Chapter 11
1507 Words
"W-What?" gulat kong tanong.
Bigla-bigla siyang nagsasabi, walang warning!
"Let's get married." Pag-uulit niya.
I tilt my head. "Isn't that what we're supposed to do?" I asked. Hindi ba't ikakasal naman talaga kami? Like, that's the reason why I'm here though?
Kakain na sana ulit ako pero muling naudlot dahil sa sinabi niya.
"Tomorrow," aniya.
Bukas?!
Bukas agad?!
"Are you perhaps out of your mind?" bigla kong nasabi. Nang mapagtanto ko kung ano ang sinabi ko, kaagad kong tinakpan ang aking bibig.
Gosh. Here we go again with my mouth!
"Maybe," tipid niyang sagot. Thanks for letting it slide, Vallen!
"P-Pero bukas agad?" tanong ko. Like, for real? Ngayon nga lang naungkat ang tungkol sa aming kasal tapos bukas na agad.
I'm not mentally prepared.
"You don't want it?" he asked.
Napakurap at may naalala.
Oh...
Ngumiti ako. "It's alright. If that's what you want," sabi ko. Ano bang magagawa ko laban sa kaniya? Wala. So all I have to do is to agree. Ikakasal at ikakasal din naman kami.
Tinuloy ko na ang pagkain ko pero naiilang ako kasi nakatitig sa'kin si Vallen. Binaba ko ang kutsara at tinidor saka siya hinarap.
"W-What?" I asked nervously. Wala yatang araw na hindi ako matatakot sa kaniya. Sa uri ba naman ng kaniyang tingin, matatakot ka talaga. It's as if you're facing a king, a lion, who is meant to be a ruler since born.
"Let's prepare it together," sabi niya. I blinked many times. Is he being considerate? What changes his mind?
Ngumiti ulit ako. "Okay," sabi ko. Nagsimula na ulit akong kumain.
Pero hindi pa rin ako komportable kasi nararamdaman ko ang titig niya sa'kin.
Muli kong ibinaba ang kurbyertos at tumingin ulit sa kaniya. "What n-now?" I asked, for the nth time, feeling nervous.
Ano bang problema niya? Just don't stare at me as it is not good for my heart!
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Huh?" Naguluhan naman ako. Anong kailangan ko? Hindi ba't parang siya ang may kailangan?
"I... I don't want anything...?" Hindi sigurado kong sagot.
"But you looked like I'm forcing you," sabi niya. Huh? I looked at him puzzled. Nagkakaintindihan pa ba kami nito?
Tumikhim si Ivan. "Permission to speak," aniya. Tumingin ako sa kaniya samantalang si Vallen ay sa akin lamang nakatingin.
"Lady Lesley, what Young Master wanted to know is your opinion about the wedding. Based on your reaction earlier, it looks like you are troubled or something."
Naintindihan niya si Vallen?!
So that's what he meant?
"Please use the same language I'm using for us to understand each other," I murmured under my breath.
Ngumiti ulit ako. kay Vallen. Sana ay malaman na niyang okay lang sa'kin kahit ano. "Whatever is fine." Nakangiti kong sabi.
Rinig ko ang pagbuntong-hininga ni Ivan.
What's with the sigh?
"Don't smile like that."
Nabura ang aking ngiti dahil sa sinabi ni Vallen.
What is he talking about?
Smile like what?
"Anong i-ibig mong sabihin?" Kinabahan naman ako. Baka nagalit siya sa'kin? Is my smile the reason why he looks upset?
"Stop forcing yourself to smile," he said, still staring at me.
"Oh..." That hit me.
Peke akong natawa. I used to fake a smile before to put on a strong personality in front of my family. That even if I'm hurting because of them, I can still give them a smile.
Until it became a habit. I keep forcing a smile even if I am not happy.
"I'm sorry..." sabi ko.
"Don't be."
Then what do you want me to say? ?
I frown. Gusto ko lang naman kumain. ಥ‿ಥ
"Let's talk about this once we finished eating," sabi ni Vallen.
Yes! And because of that, kumain na ulit ako at nagtuluy-tuloy na.
Pagkatapos naming kumain, sa kwarto na kami ni Vallen nagdiretsong dalawa. Nag-toothbrush at shower na muna ako.
"Lesley," tawag sa'kin ni Vallen pagkaupo ko sa kama.
"Y-Yes?" This annoying stammer is getting into my nerves. I want to ask myself why I'm still stammering when I'm talking with Vallen.
"Help me to shower," he said.
"Huh?... HUH!?" Napatayo ako sa sinabi niya. Eh?! He wants me to help him s-s-s-shower?!
"A-A-Are you su-sure?" I asked.
"Yeah," seryoso niyang sabi.
AHHHHH! What should I do?!
Nakagat ko ang aking labi. Tutulungan ko lang siya, hindi ba?
"You don't want to?" he asked.
Agad naman akong napatayo. "I-It's not l-like that!" sabi ko. I'm just feeling awkward, that's all! Baka isipin niyang ayoko dahil mahirap or what. It's not like that!
"It's alright if you don't—"
Hindi ko na siya pinatapos at tinulak na ang wheelchair papasok sa banyo. "Let's go!" sabi ko.
Bahala na. Kahit kinakabahan ako.
--
Lumipas ang mga araw at naging busy kaming dalawa sa paghahanda sa kasal namin. It was a surprise to me that he's hands-on even in insignificant things like this.
I mean, we will only be married because of business, out of convenience, nothing more, nothing less. He should've asked Ivan to organize the matters regarding our wedding.
Yet, he's doing it himself. Hindi ba siya busy?
And because I'm going to school, tinatanong niya lang ako kapag nakauwi na ako or walang pasok.
We won't be making our wedding big and extravagant. It's just simple and a very few people are invited. Only those who are the closest family with Alejo. Of course, my family is also invited.
I will also invite Mady and her family, Vallen already agreed.
Tuloy na tuloy na talaga 'to. Wala nang atrasan.
Napahalumbaba ako. Nandito ako sa garden. It is refreshing here. Madami kasing tao sa loob for the preparation nga tapos tumakas lang ako.
Umihip ang malakas at preskong hangin.
Our wedding date is determined. Two days from now, ikakasal na ako.
Will I completely be free once I become an Alejo? O mas lalo akong masasakal kasi magiging Alejo ako?
Pero isa lang ang gusto ko.
To cut off ties with my family.
Ayoko na may kinalaman pa ako sa kanila. I want to completely cut my ties off them and ignore them for the rest of my life.
At sana, kapag Alejo na ako, they won't bother me anymore. Because I will never ever bother them again.
Napabuntong-hininga ako. After all that I have done, it all came for naught.
Funny. It's funny how I wasted my efforts just to make them love me again. Thinking back, I was pretty desperate, wasn't I?
"Lesley."
Napatalon ako sa gulat ng bigla kong narinig ang boses ni Vallen. Tumingin ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses.
He's all alone. Buti at hindi mabato dito sa garden kaya madali lang din makadaan ang wheelchair niya.
"What are you doing here?" he asked once he gets near me.
Ah, crap. Tumakas nga pala ako. Nahuli pa nga.
"Nagpapahangin lang..." mahina kong sagot.
"Are you thinking about your family?" he asked. Nagtaka ako, paano niya nalaman 'yun?
"Ah, yeah. Sort of." Nahihiya kong sabi. Kinuha niya ang aking kamay.
Umakyat ang dugo ko sa aking mukha nung nilagay niya ito sa pisngi niya. He caress my hand onto his face. "Don't worry. They will no longer bother you anymore," aniya.
At doon ako napaisip. Paano niya nasabi 'yun? Does he know something?
"Do... Do you know something?" I asked.
Hindi siya sumagot.
Nakagat ko ang aking labi. So he knows something? Why? How? Did he do a background check on me? Did he dig into my past? How does he know?
Ayokong malaman niya ang mga nangyari sa'kin. I don't want him to pity me or anything.
"Vallen..." tawag ko sa kaniya. He stopped caressing my hand on his face. Para siyang pusa.
Tapos tumingin siya sa'kin. Nanindig ang balahibo ko sa uri ng tingin niya. He looks like a predator looking to its prey.
I don't know what he is thinking.
It's hard to tell what's on his mind.
"Val—"
Suddenly, he pulled me closer to him, grab my nape and the last thing I knew, we're already kissing.
Nakadilat ang aking mata dala ng pagkabigla.
WHAT THE HELL...!?
A-ANONG GAGAWIN K-KO?!
Do I have to push him? Or respond to his kisses?!
Napapikit ako ng mariin dahil hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko.
Saglit siyang tumigil at sinabing, "Kiss me back."
I opened my eyes and saw him staring at me. He opened his mouth, as if on cue, I also did the same at the same close my eyes. I gasp. I could feel his lips brushing to mine.
His tongue made his way inside my mouth—
"Young Master!"
Napamulat ako at kaagad na naitulak si Vallen pagkarinig ko sa boses ni Ivan.
Tumingin ako kay Ivan na hingal na hingal. Saan ba nanggaling 'to?
Kumunot ang noo ni Vallen. "What?" he asked Ivan. Ivan went stiff, at namutla.
"S-Someone's looking for Lady L-Leslie," aniya.
"Sa'kin?" tanong ko. Sino naman 'yun?
Tumango siya.
Kinabahan ako.
Who is it?
I hope it is not one of my family members because I don't want to face any of them.
--
- Writer
