Not Until You

Chapter 08

Juniper’s POV

“How’s Velvet & Vine?” Papa asked in a low voice.

Napatingin ako sa kanya. He never asked me that question, ngayon lang. I was not the one in charge of the whole Velvet & Vine, Papa has someone assigned to it. But he knew I was going there whenever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to take a rest from the hospital.

“Doing good,” I simply answered.

Papa, Tiya Carla and I are living on the same roof, but I also have my apartment somewhere near the hospital. Mas madalas pa rin ako dito sa bahay keysa sa apartment ko. And gusto ko rin kasi na laging nakikita si Papa and Tiya.

“Nakarinig kasi kami ng balita na nagpunta raw si Mayor Gunner sa Velvet & Vine!” masayang sambit ni Tiya habang hinahanda ang vitamins ni Papa.

May gulat akong napatingin kay Tiya habang ngiting ngiti naman siya. Lumipat ang tingin ko kay Papa at kita ko ang pagbago ng mukha niya, malamang ay napagmasdan ang reaksyon ko. Agad akong umiwas ng tingin at kinuha ang salad bowl na binili ko sa paper bag nito.

Napalunok ko. “Y-Yes po, he got some drinks at the bar and hindi rin naman nagtagal.”

Pumalakpak si Tiya. “Talaga ba? Naku, masasarap ang drinks doon! Mukhang babalik iyon!”

Halos malaglag ko ang hawak pero pinili na kumalma. Gusto kong bumagsak sa narinig. I am not used to this. I am very open with them. This is the very first time na may tinago ako sa kanila… lalo na kay Papa. Hindi ko man sabihin at aminin sa kanya ay tiyak alam kong nakakakutob na siya, or worst? Baka alam na niya.

Napahawak ako sa batok at inalala ang pagkikita namin ni River sa Velvet & Vine. I served him five glasses of what I recommended to him. Tumagal siya sa harap ko ng half an hour and that was the longest 30 minutes of my life. Sa loob ng 30 minutes na iyon ay napuno rin ako ng text messages and calls galing kay Sielo. I even noticed Hart entered the Velvet and Vine, mukhang nasabihan sila ni Sielo to look after me but they didn’t do anything naman. It was just a casual face to face interaction with the Mayor of the City, he was smiling all the time na akala mo ba ay walang pinagdaanan.

His aura and vibes were different from the night I saved him. That night was heavy and traumatic. And up to now, I still remember his helpless and hopeless face.

“Ahm, b-baka nga po,” mahina at utal-utal kong sagot. Hindi na ako tumitingin sa kanila at inabala ang salad bowl.

“Gwapo si Mayor diba, anak? Ilang beses ko na rin siya nakita pero iba pa rin talaga! Mas lalong gumagwapo ang bata na ‘yon! Matangkad! Makisig! Mabango—”

“Juniper…”

“Huh?” Napatingin ako kay Papa ng tawagin niya ang pangalan ko. Kitang kita ko ang pagtaas ng kilay niya sa akin. Halatang hinihintay niya na may sabihin ako.

Napatingin ako kay Tiya at nakita ko rin ang pagtataka sa mukha niya. “Okay ka lang ba, anak?” aniya.

Mas napalunok ako at tumango. “May masakit ba sa iyo? Mah nararamdaman ka ba?” dagdag na tanong ni Tiya.

Nailing ako at tinitigan si Papa. “May kailangan akong sabihin sa inyo,” diretso kong sambit.

Hindi ako kinibo ni Papa na para bang hinihintay niya lanh ang pagkakataon na iyon. Si Tiya naman ay inayos ang pagkakaupo at itinigil ang ginagawa.

“Nabalitaan niyo po ba ‘yong nangyari kay M-Mayor River?”

Mabilis na tumango si Tiya. “A-Aba, oo! Iyong aksidente niya? Ilang buwan na rin naman ang lumipas pero maayos na siya diba?”

Si papa naman ay hindi pa rin kumikibo. “I was with him that night… Pa,” sambit ko. Nawala na ang tingin sa akin ni Papa at pinilit na inabot ang grip ball niya.

“Anong ibig mong sabihin, anak?” bakas ng pagtataka si Tiya Carla sa narinig.

“I was the one… who saved him.”

“I’ll eat in my room,” biglang sambit ni Papa.

Nagpanic agad si Tiya sa narinig at inalalayan si Papa. Papa never looked at me habang tinutulungan siya ni Tiya. Tiya mouthed at me na babalik siya. I just nod and eat my food.

That night ay hindi ko na nakausap si Papa.

I know that he’s mad for not telling him right away, pero alam kong may kutob na siya. Kasalanan ko rin naman. Tiya Carla talked to me and pinayuhan lang ako. I should be ready lalo na maayos na ang kalagayan ni River. Nabawasan na ang mga balita patungkol sa naging aksidente niya at hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong matuwa.

That night after I met River, I never called Sielo, and hindi ko rin naman nakausap si Hart. I don’t know pero hindi ko nagawang contact-in si Sielo. I just went home and went to sleep. Pakiramdam ko ay pagod na pagod ako.

That night was something.

Sielo and I see each other the day after my encounter with River. He told me that River formed a private team to investigate who helped him, he also did something to tone down any news from his accident. But I think fate’s still with me dahil wala pa atang alam si River at ang mga tao niya sa kung sino man ang taong iyon.

And I think I am still safe dahil base sa actions niya that night ay wala pa siyang alam. It looked like he really had a long day that’s why he went to Velvet & Vine to drink. I didn't notice any suspicious movements from him that night. He was enjoying his drinks and complementing our place.

Hindi naman na siya babalik sa Velvet & Vine, right? That night was the first… and most likely the last. After all, he’s a mayor, a man tied to duties far greater than evenings spent in places like this. His priorities will never lead him back here, and maybe that’s exactly how it should be.

It’s enough that it happened once that night and twice in Velvet & Vine, enough that I saw him outside the lines of power, just for a moment. I can leave it at that. I just did my job as a nurse... to help him.

There’s a comfort in the thought na hindi na ulit kami magkikita. Because truthfully, I never wanted to be tangled in his world either.