Trapped with the Cactus-Lover

Chapter 16

"Do you want brandy or whiskey?"

Wala akong alam sa alak kaya kung ano na lang yung maganda ang itsura sa panlabas ang itinuro ko.

Matapos lagyan yung baso ay inabot sa akin iyon ni Leigh. Sumimsim muna ito sa alak nito bago nagsalita ulit.

"We were kidnapped on our field trip day eleven years ago. The nine of us were all abducted. Ako, si Van yung babaeng nakayakap ngayon kay Sam." Itinuro pa nito si Van. "Grant, Aria, Jen, Railey, Alliston, Hariette, and Sam."

Pakiramdam ko natuyuan ako ng lalamunan kaya ininom ko yung hawak ko. Pagkaguhit pa lang niyon sa lalamunan ko ay pinigilan ko ang mapaubo. Fudge! That was strong! Paano naiinom iyon ni Leigh na parang tubig lang?

"We were locked up in a dark room. Just the nine of us. Swerte na lang that we were fed decent food at least. On the three days na magkakasama kami, we vow each other that we'll get out there alive. Funny, kasi when we were out there, It felt like the world stopped spinning and that we're going to die any moment. We've shared secrets and wishes. "

Inubos ni Leigh yung alak nito bago nagsalin ulit.

"And that's Sam's wish. "

"What wish? " Takang tanong ko.

"To be a hero. To be able to feel how it is to be needed. To be someone that can save everyone even if it means her own life. That's why we all became dependent to her."

Weird di ba?

"Why would she want that?"

Ibinaba ni Leigh yung baso nya sa counter pagkatapos ay nagsalin ulit. Pati yung akin nilagyan nya din ulit. Nakakatatlong baso na ito.

"Simply because she's Samantha Callaghan, the perfect one. And the only flaw you can point out is her perfection."

"Ain't that weird? She's not that perfect. She don't even know how to do her laundry nor how to cook. Can she protect herself? Can she live on her own?"

"She attended all the necessary lessons like that since we were kids. Cooking? She can even do baking and meal preparation with highly commendable plating. Laundry? She can do it. Protecting herself? She's judo and taekwondo black belter. And please, she can live alone. She managed to exile for a year in Mumbai as part of her medical mission. "

Nagawa lahat iyon ni Sam? Kung kaya ni Sam ang mag isa, bakit kailangan nya pa ng kasamang iba?

"Did she ever need anyone?"

Umiling si Leigh bago natawa ng mahina. "She needed us to make her feel that she's still alive. Maybe that's why she'll sticking with us. She's like a sister to us, I told you."

Pareho kaming natahimik ni Leigh habang umiinom. Sa una lang pala mapait yung lasa ng alak. Habang tumatagal na iniinom mo, parang mas sumasarap.

"Anong nangyari sa kaibigan nyo?" Tukoy ko kay Van na ngayon ay nilalasing na si Samantha. Panay ang abot nito ng kung ano anong inumin. At yung isa naman parang gaga na iniinom din. Hindi ba sya malalasing nyan?

"She was scammed."

"Scammed as in naperahan sya ganon?" Nagtatakang tanong ko. Kung tutuusin, maganda din yung Van.

Ito yung tipo ng babae na normal mong makikita na centerfold ng mga kilalang magazine. Masyadong common nga lang yung itsura. Kasi pag sinabi mong maganda, maganda talaga ito. But not really catchy o kaya yung kagaya ni Sam at Leigh na nag uumapaw yung appeal.

Tumawa si Leigh bago nagsalin ulit ng alak sa baso nito. Her fourth one. Seriously, tubig ba sa kanila ang alak?

"No, luckily not that way. She was into liking someone na nakilala nya online. But it turns out na babae pala iyon at hindi lalaki na gaya ng pagkakakilala nya. Weird no? It's really pathetic how people pretend to be someone else."