Chapter 2: Somewhere In My Past
2803 Words
Chapter 2: Somewhere in my Past
“I WANT you to meet Sophia Carrantes.” Nang tuluyan itong humarap, he felt like his whole world literally stopped. His heart raced, and the side of his eyes feel odd. He's just grateful na wala siyang hawak na wine glass, because it would really be awkward kung sakaling naihulog niya iyon dahil sa gulat.
Fvck. So he wasn’t really imagining yesterday huh? The girl in red with Shiinel’s pretty face was really there. He doesn’t know how to feel. Should he be happy because she’s alive? O dapat siyang malungkot dahil hindi ito bumalik sa kanya? After all the thinking, mas nanaig pa din ang sayang nararamdaman niya. Finally, tapos na ang mga gabing hinahabol niya ang mukha nito sa kanyang panaginip, because now, he could clearly see her pretty face smiling right in front of him.
He really don’t how everything happened, but it doesn’t matter right now. Ang mahalaga nandito na si Shiinel, his misery was over. Yeah, She really is here and he don’t understand how he fvckin feel. This feeling is overwhelming.
Maybe, they could start all over again?
“My wife.” Mr. Carrantes added and his jaw dropped. His mouth was open in full surprise. He’s kidding right? Coz he will kill him if he’s not.
Bumalik ang tingin niya kay Shiinel, or is she really Shiinel?
NAGPAALAM si Sophia kay Clarence na pupunta sa comfort room. Tumango ito sa kanya bago siya kinintalan ng magaang halik sa noo, without minding about those folks na kasalukuyang nakatingin sa kanila. That made her smile.
"Be quick okay?" paalala nito.
"I will." she said. Tinanguan niya ang mga kaharap ni Clarence before she finally excuse herself.
Nang makaalis ay agad siyang tumuloy sa isang madilim na bahagi ng lugar. Hindi naman talaga siya
Pupunta sa comfort room. She just want to get out of there and breath.
Hindi siya sanay sa ganoong okasyon. Yes, she expected na maraming dadalo and some would talk to her, pero masiyado paring nakakakaba. It's suffocating. Maraming tanong sayo at kailangan mong ngumiti sa kanilang lahat kahit nangangawit ka na. She's been managing their hotel, and been experiencing the same, pero hindi sa ganon kahabang oras! Ang tagal niya ng nakatayo, and her feet feels terrible. Curse her high heeled shoes!
Nagsumiksik siya sa isang sulok and made sure na walang makakakita sa kanya. She wanted to rest, and she highly hope na wala sanang gumambala sa kanya. Kung matatagalan man siya, she'll just make some reasoning.
NAPANGITI si Nick ng makitang umalis si Shii---He mean Sophia. Simula ng makita niya ito sa party, he'd been thinking of how to talk to her. Pero, hindi ito lumalayo sa tabi ni Carrantes. Nagdilim ang anyo niya ng maalala ang lalaki.
All throughout, kay Sophia lang nakatuon ang kanyang Pansin. Kaya ng makakita ng pagkakataon ay agad niya itong sinundan. Luminga muna siya sa paligid, at ng masigurado na walang nakakapansin ay agad siyang naglakad papunta dito. Nasa may isang tagong bahagi ito at medyo may kalayuan sa karamihan.
A smile crept his lips ng makita ang pagkainis sa mukha nito habang tinatanggal ang suot na sapatos. The feeling is weird. Kailan pa ba siya huling ngumiti? Hindi na niya matandaan.
"Hi." Walang pag-aalinlangan niyang tawag sa pansin nito.
Napansin niya ang pagkagulat na rumehistro sa mukha nito ngunit agad din namang nakabawi. "Hello." Ngumiti ito. Something is new with her smile. Her smile is alive, full of confidence and far from Shiinel's timid smile.Could it really be true? Is she really Sophia Carrantes and not his Shiinel? I hope not. Kasi masakit.
"Are you enjoying the party?" Bumalik sa kasalukuyan ang isip niya ng marinig ang tanong nito.
"Yes." Nawalan na siya ng gana. He felt disappointed. He stared at her beautiful face. Why is it that she couldn't remember anything? He stared at her for more time, but still, hindi niya makita ang hinahanap. That hint of recognition. Is she really not Shiinel? His heart sunk with the thought. Pero magkamukhang magkamukha ang mga ito. He knows every contours on Shiinel's face, and Sophia has all of it. Except that ...
Is that a mole he’s seeing? No matter how he think about it. Alam niyang walang nunal sa gilid ng mata si Shiinel. He love staring at Shiinel’s doll shaped eyes, so there is no way that such beautiful mole could skip his eyesight. Maybe she really is not his Shiinel, but whenever he look at her, he can’t help but to assume.
“I don’t mean to be rude Mister, but could you please stop staring? I’m starting to get embarrassed.” That seem to wake him up.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—
“No it’s okay, medyo hindi lang talaga ako sanay sa atensiyon.” She smiled again, and he couldn’t stop staring down at her curved and luscious lips. Kahit madilim sa parteng iyon ng lugar kung nasaan silang dalawa, he could say that her lips are one hell of tempting pieces! If only he could—
No!
But he have to. His mind is having a war of its own. Is the woman with her Shiinel or not? He was almost settled with the answer not, but his hopes or maybe it’s his heart? That stops him.
There’s only one way left to know the truth, and he won’t let it pass. Nagsimula siyang maglakad palapit dito. He could say through her now furrowed brows that she’s starting to worry about his sudden action. But he could care less, his focus is on one thing and that is to …
“Mister, what are you— Hmph!” She tried to fought back when he pulled her on her nape and brush her lips against his. Like what he expected, he felt that panging pain when she slapped him the very moment she managed to break free. Zeus, that was hard!
“Pervert!” Gone was her sweet smile and now she’s fuming. What do he expect? “Y-you, w-wag ka ng lalapit sakin!” She stomped out that dark place and went back to the crowd, leaving him satisfied.
He knows that what he did was stupid, pero hindi niya yun pinagsisisihan. He doesn’t have a single idea what game the woman is trying to play, kung bakit ito nagpapanggap, kung bakit hindi ito bumalik sa kanya, but one thing is for sure, he’ll play with her. He’ll surely play her game hanggang ito na mismo ang sumuko.
He know it was her, the moment she tasted her lips which he had longed for seem like hundreds of years, he know for an instant that she was his Shiinel.
He’ll win her back, even if takes a lifetime. He surely will.
MABILIS na bumalik si Sophia sa kung nasaan si Clarence. She was grasping her dress, just the level of her heart. It felt like her heart would jump out of her chest sa sobrang kaba! T-that perverted man!
Tinapunan niya ng alanganing ngiti ang mga bisitang bumabati sa kanya. She’s losing her poise and that is that perverted man’s fault! How dare he?! She clenched his fist. God she wanted to cry, she felt humiliated and all.
Mabilis siyang lumapit sa tabi ni Clarence at kumapit sa braso nito. She felt safe in instant. Wala na siyang pakialam kung naagaw man niya ang pansin ng mga kausap ni Clarence dahil sa kanyang ginawa.
“Hey what’s wrong?” He asked full of concern as he shifted his full attention to her.
“Nothing.” She was glad that she didn’t stammer. She doesn’t want to ruin the celebration they prepared for long just because of that pervert. She’ll deal with him later when she have gained her composure back.
“You sure?” He put his hands on his cheek and she can’t stop herself from leaning against his palm. A smile of fondness grew on his lips and they just stared at each other for some moment. She really love this man.
Sabay silang nagising sa realidad dahil sa pagtikhim ng mga bisitang kanina’y kausap ni Clarence. She blushed hard, upon realizing what just happened.
“I see, this two are very much in love with each other huh?” Ani ng isang matandang lalaki na kung susumahin ay nasa late fourties na. She smiled with his judgement and so was Clarence.
“You see Mr. Ramirez, I am just so gorgeous, that my wife can’t resist my charm.” He winked at her, and she smacked his shoulder earning a cheer from the crowd. Tumawa lang si Clarence and she can’t stop herself from smiling upon seeing his glee.
“Hayyy, I could remember my youth from this two.” Narinig niyang sabad ng isang babae. If she’s not mistaken, the woman is Mr. Ramirez’s wife.
Pumailanlang sa lugar ang isang malamyos na tugtugin. So the special part of the night has come?
“Can I have this dance with my bae?” she smiled when she hear that endearment he gave her. How did they come up with that endearment again? Oh, she remember, it was when she ask him about her stand in his life.
”Clarence, who am I really in your life?” She asked one day.
Nasa sala sila ng bahay. Nagbabasa ito ng dyaryo habang siya naman ay nakahiga sa kandungan nito. She doesn’t know what came up on her mind, but he just wanted to know. Ibanaba nito ang hawak na diyaryo and look down on her. Itinabi nito ang babasahin and tucked her hair at the back of her ear. She giggled, kung wala siya don, siguradong hindi diyaryo kundi mga dirty magazine ang tinitingnan nito, katulad na lang ng mga nakita niyang nakatago sa ilalim ng kama nito ng minsang maglinis siya ng bahay.
“What’s with that giggle?”
“Nothing. So what now? Who am I really in your life mister Clarence Gabrielle Carrantes?” She shifted position and laid on her side as she nuzzled her face against his hard stomach.
“You’re the best.” He said nonchalantly as he laid his back and spread both her arms fully on the sofa.
“Best and what hmm? …” she looked up on him and he looked down on her. She knows that they’re bearing the same emotion on their eyes.
He shrugged his shoulder, the way he always do whenever he run out of words. “Everything.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t know exactly how to explain it, pero sa tuwing naiisip kita, ang pumapasok sa isip ko is that you’re everything I need, nothing more. Just you.” Then he bent down to kiss her on her forehead.
“Really? So okay lang kahit itapon ko yung mga magazine sa ilalim ng kama mo?” She tried hard not laugh her heart out ng makita ang naging reaksiyon nito.
Nanlaki ang mga mata nito “NO!” Muntik na siyang malaglag sa sofa sa kakatawa kaya nakurot tuloy siya nito sa tagiliran.
Sophia smiled ng maalala ang parting yun ng buhay nila ni Clarence.
Best and everything … that is from where they've gotten their silly yet sweet endearment.
They were dancing from side to side with the gentle beat of the music. He drew him closer and she leaned on his chest. Napapikit sa kapayapaang bumalot sa kanya the moment she was enclosed by his embrace. She feels safe and protected. It feels like no one could ever hurt her when he's there. Hindi niya alam kung bakit naisip niyang may magtatangkang manakit sa kanya, but she just felt it. Na tila ba may isang pwersa sa lugar na yun ang gugulo sa maayos niyang buhay.
"May I dance with her?"
She felt her body stiffened when she heard that voice. That same voice she feared. Her heart beats crazily. Hindi na niya kailangan pang lumingon para malaman kung sino iyon at kung kanino ito nakatingin. She could feel it through her skin that he was eyeing her intently. She tightened her grip on Clarence neck, giving him the message that she doesn't want to be with him.
"Of course. Just please take care of her." Napapikit siya ng mariin sa naging sagot ni Clarence, at kung hindi lang nakakahiya ay baka nasabunutan niya ito dahil sa pagiging insensitive.
The next thing she knew, Clarence loosened her grip on her and she wad left at the center with that perverted man. Uneasiness covered her whole being. She doesn't know what to do. She was tugging on her gown and fighting so hard not to scream for help. No, she wasn't really scared of him. She's just so uncomfortable with him around. There is something on the way he look at her that she can't name. Like he was made up of the letters D,A,N,G,E,R. Something is on him that she can't pinpoint, and that something could make her chest tightened and her heart race.
She flinched with their contact. Her body stiffened and that's when she realized that she was holding her breath! God, what's with this man! Kinakabahan siya.
"God, woman! I won't kill you so why are you stiff?!" She flinched with his voice and saw him scowl.
He grabbed his arms and circled them on his nape, then he put his arms on her waist.
"What's with you?" He heard him say as they began to sway from left to right. "Why can't you remember? Or maybe you just don't want to?" She felt him tightened his grip on her waist na tila ba may emosyon itong pinipigilang lumabas. She looked up on him and if she's not mistaken, she saw sadness crept his serious face. Why is that? Wala siyang maintindihan sa mga sinasabi nito. Remember who?
Her eyed travel down to his prominent nose, down to her lucsious lips, those lips that kissed her just a while ago. He shook her head. And why is she even thinking about that?! He took advantage of her!
The song changed. She was about to pull out, but he hold him still. Wala siyang nagawa kundi manatili. She can't afford to make a scene in the middle of the party and ruin it.
Somewhere in My Past
I met you just tonight
But I keep wonderin why
It seems I've always known you all my life
I've held you only once
But I keep wonderin why
It seems I've held you forever
She felt her body froze and it's just frustrating because she don't know why. He held her closer and she didn't refuse.
Can it be true
Could I be wrong
That somewhere in my past
I fell in love with you
Could it be true
Could I be wrong
That somewhere in my past
There was also me and you
They continued to sway from left to right, pero kung kanina ay halos takbuhan niya na ito, ngayon naman ay mas humigpit ang hawak niya sa leeg nito. She needs support because her knees wobble with every struck of the song's lyrics. It's like an imaginary stone was placed above her which makes her breath grow rugged.
I kissed you only once
But I keep wonderin why
It seems I've kissed your lips so many times
I know you only now
But I keep wonderin why
It seems I've known you forever
Oh yeah
Ah-ha
I love you only now
But I keep wonderin why
It seems I've loved you forever
Somewhere in my past
There was you and I ...
Somewhere ...
The very moment the song ended, she immediately withdraw from his grip and ran. Wala na siyang pakialam kung may nakapansin man sa kanya, because all she wanted now is to get away from him and ease the tightening of her chest.
She was catching her breath ng tuluyan siyang makapasok sa comfort room. Why? She don't understand. Bakit ganon ang nararamdaman niya?
She stared at her reflection on the mirror and her confusion grew upon seeing that woman. Why? Why does she look hurt and ...
Why does she look deeply wounded?
She don't understand.
***/********************************
Gee❤️
- Writer
