ALL-TIME FAVORITE: Sinner or Saint

CHAPTER 12

THE VIEW was breathtaking. Ilang beses na niyang nakita ang Taal Volcano at ang lawang nakapaligid dito, ganoon ma'y hindi pa rin nagsasawang pagmasdan ni Lilia iyon. Ang bahay na gustong bilhin ni Vince ay nakatanaw sa buong lawa at bulkan.

Parang wala sila sa Pilipinas-malamig at nakapaligid ang pine trees at iba pang naglalakihang puno sa bahay na yari sa adobe, tisa, at malalaki at maiitim na kahoy.
Maganda at maluwag ang hardin, impressive ang landscape. Mayroon pang pool na ayon kay Vince ay mainit ang tubig, a hot spring.

Apat ang malalaking silid sa itaas maliban pa sa family room at study. May attic. At sa garahe ay kasya ang tatlong sasakyan.
It would be most ideal para sa pagsisimula ng isang pamilya.

And as the proposal of marriage, iyon na yata ang pinakawalang-damdamin, pinaka-impassive na narinig niya! But she loved him, wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, grow old with him. Have his love, trust.

Which was impossible.

He never spoke of love. And she never expected he would. Tulad ng sinabi nito-she was a "fever" that wouldn't go away. A fever...

Did that translate to pure, unadulterated lust?

But why the marriage proposal?

And then it would be a marriage kung saan nakatapak ang mga paa niya sa isang umaandar na time bomb. He would be always on the look out, continually looking for sign of her promiscuousness na pinaniniwalaan nitong
bahagi na ng kanyang pagkatao.
At naroon lagi ang panganib na magduda ito nang wala siyang kamalay-malay, muling magpapasindi sa paniniwala nitong isa siyang masamang babae.

Then it would be the end of everything.

But it was better than nothing.

Naramdaman niya ang paglabas ni Vince sa veranda. Nilingon niya ito. He was smiling. And her heart somersaulted. Iyon ang kauna-unahang totoong ngiting ibinigay nito sa kanya.

"Nagustuhan mo?"

She smiled back. "It's beautiful..."

"It's yours, Lilia. Ilalagay ko sa pangalan mo sa araw ng ating kasal. Bukod pa ito sa magiging bahay natin sa Canada. You would live a busy life, my dear. Half here, half abroad. You would have all the luxury na kaya kong ipagkaloob, which I believe, na sobra-sobra sa anumang
mga luho mo."

So there. Sa tono nito'y iniisip ni Vince na kaya siya pumayag na pakasal dito ay dahil sa karangyaang kayang ilaan nito sa kanya. Pero ano ba naman ang inaasahan niya?

"I have something for you," wika nito, his eyes focused on her lips. And they looked as if he wanted to kiss her.

And Lilia wished he would do just that, but he smiled at may dinukot sa bulsa ng pantalon nito. Isang cajeta. Ito na mismo ang nagbukas at mula roon ay kinuha ang isang engagement ring.

An emerald ring, may ilang brilyante sa paligid.
Nanatili siyang nakatitig doon. Mesmerized. Vince was acting a part he created for himself, that of a loving fiancè.

"Here, I'll slip it on your finger." He took his hand and slipped the ring into her finger. It fitted perfectly, na tila ba kasama siya nang bilhin iyon.

"T-thank you," aniya. Ang mga sandaling iyon ang pinakamaligayang sandaling dapat para sa magkasintahan subalit hindi iyon ang nadarama niya. If he'd just take her to bed and make love to her, satisfied his needs for her,
then it would have been more realistic.

Bakit kailangan ni Vince ang ganitong uri ng pagkukunwari?

Vince raised his hand and brushed his knuckle against her cheek. "You're beautiful, Lilia... and I want you so much..." Then his arms went around her and bent his head and claimed her lips.