Blood Between Us

CHAPTER 26

NATIGILAN si Ciaran nang makita niya si Esther na nakatulog sa kama. Dinaanan niya ang dalaga sa studio pero sarado na ang studio nang makarating siya doon. He was calling her but she’s not answering. Kaya naman umuwi na lang siya upang tignan ang kasintahan kung umuwi ito. At nakahinga naman siya ng maluwang na nasa condo pala ito.

At sa nakikita niya kay Esther, alam niyang wala ito sa mood para magluto ng hapunan nila.

“Sweetheart?”’

Esther stirred.

“Anong gusto mong dinner natin?” tanong ni Ciaran. “Magpapadeliver ako.”

Nagmulat ng mata si Esther saka bumangon. She blinked and lie on bed again. “Ayoko ng kahit na anong may bawang.”

Napakurap si Ciaran. “You love garlic.”

“Not anymore,” Esther muttered, gagging a little. “Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up.”

Umupo si Ciaran sa gilid ng kama habang nakaharap sa kasintahan. “Noted. No garlic.”

Muling bumangon si Esther saka umusog palapit kay Ciaran. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. “I’ve been weird lately.”

Ngumiti naman si Ciaran. He rested his chin on her head. “You’re not weird. Just different.”

Hindi tumugon si Esther.

Pero napansin ni Ciaran na may nagbago sa dalaga nitong mga nakaraang araw. Esther was more tired than usual. Her mood shifted fast… sweet one minute, and irritated the next. She’s not drinking coffee anymore, but she was asking about mangoes dipped in vinegar next. Nang hindi niya ito napagbigyan, umiyak ito at hindi siya pinansin.

Ciaran knew Esther. Kabisado niya ang bawat galaw ng dalaga kaya alam niyang may nagbago rito. Pero hindi naman niya matukoy kung ano.

He pulled the blanket over her more securely and kissed the top of her head.

“Bibili ako ng pagkain mo. Anything you want me to buy for you?”

Esther mumbled against his shoulder. “Ice cream. Iyong may cheese, Ram.”

Ciaran chuckled, soft and fond. “Ice cream with cheese. Got it.”

Esther pouted. “Tsaka pabili na rin ng manggang walang buto.”

Napatanga naman si Ciaran. “Sweetheart, wala namang mangga ang walang buto. Lahat meron. Maski nga ‘yong—”

Esther leaned back from Ciaran and glared at him. “Meron.” Maydiin niyang saad.

Ngumiti si Ciaran saka tumango. “Meron, Sweetheart. You’re right.”

“Talagang meron. Maghanap ka.”

“Okay. Okay. Your wish is my command, sweetheart.”

Ciaran stood to grab his keys. He looked back at Esther one last time, watching her sleepily in bed.

He smiled and left. But the moment he closed the door behind him, his hand was already reaching for his phone from his pocket, dialing Lucien’s number and asking for help.

“KUYA, TEKA LANG,” sabi ni Lucien. He blinks as his brother slams the car door beside him. “Pwede bang pakiulit ang sinabi mo? Kasi parang hindi tumama ang signal ko. Naglo-loading pa rin.”

They were in the parking lot outside a supermarket.

Ciaran looked dead serious. “Maghanap tayo ng manggang walang buto.”

Lucien squinted. He even gaped at his brother. “Mangga? Walang buto?” naniniguro niyang tanong kasi baka nagkamali ang dinig niya.

“Oo.”

“Kuya, okay ka lang ba?” tanong ni Lucien. “Kasi sa pagkakaalam ko, lahat ng mangga may buto. As in, parang default feature naman hinahanap mo.”

“Meron,” confident na sagot ni Ciaran. “May manggang walang buto. Somewhere.”

Lucien tilted his head. “Sa Mars siguro? O baka sa future? May na-develop naman na seedless mango kaya lang sa India ‘yon at hindi siya seedless, tinawag lang siyang seedless kasi maliit ang buto niya pero may seed pa rin.”

“Sa grocery, Lucien,” sabi ni Ciaran na papasok na sa loob ng supermarket. “Esther wants one. So, I’ll find one.”

Sumabay naman si Lucien sa kapatid. He was still baffled by the seedless mango thing. “Ano ba ang eksaktong sinabi ni Esther?”

“She was in bed, asking for ice cream and cheese, and then sabi niya, ‘Tsaka pabili na rin ng manggang walang buto.’ Iyon ang eksaktong sinabi niya.”

Napakurap si Lucien. “So, literal? As out of nowhere?” he asked, still in disbelief.

Tumango si Ciaran.

“Kuya, hindi ka ba tinawanan?”

Nagkibit ng balikat si Ciaran. “Nope. Mukha siyang seryoso talaga.”

Napailing naman si Lucien. “Weird. Baka naman may hidden meaning? Code name or something?”

“Hindi ko na tinanong. Basta, kung gusto niya, hahanapin ko.”

Lucien chuckled at his brother’s dedication and devotion to the woman he loves. “Grabe, Kuya. Nagbago ka na talaga. Pero kapag ako ang ginawa mo ng fruit mission, iiyak ako sa tuwa.”

Ciaran glanced at his brother as he took a basket. “Ikaw ba si Esther?”

“Sadly, no,” Lucien answered with a sigh.

They went straight to the fruit section. Ciaran immediately headed for the mangoes.

Sumunod naman si Lucien sa Kuya niya. “Kuya, paano kung kunin mo lang ‘tong seedless mango juice? At least walang buto talaga ‘yan.”

Muntik ng mabatukan ni Ciaran ang kapatid. “No,” he said. “She said mangga. Not juice.”

Tumaas ang dalawang kilay ni Lucien. “Wow. Grabe ka, Kuya. Gusto ko nga sana siyang tanungin kung may iniiisp siyang bagong business idea. Like genetically-modified mangga. Pwede kaming maging business partners kung ganun.”

“Lucien,” Ciaran said seriously, holding up a ripe mango. “Ito kaya? Baka pwede ko siyang hiwain na lang?”

Tumango si Lucien. “Pwede, Kuya. Tanggalin mo ‘yong buti bago mo i-served. Parang magic trick lang. Viola! Manggang walang buto.”

Napahinga ng maluwang si Ciaran. “Good. Thank God may utak ka rin minsan.”

Ngumisi si Lucien. “Sana lang hindi niya biglang sabihin na gusto niya ng durian na walang amoy next time.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Ciaran muttered. “Baka magkatotoo.”

Lucien shrugged. “Ang weird ng mga pagkain na gusto ng jowa mo, Kuya.”

“I felt it to.” Sabi ni Ciaran saka tinignan ang kapatid. Parang nakikita niya na may pagkakapareho ng ugali ni Lucien at Mira. Bagay nga sila ni Mira.

BEFORE DUSK, Ciaran arrived at Esther’s condo. Syempre, mabilis ang naging kilos niya upang hiwain ang manggang hinog na nabili. Eksaktong kakatapon niya lang ng buto nang pumasok si Esther sa kusina. Mabilis pang isinara ni Ciara ang basurahan upang hindi ito makita ni Esther.

“Anong ginagawa mo?”

Ciaran smiled innocently at Esther. “Hi, sweetheart. Fully awake?”

Tumango si Esther. “Gutom ako. Dumating na ba ‘yong pinadeliver mong pagkain—” she paused when she saw the sliced mango on the plate. “Mangga?”

Tumango si Ciaran at hindi nawala ang ngiti sa kaniyang labi. “Seedless mango. Just like what you requested. Nasa ref na rin ang ice cream with cheese mo.”

“Bumili ka talaga?” hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Esther.

Tumango si Ciaran. “Gusto mo hindi ba? Though your request was a bit weird, I’ll manage.” He shrugged like it was nothing, but his eyes were searching hers carefully. “Of course, I have to look for it. You said it like your life depended on it.”

Mahinang natawa si Esther habang namumula. “I didn’t mean for you to take it seriously. I was just… craving.”

“I always take you seriously, sweetheart,” Ciaran said with a grin. “Besides, Lucien almost had a breakdown at the grocery kanina trying to figure it out with me.”

Esther laughed harder, genuinely surprised. “You dragged Lucien into it?”

“He thought I was having a midlife crisis.”

“So,” Esther eyed the sliced mango, “walang buto talaga ‘yan?”

Tumango si Ciaran. He pushed the plate with perfectly sliced mango—peeled, glistening, and most importantly, no seed in front of Esther. “I present to you, manggang walang buto. Hope you like it, sweetheart.”

Napakurap si Esther. Something warm bloomed in her chest.

She picked up a slice, biting it carefully. It was sweet.

Napatingin si Esther kay Ciaran na ngayon ay nakaharap sa sink at hinuhugasan ang kamay.

Birthday ni Ciaran sa susunod na linggo at doon niya balak sabihin ang tungkol sa pagbubuntis niya para iyon na rin ang regalo niya sa kasintahan. Well, Ciaran had everything, especially money. Nabibili nito ang lahat ng gusto nito. Ang pagbubuntis niya lang yata ang hindi pwedeng mabili ng pera.

Pero masarap ang binili nitong mangga.

“Hey,” Ciaran said gently. “Are you okay? Bakit parang naiiyak ka?”

Tumango si Esther. “Hormonal lang siguro.”

“Hormonal?”

Mabilis na nag-iwas ng tingin si Esther. “I mean… puyat at pagod.” Sagot niya saka napatikhim.

Ciaran tilted his head, suspicious. “Esther…”

Pero ngumiti si Esther saka muling nagsubo ng mangga. “Thanks for the mango, Ran. Na-appreciate ko."

Ciaran leaned against the counter, watching Esther with quiet warmth. “Anything for you, sweetheart.” And he meant what he said.

Ngumiti si Esther.

“I’ll just take a shower. I feel greasy.”

Tumango si Esther. “Pagbalik mo kakain na tayo ng dinner.”

Ciaran kissed Esther’s forehead before he went to the bathroom.

Maganang kumakain ng mangga si Esther hanggang sa mapansin niya ang ilang gulay na sira na kaya naman kinuha niya ang mga ito. Binuksan niya ang basurahan upang itapon ang nabulok na gulay sa ref nang makita niya ang buto ng mangga.

Nawalan ng kulay ang mukha ni Esther.

“Ciaran! You liar!”