganon na lang din ang pagtataka niya at bakit malinaw na ang kalangitan ngayon. Saan naman napunta ang mga ulap?

~The safety of every guest that stays on the island is our concern. Thank you for your reminder Sir. But I’m sure your escort must have oriented you on certain occasions like you have encountered by the coast just now. If I may suggest, you refrain from going there.

Naalala naman niya ang bigay sa kaniyang bato, at agad na kinapa sa kaniyang bulsa tsaka kinuha at pinakatitigang mabuti.

“Everything is just pure coincidence. You’re nothing special but a mere rock.”

Pangungumbinsi niya sa sarili, tsaka ibinalik sa bulsa ang bato dahil kumbinsido pa rin siyang walang kakaiba doon tsaka ipinagpatuloy ang paglalakad patungo sa kaparehong parte ng islang napuntahan niya kagabi.

Alas singko pa lang.

Maliit ang tiyansang gising na ang babae, at kung makikita niya pa ulit ito doon, ay panatag ang kaniyang kaloobang makakabalik sa kaniyang villa.

Nagpatuloy siya sa paglalakad hanggang sa marating niya na nga ang mga batohan sa dalampasigan, pero bigo siyang Makita ang kahit isang anino ng babae, kahit ang kumot na pinaghihigaan nito.

Naglibot pa siyang muli sa dalampasigan at lumakad pa ng konti, ngunit kahit ano ay wala siyang nakita. Ayon na naman at nagsitayuan ang balahibo niya sa kamay.

Walang sabi ay kinuha niya naman ang bato sa bulsa tsaka tinitigan muna ng mariin.

“This is all bullshit.”

Bulong niya sa sarili at aaktong ibabato na ito sa karagatan ng may biglang boses ang nagsalita sa kaniyang likuran.

“I’d better not do that if I were you.”

At napahinto nga siya sa gustong gawin tsaka tumingin sa gawang kanan kung san sumulpot ang isang lalaki. Tulad niya ay may dala ring isang tasang kape at binigyan siya ng isang maliit na ngiti.

“Martine.”

Pagpapakilala nito at inalok si Ethan ng kamayan. Maputi ito, at may manipis na balbas sa mukha at asul na mata, hawak hawak ang isang camera at pansin ang maingat na paghawak nito.

“Ethan.”

Pagpapakilala din ni Ethan sa sarili at tinanggap ang kamay niya.

“I see your escort has given you a stone, so I’m expecting he’d told you about that legend?”

“He did.”

Finally!

Sabi niya sarili. At dumating na rin ang taong posibleng makapagsasabi sa kaniya kung gaano ka walang kwenta at hindi makabuluhan ang kaniyang pinag-iisip.

“And I’m assuming you think it’s a mere make-up story and bullshit?”

“Yeah.”

“If only I could find a single thing to hate about the stupid stone, I would have beaten the ass of that black guy who handed me it.”

"Sali?"

Isang ngiti ang naibigay ng binata sa kaniya at tinaponan si Ethan ng isang tingin.

“So someone has given you a similar stone, and has told you the same story?”

Napatango si Martine at saka kinalkal ang kaniyang camera at ipinakita ang larawan ng bato na kaniyang nakunan. Kahugis it ng hawak ni Ethan, animoy kalahating kapiraso ng isang hugis pusong bato, at kulay itim na may puntik ng pula.

"Where the hell do they get these stones anyway? These are igneous rocks, and this resort sits on an island, surrounded by a vast ocean. Why in hell would they get such stupid stones."

Wika nito saka luminga linga sa paligid na animoy naghahanap ng lugar na maaring panggalingan ng bato, bundok o bulkan.

“I wouldn’t stop you from tossing that stone into the ocean if I didn’t. It’s my second time visiting the island. Been here last year, for a vacation. Then this escort handed me a stone after telling me a weird story. I hate to say I’m a guy who’s into Greek mythologies and anything sort, so when I heard that magical legend, I had to accept the stone. Then I was a fool to get rid of that damn stone and threw it into the ocean.”

“What happened?”

Nagbigay muna ng isang malungkot na ngiti si Martine habang nanatiling nakangiti sa karagatan tsaka bumuntong hininga bago siya sinagot.

“Cursed.”

“So why are you back, then?”

“I’m hoping the curse gets broken if I return.”

Aniya tsaka humigop ng kape at tumingin kay Ethan. Isang buntong-hininga ang kumawala sa kaniyang mga labi at ipinakita sa kaniya ang panibagong litratong nakuhanan ng kaniyang camera.

Ang bato, ay nakatagpo ng kapiraso nito, tuluyan itong naging hugis puso na pinagdikit na inilagay sa buhangin

“You mind if I ask you what happened after you had the stone in your hands? My escort told me the stone is gonna give me a woman.”

“Of course the escort would say that. I can still remember what that little man had told me when he fetched me at the airport. ‘It’s called the matchmaker’s stone. The island is known for its heart-shaped stone, they’re broken in half and are offered to every visitor who has not yet found their other half. When you take the stone, you receive the blessing of the matchmaker who owns the island, and in return, she will find you a lady before the day you leave.’”

“And the so-called matchmaker give you one?”

Puno ng interes ang tono ng boses ni Ethan ng magtanong, habang binigyan muna ni Martine ng isang kakaibang ngiti. Parang saglit nitong binalikan ang ala-ala noong unang boses siyang bumisita sa isla.

“She did. A very beautiful woman. She worked for the island, and I met her when I was receiving surfing lessons.”

“And?”

“Disappeared out of the blue.”

“Disappeared?”

“One day, she just… never came back. If only I had known about that damn stone, I would have never gotten rid of it.”

“You didn’t search for her?”

“That’s what I did the whole year, man. When I asked the surfing staff about her, the only thing they told me was that, she was working here for surfing lessons part-time. She’s a College student, and then left for some emergency.”

Biglang humigpit ang hawak niya sa bato habang mas marami na ang nalalaman sa kuwento ng lalaki.

Hindi nila kilala ang isa’t isa, pero dahil pareho sila ng kinakaharap, ay para bang ilang taon na silang magkakilala. Pareho ng nakaupo sa buhanginan ang dalawa, parehong nakaharap sa karagatan at nag-uusap.

“The surfing staff had no information to give me. They never had one, she was working part-time, and was only teaching guests how to surf. They did not see any need for collecting an information. But she had never failed to give me hints of where she came from. This is the only place closest to home. She’d tell me when we sit on surfing boards and float on the ocean while watching the sunset. She lives in an island, and it was Paradise. An island out of 7, 000 islands.”

“Seven thousand islands? That’s my f*****g country.”

Nawala naman sa pagkakalunod ng kalungkutan si Martine at napatingin kay Ethan ng may bahagyang pagkagulat pero may konting galak sa mukha nito.

“You’re from, Philippines?”

“You said it right. But you’re definitely cursed if that’s the only hint she had given you. An island out of 7, 000 islands? How would you know which from the 7, 000 islands is THAT particular island?”

“Well I had full of hope. I though knowing which country she came from was enough. So I packed up, flew right in the middle of nowhere only to find that it definitely meant I was in a country of 7, 000 floating islands. I had no f**k about geography, and I’m from Spain, I do not even know how many people does my country have. But you know how many of your races are out there? 140 millions. f*****g millions! How am I gonna find her?! I had to visit every region for one whole year, but I had never found anything.”

“And you came back here.”

Sandaling katahimikan ang namutawi kay Martine habang kinakapa ang pendant ng suot nitong kuwentas na siya namang nakakuha sa atensiyon ni Ethan.

Kahit gaanong hindi siya naniniwala na maaring umibig ang isang lalaki sa iisang babae lamang, ay nakaramdam din siya ng lungkot habang nakatingin sa kuwentas na hawak ng lalaki.

“I finally had her on my fingers. I had her, I only had to kneel, tie the knot, say my bow. I don’t care if I’ve only known her for a month, I can learn the rest of her my whole life. But no, I was too confident she’d stay by my side.”

Aniya na parang walang nagawa kung hindi hayaang mawala sa kaniya ang babae ng walang magawa para mapigilan itong umalis.

Bumilis naman ang t***k ng puso ni Ethan at hindi mapakali sa kaniyang kinauupuan at pinakatitigan ang batong hawak niya habang nakatingin na rin si Martine doon.

“Sunrise is over, that’s my cue. You can still throw it, Ethan. It’s your choice, I just don’t want to not let you know what might happen to you if you do it. You can get rid of it, meet a woman, like her, I don’t know, maybe fall in love with her? If she disappears, you can just move on, if you want to. But if you’d end up like me, my guilt will eat me alive if for instance I had refused to tell you my story. Keep the stone, you get to keep the woman. Get rid of the stone, meet the woman, then get rid of the woman.”