The CEO's Scheme

Kabanata 23 - Maubido

“Wake up, Aesthen!”

There were several knocks on her bedroom door again when Aesthen opened her eyes. This was always what Aesthen hated in her life. The fact that you have to wake up in the morning, even if it’s against your will, because you have to, and because you have a life that you need to start again.

“Yes, I’m awake, so shut up!” sigaw ni Aesthen sa lalaking kanina pa pakatok-katok.

“Come on, now! Sayang ang araw, may pupuntahan tayo.” Aries insisted, as he knocked on the door again, slamming his fist even harder, for the sleepy woman to finally wake up.

“f**k you, Aries!” inis na naisagot na lamang ni Aesthen at saka na niya tuluyang hinila ang katawan patayo mula sa kaniyang kama, bago nagmartsa patungo sa pinto.

“What?” her morning face, swollen, when she opened the door, glaring at Aries.

Agad napaiwas ng tingin ang lalaki nang makita si Aesthen na hardened pa ang n*****s. Siguro ay dahil sa lamig ng umaga, ngayo’t pa nasa tabing dagat sila.

“Wash up, pupunta tayong bayan.” sambit lamang ni Aries na mukhang bihis na. Tapos ay agad nitong inabot kay Aesthen ang nakahanger nitong damit na nalabhan kagabi, at saka na umalis sa tapat ng kuwaro ng dalaga.

Napasimangot lang si Aesthen, pero hindi na siya bumalik sa kaniyang pagkakahiga, at dumiretso na sa comfort room upang makapaligo at makapagpalit ng kaniyang damit.

“Anyway, you know we were lucky we’re far away from San Juan today. There was a terrible incident that happened last night just on a road near my unit building. A nurse was murdered.” Aries came back, starting small talk again.

A shiver crept up Aesthen’s spine when she heard the news. Bumalik kasi siya sa pinto, dahil hindi pa siya fully nakakapasok sa loob ng bathroom.

“Murdured? How?” Aesthen asked curiously and opened the door again. Aries was staring at her intently.

“Raped.” he answered, still staring at her eyes. She did not give any reaction to him, which made him quite uncomfortable.

“That’s just horrible,” Aesthen replied and shrugged at the man before closing the door again, when Aries blocked the closing door with his hand.

“Yes. Horrible. And the r****t was a neurosurgeon. They worked at San Juan Medical Hospital,” Aries added. Aesthen nodded patiently.

“Okay. We’re safe, you know.” Aesthen said calmly, just wanting to end the weird conversation.

“I’ll go now.” Aries’ face became dark when he spoke the words. Nagmadali na siyang magtungo sa sala ng beach house.

***

“Hop in, and welcome the sunshine, Aesthen.” ani Aries nang buksan nito ang pinto ng passenger’s seat at i-welcome ang nakabusangot na si Aesthen. “Have some fun.” dagdag pa nito ng mag-grunt lang ang babae. “It was you who told me to have fun, but it appears to me that you don’t want to be bothered.”

Napaikot na lamang ni Aesthen ang kaniyang mga mata. His planned trip is a good idea. Pero hindi sa umaga at lalong hindi sa katirikan ng araw. Ang sarap kayang matulog sa waterbed! At isa pa’y wala siyang magandang tulog, at kailangang-kailangan niya nito.

“Sana kasi pinahapon mo na lang.” malamyang sambit ni Aesthen pero hindi na rin siya umangal pa at saka ay isinandal na lamang ang kaniyang likod sa inuupuan. “Wake me up, ‘pag nandoon na tayo.”

Aesthen thought that she could take another rest noong sinandal na niya ang kaniyang katawan sa backrest at saka pumikit, but she was wrong. Mukhang fully awake na siya, dahil napadilat na lamang ulit siya na pawang gising na gising ang diwang gustong magliwaliw.

Napatingin siya sa mga nadadaanan nilang malalaking tipak ng bato na mas malaki pa sa tao, at saka mga coconut trees na nasa gilid ng daan. Walang mga bahay o mga taong dumadaan, ni wala nga yatang ibang kotse maliban sa kanila.

It’s a thirty-minute drive from Caballero’s beach house to Maubido. Sa isang palengke sila nagpark, at agad nagsuot ng kaniyang shades si Aries nang bumaba ito ng kotse.

“Come on,” sambit niya kay Aesthen nang tumingin lamang ito sa malayo, “We got a whole day to explore.”

Binuksan ni Aries ang pinto, at saka ay lumabas na ang dalaga doon, na sinabayan sa paglalakad si Aries.

“So, these are the Maubidon people?” Aesthen asked as she looked from one person she passed by to another. “They are quite alright. I've met some of the Tawalis from Tawali Island... not far from here. Creepy as hell.”

Aries chuckled and slightly nodded.

“Darker than Aestas, right?” he commented. His eyes were full of amazement habang nakatingin sa mga native na taong nagtitinda.

Sa buong grupo ng mga taong nadadaanan nila, malalaman mo kung sino ang mga tourista, at mga nakatira doon na hindi native, dahil sa kulay ng kanilang mga balat.

The Maubidon people were dark as coal, and with curly hair, but that mostly applied to the men of that tribe. Ang ibang non-native na napunta lamang doon, nagkakaroon na rin sila ng darker shades dahil karaniwang hanap-buhay sa Maubido ay pangingisda para sa mga lalaki dahil sa tabing dagat sila. Paghahabi naman sa ibang mga babae na hindi gustong maging parte ng dagat.

San Roque is a province of water. Nandito ang magagandang pasyalan lalo na kung beach ang tipo ng tao. Pero kung nagbabalak ng beach activities and star resorts, mostly ang mga tao ay nagtutungo sa Teresita, isang bayan dito sa lalawigan ng San Roque, dahil nandoon ang magagandang beach resorts, at nandoon ang sibilisasyon.

Maubido, San Roque is a little outdated though, dahil na rin siguro sa mga native na tao nito, kahit na Maubido pa ang may pinaka malaking sakop ng lupa sa San Roque. Pero sa Maubido ka lang makakakuha ng magagandang isda at iba pang lamang dagat, kung kaya’t maraming nagtatravel at doon humahango ng lamang dagat.

The Caballeros’ beach house was located at the edge of Teresita, kung saan hindi na gaano kadami ang nagtatayo ng mga beach house. Ito na marahil ang dahilan kung bakit wala masyadong tao doon, tila ba recluse and establicimiento nila Aries. And it was Maubido, the nearest, even though it was thirty-minute drive from the beach house.

“My grandmother was a fan of these people.” Aries started as they threaded their way through the sea of people, walking aimlessly. “But you know what’s the best in this place?”

Aesthen glanced at him and slightly raised her brows.

“What?” she asked and continued to look straight in front, dahil baka makabunggo siya ng tao lalo pa’t nagdidikit ang mga nasa paligid niya.

“The Jaggernuts.” Aries simply said, “It’s a Maubidon resto run by a Maubidon, and sponsored by an American who was impressed by that Muabidon. Best coconut beer.”

Napailing agad si Aesthen at saka bahagyang nangiti sa lalaki, “No.” she said, shaking her head, “Hindi tayo maglalasing sa tanghaling tapat.” natatawang sambit ni Aesthen.

“I didn’t say that we will.” depensa naman ni Aries sa kaniyang sarili at saka binigyan din ng ngiti ang babae.

There was a sudden flutter in Aesthen’s stomach when she saw the guy smiling at her. After all, maybe she’s really attracted to Aries.

Tiba ba agos ng ilog ang mga alaala sa Dare Devil’s na bumalik sa isipan ni Aesthen. There’s no possibility that Aries is into her. It was all just simple work that needed to be done for him, for his novel. He’s always been in love with his ex-girlfriend. Or was Keya really just an ex? Because it’s obvious that she wasn’t.

“What went wrong?” agad napakagat si Aesthen sa kaniyang dila nang masabi niya ang mga salitang dapat ay sa kaniyang isip lamang. Lumingon si Aries sa kaniya.

“What?” he asked, as he raised his brow, removing his shades a bit to see her in full view.

Agad napailing si Aesthen at tipid na ngumiti sa lalaki.

“Nothing.” she simply said, when a tour bus stopped just a couple of steps from them, tapos ay bumukas ang pinto at nagbabaan ang iba’t ibang uri ng tao. May mga foreigners, may mga pure Filipino, matanda o bata.

“You asked me what went wrong.” Aries insisted, as he grabbed her elbow and pulled her closer to him, when a sea of people from the tour bus started walking in their direction.

“Those were words meant as food for my thoughts, Aries.” Aesthen emphasized as she glared at him and tugged her elbow off his grasp.

“Okay, easy.” sumurrender agad na sambit ni Aries na may pagtaas pa ng dalawang kamay pa sa pagsambit ng mga salita. “Just food for your thought. Anyway, tara let’s go see some souvenir.” tapos ay hinila na agad siya ni Aries papunta sa kabilang direction.

***

Growing up, Aesthen wasn’t really introduced to the idea of fear. It was all pain, but not fear. After all, for her, pain and fear weren’t associated with each other. For some people maybe, but for her, it wasn’t really. Maybe, it’s because of her strong personality, dahil bata pa lamang ay iniwan na sila ng kaniyang ama, at doon nagsimulang magloko ang kaniyang ina. Too depressed for a man who had left her.

It was a painful memory. That’s why she never really wanted to remember any of it. If only her mind could delete it, at doon na lamang siya magsimula sa part na dumating si Nix sa kaniyang buhay; she was ten years old when Nix was born.

At first, she thought that Nix was from another man when she came to realize what happened noong nagkakaisip na siya. It was because she was too young when her father left, and Nix was out of the picture at that time, so how come Nix was blood-related to her?

But, it happened that Aethen father tried to go back, and after a night with her mother, he was gone again. Si Nix ang bunga.

Aesthen would be mad with her father for leaving them again. But she realized that it was a blessing her father had come home. He brought her a gift, and it was Nix, a little sister for her. A companion from the miserable world she had.

However, the consequence of being left was far worse than before, because her mother, Prescilla, lost her mind that second time around. Prescilla even tried to abort Nix due to depression, because she loved her husband so much. Although, the abortion didn’t actually happen, dahil kahit papaano ay may konsensiya ang kaniyang ina.

Now, as Aesthen looked in front of the big sign of a shop Aries took her, she felt the unknown horror creep up her nape. Her feet were glued to the ground, and her hands balled in a fist. Her heart started slamming against her chest.

“What’s wrong?” Aries asked when he noticed Aesthen’s stance.

Tears welled up Aesthen’s eyes as she stared from a freshly painted wooden sign at the roof of the shop. It said ‘Allen’s Blanco de Kahoy’. A name too familiar for her to be forgotten.

Was it possible?

And as if the signage wasn’t enough evidence, a man, who must be the owner of the shop, opened the door for them.

“Tuloy kayo,” the man said and smiled at them.

It was a punch in Aesthen’s guts when she heard the voice of the familiar man—her father. Tila nagkabuhol-buhol ang kaniyang lalamunan, kasabay ng paghigpit ng ngala-ngala niya. Tila may nakabara. She cleared her throat just as immediately.

“Let’s get out of here.” Aesthen said, each word cutting like a knife. She could feel the oozing of blood in the air.

,

Naglakad nang matulin si Aesthen papalayo sa shop ng kaniyang ama. Hindi niya alam kung sumusunod ba si Aries pero patuloy lamang siya sa paglalakad niya palayo. Nagsimula nang bumuhos ang kaniyang mga luha. Nagpapawis na ang kaniyang noo hindi lamang sa tirik ng araw.

“What’s wrong?” pahabol ni Aries nang habulin niya ang nagmamadaling dalaga.

“Aesthen, wait!” sigaw pa ni Aries at nanakbo na para abutan ang dalaga.

“What’s it?” he asked when he caught up with her. Agad niyang inikot si Aesthen upang makita ang mukha nito. Doon lamang niya nakita ang umiiyak na mukha ng dalaga.

Aesthen looked so vulnerable—but so attractive at the same time.

Aries felt the need to do something, even though it was far from what the woman needed.

“I want to go ho—”

Hindi na pinatapos pa ni Aries ang sinasabi ng dalaga at agad na niya itong hinila sa kaniya, bago niya pinagdugtong ang kanilang mga labi.