Ang Gamot
2225 Words
ANNA'S POV
Alas-otso na ng gabi.
The silence in the province was different from the city. Sa Maynila, silence was just a pause between noises. Dito, ang katahimikan ay mabigat. It pressed against my eardrums, amplifying the sound of the waves crashing outside and the frantic beating of my own heart.
Nakatitig ako sa cellphone ko.
Jake: I’m at the back of the resort. Near the old cottages. Madilim dito. Walang tao.
Napalunok ako. My hands were trembling as I fixed my hair. I didn't bother with makeup. Hindi ko kailangang magpa-impress. I wasn't going on a date; I was going for a treatment.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a loose sundress—easy access. Underneath, I wore nothing. The friction of the fabric against my swollen, sensitive skin was torture, but it was a necessary pain. It kept me focused. Kept me from collapsing right there on the floor.
Kailangan ko nang umalis. Now.
Dahan-dahan akong lumabas ng kwarto. The wooden floorboards creaked beneath my bare feet. Bawat tumpak ng paa ko, parang bomba ang tunog sa pandinig ko.
The living room was dim, illuminated only by the faint glow of the television.
And there he was.
Nakahiga si Marco sa mahabang sofa. He was asleep, one arm thrown over his eyes to block the light from the TV. He was still wearing those sinful board shorts, but now he had a loose white sando on. It was thin enough that I could see the dark outline of his n*****s and the steady rise and fall of his chest.
I froze.
Dapat magmadali ako. Dapat lumabas na ako ng pinto habang tulog pa siya. Jake was waiting. My body was screaming for release.
Pero hindi ko magawang igalaw ang mga paa ko.
My eyes traveled down his body. From his thick, muscular arms to the strong veins running along his forearms... down to his hands. Malalaki at magagaspang ang mga kamay niya. Hands that worked the sea. Hands that could probably pin my wrists above my head with zero effort.
Imagine those hands on you, my mind whispered treacherously. Imagine him waking up right now, seeing you staring, and dragging you down onto that sofa.
Napakagat ako sa labi ko hanggang sa malasahan ko ang dugo. The throb between my legs intensified, becoming a sharp, rhythmic ache.
"Hmp..."
Umungol siya ng mahina sa pagtulog at gumalaw. His hand slid down from his face to his chest, scratching his abs lazily.
Panic spiked in my chest. Gisingin mo na ang sarili mo, Anna!
I forced myself to look away. I tiptoed past him, holding my breath until my lungs burned. Pagdating ko sa pinto, dahan-dahan ko itong binuksan. The hinges groaned softly. I paused, looking back at him one last time. He didn't move.
I slipped out into the night.
The humid air hit me like a wall. Amoy dagat. Amoy lupa.
Binilisan ko ang lakad ko. The resort was just a ten-minute walk along the shore from Auntie Belen’s house. While walking, I could feel the wetness dripping down my thighs. It was humiliating. To be this enslaved by my own biology. To be an animal in heat just walking under the moonlight.
But the anticipation was helping. Knowing that in a few minutes, someone would touch me. Someone would fill this emptiness.
Nakita ko ang silhouette ng isang lalaki malapit sa mga abandonadong cottage. He was smoking, the embers glowing red in the dark.
"Jake?" tawag ko, my voice raspy.
Lumingon siya. Even in the moonlight, I could tell he was decent-looking.
Mestizo, mukhang galing city din, maybe a college student on break or a young professional blowing off steam. He had a boyish charm, a sharp jawline.
He smiled when he saw me. Tinapon niya ang sigarilyo niya sa buhangin.
"Anna? Wow. You look... intense."
He stepped closer, scanning my body.
"You weren't kidding when you said you needed to see me now."
"I don't have much time," I said, skipping the pleasantries. Hindi ako nandito para makipagkaibigan.
"Where can we go?"
He chuckled, a low, confident sound.
"Direct. I like that. My room is at the other side of the resort, but if you're in a hurry..." Tumingin siya sa likod ng isang malaking bato na natatakpan ng mga puno ng niyog. "Whatever happens there stays there."
I didn't care. Gusto ko na lang matapos 'to.
Hinila ko siya papunta sa dilim.
The moment we were out of sight, I didn't wait. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and smashed my lips against his.
Nagulat siya, but he responded instantly. He groaned, his hands immediately finding my waist. He tasted like mint and cigarettes. Not the taste I wanted—I wanted salt and musk—but it would have to do.
"Sh*t, you're hungry," bulong niya sa pagitan ng mga halik.
He pushed me against the rough trunk of a coconut tree. The bark scraped my back, stinging, but the pain only heightened my arousal.
"Touch me," I commanded, taking his hand and guiding it under my dress.
When his fingers brushed against my center, he hissed.
"F*ck, Anna. You're soaking wet."
He didn't need to do any foreplay. My body had been ready since I saw Marco holding that fish crate this afternoon.
Jake’s fingers slipped inside me easily, and I threw my head back, a broken gasp escaping my throat.
"Ahhh..."
It was relief. Pure, medical relief.
Para akong may makating-makati na sugat na sa wakas ay nakamot din. My knees buckled, and I clung to his shoulders for support.
"You like that?" he whispered, his other hand groping my breast through the fabric of my dress.
"More," I begged. "Don't stop."
But fingers weren't enough. I needed him. All of him.
I reached for his belt, fumbling with the buckle. My hands were frantic. He helped me, shoving his pants down just enough.
He lifted my leg, hooking it over his hip. I didn't wear underwear, so there was no barrier.
When he entered me, I let out a sharp cry that echoed in the night.
It felt good. It felt tight and full and necessary. The friction sparked a fire in my nerves, sending waves of pleasure rolling up my spine. I moved with him, matching his rhythm, grinding against him desperately.
But as the pleasure built, so did the darkness in my mind.
I closed my eyes tight.
Don't look at him. Don't look at Jake.
Instead, I summoned the image that had been haunting me all day.
In my mind, the hands gripping my hips weren't smooth and boyish like Jake's. They were calloused and rough. They were Marco's hands.
In my mind, the body pressing against me wasn't wearing a polo shirt. It was bare, sweaty, and brown. Hard muscles glistening with seawater.
In my mind, the scent of cigarettes was replaced by the scent of the ocean.
"Marco," I whispered in my head. Marco. Marco.
"You're so tight," Jake groaned, thrusting harder, faster. "God, you're amazing."
I bit his shoulder to stifle my own screams. I imagined it was Marco's dark skin I was biting. I imagined it was my uncle claiming me, ruining me, taking what forbidden fruit he deserved.
The fantasy pushed me over the edge.
My body convulsed. The orgasm hit me like a tidal wave—violent and earth-shattering. I dug my nails into Jake's back, shaking uncontrollably as the pleasure ripped through me, washing away the sickness, the fever, the Hunger.
For a few seconds, I wasn't on a beach with a stranger. I was in heaven.
Unti-unting humupa ang liwanag.
My breathing slowed. The tremors in my legs stopped. Jake let out one final groan and collapsed against me, burying his face in my neck.
Silence returned.
And with the silence came the crash.
Suddenly, I was aware of the sand in my shoes. The scratchy bark of the tree. The smell of a stranger's sweat.
Tinulak ko siya palayo ng kaunti. Not roughly, but firmly.
"Woah," Jake breathed, pulling away. He looked dazed, happy. "That was... wild. Sabi ko na nga ba, iba ang mga babae sa probinsya."
Inayos ko agad ang dress ko. The feeling of being "Refreshed" washed over me. Ang gaan ng pakiramdam ko. My vision was clear. The fever was gone. My skin felt cool again.
But my chest felt hollow.
"I have to go," sabi ko, turning away.
"Wait, what?" Hinawakan niya ang braso ko. "Agad-agad? Do you want to grab a drink? Usap muna tayo."
Tinignan ko siya. He was nice. He was decent. But he wasn't him. And now that I had what I needed, Jake was just a reminder of my sickness.
"Hindi pwede," I said coldly. "Huwag mo na akong ic-chat."
"Teka, Anna—"
I didn't wait for him to finish. Naglakad na ako pabalik sa dilim, leaving him confused on the beach.
The walk back was different.
Kanina, hirap na hirap akong maglakad dahil sa init ng katawan ko. Ngayon, ang gaan ng mga hakbang ko. I felt strong. I felt normal.
But I also felt dirty.
I scrubbed my arms as I walked, trying to remove the sensation of Jake's touch. It worked, physically. But emotionally? I knew what I did. I used a human being like a vibrator just to stop myself from jumping my own uncle.
Pagdating ko sa tapat ng bahay, patay na ang ilaw sa sala.
Good. Tulog na siguro siya.
Dahan-dahan kong binuksan ang pinto. I slipped inside, holding my sandals so they wouldn't make a sound. I locked the door silently.
"Saan ka galing?"
Napatalon ako sa gulat. Nabitawan ko ang isa kong sandal.
Blag.
Bumukas ang ilaw sa kitchen.
Nakaupo si Marco sa dining table, may hawak na baso ng tubig. He wasn't asleep on the couch anymore. He was wide awake, staring straight at me.
His hair was messy, like he had just run his hands through it multiple times. His dark eyes were sharp, suspicious.
"A-ah..." My mind scrambled for an excuse. "Lumabas lang po ako saglit. Sa may... sa may dagat. Nagpahangin."
Tumayo siya at lumapit sa akin.
My heart started racing again, but this time out of fear, not lust.
"Nagpahangin?" inulit niya. "Gabi na, Anna. Delikado sa labas. Maraming lasing sa resort."
He stopped right in front of me. Being this close to him usually triggered my condition, but since I was freshly satisfied, I could handle it. I could look him in the eye without trembling.
Wait. That was a problem.
Kanina, halos hindi ako makatayo sa sakit. Ngayon, mukha akong okay.
Marco leaned in slightly, and I saw his nostrils flare.
He was smelling me.
Can he smell Jake? Can he smell the s*x? Or maybe the cigarettes?
"Amoy sigarilyo ka," puna niya, his voice tight. "Naninigarilyo ka ba?"
"H-hindi po!" mabilis kong sagot. "May... may napadaan lang na naninigarilyo sa beach kanina."
Tinignan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa. He noticed my messy hair—caused by the wind and Jake's hands. He noticed the sand clinging to the hem of my dress.
But mostly, he noticed my face.
"Okay ka na?" tanong niya, his eyes narrowing. "Kanina parang mamamatay ka sa putla at panghihina. Ngayon... parang ang sigla mo."
He was observant. Too observant.
"Oo nga po, Tito," I said, forcing a smile. "Sabi ko sa inyo, kailangan ko lang ng hangin. Dagat lang ang gamot."
Dagat at isang estranghero, I added silently.
Marco stared at me for a long, agonizing moment. I felt like he could see right through my dress, right through my lies. There was a tension in his jaw, a tightness in his shoulders that hadn't been there this afternoon.
Was he worried? Or was he... jealous?
No. Imposible. Tito ko siya.
"Sa susunod," he said, his voice low and commanding, "kapag lalabas ka ng gabi, magpaalam ka. O magpasama ka sa akin. Huwag kang gagala mag-isa."
Something in his tone made my newly satisfied core flutter. Just a little bit. It was authoritative. Possessive.
"Opo," mahina kong sagot.
"Sige. Matulog ka na. Aalis ako ng maaga bukas para sa pangingisda."
Tumalikod na siya at naglakad papasok sa kwarto nila ni Auntie Belen.
I stayed rooted to the spot, clutching my sandals.
I survived the night. I got my "cure." But looking at Marco's retreating back, I knew one thing for sure:
Jake was just a band-aid. A temporary fix.
The real sickness was standing right there in the kitchen a moment ago. And sooner or later, band-aids wouldn't be enough to stop the bleeding.
- Writer
