A LOVELESS MARRIAGE

(Harris's POV) I am in Cebu right now and currently staying at my friend house, Timothy. I’m from my business trip and it ended early, so I have a lot of time to roam around the city but I got sick for some reason. I headed downstairs, pumunta ako sa kitchen when I saw a post-it-note with a medicine at the top of the food cover in the table. ‘Eat up. Take your f*****g meds. Don’t you f*****g bug me. Coz I’m f*****g busy working. – Tim’ Umupo ako para kainin ang pagkaing inihanda ni Tim. I’m thankful to have a friend like him. After eating, hinugasan ko na ang pinagkainan ko baka masabihan pa akong ‘f*****g lazy’ ni Timothy. When boredom hits me, I decided to jog around the subdivision. Maaga pa kaya wala masyadong tao sa labas. After 2 hours of jogging. I check the time in my watch, it was already 7 am. I decided to go back at Timothy’s house. I was about to open the gate when someone punched me on my face that everything went black. *** I woke up as I felt so numb all over my body. So, numb that I can’t feel any pain anymore. I don’t know if how many of them who’s enjoying punching and stomping me. My hands and feet are being chained. I was kneeling in the middle of the empty space room. I want to pass out again as I feel tired and useless. I don’t remember anyone if I have a debt to someone or what. My mind was filled with pain, anger, and resentment. I was going mad. I’m losing my sanity little by little. He wanted to scream… to scream for help from the top of his lungs but he held it inside. I’m tired… I’m tired of trying his best... I’m tired of being stuck from my past... I’m tired in my life… I just tired of living in this harsh world. I opened my mouth but there’s no voice coming out from my mouth… With the last punched on my face makes me lose my consciousness. *** I woke up in the narrow and unfamiliar street with my bruises and I was even bleeding. I stood up and trying my best to walk towards at the end of the street. My feet were almost collapsed but I held it in. My body is swaying at every step I take. My mind is screaming and calling for the people I cherished to come and save me and lighten up the heavy load of burden on my shoulder, but no one came. It’s just me. “I’m tired…” I whisper while my hand supports the wall as my way to the exit of the narrow street. I don’t have any clue of where am I. I don’t know how long or how far I walk. I can hear chatters and footsteps at a distance from me. I just keep walking until my body finally gives up. I almost fell into the ground when a warm hand touches my shoulders from the back, and carefully lays me on the floor. A soft voice near me is shouting, maybe for help. She place my head in her thigh. She smells so sweet, like a candy. A soft palm caress on my face which helps me lessened the pain. I don’t know what that person is saying as I can’t understand what people around me mumbling but I reached her warm and soft hand I can’t die like this…I just can’t… I need to survive and get back to those jerks that did this to me… Someone… please… someone… save… me..! I am begging to live because I don’t want the people I cherished to get hurt. I didn’t know if someone – if God – has heard my please… but a soft voice filled my ears. Very soft that it’s like a faint sound of an angel whispering on my ear. “It’s okay… everything’s going to be alright.” I want to open my eyes. I want to see the face of the person who owns that angelic voice. I want to hear her voice again as if I am falling in the deep hole. *** I gasped as I opened my eyes. I immediately roamed my eyes around. White walls. Antiseptic smell. IV fluid. Hospital gown. I realize that I’m in the hospital. “It’s okay… everything’s going to be alright.” I remembered the voice. I look around the room. No one’s here. Is it just a dream? Akmang babangon ako nang biglang pumasok si Timothy. “Harry!” kaagad niya akong nilapitan to help me go back to the bed. “Lie down!” he sounded angry. “You’re wounded!” Natigilan ako. I felt pain all over my body. Yeah… I forgot that I’m injured. “W-what happened?” I ask him while helping me to lay back in bed. “I received a call from the hospital.” Umupo siya sa gilid ng kama. “Ako ang nasa ‘In case of Emergency’ mo that’s why they called me. The Doctor told me that you lost a lot of blood and it nearly killed you. You were unconscious for a week now.” I smiled coldly. “How did I get here?” I remember I passed out in the street. “May nagdala sayo dito sa Hospital.” Napalingon ako sa kanya. “It’s okay… everything’s going to be alright.” That soft feminine voice… it keeps replaying on my mind. “Was it a woman?” I felt disappointment nang umiling si Timothy. “A male doctor in the other hospital spotted you. This hospital is near from the place where you collapsed, so he sent you here.” . . Am I really hallucinating at that time? (Louise's POV) Hinihingal ako nang makarating ako sa harap ng De la Vega Enterprise buulding. Tiningnan ko ang orasan ko kung late na ba ako. Oh! Thank God! I still have 5 minutes before the interview. I am here for a job interview. And I am so thankful when they contact me for considering a position in the company. I actually sent a resume and application letter last 3 months through email. Lubos ang aking pananabik nang tinawagan nila ako para sa isang posisyon. I graduated from college last year but until now I still don’t have a job. Tuwing natatawagan ako pa sa interview ay hindi talaga ako napipili. May mga kasama kasi akong aplikante na ma impluwensya, tinutulungan sila para makapasok. Meron namang aplikante na may maipagyayabang na medalya or certificates. While me, I’m just an average person, I’m not rich, I don’t have any influence to help me, and most of all I don’t have certificates and medals to brag coz I’m not smart. Pumasok na ako sa loob ng building. Inagahan ko talaga para plus points sa employer. Hinanap ko ang elevator at pinindot ang 4th floor. When I arrived at the 4th floor, hinanap ko ang recruitment office. And found it! Dahan-dahan akong pumasok, may limang aplikante na ang nakaupo sa unahan. Pansin ko na sampung upuan lang ang meron dito. Siguro, sampung aplikante lang tinawagan nila. Umupo na ako sa pang anim na silya which is nasa second row. I’m really wondering kung iisa lang bang position ang pag-aagawan namin. Grabe kasi maka English itong nasa harap ko. Nakakawala ng kumpyansa. But no! I’m Louise Sandoval! Kahit ano pa yan, I’ll give my very best shot. Fighting! After 20 minutes ay kompleto na kaming aplikante. The female employee called us one by one para pumasok sa loob ng isa pang pintuan. Nasa pang-anim ako, so medyo may oras pa ako to prepare myself. Kinakabahan ako. Natural na kakabahan ako kasi isang sikat na kompanya itong inaplayan ko. And I heard na one of the CEO ang mag i-interview sa amin. “Next.” Oh god! Ako na! my legs are shaking… Tumayo na ako at tumungo sa pintuan kung saan labas-pasok kanina ang empleyado. I exhaled to relax myself. Then I slowly open the door, inuna kung ipasok ang ulo ko to see inside the room. There are 4 people inside, may tatlong interviewer sitted in the middle of the room with a long table, and one female employee who called us outside earlier to enter the room. I fully entered the room and sitted in a vacant chair in front of the 3 people. They are all men. But one person caught my eye. The middle guy who is sitting in front of me looks familiar. I admit na gwapo siya, pero hindi ko mawari kung saan ko siya unang nakita. He’s busy scanning my resume when he lift his head and look at me. My heart starts racing like crazy. Napakagwapo naman ng nilalang na ito. But there’s something wrong with his eyes, it’s empty and heavy. He looks miserable. “Any supporting documents?” nagising ako sa boses niyang malalim. “Oh, sorry…” lumapit ako sa kanya to hand out my transcript of records and diploma. He accidentally touches my thumb as I am passing my papers to him. He stares at me intently. Now, I closely see his eyes and biglang nagbago ang tingin niya sa akin. I can’t describe how he looks at me pero para bang ito ay nananabik? I don’t know as I’m not sure. Umiwas na ako at bumalik sa upuan. Mas lalo akong kinabahan. “Louise Sandoval?” yung nasa right ang tumawag sa akin. “Yes, sir.” I answered as I look straight to him. “You have a rare blood type… Are you willing to donate it to someone who’s in need?” I automatically look at the man who asks that question. This time, it’s the man who is sitting at the center. He stare at me with his empty eyes, and it scares me. I don’t know how to react to his question as I don’t know what he really meant by that. Is he asking if I will be willing to donate my blood anytime? What if they will ask me to donate everyday? Will I survive? I don’t know how to answer him. “If by donating my blood is a great help to them. Yes, I would be willingly to donate my blood.” I’m desperate as I really need this job. He smiled. He lowers his head to the documents in front of him and he writes something there… and makes a hand gesture to a female employee who’s sitting at the other table. The female employee walks towards me… “Please…” she said as she gesture her hands to the door. I look at the door. That’s the only entrance and exit in this room. Wait… Pinapaalis na ba nila ako? “But…” the employee hold my arm to help me get up. Seriously?! They only ask me one question… and then that’s it??? “Are they serious?” I whisper to the female employee while walking through the door. Ngunit isang ngiti lang ang itinugon niya sa akin at sinabing maghintay lang daw ako sa upuan, bago siya umalis at tinawag ang susunod na aplikante. Hindi ako makapaniwala na iisang tanong lang ang binigay sa akin. It’s even about donating blood. Are they holding a charity?? Wala akong nagawa kundi ang bumalik sa upuan. Napabuntonghinga ako sa pagkadismaya. I’m curious about the others… so I decided to ask the person in front of me. “Hi.” I smiled when she face me. “I’m sorry to ask this, but… did they ask you about donating blood?” “Yeah… I’m even confused why they ask that.” Really? “Did they ask you other questions too?” “Well… yeah, that’s an interview, right?” REALLY?! “Oh… ok, thank you.” Sumandal ako sa upuan. OKAY… I am more confused. Naihilamos ko ang aking mga palad sa aking mukha habang walang humpay na bumuntonghinga. Is this another failed job interview? Habang lumalalim ang aking pag-iisip ay biglang sumakit ang ulo ko. Kaya napagpasyahan kong umuwi na lang total parang wala nang pag-asa pa na makuha ako. Habang nasa elevator, I’m still thinking about that question. Is my answer wrong? Did I made a mistake? Should I answer them ‘no’? Since this is not a charity company. Hays... (Harris's POV) Her scent… Her voice… “It’s okay… everything’s going to be alright.” I smiled as I keep reminiscing what she said. So… that’s her. I stare at her resume… . . . I need her.