ATTORNEY YAEL CALLANTA - Callanta Series #1

CHAPTER 1 Yael Callanta. “Sir lasing na po kayo. Umuwi---“ “Shut up! Umuwi ka na and that’s an order. Now go!” I yelled at my secretary. Im in a bar. She had been here for I don’t know how long. She’s telling me to go home, like I’m going to do that. “Sige po sir ipapasundo ko nalang po kayo,” sabi nito bago umalis. Pero hindi ko ito pinansin at muli na namang uminom ng alak. A girl sat beside me, “One shot of tequila please.” She’s beautiful, but I don’t care. She’s not my type. “Hey handsome, I’m Karen. You are?” she offered her hand but I just looked at it. I turned around so I wont see her face. She’s annoying. But my head started spinning. It hurts so bad. “Hey, are you okay?” I heard the lady asked me before everything went black. Arciele Valles POV “Ingat ka Elle!” sigaw ni Yvo bago paandarin ang kotse niya. Kakatapos lang ng duty ko. It was a very tiring day. I was assigned at the emergency room, for 12 hours. And now, it’s traffic. I was waiting for the traffic light to turn green, when my phone rang. “Hello, who’s this?” It’s so noisy on the other line. [Hello Ma’am Elle? Ako po yung Secretary ni Sir Yael. Pwede niyo poba siyang sunduin? Lasing na lasing na po eh.] “Si Yael? Teka asan ba kayo bakit ang ingay diyan?” tanong ko rito. [Nasa isang bar po kami. Paalis na rin po ako gabi na po eh.] I looked at the time on my phone. It’s already 10 pm. “Oh sige, send me the location ako ng susundo sa kanya.” The call ended. When the call ended I drove off the bar. Malapit lang naman. “Yael? Yael gising. Ihahatid na kita.” Wala itong malay ng madatnan ko ito. “Cielle?Anong, g-ginagawa mo dito?” Naghahalo ang amoy ng alak at sigarilyo sa hininga nito. “Tama na yan ihahatid na kita sa inyo. Baka hinahap ka na ng mga kapatid mo.” “ I-I wont go home unless, t-that Yohann g---“ Nawalan na naman ito ng malay. Magkagalit nga sila. Ano bang problema nito sa kapatid niya. Matapos niyang malaman na kapatid niya ito balita ko ay hindi na siya umuuwi sa kanila. Doon na nakatira si Yohann, dahil gusto ni Archie makasama ang kambal niya. Pero ayaw nitong si Yael. ‘Nagseselos ba ‘to sa kapatid niya?’ Sinubukan ko itong gisingin pero wala. Wala pa rin itong malay. Mula sa malayo ay natanaw kong papalapit ang isang babae. Nakakunot ang noo nito habang papalapit sa amin. Pagkalapit ay hinila nito ang braso ko, “You! Where are you taking him?!” Hindi ko kilala ang babaeng ito. Hinila ko ang braso ko ngunit mahigpit ang paghahawak nito doon. “A-ano ba! Get your hand off of me!” sigaw ko rito. Ngunit hindi ito natinag at mas lalo pang hinigpitan ang hawak sa akin. Pakiramdam ko ay bumaon na ang kuko nito sa balat ko. “Who are you?! Saan mo dadalhin ang boyfriend ko?!” ‘Boyfriend?! Baliw yata ang babaeng to.’ Tumawa ako tumingin sa paligid. Marami ng tao ang nakapaligid sa amin. Mahina na rin ang tugtog sa loob ng bar. “Miss bitawan mo ang braso ko kung ayaw mong mapahiya,” sagot ko rito habang nakatitig sa kanyang mga mata. Nagpasindak naman ito at bintawan ako. “Ma’am tulungan na kita.” I nodded in response. Itinayo ng bouncer si Yael at inalalayan paalis. Aalis na sana ako ng may maalala ako. Lumapit ako doon sa babae kanina. She’s just looking at the floor. “Hey---,” she cut me off. “What?!” I chuckled, “I just want to say that,” I paused walked towards her. “You don’t look like Yael’s type of girls.” I flashed a very beautiful smile and picked up my bag before walking away. The moment I reached the exit of that place my face turned emotionless. Drunk men had been looking at me for the whole time but I don’t care. I’m wearing a fitted red dress since I was about to eat dinner earlier. But I guess I will be eating dinner at my house. I walked towards my car. Nasa labas pa rin si Yael at inaalalayan ng bouncer. I opened my car so we can already put him inside. “Thank you,” he nodded as a response and left us there. I sat on the driver’s seat and looked at Yael. He’s still unconcious. I leaned to put on his seatbelt. “Don’t leave me please…please stay hmm,” he said then held my hand. He’s dreaming, I wonder who is it that he wants to stay.I held his hand tightly, “I won’t.” When he finally stops talking I let go of his hand and started the car engine. I don’t know where to take him. Iuuwi ko ba siya or what? Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari sa kanilang magkakapatid kaya hindi ko siya pwedeng iuwi. Baka kung anong gawin niya kay Yohann. I stopped the car infront of a convenience store. I’ll buy a coffee. “Good Evening Ma’am,” I smiled to the cashier and walked towads the coffee machine. After getting what I need I placed it at the counter. “Forty pesos po Ma’am wala na po ba kayong idadagdag?” she asked smiling widely. “Oh yeah, that one please,” I said while pointing at the cigarette. After paying for it I immediately walked out of the store. Nagpunta ako sa kotse ko pero hindi muna ako pumasok. I placed the cup of coffee on top of my car roof. I lit my cigarette and started smoking. “Ano bang meron sa kapatid mo at ganyan na lang ang galit mo?”I shaked my head after saying those. Yael and I, we’re not friends. We’re also not in a relationship. But he’s special for me. I really don’t know what I feel about him. I can say I liked him before. But that was years ago, noong hindi pa siya ganyan. Actually Yohann - Archie’s twin, is my ex, but we broke up because we both fell out of love. It also came to the point na hindi na kami katulad ng dati. We’re like normal friends only. And we think we’re not meant for each other. And I think we’re right. He’s now in a relationship, while me I’m still single. I sipped on my coffee and looked at Yael. “What are we Yael?” I shaked my head because of that thought. I finished my coffee and dialed Yvo’s number. [Hello Elle? Napatawag ka?] “Sorry sa abala tulog ka na ata. Kasama ko kasi ngayon si Yael, lasing eh. Saan ko ba siya pwedeng dalhin? Hindi ko kasi alam ang address ng bahay niya. Yung condo niya hindi ko alam ang passcode.” Narinig kong tumikhim ito bago magsalita. [Naku, pwede bang sa bahay mo muna? Hindi ko rin kasi alam. Matagal na siyang lumipat eh.] I threw my cigarette when I finished smoking. “G-ganun ba? S-sa ano, sa condo mo?” [N-naku hindi rin pwede dun, magulo dun eh. Sige na alagaan mo muna si kuya, pwede ba? Salamat.] Magsasalita pa sana ako pero pinatay niya na ang tawag. I sighed, a heavy one. Pumasok nako sa kotse at nagsimulang mag drive. “Wala naman sigurong masama kung doon ka muna sa bahay diba?” “Sa wakas,” pinunasan ko ng panyo ang noo ko matapos maihiga si Yael sa kama. “You’re so heavy! Ano bang kinakain mo at sobrang bigat mo ha?!” I yelled at him kahit alam ko na wala naman siyang naririnig dahil tulog pa rin ito. Inayos ko ang pagkakahiga nito. Iniwan ko na muna ito doon upang kumuha ng damit sa kabilang room. Kumuha lang ako ng isang pares ng pantulog. Kay Yvo talaga ang mga ito, natutulog siya minsan dito kapag tinatamad siyang umuwi dahil malayo sa ospital ang bahay nila. At sa condo ako natutulog. Anyways, bumalik na ako ulit sa kwarto ko. Doon ko na siya pinatulog dahil mas malapit ito sa hagdanan kaya madali ko siyang nadala kanina. Dahan dahan kong binuksan ang pinto ng kwarto ko. Tulog pa rin siya. Pero parang galit pa rin siya. Nakakunot ang noo at nakakuyom ang kamao. Napansin kong namumutla ito kaya lumapit ako at hinipo ang noo at leeg nito. “Hayyy, may lagnat ka pa,” tatayo na sana ako ng magising ito. Lasing pa rin ito sa palagay ko. “Saan ka pupunta? Wag kang aalis.” Umupo ako sa tabi nito, “Yael babalik ako may kukuhanin lang ako sa baba.” Akala ko ay gising na ito, hindi pa pala. Nananaginip ito dahil na rin sa sobrang taas ng lagnat. Minutes have passed that I’m just staring at him, before I decided to go downstairs. Bitbit ang isang planggana na may lamang maligamgam na tubig, ay pumasok muli ako sa kwarto ko. >>ff>> Matapos punasan at bihisan ay hinayaan ko ng matulog si Yael. I dialed Yvo’s number again. It’s twelve midnight I think tulog na siya. Ibababa ko na sana ang tawag ng sumagot ito. [Elle? Late na ah anong kailangan mo? May nangyari ba kay Kuya?] “May lagnat siya pero ayos naman na ako ng bahala sa kanya. Can you do me a favor?” I asked. [Sure. Ano yon?] “Pasabi naman kay Papa hindi ako makakaattend sa committee meeting tomorrow?” [Sige ba ako ng bahala, and thank you. For taking care of my brother. Alam mo nagdududa na nga ako sa inyong dalawa eh. Magkaibigan ba kayo? Baka mamaya malaman ko kayo na pala ah.] “H-ha? W-wala naman. Hindi naman kami magkaibigan. Ano, m-magkakilala lang.” Yeah right Elle ang ganda mo magrason. [Whatever you say Elle. Sige na matulog ka na Doktora.] I chuckled before ending the call. I sighed and looked around my room. ‘Babantayan ko nalang siguro siya.’ I sat on the chair beside my bed. I’ll wait for him to wake up so he can take his meds. >>ff>> Yael’s POV I woke up with a freaking headache. I tried to move my arm but it was heavy and felt like something is placed in it. I opened my eyes and saw her sleeping in my arms. I looked around the room, its hers. I looked at her again and hung a few strands of hair blocking her face. I was peacefully watching her face when she suddenly moved. Inalog ko ito ng marahan upang magising. “Ciele wake up.” She suddenly stand up when she saw me awake. “Kanina ka pa ba gising?” she asked fixing herself. I just raised a brow on her. “Ipagluluto kita ng pagkain diyan ka lang,” she said then left the room. ‘Siya siguro ang tinawagan ng secretary ko.’ Arciele’s POV I changed my clothes first before going downstairs. I just cooked bacon strips and fried rice. I also made him pineapple juice. After preparing the foods and medicines in the food tray, I walked upstairs again. I knocked on the door before going inside. “Yael? Yael?” I called him multiple times but he’s not answering. He’s not in my bed. I heard a knock on the glass door going to my veranda. It’s covered with curtain kaya hindi ko kita kung ano yon. Bitbit ang tray ng pagkain at gamot ay lumabas ako doon. He’s here, I placed the tray on the table. And walked towards him to grab the cigarrette. He looked at me pissed but I just threw the cigarrette. “What do you think you’re doing?!” he asked with his brows furrowed. “You can’t smoke, kakagaling mo lang. Nilagnat ka kagabi alam mo ba yon?”tanong ko pero naglakad lamang ito papunta sa isang upuan at umupo. Umupo naman ako sa tapat nito. “Kumain ka tapos uminom ka ng gamot,” sabi ko dito pero hindi ako nito pinansin at kumain na lang. “Masakit pa ba ang ulo mo?”tanong ko dito. “Bakit ba ang dami mong tanong?” I chuckled before answering his question, “Im a Doctor, Yael. Natural lang na tanungin kita. May sakit ka kagabi diba?” he just scoffed after hearing those. Still the same Yael that I know, ayaw magpatalo. “What happened anong ginagawa mo doon sa bar?” I asked him but he just looked at me raising his brows. “What do you think? Namasyal?” “I mean, why? Bakit ka naglasing? May problema b---,” he cut me off by a very loud shout. “Mind your own business Ciele!” and with that he left me hanging. Because of shock, hindi ko na napansin ang pag alis nito sa harap ko. Narinig ko na lamang ang busina ng kotse sa harap ng bahay. Malamang ay nagpasundo ito kay Yvo. Hindi kami ganito dati. Hindi siya ganyan. Yael’s POV “Bro ayos ka na?”Yvo asked. “Take me to my house,” I said not minding his question. I know Ciele is hurt by what I did. But I don’t care. “What’s going on between you two? You guys are weird, is she your friend?” “No,” I answered to his question. “Are you guys in a relationship?” I lit a cigarrette and faced the open window, not minding what will his car smell after this. “Obviously no.” He glanced at me before letting out a laugh. “You guys are really something.” I looked at him, “What?” “Fishy bro, you both look sus. I don’t know.” I scoffed and shaked my head, “Shut up bro.” “Bakit parang ang aga mo naman atang umalis kina Elle?” I sipped on my coffee before looking at him. This guy, nahawa na siya kay Ciele. “Ang daldal mo. That’s so not you Yvo.” He looked at me intently, “Wag mo kong babaliktarin bro, wala akong gusto kay Elle. Siyempre kasama ko siya mula college. Paanong hindi ako mahahawa sa babaeng yon?” I just shaked my head on his answer. “Anyways, about my question earlier. Did something happen? May ginawa ka na naman ba?”My face turned emotionless when he asked that. “Matagal ko ng sinabi noon, kahit ilang beses niya pang subukan. Hi---,” “Hindi na kayo gaya ng dati? Bro,maingay, makulit at pakialamera man sa tingin mo si Elle. She’s matured kesa sayo. That’s why nagtiyatiyaga yung taong matulungan kang makabalik sa dating ikaw, kahit na ganyan ka sa-,” I glared at him that made him stop talking. “Stop saying shits Yvo.” Tumayo ito at naglakad paalis. But before leaving the room, he said something that made me confused. “She’s starting..." To be continued…