Programmed Wife

Chapter 48

A night filled with warmth, laughter, full of joy. Having people to talk to and joke around, eating the food that she diligently prepared. Leyla almost cried watching Patricia taste her cooking. It’s a simple dish called Sinigang, something that the older woman mentioned she missed when she’s out of the country. Once she took one sip of that sour soup, she clapped like a little kid. She did not stop complementing how good of a cook Leyla is until she finished her food. Like a loving, proud mother, she caressed her hair and tapped her back as she thanked her for the delicious meal.

The moment where she had a hard time keeping it in, it was crazy to think that someone she just met could give her something that she never had before, a validation of a mother. It is something that she always wanted, but all her life she was just together with her strict father.

Yes Carlo is responsible, attentive and caring, but not in this way. Never in a way she wanted him to be, but she did not really have a choice. She can do nothing about it. There are over thirty of her sisters that needed him. He can’t really do much even if he tried.

Just as she got back on her unit still thinking about how nice it is to have known such a sweet mother like Patricia, her phone started ringing. It was an unexpected call from an unregistered number, but she knew who it was.

“Pa! What happened? You did not call for two days,” she worriedly answered the call. She got it right, as the man from the other line started to laugh, it was Carlo.

“Ayasya, I know you’ve been waiting for my call. I am sorry, I got caught up on some things-”

“Is there a problem in the academy? I can go back and help!”

“What did I say about interrupting me Ayasya?”

Leyla bowed down holding the phone on her ear, “I am sorry father.”

“How have you been?”

Leyla sad down on her couch, minding her posture, “Pa, I am officially dating my Boss, Rui Klein Andrews,” she nervously said. Waiting for the response, she held her breath.

“You wanted to date him?”

“I do.”

“You love him?”

“Yes, I do. I love him.”

“Very well then Ayasya my dear. From now on you have to treat him even better, show him your real feelings. You don’t have to fear anything, just push through with what you really want to do. Do you understand me?”

Leyla felt relieved with what she just heard, “Yes pa, I will.” Nakangiti siyang napaisip, “Pa, can I go back and visit sometime soon?”

“No. Ayasya you know this already.”

Leyla immediately bit her lower lip and kept her mouth shut.

“You can’t get back here, just go and live your life. Your sisters will be jealous once they see you back living out there successfully. They still have to study!”

“Ye-yes father, I’m sorry.”

“From now on you have to live your life out there to the fullest Ayasya do you hear me?”his voice started to start sounded aggressive. “Ayasya, I will not call you daily anymore. You must focus on your job and your future, together with your boyfriend.”

“But-”

“Ayasya?!”

“Ye-yes father… I miss you. I love you so-”

“I have to go.”

Leyla heard the ending of the phone call, left in the quiet condo unit alone, she checked her phone, wishing that the call is still on going. She curled up in the couch, hugging her knees and she wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks as she sobbed as quietly as she could.

The bright light shining in her window caught her attention, the huge full moon is peeking at it. Her only witness on this sad, silent night.

She stood up an slowly walked to open up the curtains all the way, she gasped as she saw how the stars twinkled, “It’s even more beautiful in person,” she whispered. “They did not give them much credit in the movies. They’re as blinding as diamonds, how can they not show that?”

With tears streaming down her face, she traced the moon in the window with her warm finger, “I never realized why people in those movies connected such a beautiful masterpiece to sadness. But now I get it.”

Leyla walked towards her bed, pulled out a big sketch pad as big as her torso. She always loved drawing with charcoal, but there is one special art she did with such vibrant and lively colors, the only one. She opened it up to that page and faced it up against the window.

“Look,” she whispered. “Isn’t it pretty?” her voice broke in every word, still keeping her bright smile. “It’s much more beautiful in person guys, I hope you are here with me.”

Little by little her hand trembled, keeping all her sobs as quiet as she can. The beautiful drawing of a bunch of happy women holding hands as they sat so properly as if taking a class picture fell in the floor.

“I miss you guys,” she whispered. “I hope someday I get to see you out here.”

She silently sobbed her eyes out on the floor still watching the stars sparkle. Hindi niya na napansin and tahimik na pagbukas ng pintuan sa unit niya.

Rui cheekily opened the door of Leyla’s unit, bringing a tub of rocky road ice cream. He wanted to surprise his girlfriend with her favorite. But he did not expect what he saw as soon as he entered the room.

The long curtains were wide open, the bright moon directly cast it’s light on Leyla who was laying at the floor, covered by darkness. He turned on the light and worriedly rushed towards the girl.

“Leyla? What happened?” he asked, putting the ice cream down and immediately picking her up to hug so tightly. “Leyla?” he called her softly.

Leyla slowly opened her eyes and blinked, “You knew my code?” she asked with the most fake smile in the world plastered on her face.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course I am,” she said. “Look at the night sky, it’s so beautiful.”

Rui lifted her and sat on the couch to make her sit with her legs across his lap, giving her the most comfortable embrace.

“You like the stars?” he asked as he ruffled her hair with his cheek.

“Mmhmm, I like them, and the moon too. I never expected them to be this beautiful,” she answered. He was a little bit shocked by how her answer was phrased.

“We can always stargaze anytime you want, I can get us permission to get up the rooftop.”

“Really? Can we really?”

Rui held her even tighter, “Of course babe, you can watch the sky whenever you want to. I will be there, I can carry you down if you fall asleep. You wont need to worry about anything.”

Leyla squished her hands behind Rui’s back and the couch, “This is making my heart feel warm,” bulong niya sa lalaki na napangiti naman sa narinig.

“You feel it?” he asked. Leyla nodded and quietly sat there clinging on to him.

“Rui,” she called out.

“Hmm?”

“I want to watch the stars more, can we?”

Without even wasting a second, Rui carried her and headed back to the window to sit down on the floor as she sat beside him, resting her head on top of his lap.

“Do you think the stars are sad?” tanong niya.

“Sad?” he asked as he watched her try and hide her watery eyes. “Why would they be sad? They look so pretty and you like them, they will be happy to know that.”

He never sounded this foolish before but he would try, just to lift some of that sadness off of her eyes.

“Will they be? They are very likeable and pretty, but people expect too much from them. They want them to appear all the time, shine brightly, give a couple twinkles. And when its a little gloomy and they did not shine as much, they were forgotten. Look, they’re even so far from each other. That’s so sad.”

Rui did not say another word, he just listened to her as he comb her hair with his fingers. He saw the beautiful artwork right beside them, it is clearly based on some sort of a class photo. With at least fifteen women and a bunch of little girls playing, scattered around them. The background behind them is a beautiful garden in a closed space, it was pretty, but there’s a sense of loneliness.

Leyla looked up and saw him looking at her artwork, “They’re so pretty right?” she asked.

“You drew that? You did it so well, it’s so pretty.”

“It’s because they are beautiful, I bet they would also love to see this beautiful night sky.”

Rui nodded, “Maybe someday?” he asked.

Leyla held Rui’s hand and hugged it, closer to her face, “Rui,” she called him. “I know a lot about you, but aren’t you curious of my life?”

Rui felt a cold breeze that made him freeze, for a second there he couldn’t say anything. How could he really tell this girl that he cherish that she’s not even real. That he’s pretty sure that she is the humanoid that he somehow bought. To him, loving her is as normal as it gets. But he remembered the one rule that he cant break, listed on that Aphrodite W site, he can’t let the humanoid know of its real self, the said humanoid can lose an interest in life and self destruct. Something that he couldn’t risk.

So instead of telling her all these kept secrets, he chose to lie, “You never asked me, I told you voluntarily. And I am just waiting for you to tell me.”

Leyla brushed her cheek against his strong hand, “Thank you, thank you for loving me. Thank you for being here right now.”

“Oh f*ck, I forgot the ice cream d*mn it!”