KEEPING UP WITH HER CHEERFULNESS

CHAPTER 6 "TRUST AGAIN"

"Why?... bakit mo ginagawa to?"

(Seryusong Tanong ni Zhycarich Kay Clayden)

"Isn't it obvious?, I'm helping..."

sagut nito..

ZHYCARICH POV

"Salamat.."

Saad ko Ritu habang nakatitig lang sa labas ng bintana ng kotse..

Matigas kasi Siya, hinatid banaman talaga Ako..

"For what?.."

"Kasi tinulungan mo Ako!..

nag leave kapa talaga ng 1year bilang doctor sa London para tulungan Ako..."

(Sagut ko ritu at nilingon Siya..)

"Kaya pala Hindi kita mahanap ditu.. tsk.."

"What?.."

"Wala... gusto ko lang mag Tanong..

kong bakit moko tinutulungan?..."

"Because you asked for help, right?"

Ang mga ngiti sa labi ko kanina napalitan agad ng seryusong Mukha..

"I hope what I'm thinking is wrong.."

(Bulong ko at itinuon Ang tingin sa bintana)

" I know exactly what's going through your head.. You believe there's a hidden agenda behind everything I'm doing.

Quit worrying.. I have no malicious intent, no evil designs.. I'm here to assist.. Not to sow fear."

(Anito habang naka tuon Ang paningin SA pag da drive..)

"Kung Ganon...bigyan mo ko ng sapat na rason..

WHY ARE YOU HELPING ME???"

"I already told you.. I'm just really a helpful person.."

Sagut nito sakin habang naka ngiti,

Hindi ganong sagut Ang gusto kong marinig..

gusto ko ng seryusong sagut..

kasi masakit ng umasa ulit..

Yung ginawa ni Bianca sakin..

ayaw kong mangyari ulit Yun..

"I mean it, Dr. Clayden! Yes, I’m grateful you’re by my side.. But.. I just can’t help it.. Maybe I’m just too terrified to let anyone in again.. The pain from before is still too raw! I can’t bear to go through all that again.. Trusting someone now feels like walking on broken glass.. You told me so yourself, didn’t you? So please.. Give me one real, solid reason why you’re doing all this for me.."

Hindi kona napigilan Ang mga luha ko..

gusto ko Mang itago.. but I can't..

it really hurts!..

The car jolts to a sudden stop. He turns to me, his eyes holding a weight I’ve never seen before intense.

“I understand you more than you know… but please… don’t lash out at me right now for what I’m about to say. Because even I… I can’t even put into words why I’m doing all this for you. The only thing I swear to you..

The only thing - is that I will never, ever let you down or betray you… not like your own sister did. I know trusting again feels like fighting a war inside you… but please… give me just a little bit of your trust....

Please, just let those tears stop. I swear to you - the second I figure out what this mess of feelings inside me means… I’ll spill every single detail to you.”

Hindi ko alam.. pero ng Sabihin Niya Ang mga salitang Yun.. para bang mabawasan Yung bigat na dinadala ko kanina..

[I wiped away my tears]

"Nakakainis!… Why do you keep talking in English all the time?! Look at me!… I ended up speaking in English too!’

(I said this with a pout - which made him let out a soft laugh.)

"Sorry na… honestly, I’m just terrible at speaking Tagalog - I can barely get the words right!”

Sagut nito na ikina laki ng mata ko..

SINABI NIYA BANG "SORRY NA"???..

“Alright, alright!… Come on, let’s go.. We’re already here.”

"te..Teka?.. nanditu na pala tayu!??.."

(Gulat kong tanong)

° ° ° ° ° ° °SA CONDO ° ° ° °

"Can you eat all of this?.."

(He asked me in disbelief, staring at the food that had just arrived)

"Ahh...hehe.. hehehe...

Hindi ko alam.."

"What!?..

So you can't even eat all of it, but you ordered it anyway?"

(Anito at tumingin sa mga pagkaing inorder ko.)

"Bakit?..."

"Do you know that all this food is just going to be bad for your health!?.."

"Hindi....

Masasarap kasi sila tingnan lahat..

kaya... kaya inorder ko.."

(He stared at me and shook his head.)

"You're one of a kind... You know what? You're really, really different from all the other women I've met."

(Anito at Isa Isang kinuha Ang mga pagkain at inilagay SA mesa)

"Anong gagawin mo diyan?.."

(Nag tataka kong tanong Ritu )

"I should be the one asking you that... What are you going to do about this?"

"Kakainin?.. ano paba?.."

(Sagut ko ritu na ikina nguso niya..)

"You can eat all of this?..

Unbelievable!.."

"Bakit?... pwedi namang itabi ko Yung iba.. tapos kakainin ko sa susunod na Araw.. diba?.."

"What!??.. All of this is gonna spoil if it sits too long!.."

(I just cleared my throat and stared right at him...)

"Hi...Hindi kasi Ako marunong magluto ehhh.."

"I know.... You grew up rich.. So I wouldn't be surprised if you don't know how to cook either.."

(I looked away from him..)

"Sorry ahh.."

° ° ° ° °

Sinundan ko ito ng tingin at nagulat Ako ng lumapit ito Bigla sakin..

"Anong gagawin mo?..."

Kinakabahan kong tanong SA kanya..

habang patuloy parin siyang lumapit..

"Ano?!..."

Laking gulat ko nalang ng Bigla nitong hinawakan Ang Mukha ko..

"Don't be so assuming, woman..

I'm not going to do anything bad to you..

I just want to check the wound on your forehead.. is it better now?"

(He said this and lifted my face to face his.)

Hindi Ako maka sagut.. baka pang sumagut Ako mahimatay Siya SA bahu ng hininga ko..

"Hmmm hin..mmm.."

Inilingan kulang ito at sumagot habang naka tikom ang bibig..

"What!?..."

"Hmmmn.. hmmmg.."

"What are you even saying, woman?.."

Di ko sinasadyang naitulak Siya.. kaya napaatras ito..

"Subrang lapit ng mukha mo!.. pwedi Naman sigurong layu layuan ng kunti diba?.."

"I'm a doctor..

Those kinds of things don't have any malicious intent to me.. can you please.. don't be so overacting.."

Anito at tinignan Ako ng masama..

"Sayu Wala.. pero sakin...

medyu parang ..."

"Here..

SILICONE SCAR GEL

Put that on your scar.."

Anito at inabut sakin Ang Isang bagay na..

gamot raw SA pilat?..

"Ang dami ko nang utang sayu.. pano Ako makakabayad?.."

"Don't worry..

I'll definitely make you pay up when the day comes that I've got absolutely nothing left.."

Saad nito at umalis sa harapan ko..

"Sana Naman Pera lang sisingilin mo.."

Bigla itong napahinto sa paglalakad dahil sa sinabi ko..

"If it's not money..

There's only one thing on my mind right now.. and I'll tell you when the time is right.."

Anong ibig niyang Sabihin?...

"Btw.. see you tomorrow Ms. Zhycarich Reil Chavez.. I need to go.."

Hindi Ako naka imik ng agad itong lumabas..

Hindi man lang Ako nakapag pasalamat..

Medyu Ang harsh ko yata..

Pero bakit Ganon?..

Akala ko Hindi Siya hihingi ng kapalit sa mga itinulung Niya sakin..

"Pero.. don't you worry self..

Isa Naman siyang doctor.. hinding Hindi Yun nawawalan ng Pera.."

Saad ko sa Sarili at umupo sa sofa..

Te...Teka?..

Bigla akong kinabahan SA Nakita ko..

"O no!.. huhuhuhu..

Kaninong bra to?.. nanditu talaga SA sofa?.. wahhh!...

nakakahiya!.. Teka? bra ko to?.. ayy oo.. huhuhu bra ko pala to.. sana Naman Hindi Niya Nakita.."

Dali Dali akong pumunta sa kusina para tingnan Yung mga nag kalat roon..

"Wahh!.. Yung mga hugasin pala..

parang last year pato.. nakalimutan kong hugasan.. nag kalat lahat.. huhuhuhu.."

Nakakahiyang condo to.. Ang kalat...

° ° ° ° ° °

Someone's POV

"How's your day?.."

The second I walked in, this question greeted me right away.

"'I'm okay..

why are you in my house?'"

"Come on bro!.. bakit ba subrang harsh mo sakin..

parang di mo Naman Ako kilala!..

Di mo ba Ako namimis?."

(Clara ask )

"'And why would I miss you..

if all you bring me every time you visit here is trouble?'"

I said that and ignored her, I just walked right past.

"You're so harsh kuya!.."

She said and chased me as I headed inside the house.

"Ang tagal mo.. alam mo bang subrang gutom na gutom na Ako kakahintay sayu Ritu?.."

"'Have you eaten yet?'"

I was shocked when I finally got inside my house..

it was a complete mess.

I mean...

I shouldn't even be shocked anymore..

because whenever she's here..

it's always like this.

"'I ate everything in your fridge.. I drank the milk.. I drank the juice too earlier.. All the snacks.. I ate all of them earlier.. Everything.

But the stuff you were gonna cook.. I couldn't eat those..

I don't know how to make them."

That's what she rambled on about, grinning at me the whole time.

"'Hah.. you never fail to amaze me..

Why are you such a pesky kid!? huh!?.."

What else could I do..

It happened again.

I just ran my hands over my face in frustration.

"Clean this up, and then go home."

"'Kuya.. you're gonna send me home already?..

You're so mean...

It's been so long since we saw each other, and you won't even hug me?..'"

She said while following me upstairs.

"'You really are such a pesky kid!..

Come here!..'"

I hugged her for a moment.

"Kuya.. ditu nalang Ako plsss..."

(She beg, while still hugging me tight)

By the way..

She's Clara Arkin Desmond. My sister..

There's a 9-year age gap between us..

She's only 17..

and I love her so much..

even if she's like this.

"'Fine..

I'll let you stay..

and you're coming with me tomorrow..

to buy all the food you finished earlier."

I said and gently flicked her on the forehead.

"'Okay okay!..

This is so fun!. I'm already excited!.."

She said, all happy and giddy.

"You really are such a pesky kid!"