Chapter 4
1610 Words
CHAPTER 4
Accompany
Automatically, my forehead wrinkled because of what the guy suggested. Bahagyang nagparte ang mga labi ko.
Is he serious?
Sinubukan kong humanap ng senyales ng kalokohan sa mga mata niya pero mukhang seryoso siya sa suhestyon niya, taliwas sa itsura niyang mukhang walang pakialam sa ibang tao.
“Are you kidding? We don’t know each other,” I reminded him.
Kung makaasta kasi siya, para bang nalimutan niyang hindi naman kami magkakilala talaga.
Kaso ang aroganteng lalaki, iba yata ang pagkakaintindi sa sinabi ko.
“I’m Law,” pakilala niya ba naman sa sarili niya. Napangiwi ako.
That’s not what I mean!
Why would I tell my problems to a stranger?
Mukhang nabasa naman niya ang nasa isip ko nang muling magsalita ang lalaking Law pala ang pangalan.
“Sometimes, it’s better to tell your problems to a stranger, you know?” he uttered. “No judgment because they don’t really know you.”
Muli siyang bumangon mula sa prenteng pagkakahiga. Pagkatapos ay hinarap niya ako.
He is serious… What the hell?
He kinda makes sense though.
“Akala ko ba pagod ka? Matulog ka na lang diyan,” utas ko na lang.
I was still hesitant to tell him my problems. Kahit nga kay Rhea, hindi ko buong sinasabi ang problema ko. Alam ko kasing baka kapag narinig ng iba ang mga iyon, magmumukhang mababaw ang nagpapabigat ng puso ko.
I don’t want my feelings to be invalidated just because other people have it worse than me. Just because other people could handle the problems that I couldn’t.
Kaso nagpumilit si Law.
“You sure you don’t wanna ask advice about the guy you’re crying about?” tanong niya pa na ikinalaki naman ng mga mata ko.
“How did you—” He didn’t let me finish.
“Just a guess.” Nagkibit-balikat pa siya. “So now, tell me about that bastard.”
Seriously? Are we really doing this?
Wait. Come to think of it. Hindi ko pa yata nagawang manghingi ng payo sa isang lalaki. Kahit nga sa sarili kong kuya, hindi ko pa nagawa. Hindi rin naman kasi ugali ni Kuya Drake na tulungan ako.
Now, I wonder if this Law has something good to say. Mukhang wala sa itsura niya pero…
“Wait. I don’t even know you well,” pag-awat ko pa.
Para kasing ang bilis e.
We’re complete strangers to each other! Tapos kukuwentuhan ko agad siya ng pinakatatago-tago kong sikreto?
“Lawrentius Zryan del Grico.” He gave his full name without hesitation as if he’s that certain I would not harm him. “You can call me Law, Zryan, or baby. Your choice.”
Kumindat na naman siya pagkasabi ng “baby”. Hindi na ako magtataka kung bigla na lang siyang maging kirat kakakindat niya.
Mukhang ekspertong-eksperto sa pakikipaglandian ang isang ‘to e.
“Tell me, ilang babae na nasabihan mo ng gano’ng linya? Parang expert na expert ka na sa ganito e.” Hindi ko na naiwasang mapatanong.
“Don’t know. I lost count.” I knew it. “So, what’s your name?”
Dahil sinabi niya na rin naman ang pangalan niya, sinabi ko na rin ang akin. Wala namang mawawala e.
“Eve,” tipid na pakilala ko sa aking sarili.
“Full name?”
Seriously?
Pinagtaasan ko siya ng kilay pero talagang tumango lang si Law. Mukhang gusto niya rin talagang malaman ang buong pangalan ko.
“Evianne Alya Shiekinah Valiente,” pakilala ko na lang din.
“Woah. Pretty long name, huh?” kumento niya.
Inasahan ko na ‘yon. Halos lahat kasi ng nakakaalam ng buong pangalan ko, ganoon ang kumento.
“I’ll just call you Alya. Kinda sound unique so…” pagdedesisyon niya ba naman na siyang nagpawindang sa akin.
“Huh?!”
Pero hindi na niya inalintana pa ang naging reaksyon ko.
“Now, tell me about that bastard, Alya.”
Oh hell. Yeah. Nevermind. Mukhang pala-desisyon talaga siyang tao.
It was kind of weird for someone to call me using my middle name. Madalas kasi, Eve o ‘di kaya’y Shien ang tawag sa akin ng iba.
Hindi rin naman sa ayaw ko ng middle name ko. Sadyang hindi lang ako sanay.
Sa huli, bumuntonghininga na lang ako at hinayaan na si Law.
“I’m warning you. Baka hindi mo maintindihan complexity ng dahilan kung bakit ako umiiyak,” babala ko sa kanya.
Even Rhea doesn’t.
“Try me then,” confident na sambit niya naman.
For the nth time, I examined his intense steely eyes. Nakipagtitigan naman siya pabalik sa akin When I sensed that his full attention was on me, I was the first one who looked away.
My heart twisted which I ignored. Doon ko na nga sinimulang buksan sa kanya ang buhay ko.
Stupid, I know. But I did.
I told Law about my fear and fascination with lightning and the reason behind them. Then, I told him about my stupidity in my relationship with Theo.
Right after everything, I tried to find disgust in his face but I found nothing. Inasahan kong babakas sa ekspresyon ng mukha niya ang katangahan sa mga sinabi ko pero wala siyang emosyong pinakita.
He remained serious as if he was really thinking about what I just revealed.
“Sounds stupid, I know. Ilang beses na akong nasabihan ng kaibigan ko. But… I don’t know,” sambit ko na lang sa dulo.
Nanatiling tahimik si Law. Sa katahimikan ng silid kung nasaan kami, parang nagsimula akong dalawin ng kahihiyan. Muli akong napaiwas ng tingin.
Screw me! It shouldn’t have told him my deepest secrets!
But as I started to regret everything, Law finally spoke.
“Nah.”
“Huh?” Nangunot ang noo ko dahil sa unang salitang lumabas sa bibig niya.
“It’s not stupidity,” he mumbled with sincerity and certainty.
My lips parted in utter disbelief because of that.
“That’s the curse of your trauma. Sometimes, we really can’t help but be stuck with it,” he added. “It’s like an unending nightmare that you have to live in with the rest of your life. Been there too, for your information.”
Sunod niyang tinuro ang peklat sa kanyang kilay. Mas lalo tuloy akong natameme.
I never expected that I could get some helpful advice from someone like him.
His deep and raspy voice was soothing in the ears. Parang kaya ko yatang maggugol ng isang buong araw at pakinggan lang siyang magsalita.
“Feeling afraid to be left alone whenever the lightning strikes is not stupidity, okay? Nevertheless, I hate to break it to you but keep choosing that bastard to accompany you whenever the lightning strikes is. That bastard is obviously taking advantage of you and you’re openly letting him.”
Dahil naman sa sinambit niya, napatulala ako sa sahig. Pinag-away ko ang aking mga daliri habang sinusubukang mag-isip.
“Sino ba naman kasing tatawagan ko, ‘di ba?” tanong ko na tila ba alam siyang maisusuhestyon. “I only have one closest friend here. The rest, sa saya ko lang nakakasama. And I’m afraid they’ll call me “nag-iinarte”, you know?”
Because of frustration, I drunk the remaining tequila. Mariin akong napapikit dahil sa pait noon sa lalamunan.
Natahimik din si Law nang ilang sandali. Hindi na ako magtataka kung naisip niyang ang hopeless kong tao.
“Does that taste good?” he asked instead, referring to the bottle of tequila I just finished.
“Yeah,” walang ganang sagot ko.
“Let me taste some.”
“Ubos ko na.”
Bobo ba siya? Hindi niya ba nakitang tinungga ko na ang bote?
Kaso si Law, para bang nabingi. Sinabi ko namang ubos na, tumayo at lumapit pa rin talaga siya sa kinauupuan ko.
I showed him the empty bottle. Tumigil naman siya sa harap ko. He looked down at me and stared brazenly into my eyes. Magsasalita pa sana ako pero bigla niya na lang inangat ang baba ko at pinagparte ang mga labi ko bago ako hinalikan.
What the hell?!
I was stunned for a moment. My eyes were wide open because of shock.
“You’re right. It tastes good,” Law whispered as he smiled and showed his dimple.
Parang hindi pa yata nakatulong ang tequila sa sistema ko dahil imbes na mainis, mas lalong nag-init ang pakiramdam ko.
This was not the first time I got to taste his lips but this is the first time I appreciated them. Inis na inis kasi ako noon sa arena. Pero ngayon…
I realized that his lips were kinda addicting. I wanted to have more.
Naliliyo kong tiningnan si Law. Pumungay naman ang kanyang mga mata.
Screw tequila!
“Let me accompany you for tonight, Alya,” he said under his breath.
He gave me a two-second look before putting his hand on my jaw and brushing his lips on mine again. I gasped in astonishment but I quickly caught up with him and I snaked my hands up to his neck.
I promptly parted my lips and embraced the warmth of a much deeper kiss from him. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang pumasok sa isip ko pero hinayaan ko na lang ang sarili ko.
Without a minute, he lifted me up. Inilingkis ko naman sa baywang niya ang dalawang binti ko. He carried me towards the empty bed while we were kissing each other.
The sounds of our kisses overpowered the light rain outside.
Everything happened so fast. The next thing I knew, I let someone else accompany me for the first time in a long time.
- Writer
