Dear, Joey

25

Pagkatapos ng nangyari ay hindi na ko mapakali sa upuan ko. I tried to put him aside but the way the presence of the group and him on Franco's back give me ghost bomb every time.

Babang baba ang ulo ko trying to hide on from him as possible as I can. I'm sure andito na sya bago pa ko makarating sa cafe, I'm sure nakita nya kung pumasok at pumunta kita Javon. s**t! I'm sure nakita nya yung paghalik ni Franco sa kamay ko. s**t! I feel like I'm doing something wrong right now kahit na wala naman talaga.

The way his stare at me awhile ago like I'm cheating on him or something makes me put on edge.

What?! Kasalanan ko bang hindi sya tumawag kaninang umaga? He didn't even answer my call today. Tsaka hindi naman kami bakit ako magu-guilty?! Even so, he said he likes me?! And and.

"Are you okay Hon?" hawi ni Javon sa buhok kung napupunta na sa table.

"Yeah... I- Am fine. Naparami lang kinain ko" tuwid ko ng upo, putting my hair on the back. I glance at Franco's shoulder and saw a lot of those men glancing on our way, habang si Tegan tahimik na nilalaro ang ballpen na hawak nya sa table. Nakaside view sya sa gawi namin. I saw one of the men smile at me.

"Namumutla ka nga" tango ni Franco sa akin at aabutin sana ang noo ko ng pasimple akung umiwas at ngumiti sa kanya.

"Baka cramps lang to." tango ko.

"Baka natatae ka." nguso ni Javon.

Agad kung sinapak sya sa ulo, I didn't calculate the heavy on it at sa sobrang lakas nun nakuha namin ang atensyon ng ibang nasaloob.

Agad akung ngumiti sa kanila bago bumaling kay Javon na napapangiwi sa akin. I saw the group try not to laugh of something while Tegan is biting his lower lip. 

"No, mahiya ka nga Jav. I can't believe you" I said trying to lower my voice. Franco is laughing his heart out.

Ang hindi ko alam kung bakit walang sumisita sa kanila sa ingay nilang tumawa.

"Ang lakas nun ah." ngiwi nya.

"Whatever, so ano na?" pag iiba ko but suddenly my phone ring. Tawang tawa pa rin si Franco.

"Saglit lang.." ngiwi kung sabi at tiningnan ang caller. It's Kuya Lenuel.

"Kuya?" kunot noo kung sabi.

"Asa manila ka?"

"Oo kaluluwas ko lang kanina." kunot noo kung sabi.

"Asan ka? Makati? Bakit hindi mo sinabi? Where are you staying?"  

"Nag book na ko ng hotel. What's wrong with you? Teka nga." kamot ko ng ulo at bumaling kila Javon.

"I'll take this outside." tayo ko.

"Si Lenuel?" ngisi ni Javon making me roll my eyes.

"Nangungulit."

"Sabihin mo pa Pepsi sya! Del Lucia sa Del Lucia!" habol nya sa akin.

"Baliw!" asik ko bago nagmamadaling lumabas. I saw Tegan watch me go but I just handle him later. May sinabi si Kuya na hindi ko narinig. 

".. kasama mo si Javon? Stay with him"

"What's gotten into you? Nasa mall lang kami, palagi syang tambay dito."

Lumakad ako sa gilid at lumayo ng kaunti. May mga taong dumadaan, may mga nakatambay pa nga sa fountain malapit sa kinatatayuan ko.

"Wag kang lalabas ng mall. I'll go there."

"Wala ka bang gagawin? Nag me-meeting kami ni Jav at Mr. Del Cano." I walk leisurely back and fort staring at my sandals.

"Then stay with them, susunduin kita. Wag kang hihiwalay sa kanila alright" 

"No need, I have a car. Tsaka andito si Tegan. Did you know that his back? Biglang bigla ako ng nakita ko sya ngayon." I scolded looking at the glass door, madaming tao ang papasok at nagmamadali sa paglakad, sa magkabilang way. Pasalubong sa loob.

"I'll conference him here. Don't end the call." sabi nya lang.

"What? Kuya wag na.." angal ko but I heard the ring tone. I sigh and look at the direction on the cafe. Sakto naman na palabas si Tegan, looking around. Itataas ko na sana ang kamay ko ng kinuha nya ang phone nya to look at it.

The crowd seems small at natabunan ako ng mga taong dumadaan sa gilid ko. I heard Tegan's voice saying hello when a huge body bomb into my side. I was ready to say sorry when I felt excruciating pain on my side. I held my breath so much because of the sudden pain and force.

The man faces me, and a dark face mask is covering his face and the white hat on his head makes his eyes dark but the cut on the lower side of his eyes scarred his face that makes him more cruel.

He holds my shoulder and push me aside; the knife pulls out and a numbing pain creep on me. I high pitch scream filled the air that it makes it rang on my ears. Matinis na tunog ang bumasag sa tinga ko at parang bigla na lang akung nawalan ng lakas sa sobrang sakit. 

I fought to steady my feet, trying to search Tegan. Nahulog ang phone ko.

I tried to hold the center of that numbing pain until I felt wet on my hand, I raise it and saw a red stains, in between of it I saw Tegan, looking at me, with his terrified look. In that, everything seems slow.

I don't know that I was falling until I feel the cold ground. I tried to breath but something blocking my airway and it got me to go back why I was here. In this place.

"Jullieanna!" I breath hard and it takes me back. Tegan hovering me, on the ground. Without his suit on, I saw his long sleeve polo with full of red stains and his two hands pressing my side stomach with his blazer on it.

A crowd encircling us, and shouts fill the air.

His red face, red eyes that started to shed tears and his trembling hands and shoulder. I heard Javon cursing so loud on the background walking back and fort and the tensions filled the air.

"T-Tegan…" I whispered making him look at me. His lips tremble when he saw me.

"I'm scared" I didn't hear my voice like I whispering to the wind. I felt cold, numbing pain that crippling my body, that makes me lose my inhibition. 

My eyes blurry but I saw Javon dash on my side and ready to cry on me. He helps Tegan.

"Hey, hey! It's fine Jo, you'll going to be fine. I promise I promise... Lenuel is coming... Hmm. Stay with me."

His trembling hands hold my hand and caress my side face and hair. Kissing my forehead and lips.

My tears slip on my eyes down to the ground when I felt his firm pick on my lip. His gripping my hand so tight like my life depend on it. 

"U-Uuwi na tayo..." napangiwi ako. I felt metal taste on my mouth. 

"Yes! We're going home, we're going home! Don't close your eyes baby! Jo! Joey!"

I felt a cold hand on my face. I tried to open my eyes as I can, Tegan shouted something on me, but I can't barely hold my breath again. 

Tegan Alfonso Marval

16 17 18 19 20, 15 minutes. That's the time that it seems longest to me.

15 minutes. The 15 minutes where I am holding her, but it feels like it's the lifetime for me. Andun ako sa puntong parang babawiin yun sa akin. Labing limang minuto, parang nakakulong ako sa labing limang minuto na hawak hawak ko sya. Hindi dahil tumatawa sya ng labing limang minuto kundi nakahiga sya sa harap ko. I didn't imagine this at all. That it's going to happened to me.

I live in power for all my life, money is not a problem to me. Power comes danger and I am trained to face it, but it never been this way.

Sa labing limang minuto, narinig ko sya. She wants me to go home but I know it's a half joke to her every time. When she said she wanted us to go home, I feel like everything stop that it's terrifying, not because of the commitment behind it but it's the last word she says.

I'm a person who is realist. Nasa mundo ako ng reyalidad. Hindi sumagi sa isip ko na magbibigay ako ng emosyon sa iba at maghahangad pa dahil alam kung sobra sobra na ang kailangan ko, but when the first time I saw a young woman ready to create havoc on that bar, with her beautiful flower crown on that boring day. Akala ko lang pala yun.

"She's going to be fine. She's strong Hijo" hindi ako nag angat ng tingin at nakatitig lang sa kamay ko but the warm on her words makes me blink.

"She does po... Jo never quit to anything" I said with my hoarse voice.  I don't even use polite words before even to my grandparents. Kinalakihan ko na, because of the culture that I had but Jullieanna, she always respects everyone, even younger than her. So, bakit? Who the f**k that fucker? Who!

My jaw tightened, and I'm not a person who lose control even if one of my companies faces bankruptcy or huge problem. 

"Why not wash and change your clothes Tegan? Hindi matutuwa si Jullieanna pag nakita kang malungkot."

I look at her suddenly. Her familiar eyes just look like her makes me stop for awhile. She does?

Julliette sigh and look at the operating door with a red light on the side. Kami lang ang nandun.

"Yung anak kung yun.." her voice tremble but smile at me.

"She always put us before her. She's an honor student, she go home before dawn, she never like going out ever since, she like gardening, she never disrespect us but she answers if she's right, one time she said on us "Kahit matanda kayo hindi ibigsabihin palagi kayong tama, and she ask 'O sige nga bakit nasa labas ang buto ng kasoy? but we can't answer it so she reason out that the nature want it to do so" Julliette laugh, my lips move and look at the red light. 

"This is her first time." I look at Julliette and she smile at me getting my hand and tap it like a mother who's giving some advice.

"Thank you Hijo.." she shed tears. Bakit parang ayuko yung marinig?

"Joey didn't really want to fall in love." pilit nyang ngiti sa akin.

I gulp and stare at her. Parang mas lalong bumigat ang katawan ko, that I don't know if I can make it. f**k! Bakit parang nagugunaw ang mundo? O ako lang ba?

I have a high IQ, pero pag sa puntong andun ka sa isang pangyayaring ayaw mong maranasan, feeling ko ang tanga ko. This is the first time that I experience this kind of agony. I'm not really patient to anything that makes me wait for more than half an hour. I really can't but for her, I'm welling to do anything.

"Because of our experiences taught her how to shield herself. Wala akung alam tungkol sa inyo but I notice things on her that changed, and it's good. Try to wait her more and she'll gonna tell you herself." tapik nya sa kamay ko, don't mind the blood on it.

So, I wait her for days. I was in my office distracting myself when Lenuel call me. She's awake.

Agad akung tumayo kahit na nagsasalita pa si Lenuel at kinuha ang coat ko. My secretary tries to stop me because of the meetings. I threat to fire him if he will say more with those stupid meetings.

Hindi ko pinansin ang mga empleyadong nadadaanan ko. Get in inside the private elevator, I push the button and get in. Not stopping for a second.

I run towards my car and maneuver it.

Pag baba ko ng sasakyan ay sinalubong agad ako ni Lenuel. Looking so serious and determined.

"We need to talk."