Her Wildest Night (Marahuyo Island 1)

PARADISE

Ivory Aurelia Valencia

Malayo pa lang ay nakikita ko na ang magandang postura at aura ni Sue. Her white fair skin is getting too much attention from the heat of the sun ray above. Nilapitan ko siya at agad na sumilay na ngiti sa labi nito. She looks expensive. Well, she really is. No doubt. Shouting luxury and elegance, she still looks elegant despite the bad reputation she had in the past.

“Hi, Aurelia!” Sue said excitedly with her accent and removed his black sunglasses. Ngumisi siya sa akin bago lumapit habang ako ay hindi maipinta ang mukha sa pagbanggit niya ng pangalan ko. Aurelia, really? “You’re getting famous lately. I can almost see your face all around social media.” Tumawa siya dahilan para mairita ako. This girl is teasing me intentionally. Hindi nakakatuwa.

“So… this is your hometown.” Inikot ko ang mga mata ko sa paligid.

“Yeah! Maliit lang at hindi syudad katulad ng kinalakihan mo. I grow up here, pero lately lagi akong nasa France.” Hinawakan niya ang balikat ko at tinuro ang yate. “Let’s go there! Papuntang Isla Marahuyo ang yate na sasakyan natin. And you will be staying there. Have you been there before?”

“Hindi. I can’t afford that high-class exclusive island.” Totoo naman. I’d rather spend my money on a house or business than have a vacation on the island that costs millions of money.

“Great! You’ll enjoy it for sure. Pangatlong beses ko pa lang na makakapunta roon. It’s too expensive, right? Have you seen it so far?”

“Hindi… I don’t even see it on the internet which is odd right? They should be supposed to promote this island para mas makilala.”

Umakyat na kami ng yate at tinawanan niya lang ako sa sinabi ko. Sumunod ako sa kanya at agad kaming binigyan ng juice bago makapunta sa deck.

“There is no need for that Aurelia. Marahuyo Island has plenty of guests, private people but powerful and wealthy… there is always a reason to be there on that island,” she murmured and took a sip gracefully on her juice.

“Just Ivory, Sue. Stop calling me Aurelia.” Umikot ang mga mata ko.

“I love your name!” maarte niya akong pabirong tinulak.

I just shook my head and enjoyed the view of the beach hanggang sa umandar na ang yate at patuloy pa rin sa pagkukuwento si Sue tungkol sa naging buhay niya bilang pagmomodelo.

“That’s why I am focusing more on modeling in Paris. My career went bloom there unlike here.” She made a face.

“Kung ganun bakit ka bumalik ng Pilipinas… at nandito ka? Aren’t you busy?” I heard that she is doing great in Paris. Gusto nga ulit siyang kunin ni Mr. Castro ngunit she turned down the offer. Kung ako rin naman ay talagang mas pipiliin ko ang Paris, maganda ang karera niya roon.

Ngumiti lang siya sa akin dahilan para sumingkit ang mga mata nito. Her smile is a combination of sweet and evil.

“May gusto lang makita… and Glenn asked me a favor na samahan ka rito sa Isla Marahuyo ng ilang araw. Wait! Ilang buwan ka ba rito sa isla?” takang tanong niya.

“Ilang buwan? I’m just going to stay here for at least 3 weeks, hindi lalampas ng isang buwan yan for sure. I have my career back in the city—“

“Career that is slowly falling?” mahinang sambit nito at humagikhik kaya sumama ang titig ko sa kanya, but she just apologetically smiled at me. This woman speaks what comes out of her mouth without even thinking about it.

It was almost 1 hour before we reached the island they were talking about. Sumimsim ako ng juice at tumagal ang titig sa isang isolated island. I took my phone out of my bag to take a pictures of nang mapansin kong walang signal. Bumalik ang titig ko sa isla, maputi at pino ang buhangin, malinaw din ang tubig dagat na halos pinaghalong kulay berde at asul ang tubig. This can pass as one of the best tourist spots here in the Philippines. Not the best but may be one of the best.

“This place is a paradise-like.”

Nakaharap kaming dalawa ni Sue sa railings. Ang buhok namin ay parehong nililipad ng hangin.

“It is,” pagsang-ayon niya naman at inipit ang iilang hibla ng buhok sa likod ng tainga nito.

Umalog ang yate at agad na kinuha ni Sue ang bag niya sa upuan tsaka naunang bumaba. The way she acted; it seemed like this island was like a home to her. Huminga siya ng malalim at marahan na pinikit ang mga mata tsaka tumingala. I shifted my gaze to the whole area after my feet finally landed on the sand.

Unang mapapansin ay ang entrance nila, a huge grandiose area for receiving the guests which is the reception. Bukod roon ay namangha pa ako sa overwater villas na nasa dagat. Maraming tao, halos lahat ay banyaga at iba’t ibang lahi.

Naglakad kami tungo sa reception area. The place is very spacious with contemporary designs that I assumed some furniture was imported from another country. Malinis at maaliwalas ang lugar. Sa paligid ay may mga cabins. But I guess this island is quite huge dahil may mga ATV at SUV pa na nakaparada na tingin ko ay lahat ng yun ay pagmamay-ari lamang ng isang tao.

“Dela Estevez?” I looked at Sue confusedly.

“They are the owner of this resort. Mga Dela Estevez.” Nauna na siya sa counter para kausapin ang staff tungkol sa pina-booked na room while I was busy roaming my eyes around.

I lifted my head on the highlands na medyo may kalayuan sa gawi rito. My jaw dropped when I saw the beautiful and extravagant commercial building of Sky Lounge, sobrang laki at ganda ng pagkakadisenyo. Hindi ako makapaniwala sa ganda at high class ng islang ito. The province is quite small, Catalina is a small town. So I didn’t expect that Marahuyo Island would have this breathtaking view.