DUCANI LEGACY SERIES #5: KREIGE

Kabanata 8

Kreige

Dad insisted me to bring Khalid and Bea home. Dahil nawala na rin naman ang lasing ko kanina matapos mahulog si Khalid sa pool ay pumayag na kong ihatid sila, ngunit habang nasa daan pauwi sa kanila, nagsimulang pumatak ang ulan.

Khalid was sitting on the back with his mom, singing some nursery rhymes. Nang sulyapan ko sila sa rearview mirror ay napansin kong mahigpit ang yakap ni Bea sa anak niya, at sa tuwing nagliliwanag ang langit dahil sa kidlat, nanginginig ang katawan niya sa takot.

"Can you. . . drive a little faster?" she asked with shaky voice.

I figured out that lightning scares the s**t out of her. Ang hindi ko inasahan ay ang naging itsura niya nang marating namin ang bahay nilang mag-ina.

Bea was trembling while she tries to shut all the thick curtains. Nang isasara na niya ang pinakahuli at biglang kumidlat, napapitlag siya sa takot at dali-daling umatras.

Khalid looked at me in a worried way. "Scawed Mama sa idwat," he said before he bravely marched towards the window to shut the curtain.

Dahil maliit pa at hindi niya gaanong abot, lumapit na ako para tulungan siyang isara ang kurtina. Akala ko ay kakalma na si Bea nang maisara namin ang huling kurtina, ngunit nang muling kumidlat ay narinig ko na lamang ang paghikbi niya.

I sighed before I walked towards her. Nakasalampak na siya sa isang sulok habang nakapikit at nanginginig ang katawang nakatakip ang mga palad sa tainga.

She becomes jumpy every time lightning would strike the sky. Nang hindi ko na natiis ay niyaya ko si Khalid na umupo kami sa magkabilang gilid ni Bea. Khalid did what I say, and then he insisted that we hug his mom so she wouldn't be scared anymore.

"Chicho, hug Mama pwease?"

Muli akong bumuntong hininga saka ko inakbayan si Bea. Napamulat siya at ang takot na takot na mga mata ay napatitig sa akin. I thought she's going to push me away, but when she moved a little closer as if she's seeking shelter in my arms, I found myself locking the both of them in my arms.

Ganoon ang itsura namin sa loob ng halos isang oras. Nang humupo ang ulan at tumigil ang kidlat ay hiyang-hiya na lamang akong inalok ni Bea ng kape.

Buhat ang inaantok na si Khalid ay naupo ako sa sofa at hinintay na bumalik si Bea. She placed the tray on the center table before she tried to get Khalid from me. Ngunit hinawi lamang ng inaantok niyang anak ang kamay niya kaya hindi ko naiwasan ang matawa nang mahina.

"You like me now, huh?" I asked.

The sleepy head covered my lips before he buried his face on my shoulder. Napalunok naman ako nang tila may mainit na palad na humagod sa aking dibdib. Ewan. Hindi ko maipaliwanag kung bakit ganito ang nararamdaman ko, pati na iyong takot na lumukob kanina sa dibdib ko noong nahulog si Khalid sa pool.

"Kapag nakatulog na siya, pwede ka nang umuwi. Pasensya sa abala," Bea said.

Gusto ko sanang asarin kaya lang ay maga pa ang mga mata dahil sa pag-iyak, kaya imbes na magsagutan na naman kami, tinanong ko na lamang tungkol sa naging reaksyon niya sa pagkidlat kanina.

"May phobia ka ba sa kidlat?" I asked while gently patting Khalid on his lower back. His tiny harms are now wrapping around my neck as if he wanted to make sure I wouldn't leave him even after he falls asleep.

Bea lowered her head, her hands became a bit shaky as if she remembered something terrifying.

"I uh. . . I was ten. We were by a lake for the uhm. . . girl scout camping." She sniffed. "My first friend, she. . . she asked me to come inside the tent when it started raining but as someone with strict parents, I wanted to play in the rain." Muli siyang suminghot. "I asked her to join me. . . and she did."

"What happened?"

Umalog ang mga balikat niya. "We played. We were. . . we were so happy. Umikot-ikot kami habang tumatawa tapos. . . nagulat na lang ako. . . " Humikbi siya. "Tinamaan siya ng kidlat at bumagsak sa tabi ko." Her terrified eyes stared at me. "I killed her. It was my fault. . . "

My eyes softened, and when I realized that we're just the same, na gaya niya ay sinisisi ko rin ang sarili ko sa pahkakabaril kay Crystal, nanikip nang husto ang dibdib ko.

I drew in a sharp breath then rubbed Khalid's back. "I'm not good at comforting other people. In fact I often make things worse with my advice, but it's not your fault. You just wanted to taste life in that moment, while your friend's fate ended there."

Bea stared at me, and for the first time after a few months that we're working on my case, her lips curved a genuine smile.

"Not bad for someone who sucks at giving advice." She stood up and went to check Khalid. Nang makitang tulog na ang bata ay muli niya akong tiningnan. "Dadalhin ko na sa kwarto."

I rubbed Khalid's back. "He's getting heavy. I'll take him upstairs."

She nodded. Umatras na lamang para makatayo ako. She then led me to their room, but when I finally managed to put Khalid on the bed, the little boy tightened his hold on my neck and refused to let go.

"Anak, uuwi na si tito Kreige," Bea said but Khalid just hugged me more.

"Dito isweep na."

Napaawang ang mga labi ni Bea. "A—Anak, hindi pwede."

Khalid started to throw a tantrum. Napabuntonghininga na lang tuloy ako nang ma-realize kong magwawala lang ang bata kung pipilitin kong umuwi. Nang alisin ko ang sapatos ko't tuluyan akong nahiga sa tabi ni Khalid, napaawang ang mga labi ni Bea habang nagtatakang nakatingin sa amin ng bata.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'll stay until he goes back to sleep. Matulog ka na rin," I answered before I started patting Khalid's thigh.

She sighed. Nagbihis siya ng pantulog saka nahiga sa kabilang gilid ni Khalid. None of us spoke for a few moments, but when our eyes met, Bea drew in a sharp breath before she broke the silence between us.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," I said.

Hindi na siya kumibo pa't pinatakan na lamang ng halik ang ulo ng anak, ngunit nang magtama ang tingin namin habang wala nang isang dangkal ang layo ng aming mga mukha, pumungay ang mga mata ko't umigting ang aking panga.

I felt the rush of heat in my body as my gaze drifted down her lips, but before I even made a stupid move of kissing her, Bea cleared her throat and laid on her pillow.

"Goodnight," she said.

Napahugot ako ng hininga. "Goodnight."

Pumikit na siya at pinilit matulog, at nang unti-unting bumigat ang kanyang paghinga senyales na nakatulog na, nilunok ko ang inhibisyon ko't marahang itinulak ang ilang hibla ng buhok niyang tumatabing sa kanyang mukha.

This woman is so beautiful. So fierce. So. . . powerful on her own. I know it's going to take one hell of a man to tame someone like her, and the thought of her finally dating someone scared me for a reason I cannot put into words yet.

Napahugot akong muli ng malalim na hininga saka ko ihinilamos ang palad ko sa aking mukha.

I cannot allow myself take the dangerous path of falling for her, because as long as Khalid's father is out there and her career demands for her attention, I know I could never win her heart fully.

I will never let another girl break my heart.

Not again. . .