Between Hate and Love

Chapter 25

Sa pagkakaunawa ko sa e-mail, hindi pa sina Khal at Sarah. I felt happy about it, but after reading Mr. Sangson’s letter, I find it hard to completely feel celebratory.

Just reading Mr. Sangson’s letter made me feel how great of a father he was to Sarah and I envied that… a bit. I didn’t meet my father. I didn’t have a great father growing up, and all the fathers that I had weren’t like Mr. Sangson or any normal father who truly cares for their child.

‘Yung tatay kasi nina Allison, masama rin ang ugali. Tapos ngayon, si Gino, bayolente.

The thought got me sighing deeply.

Nang makabalik si Sarah sa kwarto ay hindi siya nagsasalita. She went straight to the bathroom, while I went outside.

Finorward ko na lang sa personal e-mail ni Khal ‘yung letter ni Mr. Sangson, dahil sa company e-mail address niya ‘yon naipadala. Then, I prepared myself for the dinner meeting that Khal would have in an hour.

Lumubog na ang araw, sayang nga lamang at hindi ko naabutan ‘yung sunset. Ang ganda ng lugar sa dilim. Binuksan na nila ang iba’t-ibang kulay ng mga pailaw, at buhay na buhay ang beach dahil sa mga taong mas gusto mag-night swimming. There were also some groups who were having a bonfire and it looked so fun.

I took a picture and sent it to Venera, trying to make her envious. But she sent me a picture of her and Hendrix together on the bed, so ako ang mas nainggit.

To: Venera Girl

Gago. Edi ikaw na may dilig!

I knocked at Khal’s door. Wala pang ilang segundo ay lumabas na siya. He was wearing a cream linen suit with a navy polo shirt, cream colored slacks, and a venation loafers.

Khal nodded at me. Nauna siya na maglakad sa’kin papunta sa lounge area kung saan naghihintay si Mr. and Mrs. Asuncion, the owner of the beach resort, and also owners of many lands in La Union. I read and checked their backgrounds and they were a proof of people who came from rugs to riches, they have three daughters that were all managing their business with them.

“Where is Sarah?” Khal asked me.

“Still in the room. Should I call her?” I answered and asked back.

Khal nodded. So I went back to the room while he continued his way to the lounge area.

Upon reaching the room, I tried to call for Sarah, but she wasn’t answering. The door was locked!

I knocked on the door a few times more, before she finally opened the door. Sarah looked at me with a raised eyebrow, asking, “What? Why are you back here?”

Sarah rolled her eyes. Mukhang wala siya sa mood pero naka two piece bikini siya na pinatungan niya ng sheer dress. She looked like she would go for a night swimming as well.

“Khal’s looking for you,” tugon ko.

Sarah’s mood immediately lighten up. “Really? My Khal’s looking for me?” she asked, but it wasn’t a question that needs answering. Muli niyang tiningnan ang sarili niya sa salamin at saka nagmamadaling lumabas ng silid. She purposefully shut the door loudly and then walked out.

Sumunod ako kay Sarah at kay Khal. The meeting was already starting nang makarating kami. Sarah immediately sat beside Khal, after she kissed him in his cheeks, while I stood beside all of them.

Mr. and Mrs. Asuncion seemed nice. They were talking about some lands while eating and enjoying thecold breeze of the night. They chose to talk outside with a huge umbrella in the middle of a circular table with four seats.

“Is she your assistant? Why isn’t she sitting?” asked Mrs. Asuncion.

I said it was fine but she insisted that I should sit, and called some of the staffs to get me a chair. I genuinely thanked her.

I saw Sarah rolled her eyes but I just let it off.

The meeting continued with laughters, but still in line with business. Mr. and Mrs. Asuncion shared few concerns about the business that Khal was telling them. All I did was observe and then write some notes that I think he would need later on. Sarah proceeded to commenting on the food that was served to us.

“Your girlfriend is nice, she gives honest reviews of the food and I would make sure to make some adjustments about it,” Mrs. Asucnion commented, assuming that Sarah was Khal’s girlfriend.

Khal did not deny anything and Sarah was on cloud nine as she smiled so beautifully, flexing her complete set of pearly white teeth.

When the meeting was done, I decided to stay nearby the sea and have a drink. We didn’t have any early appointments on the next day so it was fine if I would wake up a bit late.

Khal did not stop me and Sarah was glad with what happened at the meeting. She was praised, moreover, the Asuncions thought that she was Khal’s girlfriend.

Para ako’ng batang nagdadabog habang naglalakad papunta sa dalampasigan. Kanina ko pa sinisipa ‘yung buhangin. Hindi ko maintindihan ang pakiramdam ko. Pano kasi, kahit alam ko naman na walang namamagitan kina Khal at Sarah, pakiramdam ko ay meron. Hindi kasi iyon dinedeny ni Khal, and Sarah was so happy about that.

Hawak ko ang isang bote ng alak habang patuloy na sinisipa ang buhangin. Malamig pero wala akong pakialam. Ayoko pa rin naman na bumalik sa kwarto.

Gumuguhit sa lalamunan ko ‘yung alak at kahit pa nakakaisang bote pa lamang ako ay naramdaman ko na ‘yung hilo.

Maya-maya pa ay nakaupo na ako sa buhanginan habang ang paa ko ay nababasa ng tubig dahil sa alon.

Nakakainis!

I didn’t really know what more effort should I exert. Bukod kasi sa ako ang laging sinusuyo ni Khal noon, it was never my personality to run after someone. Hindi ako naghahabol! Sa academics lang ako dati sobrang nanghihinayang sa mga bagay-bagay, at grades lang ang iniiyakan ko dati!

If I knew that love was this complicated even on my own love story, hindi na sana ako nagboyfriend.

Hays.

But we all fall as victims of love. Aminin man natin o hindi, to be loved was one of the greatest feelings the world has.

“Hey, Miss, are you okay?” a guy with a baritone voice asked me. He was probably worried dahil may isang babae na may hawak ng bote ang nakayuko at nagmumukmok sa tabi ng dagat.

I looked up to see who the man was.

“River?”

My eyes squinted in an instant, and even he was shocked by who I was.

“Angel?”