Chapter 8
1516 Words
He almost punched her for the cellulite on her thighs. When Riri moved to obey her employer, he helped her. The air conditioning was already on, and Marimar was already lying on the bed when they put her things in the guest room.
He felt nauseous again when he saw her cellulite. She seemed careless. She was lying on the bed with her legs spread. It was really disgusting. If only he could blow up the plane Dante was on at that moment.
After leaving Marimar's room, he went to the attic and spent some time there to calm himself. It was afternoon when he realized he needed to prepare food since he had other people in the house. He just called KFC for delivery before going downstairs. In the kitchen, he heard rustling from the maid's room. He approached it and knocked on Riri's door. She opened it.
He found her busy putting her bedspread on the double-decker bed. The bottom bedsheet was already neatly made, and the pillows had pillowcases.
“Oh, Mr. Rex,” she said when she saw him.
“Just Rex. Why are you upstairs?”
“Manang Rosy is a bit old. She can’t go up and down the bed easily, so I’ll let her sleep downstairs. Like Marimar’s maid in Batangas.”
“Ah.” He winced. “I’m sorry for having her here. There’s only one vacant room. I guess you’re used to each other, you and Manang Rosy.”
“Yes. Don’t mind that. It’s okay with Manang Rosy. We’re close,” she said, smiling.
He blinked, noticing two cute dimples on her cheeks. Come to think of it, she looked like Aga Muhlach.
“And I got used to her because we also slept together in Batangas before I was moved to the guesthouse behind their house.”
“Oh, that’s good then.” After saying that, he frowned. He didn't understand why he felt so comfortable with him. Instead of leaving and letting him be, he continued to watch him. He seemed very used to making beds. “Are you a cousin of Marimar’s?” he asked.
“No, I’m not related to them.” She smiled again as she continued her work. “I was Marimar’s classmate in high school. When we went to college, I left my house. I went to many places, but my mother kept finding me, so I thought of Marimar. Who would suspect that she would take me in, right?”
“Why did you run away?”
She didn’t answer immediately, seeming to consider how to tell him the reason. After a while, she cleared her throat and spoke.
“I don’t know if you’ll understand me, but my stepfather wanted to do something to me that—uhm—wasn’t right. I couldn’t take it anymore because my mother didn’t believe me when I told her. She loved her second husband very much. My sister was in Manila then and already working. The other one was abroad. No one wanted to help me because my stepfather was influential, so I just ran away.”
“You mean…” His eyes narrowed. “Your stepfather wanted to take advantage of you?”
“It was like that.”
“Huh? Wait a minute. Aren’t you a man?”
“Why?” He looked up, then grinned at him. “Only women get r***d?”
He couldn't answer immediately. The hairs on his arms stood on end at what he heard. Come to think of it, there was a softness to his features. He did look like a woman, if you really looked at him. He didn't even have an Adam's apple, so his voice wasn't deep.
“But you didn’t…you know…” he said.
“I don’t have any hidden cases, so don’t worry. I don’t have any police or NBI records. Anyway, so…I stopped before finishing my first year in college. I stayed with Marimar. I felt comfortable with her family, so they accepted me. I worked in their house and at a beerhouse as a dishwasher. I just couldn’t handle the hard work, so I got sick. Inay Andeng didn’t let me go back to the beerhouse, and she only made me do housework from then on.”
“Dante didn’t help you with your studies?”
“They said it wasn’t in their budget,” he shrugged. “Who am I to demand, right?”
He found himself intrigued. He saw himself in him. Only he wasn't as lucky as Rex to meet a good Samaritan in Bong.
“What was your course before you stopped?” he asked.
“Architecture. My father is an architect, as well as my two older brothers. I also wanted to be like them, but…” He finished the sentence with a shrug.
“Is that so?” He smiled. He was pleased with what he learned. “I’m an architect.”
“Really?” He stopped what he was doing and looked at Rex. “Wow! You’re so lucky.”
“It took me a long time to graduate. I also left my house because of my stepfather, who also loved my mother more than me.”
“You must have been lucky then—”
“I was lucky because I was hardworking. I was a laundryman, a house cleaner, and an ironer. I was also a tricycle wash boy before I became a tricycle driver. That’s how I funded my studies.”
A hint of sadness flickered in his eyes. But it quickly disappeared. “You were still lucky.”
“Haven’t you contacted your siblings?”
“Even if I contacted them, I know what would happen. They’d still send me back to Mama. I’d still study in the province, and I’d still live in our house. If you’re curious why I haven’t looked for them until now, well, I’m still hiding from my stepfather. I don’t want them to get involved. That jerk is influential, as I said earlier.”
“Does Marimar know about this?”
“Yes, but she’s not interested.”
“Does Dante know?”
“Probably. I don’t know. I don’t really talk to Kuya that much.”
“Why?”
He smiled—an intelligent smile—as if telling Rex that Dante was too low IQ to waste his time chatting with. “Can we not talk about that?”
Rex smiled too. This little guy was something else, he could feel it in his bones.
“Aren’t you interested in gym workouts and bodybuilding techniques?” Rex asked Riri, unable to contain his curiosity after glancing at the thin physique of the young man, who was still busy making the bed.
“Oh, would I have any interest in those?” Riri replied, laughing. “But don’t feel sorry for me. I did get some education. Before Inay Andeng passed away, she convinced me to study reflexology so she could save money on massages. She said I should just massage her.”
“You know how to massage?”
“I was the best masseuse in my class,” Riri said proudly. He got off the bed and gestured with his hands as if massaging. “That’s why I’ll look for a spa or any place where I can work as a masseuse.”
“Do you have a certificate?”
“I haven’t gotten it from the school yet. But I already know how to massage. I just need to work first so I can go back to Batangas and get my certificate. I hope I can find even a small-time job where they won’t ask for—”
“I know of a place. I might be able to help you.”
“Really?” Riri stared at him. “Oh, that’s embarrassing.”
“What’s embarrassing about that? It’s close by. Walking distance.”
“Do you think they’ll accept me there?”
“Why wouldn’t they? Let me talk to them. I know the manager of the spa I’m talking about, and the one at the beauty salon.”
“Oh, that sounds good. Let me know, if I get accepted there, I’ll immediately look for a place to stay so I won’t be bothering you here. If that works out, I plan to resume my studies. I want to go abroad so I can leave here for good.”
“That’s a good plan. Okay, since it’s Sunday tomorrow, I’ll accompany you there. I know they’ve been looking for a masseuse for a long time. Their only masseuse can’t handle it anymore.”
“Just tell me where it is, and I’ll go there myself. I might bother you.”
“Nonsense! It’s no big deal for me. Make sure you’re seen there. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go there.”
“Okay. I’m already grateful.”
“You’re welcome,” Rex said, nodding. The doorbell suddenly rang. “Wait, that might be the KFC delivery. I ordered a snack for us.”
- Writer
