Hate And Desire

Chapter 3 - His Little Martina

"Ahm--" Armando find it hard to catch for words. He was staring at them like he was dumb struck of terror? or was it a triumphant glint in his eyes?

Jordan wanted to smirk at the old man, tiningnan niya si Celestine na ngayon ay namumula na ang mukha sa pagkapahiya. She can't even look at him. Drowned by your own fire, huh baby?

"What is the meaning of this?" Sa wakas ay nakapagsalita din si Armando.

Nagkibit balikat si Jordan. "Why, do we have to explain it? Two consenting adult caught kissing by their parents who happened to be married couples?" Tuya niya.

"W-we're just confused." Sagot ni Tanya. "Why would you kiss each other?"

"Mom!" Protesta ni Celestine.

Tumikhim si Armando. "Wala namang problema sa'min kung nagkakamabutihan na kayo, kasal kayo e, malaking pakinabang ang kasal ninyo sa partnership ng mga pamilya natin." Patuloy ni Armando. "In fact, we're discussing earlier kung pa'no namin kayo pagkakasunduing dalawa, pero sa nakita namin, do we really have to?" Armando looked at him and then he looked at his daughter, nagtatanong ang mga mata.

There was an unbearable silence.

Celestine was avoiding his eyes. For he was looking at her with his dominating stare. 

"Jordan...Celestine.. tulad ng sinabi ni kumpare, pinag-uusapan namin kung pano namin kayo pag-aayusin. You're already married  for 8 years, it's time for the both of you to really settle down." Arnold  managed to broke the silence. Aware of the burning tension between them. 

Jordan just shrugged his shoulders as an answer.

"Hija?" Nagtatanong ang mga mata ni Tanya sa anak nito.

 Celestine's phone suddenly rang. She stared at the caller.

"I-I'm sorry, it's Zeron, please excuse me." Paalam nito at nagmamadaling tumakbo palabas.

There was a strong feeling of annoyance as Jordan watched Celestine run away to meet her lover outside. His jawline hardened due to an intense feeling he couldn't control. He was tempted to follow her outside and drag her back in here! She have no business with his cousin! After kissing him back so passionately, she would still want to see her lover?

His father looked at him knowingly na tila nahuhulaan nito kung ano ang nararamdaman niya ngayon.

"Are you willing to cooperate with us, Jordan?" Armando continued.

Jordan asked the counter boy to give him a bottle of wine. Which he wondered kung kanina pa ba may counter boy na nakatayo doon o pareho lang nilang hindi napansin ito ni Celestine.

"Why don't you ask your daughter? At the moment, she's the one who's obviously dating another man." Balewala niyang sagot, now drinking his bottle of wine.

"And you're just gonna let it happen?" Armando's voice rose a bit. Matapang niyang sinalubong niya ang mga mata nito. He have a very hard feeling towards this old man and he have to idea.

"I have had enough of  your daughter's bitchiness, okay? First, she accused me of r**e and I was forced to marry her, and now that we're married, she turned to be the unsatisfied wife, nailing my very own cousin! Do me a favor, will you? Talk to your precious Celestine, tell her to stop what she's doing or I will do what she did to me before, I will sue her for being the unfaithful wife!"

Inisang lagok niya ang bottled wine at galit na humakbang palabas at iniwan ang mga sakit sa ulong tanders.

CELESTINE looked at Zeron and she's feeling so guilty. This is not right anymore. They isolated themselves in the garden away from the crowd, para makapag-usap sila ng masinsinan. Nakaupo sila sa gilid ng fountain.

"Ze...I want to say sorry kung hindi ko nasabi sa'yo kung kanino ako kasal, hindi ko naman akalain na magpinsan kayo ni Jordan."

Ze's elbows was on his knees as he stared at the opposite fountain very seriously. She knew he's trying to compose himself.

"Ze--"

"He's in this party, right? Have you talk to him about the annulment?" He demanded

I tried but we end up kissing. Napapikit siya sa alaala, na kung hindi siguro sila nakita ng parents nila, baka saan na sila humantong ni Jordan! Everything that happened was really confusing her. Dahil mula nang umalis si Jordan, nakatanim na sa isip niya na kahit kailan hindi siya pag-uukulan nito ng pansin kaya nalilito siya sa nangyari sa kanila kanina lang. Why is he hitting on her now?

"Have you talk to him about the annulment?" Muling tanong ni Zeron, medyo tumaas na ang tono nito.

"G-gusto nina Daddy at mommy na magkaayos kami ni Jordan."

"What?" Nagsalubong ang kilay ni Zeron, napatayo ito. "And why would they say that?"

"They said it's for the family business."

"So you just agree with them?" Zeron stared at her angrily. His eyes examined her thoroughly

"Ofcourse not! but you know my parents are strongly against our relationship because he's protecting the family image, dahil kahit na ano pa ang ikatwiran ko, I'm still a married woman at hindi dapat na nakikipagrelasyon sa iba..."

Muling naupo si Zeron at hinawakan siya sa magkabilang balikat.

"That's why you have to file an annulment babe, you were an underage when you got married to him and it is against the law, tapos basta ka na lang niya iniwan pagkatapos ng kasal ninyo...Your marriage with him didn't matter dahil sa papel lang kayo kasal..."

He was almost begging. She stared at him compassionately. This man who have love her more than enough, who accepted who she was, who have been so patient with her when she told him that they couldn't touch as long as she's legally married. Hinaplos niya ang pisngi nito.

"I'll try to talk him again Ze."

Zeron smiled at him.

"I'll talk to him too." Pinisil nito ang kamay niya. "We're going to do this together..." She nodded.

Zeron embraced her tightly.

"I don't want to lose you babe..." He whispered and kiss her hair.

Matagal sila sa ganoong posisyon. But her mind are so full of doubts. Knowing that Jordan was back. She felt like a cheating wife! She felt like a trash! Why suddenly she's feeling odd like this? It always felt right before Jordan was back! Agad niyang inilayo ang sarili kay Zeron.

"What's wrong?" He wondered.

"I just don't want my parents to see us."

Napatango ito. "I understand."

Jordan was with Ramsel's house today and  he wanted to laugh. They're  seeing each other almost everyday now. Way back in College, they were really good friends, nagkataon lang na nag-focus si Ramsel sa pagbabanda noon at nag-focus siya sa pag-aaral kaya naiba ang circle of friends nila. But whenever they see each other, it's just like the old times.

"This is quite an early visit, buddy." Nakangiting sabi nito na naupo sa sofa sa tapat. His house is surrounded with full masculine interiors, bright and cozy in the sight.

Inilagay niya ang isang envelop na nanggaling kay TP sa center table.

"What's this?" He gave him a puzzled look

"I need to ask you a favor, man."

Tiningnan nito ang laman ng envelop. "Prem Angel Anne Madonna? Why?"

"Can you talk to Bosh Antonio? I'm willing to pay kahit gaano kalaking halaga."

Tumaas ang kilay nito. "I'm just wondering what are going to do with this woman? She's quite young for your age."

"Aw you hurt me. I'm doing a favor to a friend. It's a top secret." He answered, He doesn't need to discuss that it came from TP, he doesn't want to break the man's trust.

"I see, so how was Georgina's party? Hindi ako nakapunta, I have my personal appointment."

"'Was fine."

"Ah...you're not gonna tell me anything?" He teased

"What are we? BFF's? quite fishing bro..."

Napailing naman ito. "Tsk! then quite sailing into two rivers, idiot! It's absolutely confusing you whether it's a wrong river or a regal river."

"Now you're talking!" They both laugh at their words, enjoyed reading between the line.

Dumating ang mga meryendang ipinahanda ni Ram sa mga katulong. Ram was reading on newspaper's article and he noticed his jaw clenched from what he's reading. He knew the news is about his wife and Netro Gabriel.

"What's taking you too long to kick Netro Gabriel's ass?"

"Ah we're not talking about my own mess here Jordan Leveste, we're talking about yours..." He avoided.

He raised his hand to surrender. "Ayt, got it! The best way not to be transparent is to simply avoid the question." He teased.

Ram stared at him seriously this time. "Did you and Celestine  talk about your arrangement?"

Shoot! To hear her name made him feel different. What is really going on with him?  He just shook his head as an answer. Ramsel continued to inquire.

"You know what buddy? We're almost of the same situation e, that's why I'm curious how you're gonna fix this mess with your wife?" Dagdag nito

He didn't answer. Ram studied him as if he's weighing his situation compared to his own situation.

"How do you think Celestine ended up accusing you of such a crime? How close are you with Celestine before?" He asked like a private investigator.

He stared at the fragile display beside Ram's couch. Avoiding eye contact with his friend "We're very close buddy, very very close.."

"And you didn't even like her? How was that even possible? She's a very beautiful woman."

"She was young, just like a baby, at parang nakababatang kapatid lang ang turing ko sa kanya..."

"And you didn't even notice that she's falling inlove with you?"

Jordan look at Ramsel intently, totally bothered by the question. Did he really not notice it before? Or he's just too blind to see? Flashes of memories started to play backward from his mind like a scene in a movie. It all started on the day when he met and fall inlove with Georgina...and then he met her younger sister, the ten year old Celestine...

He was sixteen and was in 1st year college when he met Georgina. Agad nilang nagustuhan ang isat' isa. They became friends and soon introduced each other to their families. Because of them, their parents became business partners. 

Celestine that time was a very shy girl. He had a sister named Martina na kasing edad lang din ni Celestine but his sister's personality was completely opposite  to her. His sister was very sweet and cheerful young girl but she had an illness, an illness that broke his heart when it took her life away. No one was able to cheer him up when he was mourning for the lost of his beloved sister, not his own family, not his relatives, not his friends, not even Georgina...no one but the young Celestine...

HE WAS SITTING ON A BENCH in the garden inside the Escudero mansion,  he was waiting for Georgina because they planned to have an early lunch. He wanted to forget everything by often seeing his girlfriend, he wanted to get rid of this loneliness, nakatingin siya sa malayo na ang isip ay nasa kapatid niya...his precious Martina. Humugot siya ng malalalim na paghinga, here's the pain again, it was stabbing his heart to death, it was killing him.

"Hey! Are you sad?" He was amazed when the young  Celestine talked to him for the first time. Nilingon niya ito at nakatayo na pala ito  malapit sa kanya. Even at ten years old, she already looked five years older than her age dahil malaking bulas ito. She was slightly chubby but it suited her, she looked adorable in her baby pink shirt and fitted black short shorts. 

He smiled at her gently. "How did you know?" He asked

"Because you lose your sister..." She answered with so much compassion. "I hate to see people sad...what can I do to make you happy?"

Nagsisikip ang dibdib niya habang nakatingin dito. Just like Martina, his sister hate to see him sad that's why she always make him laugh. She would sing a song for him, she would laugh while dancing gracefully and she would bring him out to their garden to play tagu-taguan. How he freaking miss her! She's so young to leave the world, there's a lot more she could do and experience. It was so unfair! He's fighting so hard not to drop a single tear in front of this young girl.

"Why do men don't cry?" She pouted her lips. "Or you're just too afraid to show me? You don't want me to think that you're gay or maybe it's hard for you to show your true emotion?" She said innocently. "C'mon, let it go, I won't tell ate Georgina..." He didn't know if she was just teasing him. It was as if she knew what he's fighting at that moment. But hell! For the first time since Martina was gone, he wanted to laugh! He found her so cute and amusing!

"What made you think that way sweetie?" He asked gently, he felt a sudden tenderness inside him.

"Kase, whenever you're with Ate Georgina, you're always happy and I always see you smile, pero hindi na kita nakikitang nagsa-smile these past few days...Was it too painful?" Again, sweet innocent eyes met him.

"Very." He found himself opening up. He never talk anything about it with Georgie. He didn't want to intensify the pain of lost at naiintindihan naman iyon ng nobya, but why was he opening up with her little sister?

"What can I do to make it better?" There's too much concern in her eyes. Just like Martina, she always ask that kind of question kapag napapansin nitong may problema siya.

Humugot muna siya ng isang malalim na paghinga.

"Can I ask you something sweetie?" He instantly nodded. "Can you sit beside me?" Itinuro niya ang upuan para tumabi ito sa kanya. She willingly obeyed him.

"What is it?" She asked with an innocent look.

"Will you be my little sister from now on? Will you be my Martina? Will you make me happy just like what she always did? I miss her so much..." Pakiusap niya. Letting go of his emotions that he tried to hide for many days. Totally forgetting that he's talking to a young girl who'll probably wouldn't understand what he's been coming through. 

But he was wrong, it seemed like she knew how painful it was for him. She smiled at him so sweetly at niyakap siya ng napakahigpit.

"Alright, I will be your Martina from now on...Martina is soooo back and you won't ever be a lonely man any more." she promised.

He closed his eyes and hugged her even tighter. Saka niya pinakawalan ang mga luha na ilang araw na niyang pinipigilang kumawala. Then he was feeling better. Indeed, from that very day his Martina was back. For good.