Pleasure in Retaliation

CHAPTER IX

A surprise?

This man sure has many things up his sleeve, I thought to myself as I watch Adrian from the side of my eyes as he drove us back to the mansion.

I felt a bit disappointed when the gloomy and cloudy skies came right on cue to the time when I felt the want to take a quick plunge into the inviting waters of the stream. But when I remembered the time that Adrian found me at the dark and damp street, drenched in sweat, tears and the heavy downpour of rain—the memory of what happened that day prior to my breakdown had me step back and go with Adrian inside the SUV, a lump on my throat forming as I tried to push the bugging memories away.

Even though the rain had brought comfort to my system that night, I fear that when I get drenched again by its downpours… the whole reason behind why Adrian saw me that night would resurface, and I still don’t have the ample strength to face those horrific images.

The whole ride was silent but I wasn’t feeling uncomfortable with just the low humming sounds of the car’s machines filling up our eardrums, thus I did not even dared to speak on the whole duration of the ride until I felt the machine die down and saw that we have arrived back at the Gentallan mansion. I watch Adrian get out of the car and ran to open the car door for me in complete silence and offered a slight smile as a thank you, the man smiling back at me as his answer as he helped me get out of the vehicle.

“Come on, Miss Lynn,” Adrian said in a slight rush. “The rain’s almost here.”

I nod at Adrian’s direction and followed him towards the mansion, taking a brief glance at the sky and took a note on how the darkness overlap the clouds, large dark gray clouds replacing them with their tears about to fall. Almost immediately, as Adrian and I were confined inside the mansion’s walls, huge drops of rain made its way down from the sky—as if the sky waited for us to get inside the mansion so the man beside me and I won’t get wet by its outrage.

“Thank goodness, we got the timing right,” said Adrian. He stood beside me with his hands on his hips catching his breath, then turns to me and asks, “you all good, Miss Lynn?”

“Y-yes,” I answered. “I’m fine.”

Adrian nodded his head and gave me a smile before turning to the watch on his wrist, checking the time. He looked at me for about a minute or so without even saying anything, which made me feel a bit uneasy.

“I-is there…” my voice trailed off as I tried to swallow the lump forming inside my throat. “s-something on my face, Adrian?”

Adrian did not give anything as an answer, aside from shaking his head with a faint smile on his face. He took a step closer to my side and I face him as I wait for him to say something. after a few moments of Adrian making me feel uncomfortable by his deep stares, he started to open his mouth.

“There’s still plenty of time before the second meal of the day, Miss Lynn,” he said in his deep yet happy tone. “You can still go upstairs to take some rest.”

Because of the discomfort that I felt, I could not find the courage to utter out a yes to Adrian as an answer. I could not do anything but nod my head at his direction, pinning my gaze away from him as heat started to creep up my cheeks. The man did not dare to say anything as well, as I felt him move away from my direction. I only raised my head up when I no longer felt Adrian’s presence beside me, and only caught a glimpse of his back as he walked along a hallway.

Releasing the breath that I did not know I was holding, I tried to calm myself before heading towards the stairs that would lead me up to my room on the second floor of the house. My lips formed an instant smile as I recalled the little trip that I had with Adrian this morning when he brought me to his safe haven.

Maybe because I grew up in the city and my parents never let me join them on their trips, why I held such an adoration in every place that I could see here in this strange place. I’ve only been to few places here in this island, but I already felt like Charlie when he took a stroll inside the chocolate factory. As silly as it may sound, I felt like a three-year old, yearning for more sceneries that would take my breath away.

Finally reaching the door to my room, I heaved a long sigh before twisting the knob open. I changed to more comfortable clothes before I approached the window beside my bed and took a quick glimpse of the green fields and trees being bathed by the rain, inhaling the dam and musky scent. As the feeling of contentment wash over me, I pulled the curtains slightly to the side, only enough to let the cool breeze in to the room.

I turned towards the bed and settled on it, letting the fluffy sheets take me to a place of tranquility as my brain reminded me of the beautiful sparkling waters that the man, whom I may consider now as a friend, showed me. My lips formed into a slight grin before I allowed the rain took away my consciousness.

I immediately sprang from my bed when the loud chimes disturbed me from a dreamless sleep. Still half-conscious, I went to the bathroom connected to my room and took a bath, letting the cold water bring me back to my senses. It took me twenty minutes to prepare inside the bathroom, and I was on the verge of buttoning the last button of my louse when I heard a faint knock coming from the other side of my bedroom door.

“Lynn, are you done preparing for school? Breakfast is ready for you,” said Aunt Pacing as she invited me to go downstairs.

“Yes, Aunt Pacing! I’ll be down in a few!” I shouted towards the door as I hurriedly finished buttoning my blouse and pulled my still damp hair up to a messy bun before I reached for my things and went outside of my room.

I was about to pull the door close when I caught a glimpse of my half-sister Elaiza coming out of her room as well. I turned to her direction and raised a hand to wave at her but I went still when I saw anger fuming from Elaiza’s expression.  

“Why did you wake up so late, huh?! I told you to clean my room first thing in the morning, didn’t I?” Elaiza exclaimed as she pointed an accusing finger at my face.

Naiyuko ko na lamang ang aking ulo dahil hindi ko maatim na makipagtitiga sa mga mata ng aking kapatid na nag-aapoy sa galit.

Dahil sa labis na takot ay, "O-opo ate," na lang ang aking naisagot. Kung may nakakakita man ng aking sitwasyon ngayon ay maihahalintulad nila ako sa isng asong nababahag ang buntot dahil sa takot sa kanyang amo.

Sumusukong dinalawang hakbang ko ang papunta sa kwarto ni ate Laiza at bagsak ang balikat na pinihit ang siradura ng pintuan upang makita ang parang dinaanang bagyo na kwarto ng aking kapatid. Halos hindi ako makapaniwaang isang babae ang nakaaatim na tulugan ang ganitong kakalat na kwarto. Kung ibabase nga sa hitsura nito'y mas maayos pa ito manamit at mas mayroon pa itong sense of fashion.

Ngunit isiwinalang bahala ko na lang ang kaisipang iyon kasi kung tutunganga lang ako'y siguradong mahuhuli ako sa unang subject ko. Buti na lamang at 9:00 am pa ang una kong subject kaya may oras pa akong makapaglinis.

Saktong isang oras ang inabot ko sa paglilinis ng binagyong kwarto niya kaya nang matapos ay halos naging bagong laba ang aking bimpo sa pagkakapuno sa aking pawis.

Nang masiguro ko nang maayos na ang kwarto ni ate Laiza ay lumabas na ako at naglakad-takbo papunta sa hapag-kainan. Ngunit laking pagkadismaya ang aking nadarama nang matagpuan si Manang Pacing na tahimik na nililigpit ang mga pinagkainan nila mama, papa, at ni ate Laiza.

Unti-unting bumagsak ang aking mga balikat at nanghina ang mga tuhod nang maalala ko ang ganitong klase ng eksena.

Walang kasamang kumain.

Walang kakwentuhan.

Walang kapamilya kasalo.

Nalulungkot ang mga matang tinahak ko na lang ang daan palabas upang gumayak na papunta sa eskwela.

Naipihit ko na ang siradura ng main gate ng bahay nang may boses akong narinig na tumawag sa akin. "Hija, aalis ka na ba?"

Paglingon niya'y nakita niya ang maamong mukha ng kanilang mayordoma. Mapakla niya itong nginitian nang mabakas sa mukha ng matanda ang pag-aalala. "Hindi ka pa kumakain, anak... baka magkasakit ka na naman."

Hinigpitan niya na lang ang kapit sa mga librong hawak niya't saka sinagot ang matanda. "Hindi na ho, nay. Sa school na ako kakain. M-may project pa ho kasi akong tatapusin." Napalunok na lang siya nang unti-unting sumilay sa mukha ng matanda ang isang ngiti. Nagtatalo ang kanyang isip sa pagitan ng pag-aamin dito sa totoong dahilan ng anyang maagang pag-alis o kaya ay hayaan na lang niyang isipin ng ginang iyon upang hindi na ito mag-alala.

Sa lahat kasi ng taong nadaan sa buhay ni Dominique ay si Manang Pacing lang ang tanging tumuring sa kanya bilang isang anak at napakatalik na kaibigan. Maraming sikreto na ang kanilang nasabi sa isa't isa kung kaya't nahahabag siyang magsinungaling dito. Ngunit sa ngayo'y kailangan niyang sabihin iyon para na rin sa ikakatahimik ng loob ng matanda.

Pinagpag muna ng ginang ang suot na apron saka muling humarap sa kanya't nagsalita. "Oh siya, sige. Mag-iingat ka, anak ha."

Ngiti na lamang ang isinagot niya saka nagtuloy na sa paglalakad patungo sa eskwelahang kanyang pinapasukan. May kalayuan man ang unibersidad mula sa bahay niya'y mas gusto niyang maglakad na lamang upang mabatid ang ganda ng paligid sa kanyang harapan. Ngunit hindi niya maiwasang isipin kung ano ba talaga ang rason.

Rason kung bakit ganoon na lang ka-abot langit ang galit sa kanya ng ate Laiza niya.

Sa buong buhay ni Dominique ay hinding hindi siya tumayo sa harap nito. Kahit anong ipinagagawa sa kanya ng kapatid ay palaging nakataas noong sinusunod niya ang utos ng ate dahil sa pakiramdam niya ay sa ganoong paraan lamang sila nakakabuo ng komunikasyon sa pagitan nilang magkapatid.

Kahit nga sa mga ibinibigay ng mga magulang nito sa kanya ay hinding hindi siya nagrereklamo. Kahit pa iyong mga pinaglumaang damit ni ate Laiza niya ang binibigay sa kanya ay waang halong pagaalinlangan niya itong tinatanggap. Gustung gusto kasi ni Dominique ang paraan ng pamimili ng damit ng kanyang ate. Talagang ito'y umaayon sa uso at talaga namang bumabagay sa balingkinitan nitong pangangatawan.

Kaya nagyoy lubos siyang nagtataka kung ano nga ba ang totoong rason kung bakit ito galit sa kanya? Dahil ba sa ampon lang siya't tanging dugo lang niya ang namana mula sa ama nito ang nakuha niya? Sinabi niya naman sa lahat na tanggap niya na ang katotohanang iyon at sabi pa nitong wala na raw siyang magagawa kung ganoon na ang nangyari.

Muling lumalim ang pag-iisip niya habang binabaybay ang kalye papunta sa university nang hindi sinasadyang matamaan siya ng bola mula sa kung saan.

Huli na niyang napansing nabuwal siya sa pagkakatayo't nahulog lahat sa lupa ang mga libro niya. Nasasaktang napasapo siya sa bandang likuran ng kanyang ulo kung saan siya natamaan ng bola.

The ball may have hurt her physically ngunit hindi niyon natumbasan ang sakit na nadarama niya sa kanyang puso.

Dominique continued to walk kahit hindi niya masyadong maaninag ang daan dahil sa tamang natamo niya mula sa bola. She felt dizzy and can't look at the street straight. Pinipilit niyang tahakin ang daan patungo sa eskwelahan but unluckily all of the darkness ate her system which made her fall against the body of a man who's behind her.