The Candle of Love

Chapter 22: International

"Don't bring me in my unit," I said while he's driving.

Tumango siya sa'kin. I keep on wiping the tears on my face. I'm calmed now but the pain is still there. Sa tuwing mapapatingin sa'kin si Berlin, humihigpit ang hawak niya sa manibela.

I don't know where he's planning to bring me. Ayoko lang sa unit ko dahil siguradong doon ako unang pupuntahan ng pamilya ko. I don't want to see any of them right now. Pakiramdam ko sasabog ang dibdib ko sa tuwing makikita sila. I can't breathe seeing the faces of my family who abandoned me.

Atsaka ko lang nalaman kung saan kami papunta nu'ng pumasok ang sasakyan niya sa Valle Varde, their village. Nilingon ko siya. Hindi nagbago ang ekspresyon niya mula kanina. I wonder what he's thinking.

"Alam ba ni Ma'am Carlize na tayo na?"

He parked the car in front of their house.

"Alam niya."

"Will she not be surprised seeing me today?"

"My mother is not there."

Ohh.

Bago bumaba ng sasakyan ay natigilan ako.

"Does Dr. Acosta know that I will be here?"

He glanced at me before he went out of the car. Umikot siya atsaka ako pinagbuksan ng pinto.

"I haven't told him yet, so don't worry."

I nodded. Baka kasi mabanggit niya kina Mommy na dito ako pumunta. But how sure am I that it will not cross their minds that I went to my boyfriend's house?

Gulat na gulat si Aling Marta nu'ng pinagbuksan niya kami ng pinto. Lalo na nu'ng makita niya ang kamay ni Berlin na nakahawak sa'kin. Pero hindi na siya nakapagtanong dahil inutusan agad siya ni Berlin ng kung ano.

Hila-hila ako ni Berlin papunta sa kwarto niya. Sinulyapan niya muna ako bago niya binuksan ang pinto.

Binitawan niya ang kamay ko at may kinuhang kung ano sa kanyang closet. It's a short and a white t-shirt.

"Change."

I got it from him and went to his bathroom. The tiles of his bathroom are just plain gray. Malaki iyon. Halos kasing laki ng bathroom ko sa bahay nina Mommy. Bukod ang shower room at may bathtub din.

Kinuha ko ang isang shower gel para tignan ang brand no'n. This product is what I usually see in a magazine.

I sighed when I saw how loose his shorts and t-shirts are. Mahaba 'yung shorts pero medyo um-okay naman sa baywang ko dahil may garter. But his t-shirt is just too long.

Lumabas na ako ng bathroom niya. He's talking to someone over the phone and he's facing behind me that's why he didn't notice that I'm already done.

Naupo ako sa kanyang kama. I watched him. Pagkaharap niya ay nagkatitigan kami.

"She's not here, Pa... Yeah... I'll find her."

Yumuko ako. He lied to his Dad. I feel bad about it.

Pagkatapos ng tawag ay umupo siya sa tabi ko. He looked at his t-shirt and shorts that I'm wearing.

"I'm sorry that you have to lie to your Dad."

"He will understand."

I closed our distance and hugged him tightly. He kissed the side of my head.

"Don't ever tell me that again."

"Tell you what?"

"To let go of you."