Kabanata 8
1424 Words
Hestia's POV
"Cleaved to the brisket, I wonder who's first!"
"I'll bet on those scallywag!"
I eventually found myself on the pirate's ship. With lips parted, I began to roam around and look at everyone who's busy preparing for turning the ship into other direction to depart. They were all using the pirate lingo which made me curious as fvck. I wonder what they were talking about.
"Solene!" I heard someone yelled from behind. It made me tremble in fear when I saw how mad he was.
"C-Cas---Captain." Biglang pagbabago ko sa pagtawag sa kaniya. Damn! I almost called him by his first name. Where the hell is my decency?
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Galit na tanong nito sakin. Napatingin ako sa mga mata niya na tila sinasabing nahihibang na ako sa pagdedesisyon ng ganito.
"I want to go," I answered him. "I want to adjust."
"You can't go with us. Not with these pirates! Not in this kind of situation." He answered back. Halata sakaniya na sinusubukan ang sariling maliit na pasensya.
"Just let me go with you, Captain!" I shot him back, glaring. "Come on, Caspian! I wonder about lots of things here! I have so many 'whats' and 'whys'! I just want to learn and adapt! How would I live in this Island if I know nothing?!" I almost cried to him just so he would let me go with them.
Pagkatapos namin mamangka kanina ay narinig ko si Hulyano na sinasabi kay Caspian ang tungkol sa pagpasok ng ilang mga barko sa isla na ito at plano nilang salubungin ang mga iyon--probably to do and live their pirate life. Simula noon ay kinulit ko na ng paulit-ulit si Caspian para lang payagan ako na sumama sa kanila. He kept repeating that it's too dangerous for me to go with them. I know that! I know how dangerous it is to be with them! In fact, simply being with these pirates was already too much to bear as danger. What danger could possibly still be more terrifying than this fact?
"I told you, it's too dangerous, Solene." He mumbled.
"But I trust you." Mahinang tugon ko na tila nakikiusap sakaniya.
I'm not stupid to put get myself into this. It's like digging my own grave and burying a foot on it. From the time we came here, there's a feeling that was still unknown for me to recognize. I wanted to know what it was all about and this was the only way I found to begin with.
"Please, Caspian," tipid na ngiti ang ibinigay ko rito. "Just let me."
Sa huli ay pumayag na rin siya at sinimulan na niyang magtungo sa may steering wheel ng ship. I was smiling the whole time my feet wandered around. Bawat sulok ay gawa sa kahoy na matibay, hindi rin naman nakaligtas sa paningin ko ang makukulay na kagamitan sa bawat b****a ng mga silid. I was busy roaming around when I suddenly bumped into someone.
"Omg--Are you okay?" Narinig kong tanong ng babae na siguro ay kasing edad ko lamang. I was mesmerized by her glowing tan skin and her cheeks that screams natural contour.
"Y-yeah, I'm fin--," I was not able to finish my words when she suddenly looked into my eyes, tila gulat at sabik.
"Omyghad! No---," she uttered, putting her hands on her mouth as if she was really shock that much. "Hestia?!" She yelled.
"Huh?" I immediately abrupt. "I mean, yes." Agad kong sambit. I don't want to be disrespectful.
"Jesus..." She suddenly cried out dramatically. Kumunot ang noo ko sa pagtataka kung bakit ganito siyang makaasta na tila kilala ako.
Omyghad! Is it because I model back in Philippines?! I mean, that was possible since I model for an international agency back in that country. Pero kahit ganoon ang naging sagot sa isip ko ay hindi pa rin nawala ang pagtataka ko, hindi sapat ang konklusyon ko para masagot iyon. I suddenly remembered why I came with the pirates in this ship. Maybe she could be a help for that.
"Do I know you?" Maingat kong tanong sakaniya, afraid that I might offend her.
"Oh, come on, Hestia!" She dramatically held her chest as if I hurt her. "So it was true." I heard her whispered.
It should have terrified me since that would probably be the reaction of anyone who might be in my shoes right now, but that was not the case for me yet. I rather found this as an opportunity to find out what's missing in me.
"Do you have time?" She asked me. Agad akong napatingala sakaniya para sana sumagot kaso mayroong sumingit sa pagitan namin.
"She has somewhere to go with me." Caspian said in a cold baritone. "Excuse us."
I felt his hand on my wrist before gently taking me with him. Bago pa 'man kami tuluyang makalayo mula sa babae ay napansin ko ang makahulugan niyang ngiti sakin at ang pagtitig niya na tila mayroong gustong ipahiwatig. How come she's too transparent to identify whatever thoughts she has right there? Baka naman sinasadya nya lang? Whatever! One time I'll probably remind her to not be careless of showing her bare mind to anyone, it could put her in danger. Nang matauhan ako ay napagtanto kong nasa harap na ako ng isang pinto na parang pinunasan ng pangpakintab dahil sa pagkinang nito. Above was an inital that says, C.M.
Pumasok kami sa loob ni Caspian at naabutan ko ang malawak niyang silid sa ibabaw ng bapor na kinaroroonan namin ngayon. Gumala ang paningin ko sa paligid upang pagmasdan ang mga kagamitan doon. There was a wooden couch with quilt on it against the wall. Sa gilid noon ay mayroong lamp table at namangha ako sa disenyo ng ilaw doon. It was a bright sun that was trapped inside a wooden cage bilang pandagdag disenyo. I never thought that such wooden materials would look this fabulous! Sa harap ko ay mayroong lamesa na nilatagan ng mapa. I was mesmerized when I see the sea inspired miniatures above the tables that were leaning against the wall.
"It's fantastic!" I exclaimed. Excitement and longing suddenly tickled my chest.
"Do you want to watch the sunset?" He suddenly asked me. I found him holding a wooden sliding door from his track, sa tingin ko ay daan 'yon patungo sa labas.
"Shall we?" Tuwang-tuwa kong tugon. He laughed at my reaction and ended up smirking. Inilahad niya sakin ang kamay na tila sinasabing abutin ko kaya ginawa ko naman.
Dahan-dahan niyang binuksan ang pinto at bumungad sa amin ang hagdan na mayroong tatlong baitang pataas. At the end of it was a balcony that shows the perfect view for the sun. I held on the railings and I felt Caspian's presence beside me. Nakasandal siya sa sulok ng railings kaya nakaharap siya sakin ngayon. He tilted his head towards the direction of sun. Napangiti ako habang pinagmamasdan siya. He seems very much familiar. I heaved a sigh when different emotions suddenly went back to haunt me.
The skies began to appear orange with a mixture of pink. Hindi ko napigilang mamangha sa nasaksihan.
"They say, 'Every sunset is a great opportunity to reset.'," I uttered while mesmerizely watching the sunset. "But instead, I think that sunset appears to remind us of an opportunity to rest." Sambit ko at hindi mapigilang ang pagngiti.
I felt his eyes on me which made me smile even more. Sa ilang linggo naming pananatili dito, sa tingin ko ay hindi mali na amining unti-unting nahuhulog ang loob ko sa tao na ito. He looked so cold and stone, but the warm and soft Caspian lies within him which he did not failed to show me within those weeks we've been together.
"It's just too romantic." I bit my lower lip kasabay ng paglipad ng mga buhok ko dahil sa hangin. "The sunset is like a movie that films us how the sun fiery kisses the night before it dawns."
"It has always been the best part of the day, Sol." He seriously said. Nakatingala siya sa kalangitan na dahan-dahang nagpapalit ng kulay.
"Always.." I repeated.
"Watching the sun rises and sets remind me of someone I value the most, Solene."
- Writer
