Into The Future

Chapter Twelve

"I LOOK HIDEOUS." Pinagmasdan ni Armaign ang kaniyang sarili sa salamin nang gabing iyon. Nang makita niya kanina ang pulang floor length spaghetti nightwear sa kaniyang aparador ay na-imagine niya ang mga nagse-seksihang modelo ng men's magazine. But when she tried it, nagmukha siyang kakanin na binalot sa dahon ng saging. Umikot pa siya sa salamin upang tignan ang kaniyang sarili. Ang laki ng kaniyang braso at baywang, at kahit nadagdagan ang cup sizes ng bra niya, her cleavage was as nonexistent as her love life. Pakiramdam niya ay walang magkakamaling tumingin sa kaniya. Sinuot na lang ni Armaign ang kaniyang itim na floorlength robe.

"Well, I am a woman of substance! Ayokong mahusgahan base sa itsura ko," Armaign said defiantly. She ignored the thought that unattractive people always reason the same thing.

Pumunta si Armaign sa library. She had been in the farm for four days already, and every night insomnia would accompany her. To bid insomnia adieu, she had been visiting library to read her law books every night. Her neuropsychologist said that her body might had been experiencing insomnia even before her Amnesia. Armaign's career caused her insomnia. Kasama ang insomnia sa mga reflex na hindi nakakalimutan ng kaniyang katawan. When did she had insomnia? If there's one thing Armaign was good at, it was sleeping.

Since her memory didn't reach her law school days, walang ideya si Armaign kung paano mag-practice ng law. Binigyan siya ni Sarah ng kopya ng curriculum nila sa law school. Pinayuhan ni Sarah si Armaign na balikan ang mga lessons nila dahil baka sakaling may maalala siya. Not one memory came back since, and it frustrates Armaign that it would never come back. Armaign was afraid that her dreams would slip on her fingers again.

The trail of Armaign's robe was touching the floor when she entered the library. Her barefeet could feel the coldness of the wooden floors as she approached a bookcase filled with hardbound books. She tiptoed and reached for a book.

"Has your insomnia striked again?"

Nabitiwan ni Armaign ang libro at bumagsak iyon sa sahig nang mapatalon siya sa gulat. "Ang hilig mo manggulat, Drenz! Pwede mo ba akong batiin ng normal? Iyon tipong hindi ako mapapatalon sa gulat. Mukha tuloy akong daga!"

Drenz was sitting on a bar stool and was having a drink on the bar counter. Mukhang kanina pa umiinom si Drenz dahil namumula na ito.

"Inaatake ka ng insomnia kapag may bumabagabag sa iyo. Sinasamahan kita kapag hindi ka makatulog. Binabasahan kita ng diyaryo kahit pa nabasa mo na 'yon sa umaga, bedtime stories mo kasi 'yon kaya hindi ka nagsasawa."

Paano nito nalaman na bedtime stories ni Armaign ang mga headlines sa diyaryo? Hindi niya nakekwento iyon kay Diana at Drenz noon. Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ni Armaign. Ganoon ba sila ka-close ni Drenz? Even the intimate details of her childhood, which she couldn't share with anyone, nasabi niya kay Drenz? Bigla tuloy siyang napaisip. Hindi ba issue kay Sarah na nakatira si Armaign sa farm ng fiancé nito? Hmm...

Ngumisi ito. "I like it when you enter a room, and you're completely unaware I'm around. I get to watch you." He was looking at her as if he's capturing her every move; how her eyes flickered, how her nose scrunched up when irritated, and how her lips twitched. He had been eyeing her as an artist paying attention to details.

"Mag-ingat ka sa sinasabi mo. Tunog stalker ka," paalala ni Armaign habang pilit itinatago ang pag-init ng pisngi. Hanggang ngayon ay ganoon pa rin ang paraan ng pagtingin ni Drenz kay Armaign. Matagal nitong pinagmamasdan si Armaign sa mukha. Ikina-iinis iyon ni Armaign noon. But ironically, his gazes made her cheeks red now.

Ibinaba ni Drenz ang rock glass sa counter at lumapit kay Armaign. Amoy alak ito at mukhang tipsy na. He walked closer and closer that Armaign started to walk back. Lumapat ang likod ni Armaign sa bookcase. "What do you want now?" anas niya kay Drenz.

"You hate sweets?" Drenz said sheepishly. His cheeks were red, and his breath reeked off alcohol as he let out a giggle. Itinungkod nito ang kanang kamay sa istante. "Enlighten me why you sounded so bitter," bulong nito. His voice was deep and intense; it made Armaign breathed heavily.

"H-hindi ako bitter." Armaign could see the deep brown flecks in his round eyes. Trembling, she lay her hands on his chest to push him away. But she could not do it. Partly because she was curious what would happen. Drenz leaned in closer and gave her neck some wet kisses.

"I love the sound of your heart whenever I do that." He was gentle and calm, yet Armaign could feel she's about to lose her sanity. "Hindi ba't nangako ako sa 'yo na tutulungan kitang makaalala?" His hair smelled that of the ocean. Armaign thought it suited him.

With Armaign's weakening voice she said, "Anong ginagawa mo? Si Sarah..." Drenz used his two fingers to lift her chin up. Armaign couldn't move away. He leaned his head on hers. At nararamdaman ni Armaign ang bigat ng ulo nito. Their lips were almost touching. Armaign breathed in what he breathed out.

"I missed you so much," Drenz had whispered longingly.

Armaign had closed her eyes once their lips had touched. The aggressiveness in his kiss made Armaign wondered what Drenz meant when he said he missed her. Armaign responded to his kiss with the same roughness. But this is wrong. His lips was soft against hers, and her feet were wobbling. Armaign, itulak mo siya! His hand went down to her waist and the other to her nape. He pulled her closer. Stop...stop...stop! She couldn't stop.

All she wanted now was to have more of him. Amidts the deepening of their kiss, pakiramdam ni Armaign ay kulang pa ito. She simply couldn't get enough of him. Bitin na bitin. Uhaw na uhaw.

Ito ba ang unang halik niya? Armaign had never kissed anyone before. Untrained that she was, she was responding back to his kisses with adeptness as if her lips knew how to maneuver itself on its own.

Biglang bumulaga sa isip ni Armaign ang mukha ni Sarah at kung gaano ito kasaya sa piling ni Drenz kanina. Napagtanto niyang kaibigan niya si Sarah. This kiss was not meant for her even if it felt right. It occurred to her that this act constitutes unfaithfulness. Drenz was cheating on Sarah with her! Iminulat ni Armaign ang mga mata. Their lips parted and both of them were catching his and her breath.

Aghast, Armaign looked into his eyes, and he was looking down at her lips. He cupped her left cheek, indicating he wanted to kiss again. Ngunit itinulak ito ni Armaign palayo bago pa siya nito mahawakan muli. Para siyang naidlip at may kung sinong nagsabong sa kaniya nang malamig na tubig, nagising siya sa katotohanan. Tumakbo siya pabalik sa kaniyang kwarto, windang na windang.

Ano ba itong nagawa ko?