Ashes of Love

CHAPTER FIVE

It was already four in the afternoon when I saw Aaron in his brown long-sleeved shirt, and black khaki shorts. He looked like he just woke up and immediately got up from bed just to fetch me here in Aling Madel's place.

I pouted. Why does he looks so good in that messy hair? And why the hell I keep praising him? I have been telling myself countless times that I shouldn't trust him, but here I am praising how good looking he is! My head injury must have made me crazy.

I sighed in the hope that my mind will stop praising him, and I did succeed.

Earlier, after I got a taste of banana que, I asked Aling Madel if I could join her in selling it to her other neighbours. She agreed to my idea. I was just actually bored that's why I asked her about that one, but never did I expected that I would hurt my throat from shouting 'banana que init pa!(Still Hot)'. But it was a fun experience. And take note, I've earn fifty pesos from selling it. It's all sold out so Aling Madel gave me a share of her sale.

"Hey, I've earn money," I told Aaron proudly. I even giggled. I really felt proud, don't know why. I'm weird, I know. Well, girls are always weird.

Aaron smiled at me before closing the distance between us. I almost shout when he abruptly snakes his arms around me, and pulled me closer to him to claim my lips. "It's only an hour that you're gone, but I missed you already," he whispered between my lips.

I didn't make a move at that. I wanted to push him for stealing a kiss from me but I refrained myself from doing it. There are a lot of people who's watching us, I do not want to embarrass him nor myself.

"Let's go home," I told him without looking at his face. I'm shy about what he did earlier.

"Alright, baby."

Damn that baby. If he would continue calling me baby I might melt any time soon.

I bid my goodbye to Aling Madel and her squad. They all nodded and waved their hands at as an approval. Then, Aaron and I started walking our way home while holding each other's hand.

I really need to punch myself for letting him hold my hand.

'But his hand is so warm. It's so comfortable.'

I heave a sigh at that flirty inner thought. Maggy, you're doomed if you'll fall for his tricks. Tsk. Tsk.

"We'll have some grilled fish for dinner," Aaron suddenly spoke. I was pouting my lips that time as I gaze him. From the thought of having a steamy and freshly grilled fish for dinner made my mouth waters.

"What kind of fish we're going to grilled?" I asked him since I am craving for a marinated grilled Bangus. Oh my, imagining it makes my stomach to make a sound.

Aaron chuckled at that. "It's a Bangus. You have to marinate it and put some spices. It's your favorite."

I think my eyes twinkles at his statement. My heart thump at the excitement —well, my stomach is much more excited. "Come on, let's walk faster so we could start preparing our dinner!" Then I grabbed him excitedly to our house.

Even if my mind is telling me that I shouldn't trust him, my heart wants to do the opposite. It's just so weird… or maybe I am just like this because he's treating me kindly? I don't know. I think I do not have a choice here after all, because if I leave him without notice, I would die from hunger and would just get lost from this place. So better grab this opportunity since destiny is being good to me.

***

Days rolled back so quickly that I haven't notice that we've been staying here for roughly two weeks. I'm getting better, but not totally healed. I still have some unheald bruises and wounds. My head sometimes throb —most specifically if I forced myself to remember something.

These past few day, Aaron has been so good to me. Well, he never treat me bad actually. He's sometimes sweet, and sometimes serious. He's sometimes busy with his phone calling for someone.

One time I sneak a peek on his phone when he's not around but I failed to see what's inside his phone since he got a pass code. I tried to enter some possible password such as my name, his name, my birthday and his, but at the end I just gave the thought of opening his phone.

Sometimes Aaron would go to the river and go fishing, and sometimes he would join the farmers to plant rice. I do not have a problem with that. I let him do what he wants. Our life here is actually peaceful.

I've learn also that most of the people here were helped by Aaron when a typhoon hits the entire farm land —that explains the warm treatment of the people her to us. Well, at least, Aaron is wasting his money for doing some good deeds. I'm sure he will be receive a great good karma at the end.

Although it's peaceful here, I can still feel that something is lacking. That I cannot totally call my life here as peaceful without it —and that thing is basically my memories. I do not want to force myself to recall something anymore but I am getting frustrated as the time goes by. I really want to know something. I need to know, because there is something within me that urges me to know everything as soon as possible.

Staring at the window, I release a sighed. Dark clouds are slowly forming outside, a signal that a heavy rain might come. Then I looked at Aaron Trev —who's standing not that far from me. I stared him for a couple of second. I opened my lips to utter some words. I know I have already asked him this question so many times that I even lost count. But I just can't help it. I want to ask him and ask him till my mind agrees with his statement.

"Who I really am?"

He averted his gaze at me, then he heaves a sigh like he's losing some strand of patience again. Who would have lose his patience if I have asked the same question almost everyday?

"You are Maria Georgina Echavez. You're turning 22 this May. You graduated Bachelor of Arts in History in MSU-IIT...and you're my fiance," he told me.

Okay, it's the same script. Nothing more, nothing less.

We were actually okay these past few days, but I just thing that I need to push him to tell me the truth again. It's not that easy to be clueless as this. It's frustrating.

"I want to go back to my family," I said. A sense of horror crosses his eyes, but it was so quick that it changes to irritation. He's irritated and that's because of me.

"We have already talk about it, Maggy."

I shut my eyes and when I opened them, I fired him the same intensity he's giving me. "If you really wish for me to remember everything then you should bring me back to my family! How could I remember my past if you're just going to isolate me in this mountain?!"

"It's dangerous, Maggy. Just please, trust me." His eyes were almost pleading em to believe him —to trust him. And I want to slap myself so hard since my heart is shouting me to trust this man.

We fell into silence. No one spoke until a loud thunder roared up the sky after a horrendous lighting strike.

"Baby," Aaron called me. "Let's stay here for a couple of months, Maggy. I promise you, once your wounds heal completely we will immediately go back." There's sincerity in his eyes.

Defeated, I nodded to his statement. He promised me, and I'll hold in that little hope.

"Just make sure you're true to your words, Aaron." And with that I left him alone inside our nipa-hut house.

***

I can't count how long I've been gone from our house, but I'm sure I have been gone for long since it's already dark and it's also raining.

I embraces myself. Im so cold and at the same time hungry. I actually want to go home but the rain is too harsh for me to run the distance back to our house. I was just walking earlier —without thinking where to go. When I got tired I take some nap, which ended to be a sleep —when I opened my eyes, that was the time that I found out that it was already dark. Then after that, the rain started pouring.

The wind blew the trees wildly, like it was so angry from something. The sky was also busy throwing several lightning strikes and bomb-like thunders. You can hear nothing tonight other than from the scream of the sky.

"Damn...I'm really hungry," I murmured. Then after a while, I shut my eyes when I felt a pang of pain in my head. It's throbbing again.

The sky lightened up again when another strand of lightning was release. I heaved a sigh.

I'm only relying now in this large tree —which I couldn't name— as my shelter, yet due to the heavy rain I still got myself wet.

Should I ran back to our house now? I'm wet already so what is the point of staying here under this tree?

I battled with myself multiple times before I decided to let myself drenched by the water. I ran.

"Ate Maggy!"

I halted when I heard someone calling me. I looked back. There's none. Then I heard a voice again.

I'm not familiar with the voice but it keeps on calling me.

Are they searching for me?

"s**t!" I let out a curse when I remembered Aaron. He migjt be worried and looking for me now! Well, I'm not sure if he's worried but maybe it's the case since I am under his care.

"Maggy!"

I tried to looked around. The voice is coming from three o'clock. I faced the direction but there's none. But I am sure I am hearing words!

"Maria Georgina!" That's Aaron!

"Aaron!" I shouted for his name. I didn't move. I stayed where I am standing, even if I was so drenched and even if the rain keeps attacking me.

I am so hungry and so cold. My lips are already shaking, plus my head throbs! Oh, Maggy, you're clearly digging up your own grave!

"Maggy! Where are you?!"

"I'm here!" I shouted back. I can hear that they are near. The voice is coming from behind so I looked back. And praise Heavens when I start seeing light coming from the flashlights.

I can see three people coming to my direction. I smiled at the thought that I am going to be rescued now. Finally, I could go home, and eat my dinner.

I ran to their direction but I was halted upon seeing the face of Aaron. It's dark and I couldn't see the care from it. He's angry. My heart banged from nervousness. Aaron is mad!

"Maggy." I just saw his jaw clenched.

I gulped. He's also drenched by water. I am cold now since I was drenched, but the intensity of colnesess that his eyes is giving me made me shivers more.

"Aaron," I called his name softly. My lips are already trembling and my knees are shaking. I know it's not because of the cold. It's because of him. I'm scared of him!

"Aar—" I gasped when he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him. I was out balanced and crashed to his large and hard chest.

"I thought you're gone… You scared the hell out of me, Maggy. I'm so worried!"

I gulp. I can feel the loud beat of Aaron's heart. He's worried of me, he said.

Oh… that was a relief to me. I thought he's gonna punch me for what happened.

He releases me from his embraces. Then he curses upon seeing how I looked like —which I do not know.

"Let's go home," Aaron said as he grabbed my hand, but my feet remains unmoved. I can't even take a single step. My throat becomes dry. My heart feels like being squeeze, and I can feel something from my throat building up that is so hard to swallow. Then my eyes started to heat, till fresh tears slowly rushing down from it.

I am seeing images. Images which I wish that do not belong to me.

"Maggy, what's wrong?" he asked but I was so busy from the images flashing in my mind. Then I stared Aaron, unbelievably. I gulped. My hand started to shake, and then I take it back from him.

"Maggy…" his voice was cold. He tried to get my hand again, but I step back.

"Maggy!" It's a warning.

"D-don't go near me. Y-you're scaring me, Aaron."

He wrinkled his face. He's confuse I can see that, but I am more confuse than he is. I am not sure if this is part of my memories. But… It seems so real.

I shouted and wiggled myself when Aaron grabbed me back to his arms again. I crashed to his chest, and I was unable to escape. He's to strong and firm that I couldn't help but just let him hold me.

With trembling lips I uttered my words, "don't hurt me, please." It's not just a mere statement. I am pleading him. "Please, Aaron. I'm scared." That's the last thing I've said as I remember how scary his face when beating me up inside a small room.

I tried to denied that one but the images keeps on flashing. And I can't do something about it but to cry and begged for Heavens to give me some break since my head is really throbbing so bad that it would burst out any moment now. But the Hevaens didn't hear my plea, for a certain memory keeps on flashing in my mind.

The room was well lightened, but the image of Aaron beating me up made that room dark…

No, those are not my memories.

To be continued....