TRACE DIMAGIBA (Wild Men Series #1)

FREAKS 1

Metro Manila

October 2021

CHLOE

It had been three months mula nang dumating ako dito sa Philippines. I was supposed to come here with my parents and Carly but they didn’t make it kaya ako na lang pinapunta nila. The problem with Carly get worse than ever. She needs extra care kaya nasa psychiatric hospital muna siya nag-stay. Ang sabi ni mommy at daddy ay medyo gumaganda na yata ang lagay niya roon. I really hope so. I am praying for it too.

Yes, sana… sana she will be okay soon. I miss the old Carly, that is so vibrant and had a positive outlook on life. The one who is always there for me. Cheering. Supporting. And believing me.

For three months ay wala na akong ginawa dito sa Philippines kung hindi ang pasimpleng hanapin si Trace Dimagiba. Not even telling my cousin Harriet about the truth, wala akong sinasabi kahit kanino na hindi okay si Carly. That is our family’s secret. Mommy told me that no matter what queries I heard from our relatives regarding the whereabouts of our family, I still shouldn’t give any information that my sister is mentally ill.

I sighed, thinking about mom. The truth is... I understand mommy. She is right.

Carly was the perfect daughter a mother could ever have. Mommy would never let anyone to talk anything bad about Carly, I don’t want that too. Whatever that happened to Carly ay tama na doon lang sa California, na hindi na kailangan makaabot pa sa mga kamag-anak namin dito sa Pilipinas. My sister would be fine and we will solve the problem we are facing. Ang sabi nga nin mommy ay matatapos din lahat at babalik si Carly sa normal..

I sadly smiled. Yeah, Mommy is right; everything will be okay as soon as I can find that asshole*. Wait for me, Trace Dimagiba! Our paths will cross soon!

Actually, for the last three months since I came to the Philippines, I have done my best as I tried to look for the man’s name on social media sites. But his name, Trace Dimagiba, wasn’t there. Indeed, it’s hard to find. Probably he was using a different name kaya hindi ko siya mahanap. There are lots of Dimagibas and mayroon din mga Trace but no one has a name of Trace Dimagiba.

“Do you remember Paige?” tanong ni Harriet na ikinatingin ko sa kaniya.

Harriet usually talks to me in English as she had no idea that I can understand some Tagalog words. Mommy usually talks to me and Carly in Tagalog. I am not good at deep Tagalog words, I just know some. I can understand but I cannot speak well at mukha akong ewan with my Californian accent. For me kapag nagsasalita ako ay feeling ko fluent ako pero sa reactions ng mga kausap ko ay notice ko na natatawa sila sa akin kaya hindi na lang. Sa isip ko na lang.

“Paige?” bewildered, I asked. If I remember it right, Paige was her friend that we supposed to visit almost four years ago. Hindi lang natuloy noon dahil tumawag si Paige na na-ambush ang father nito kaya hindi niya kami mai-entertain in case na pumunta kami sa province ng family nito. Nasa ICU that time ang father ni Paige.

“Yes, Patrice Gertrude Dimagiba. My best friend Paige…” Harriet was smiling while trying to make me remember her friend’s name. “There will be a birthday party for her in Salvacion, two weeks from now. She said she could pay for our all-expense trip and vacation once we attend her celebration.”

Dimagiba?! My eyes grew bigger. Not with the free all-expense trip and vacation that Harriet was telling me about. Yes, I remember now her friend Paige. I mostly remember the handsome brother of Paige Dimagiba, actually… that Patricio Dimagiba.

Dimagiba. At ano kaya nila ang asshole* na si Trace Dimagiba? I am gonna find the man soon… I know it! I feel it!

But that Patricio… I blinked. May wife na kaya siya? I hope that he’s still single.

Patricio Dimagiba…

My Patricio… Yeah! That was his last name. The man I could remember forever for the way he gave me an eye before. His hazel brown eyes, his hair in a bun, and the tattoo on his neck and nape.

I was infatuated with that man years ago na kahit bumalik na ako sa California ay hindi siya mawala sa isip ko. Probably he was the reason too kung bakit hindi ako nagka-interest sa kahit sino na ka-age ko before. I don’t know if what I felt for him was just a crush pero kung crush man iyon ay sobra naman because inabot na ako ng graduation ko sa college before siya nawala sa isip ko.

But it wasn’t love of course. Impossible iyon ‘coz I don’t believe in love at first sight. Hindi totoo iyon. A hundred percent that it’s not true but just romanticized by movies and novels. Crush at fist sight ay oo, but not love. I even had a crush on Oliver at kahit crush ko iyon ay never ko sinasabi na love ko na iyon. I just like him at alam ko na siya ang gusto kong mahalin at makasama. Oliver, the perfect gentleman.

“Do you wanna come with me to Salvacion?”

Nabalik ako sa present because of the question of Harriet. I nodded my head and answered. “Yeah, I love that!” I was smiling now ear to ear dahil sa malaking chance na mahanap ko na si Trace Dimagiba. How could I forget Patricio’s last name? Stupid me!

Me and Harriet kept on chatting when Manong Berto, the driver, slowed down and pull over. Napatingin kami pareho ni Harriet sa unahan, may nag-bump na mga vehicles at ngayon ay nakita namin na bumaba ang lalaki sa isang sasakyan at mukhang galit na aawayin iyong matandang naka-pedicab na nakabangga sa car nito.

That is a pedicab. I know that. Harriet told me that it is called a pedicab.

I didn’t like instantly the man na dinuduro si manong na naka-pedicab. Those kinds of people are bad. Mayayabang. Palibhasa may kaya sa buhay ay feeling mataas sa kapwa.

Unlike Oliver, rich yet humble. How I miss Oliver. Siguro if I didn’t resign ay possible na boyfriend ko na siya.

I sighed. I hope I can find Trace Dimagiba immediately to talk to him as I want to return to New York. Oliver would still hire me. He said so. I believe him so. And Carly will be fine.

Oliver… I will marry him soon.