Chapter 35
Picture
Sitting in front of the vanity, I stared blankly at my own reflection habang abala ang ilang stylists sa pag-aayos sa akin para sa isang photoshoot for a famous fashion magazine.
I am wearing a champagne strapless corset top with an exploded skirt in layers for the said photoshoot. My two-toned hair was curled with a few strands in the front braided. A few silver necklaces are hanging on my neck, and five diamond stud earrings on my left ear.
Napasulyap ako sa may pintuan nang marinig ang ingay mula sa labas, mukhang may dinadagdag pa sila sa set. When I turned back at the mirror, nagtama ang paningin namin ng isa sa mga stylist. Ngumiti siya.
"Ang ganda mo talaga, Miss Falcutila," puri niya na agad namang sinangayunan ng iba pang nag-aayos sa akin.
"Oo nga po! 'Tsaka bagay na bagay sa'yo ang kulay ng buhok mo! Every time you change your hair color, ang daming nagpapakulay din ng gaya ng iyo!"
"Grabe po talaga ang epekto mo sa mga tao! Naaalala ko noong may in-endorse ka na perfume, halos isang araw lang sold out na!" dagdag pa ng isa.
I smiled. "Thank you,"
They continued to shower me with praises and compliments. Normally, I would interact with them more. Pero dahil sa bumabagabag sa isip, tanging pagtango at pasasalamat lang ang naisusukli ko sa kanila.
Hindi maalis sa isipan ko ang huling naging pag-uusap namin ni Mama. And the more I think about it, the more I feel guilty for how I treated her that night.
I know I shouldn't get mad at her. Kung totoo man na nagawa niya ang mga inaakusa sa kaniya ni Lolo, hindi ko pa rin alam kung ano ang dahilan kung bakit niya iyon nagawa. I just know she wouldn't do all that for nothing. There must be a reason why she did it!
It's just that, all this time, I believed that they were the kindest in our family. I believed that they were the ones who always try to understand even if Lolo, sometimes, even our other relatives mistreats them dahil lang sa galing sa mahirap na pamilya si Mama.
Bumuntong hininga ako. The next few minutes I tried to push all those thoughts off my mind so I could focus on my work. Hindi na rin nagtagal at natapos na ako sa pag-aayos at nagsimula na ang photoshoot.
Halos isang oras at kalahati din ang tinagal ng photoshoot. I tried to focus even if my mind was still occupied by a lot of things. After it was a short interview that is also going to be featured in the same magazine. The questions were all about my journey as a model, my growing business here in the Philippines and the likes.
Alas nuebe pasado na nang makauwi ako. Naupo ako sa sofa at sandaling natulala habang binabalikan ang linggong nagdaan. I've been busy this whole week. Sunod-sunod ang mga projects, dagdag pa ang pag ma-manage ko sa aking business.
I'm not complaining. To be honest, I'm actually very thankful for how warm people accepted me here. Knowing how different the industry of modeling here compared sa ibang bansa. It's more conservative here and I don't think I fit in with the standards. Marami man akong naririnig na paninira sa akin at madalas man gawan ng issue to ruin my name, or just to make people hate me, I'm still happy and thankful na mas marami pa rin ang tanggap ako.
I took a shower before going to bed. I was so hungry this morning because I didn't eat anything last night to prepare for the photoshoot. Pero ngayon, wala na akong ibang gustong gawin kundi ang mahiga at makapagpahinga matapos ang mahaba at nakakapagod na araw sa trabaho.
Aedion has been very busy this week too. Seems like Nicole is really letting him handle all the work for their hotel in Manila. Gabing-gabi na siya umuwi nitong mga nakaraang araw kaya hindi na kami nagkakasabay maghapunan. Maaga naman akong tumutulak sa trabaho kaya halos 'di na rin kami nagkikita.
I wonder if he's still at work?
I rolled to the other side of my bed to look at the clock. It's ten in the evening. I bet he's still at work.
Ngumuso ako at nguling gumulong upang humarap sa kabilang side. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, pero tila nawala ang antok ko. I don't know how many times I changed positions before finally giving up on sleeping.
Bumangon ako at nguling nilingon ang orasan. It's ten twenty seven. Nakauwi na kaya siya?
I combed my hair using my fingers as I stepped out of bed. Lumabas ako ng aking unit at dumiretso sa elevator. Nang sumara ang pinto, I saw my own reflection and it made me realize that... I should've at least worn a jacket!
I can't believe I went out just wearing a plain white shirt and black dolphin shorts. Medyo magulo pa ang buhok dahil sa papalit-palit ng puwesto kanina sa kama. I quickly combed it using my fingers.
I looked down at my body, na-concious dahil sa suot. My cheeks heated rapidly. I am still wearing my fluffy slippers! What the hell?
Huminga ako ng malalim. It's alright, Yuri. Hindi ka naman magtatagal. You're just going to check kung nakauwi na siya.
When the door slide opened, I kept my head down for a bit, in case na may ibang tao na naghihintay sa palapag na iyon. Nahihiya sa suot. Nang masigurong walang naroon, unti-unti kong inangat ang aking tingin 'tsaka mabilis na naglakad patungo sa unit ni Aedion.
Hindi ko sigurado kung lutang na ba ako dahil sa pagod matapos ang mahabang araw sa trabaho, nang mapindot ko ang doorbell, saka ko lang naisip na... I could just text or call him to ask kung nakauwi na ba siya instead of coming here!
It was too late though. Aedion already opened the door. Natigilan ako. His eyes quickly found mine.
Tila umangat lahat ng dugo ko sa aking mukha nang bumaba ang mga mata niya sa aking katawan. Pakiramdam ko pulang-pula na ang mukha ko sa sobrang hiya lalo na nang bahagya niyang tinagilid ang kaniyang ulo kasabay ng pag angat ng isang kilay. Tila tinititigang mabuti ang suot ko.
I saw how the side of his lips rose a bit when his eyes went down on my feet. I took a step back. Halos umusok na ang tainga ko sa sobrang kahihiyan. Aedion lifted his eyes back to me. He looks so amused right now.
I was positive he's going to tease me, kaya inunahan ko na siyang magsalita. I cleared my throat.
"Uh, n-nakauwi ka na pala," I said, trying to sound calm kahit na gustong-gusto ko nang tumakbo dahil sa sobrang kahihiyan.
A playful smirk painted his lips. Sandali siyang yumuko, tila kinailangan pang pigilan ang sarili sa pag ngiti. He wasn't successful though. May bahid pa rin ng ngiti sa kaniyang labi nang ibalik niya ang tingin sa akin. Aedion opened the door wider.
"Pasok ka," he said with a hint of amusement.
"H-Hindi na. Tinignan ko lang kung nakauwi ka na, sige...." natataranta kong sinabi at agad pumihit paalis.
Hindi na at sobra sobra na ang kahihiyang natamo ko!
"Tss... come here..." Aedion said as he swiftly reached my hand and pulled me inside.
Napapikit ako nang bumunggo sa kaniyang dibdib. His manly scent quickly attacked my nostrils. Flushed, I slowly lifted my eyes to him. Marahil dahil sa hiya, ngayon ko lang napansin na bagong ligo siya. Mamasa-masa pa ang kaniyang buhok kaya mas humaba 'tong tignan. He is wearing a black shirt and shorts. Hindi niya suot ang kaniyang salamin giving me a clearer view of his deep set of dark eyes.
Bumagsak ang tingin ko sa kamay namin. He kept on holding my hand while he closed the door kaya wala akong magawa kundi manatili sa kinatatayuan ko. Ngumuso ako nang may mapagtanto.
I quickly averted my eyes when he looked at me. Naroon pa rin ang mapanuksong ngisi sa kaniyang labi. And here I am thinking how I missed him. Hindi ko na lang sasabihin!
"So, why did you come here?" nakakaloko niyang tanong.
"I already told you, I wanted to check kung nakauwi ka na," palusot ko.
"I sent you a message. Hindi mo nabasa?"
Mas lalo akong nag-iwas ng tingin. I didn't check my phone. "H-Hindi,"
"Really?"
Why do I feel like he's just making fun of me?
I lifted my eyes to him. A playful smirk painted his lips. Mabilis na uminit ang pisngi ko. I knew it!
"Uuwi na ako," deklara ko.
I turned around and tried to open the door. Behind me, Aedion chuckled. He placed his hand on the door, preventing me from opening it. His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me back. My heart pounded.
"Alright, I get it. Hindi mo nabasa." may bahid ng ngiti niyang sinabi.
Ngumuso ako.
"Stay here for a while, I missed you..." he said the last words gently.
I pouted more. Ang lalakeng 'to... after teasing me, now, he's going to make my heart flutter. Hindi ako nagsalita at nagpatianod na lang nang hilahin niya ako papasok.
I've been to his place a couple of times now, pero ngayon ko lang napansin na wala siya masyadong dekorasyon. Not even a single picture of him, his friends, or his family.
Now that I think about it, ganito din sa tinutuluyan niyang apartment noon. Wala masyadong laman. Only the essential things that he needs everyday.
I looked around pero wala talaga. It made me wonder what kind of childhood he had. He told me he was still a kid when his father told him about what happened. Did he grew up while carrying so much hatred for my parents?
"Kumain ka na?" Aedion asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Lumingon ako. I saw some food on his table. Mukhang bagong luto pa ang mga ito. I turned to him.
"Ngayon ka lang kakain?"
He nodded. "I didn't have time to eat sa Hotel. Marami akong inaasikaso,"
"Nicole is really leaving everything to you, huh?"
"Isn't that why she hired me?" he raised a brow. "So?"
"Hindi pa,"
"Do you still have a photoshoot tomorrow?"
"Wala naman. Just meetings..."
"Eat with me then," he said and pulled a chair for me.
Naghain siya para sa akin. Hindi ako nakakaramdam ng gutom pero nang magsimula na kaming kumain ay bigla akong ginanahan. I didn't have to ask kung siya ba ang nagluto dahil nakita kong galing sa kaserola ang ulam na hinain niya para sa akin.
Masarap siyang magluto. Pero hindi ko na muna sasabihin iyon. He might ask me about my cooking skills if I do. I haven't improved at that part yet. Maybe I should start learning how to cook better, para hindi na rin ako palaging um-o-order ng pagkain.
We talked about work as we eat. But since Aedion knows how to simplify things, sandali lang niyang naikuwento ang mga nangyari sa trabaho. I ended up being the one who talks a lot about my day while he listens.
Hindi ko mapigilan ang mapangiti. It's been a long time since I last talked to someone like this. At ease, without worrying about anything. For years I told myself that it's better to keep everything to myself. But knowing you have someone you can talk to and will listen to you, it's very... comforting.
Quarter to eleven na nang matapos kaming kumain. Aedion was washing the dishes while I try to help him by wiping the table. Nagbuntong-hininga ako, nguling sumagi sa isip si Mama. Hindi ko namalayan na kanina pa nanonood si Aedion sa akin.
Looks like he's done washing the dishes. He's leaning his lower back at the sink. His eyes are all on me as he wiped his hands using a towel.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Ngumiti ako at tumango. "May naisip lang,"
"What?" he probed.
Umiling ako at dahan-dahang lumapit sa kaniya. Nilapag ko ang pamunas sa tabi ng lababo at nagsimulang maghugas ng kamay. From the corner of my vision, I can see Aedion watching me closely.
"I'm thinking about Mama," I finally said.
"You can tell me about it,"
I lifted my head. Ilang sandali kong tinitigan si Aedion. Sariwa pa sa isip ko ang huling pag-uusap namin tungkol sa aming mga magulang. I don't want to talk to him about this because he might be uncomfortable talking about my mother. Kaya hindi ko naiwasang magulat sa sinabi niya.
Aedion equalled my gaze. Sandali kaming nagtitigan. At tila ba nabasa ang nasa isip ko, he shifted to face me.
"I don't hate your mother, Yuri, if that's what you are thinking," aniya.
Namilog ang mga mata ko. "Y-You don't?"
Aedion took a step forward. Kinuha niya ang mga kamay ko at sinimulan marahang punasan iyon gamit ang towel. Bumagsak ang tingin ko doon. My lips parted a bit while watching what he was doing. I heard him sighed harshly.
"I used to," pag-amin niya. "I used to hate them and even thought about getting revenge. I used to think about it a lot,"
Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya. I can't help but to stare at him in awe. I've always thought he'd be uncomfortable with this topic, kaya ang marinig siyang aminin iyon na parang wala lang ay kagulat-gulat.
"Pero alam kong wala din mangyayari kung maghihiganti ako. It might feel good for a while, to finally get even with them. But I know I'll just end up suffering more if I did." he added.
Sandali kaming nabalot ng katahimikan. When we last talked about this, we were both struggling to voice out our thoughts. Now, we're able to talk about this with ease.
Tumango ako. I lowered my gaze for a little while as I thought of something.
"When you entered our school, were you still—"
"I studied there for the scholarship, Yuri." he said, hindi na pinatapos ang tanong ko.
Ngumuso ako at tumango. Bahagyang nagkasalubong ang mga kilay ko. I looked back up at him.
"B-Bakit ka galit sa akin, kung gano'n? Was it because of the... rumors?" pahina ng pahina kong sinabi.
Kumurap-kurap siya tila hindi naintindihan ang tanong ko. Sumimangot ako. Don't tell me he's gonna deny it?
I took a step forward. Aedion raised a brow as amusement filled his eyes. Medyo nairita tuloy ako.
"You were always irritated whenever you saw me," suminghap ako. "Ang sungit mo! Pinahiya mo pa ako sa harap ng maraming tao!" mapait kong sinabi, naalala ang nangyaring iyon sa gymnasium.
Aedion chuckled. Nag-iinit ang pisngi kong pinagmasdan siya. A playful smirk painted his lips as he shook his head.
"Hindi kita pinahiya. Masyadong maingay ang ibang estudyante noon kaya hindi kita narinig," he said.
Nanatili akong nakasimangot. Tch, excuses!
"And who wouldn't be irritated after getting ignored by someone who claims to like you?" he fired back.
Ako naman ang napakurap-kurap ngayon. Kumunot ang noo ko at sandaling napaisip.
He scoffed. "See? You don't even remember?"
My cheeks heated more. Naalala ko ang sinabi ni Philip noon na nakita niya daw akong dinaanan lang si Aedion. 'Yon ba ang tinutukoy niya? Hindi ko alam! Hindi ko maalala!
Nakasimangot, bahagya akong yumuko upang mag-iwas ng tingin.
"B-Baka hindi lang kita namukhaan," palusot ko.
"Hindi namukhaan? Gustong-gusto mo ako, Yuri. Ipinagkalat mo pa nga sa lahat—"
"Hindi ko ipinagkalat! Sinabi ko lang iyon sa mga kaklase ko! Sila ang nagkalat, hindi ako!" giit ko.
We strayed from our original topic and talked about that instead. Ni hindi ko na namalayan ang oras. Handang handa pa ako na sabihin lahat ng pagkakataon na sinungitan niya ako noon kundi lang siya sumuko at yayain ako na umuwi dahil mag a-alas dose na.
Hinatid ako ni Aedion pabalik sa unit ko. I borrowed a jacket dahil nahihiya akong lumabas ulit na ganito lang ang suot. I also told him about Mama while we're on our way to my place.
"Why don't you try talking to her. Ask her what you wanna know," he said.
Tumango ako. "You're right. I'm just worried that she might ask me about you,"
Huminto kami nang marating na ang unit ko. Aedion turned to me with a raised brow. Umiling ako, agad nakuha ang naiisip niya.
"Wala akong planong itago sa kanila ang tungkol sa atin. Nag-aalala lang ako sa magiging reaksyon nila," I said and sighed.
"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked coolly.
"Huwag na!" giit ko. "Ako na lang muna ang kakausap sa kanila,"
Binuksan ko ang pintuan. Aedion chuckled. Umikot ako upang harapin siya.
"Huwag mo na munang isipin kung papaano sasabihin ang tungkol sa atin. Talk to your mother first. If she ask you about us, tell me so we can talk to them together. Alright?"
Ngumuso ako. "Sige,"
"Magpahinga ka na,"
"Sige,"
Hindi ko alam kung bakit parang natutuwa siya sa kung ano. He looks amused while looking at me.
"Good night, Yuri." he said.
"Good ni—" hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin nang bigla niyang ilapat ang kaniyang labi sa akin.
Holding my shoulder, he slowly pulled away. Nanlalaki pa ang mga mata ko sa kaniyang ginawa. Samantalang nakangisi niyang pinagmamasdan ang aking reaksyon.
Aedion stepped closer and kissed me again. This time, I closed my eyes. I could hear my heart pounding loudly. At ang unti-unting pag-iinit ng aking pisngi.
I leaned to him a bit, feeling my knees getting weaker. I was about to respond to his kisses when he pulled back. Hiyang-hiya tuloy ako nang magkatinginan kami. He smirked.
Embarrassed and a bit annoyed, I pushed him and quickly closed the door in the middle of us. I heard him laugh from the other side. I shut my eyes in embarrassment. Damn it!
Sumunod na araw, naging abala ako sa pakikipag-usap sa ilang clients. Most of them got interested with my designs after seeing the dress that I made for Miss Divina.
Alas kuwatro ng hapon nang matapos ko na ang lahat ng kailangan asikasuhin. I already texted Mama na uuwi ako. She was so happy, she even called me kanina para i-confirm kung matutuloy ba ako sa pag-uwi. Mas lalo tuloy akong na guilty. I distance myself because I don't want them to worry about me, but now I feel like, mas lalo ko lang silang pinagalala.
Pumasok ako ng aking sasakyan at binuhay na ang makina nang sunod-sunod na tumunog ang cellphone ko. It was a text from my manager and Clarissa na nadagdagan pa bago ko tuluyang mabuksan ang kaniyang mensahe.
Clarissa:
Did you saw the news? Please reply when you read this.
Some media sources already posted some pictures on the internet. Who's the guy? Fling?
Huwag ka munang magbubukas ng social media. A lot of bitches are camping there because of the news.
Kinabahan ako. I quickly opened my manager's message. She was asking me if the news are true. I scrolled to her other messages, hindi alam kung ano ang sinasabi niya. Bumagsak ang balikat ko nang makita ang isa sa mga pictures na s-in-end niya sa akin.
I'm positive it was taken the night of Olivia's engagement party. It was a photo of me and Aedion inside my car. His face was blurred on purpose kaya ang mukha ko lang ang kita. I was helping him fix his seatbelt that time, pero dahil sa anggulo ng pagkakakuha, it looked like we were kissing.
Nasapo ko ang aking noo. They're hiding his face now, but I know, they will reveal his face anytime soon. It might even be revealed sooner than I am expecting since they didn't hide the logo on his uniform. Magiging madali sa mga makakakita ng larawan na alamin kung sino ang kasama ko.
Pumikit ako ng mariin at napasandal sa backrest ng kinauupuan. Damn it! Why did they have to do this now?
Ilang sandali akong nanatili sa loob ng aking sasakyan, iniisip kung ano ang gagawin. My manager called me. Pinayuhan niya ako na huwag na munang mag so-social media gaya ng sinabi ni Clarissa. She also told me not to speak about this. At na magkikita kami bukas upang pag-usapan ang tungkol dito.
Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na buntong hininga. I leaned my back on the backrest and closed my eyes.
Dumilat ako nang magsimula na namang tumunog ang cellphone. Agad akong ginapangan ng kaba nang makitang si Mama ang tumatawag. The news must've reached her by now.
Got no other choice, huminga ako ng malalim upang pakalmahin ang sarili saka sinagot ang tawag.