The Demon General's Young Wife

Chapter 31

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Matapos makapag-isip ang heneral ay nagsimula na siyang magsalita lalo na't alam naman niyang nakikinig si Khallib.

"You know me as much as I know you, Khallib. You know what kind of life I am leading with these General duties as well as my marriages na nakaatang sa balikat ko." Panimula niyang seryosong saad ngunit sa malumanay na tinig.

Hindi naman na n'un nagreact si Khallib na noo'y lumagok muli ng alak kaya nagpatuloy na ang Heneral sa pagsasalita.

"At 22, I had to marry the daughter of the former General in the Palace na pinalitan ko in exchange of a smooth connection as well at reinforcement. Thu, I didn't have any affection for her, I have decided to take care of her after I come back from a three months work abroad. But then-- aside from seeing her on the day of our wedding day, I've never got to see her again. She died from a heart disease even before I finished my three months mission abroad."
Pagkukwento bago nagpakawala ng mapait ng ngisi kasunod ng paglagok niya ng alak.

"Just when I thought na tapos na ako sa arranged marriage and that I can be able to find myself a wife that I will really love in the future, your mom married me off again to her sister, Shuntal. I didn't like the idea of another marriage so I ignored her for so long.
But her endurance is admirable. She's clever enough to teach me how to eventually love her without even noticing it. But I I've also lost her. I've never want to enter marriage again after that then again, you had just decided to runaway from your betrothed wife kaya ako na naman ang nakita ng first-lady. I had to take the responsibility." Mahaba niyang wika ngunit sumagot na si Khallib.

"But then again, you are still ignoring Shu kahit na alam kung anung sakit ang pwede niyang pagdaanan, base pa lamang sa past marriagesmo!" A'nito kaya napatango siya ngunit nagseryoso din bago magsalitang muli.

"I have my reasons Khallib. Deanna is young and innocent. I've ignored her for two years after the pre-wedding because I think that she's too young to be confined in marriage with me. It's too early for her to experience the dark sides of becoming part of my life so I let her be on her own. I want her to be still free and able to live a normal life of a young girl without any hindrances. I let her still enjoy the life she used to live with without feeling the pressure of being pre-wedded. Sa oras kasi na matapos na ang proper wedding, she'll face the cruel reality of being married to a General, to me. And that's what exactly she's experiencing now, and as you could tell, mag-iisang taon palang pero nahihirapan na siya ng husto."

"It's because you're so cruel. Shu just wants bit of your attention and love! Bakit di mo yun kayang ibigay? Simula palang, you've been turning your back from her!"

"It's because I'm the General Khallib. Of all people, isa ka sa makakaintindi kung gaano kabigat ang responsibilidad na nakaatang sa balikat ko. I couldn't be careless, I couldn't be free, I couldn't relax!"

"I know, I understand that, I know that you don't even have time for yourself, but couldn't you atleast give Shu the chance to be a wife to you, to take care of you, or to at least, make you feel loved and cared for. You let Shuntal do those things to you so she eventually made a way to your heart. Paano makakapasok si Shu sa puso mo kung hindi mo siya hahayaan?!" Mariin namang litanya ni Khallib bago muling uminom kaya maging siya ay napainom din.

Napabuntong hininga muna siya bago tumugon. "Deanna is different from Shuntal. With Shuntal, I was respected, coming home to her isn't different from working because she acts like a colleague who understands and supports my duties and responsibilities. She's someone who would rather speak like an arviser instead of nagging me for coming home late or for forgetting our personal appointments. As for Deanna, she's someone who doesn't care about who I am. She makes me forget that I am the General when I am with her. She would just tell me to do stuff, yell at me when she needs to, and just speak up her mind infront of my poker face even she's scared to death."

"That's why you ignore and hate her?"

"No. I just saying--- I'm getting more and more afraid that a day would come wherein I find joy and comfort of being with her, forgetting that I'm the General, makes me feel like an ordinary man who is free to enjoy little things in life, and free from the heavy duties and responsibilities on my shoulder. I'm afraid that I'll get used to that feeling because she can become my distraction."

Natigilan lamang si Khallib sa sinabi niyang iyun. Tila nagulat ito sa narinig mula sa kanya. Hindi niya alam kung ang ice-hearted na na heneral pa ba ang kausap niya o ibang tao.

Noon naman na huminga ng malalim ang heneral at uminom ng uminom hanggang sa maubos na yung nasa bote sa harap nila.

"It's finished, now let's go. Your mom is waiting." Kaswal niyang saad as if hindi siya namamanhid at nagsisimula ng mahilo dahil sa epekto ng alak na ininom niyang parang tubig.

"You don't need to take me home, General. I can take care of myself." Seryoso din namang saad ni Khallib at tumayo na.

Nilingon pa siya ni Khallib bago tumuloy sa paglabas ng silid. Hindi na niya ito sinundan dahil alam niyang hindi na ito masyadong lasing. He's the one who turned out drunk.

Noon naman na niya tinawagan si Lt. Carber dahil ramdam na niya ang epekto ng alak sa kanyang katinuan.

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Si Lt. Carber na ang nagdrive ng kotse ng heneral at ihinatid ito sa mansion kaya naman sa buong biyahe ay nakatulog ito.

Pagpasok sa mansion ay napahinto muna ang heneral mula sa hindi maayos na paglalakad para i-scan ang buong bahay.

Hindi na niya nakita si Shu kaya naman ay dumeretso na siya sa kusina para uminom muna ng tubig.

While drinking water ay napadpad ang kanyang tingin sa dining area kung saan nakita niya agad ang lamesang puno ng pagkain.

Noon na niya nasapo ang noo at napapikit, "Oh yeah' the dinner, it's 11pm already!" Nakukonsensya niyang naibulalas bago lumapit doon ng dahan-dahan lalo na't nahihilo pa siya't masakit ang ulo.

He laid a pitiful eyes on the foods prepared on the table. Alam niyang kanina pa ang nga iyun naghihintay sa kanya and they're cold already.

Napalunok siya nu'n at napahilot sa noo bago tinungong muli ang kusina para manguha ng covering para takpan ang mga iyun ng may nakokonsenyang buntong hininga.

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