DAY 7 - Morning
I was feeding his fishes - yes fishes talaga dahil mayroong aquarium na napakalaki si Ivan - when he came out of nowhere and asked something that made me raise my brows.
"What is your story?" I turned around and saw him standing with his hands inside his pockets.
"Well, that's a random question," pagiiwas na sagot ko dito at piniling ipagpatuloy ang pagpapakain sa mga alaga nitong isda.
"As random as you feeding the fishes at this time," he said mocking me. I rolled my eyes at him.
"What time is it?"
"Well, it's almost 12:30 in the morning, babe."
"Oh shit, I guess this is really random," I laughed before facing him. "I wanna have fun."
"Yea, you are really random."
I rolled my eyes at him. "Dali na! Take me to a bar or something. Ah, alam ko na! I always wanted to visit Hundred Islands, take me there!" excited kong sabi dito.
"Alam mo, nakakatawa na yang pagkarandom mo," he said while looking at me like as if I said something funny. When he saw that I didn't have any reactions, he stopped laughing and realized that I was serious. "You can't be serious."
"I am always serious."
He sighed. "Bakit pa natin kailangan pumunta doon? Ayan na nga 'yung dagat oh, nasa likod lang ng bahay ko," aniya habang tinuturo ang labas kung saan tanaw na tanaw ang dagat.
"There are no hundred islands here," simpleng pagdadahilan ko.
"And what can I get from this?"
"Me," seryosong sabi ko dito.
"Babe, you are mine already," nakangisi nyang sagot.
I crossed my arms and raised my brow. "Nope, you didn't take me yet. So technically, I am not yours yet."
"Then I'll take you now," aniya tapos ay nagsimulang maglakad papalapit sa 'kin.
"Wala ako sa mood sa simpleng ganun lang eh. Gusto ko may thrill."
"Ano naman ang thrill sa gusto mong puntahan? It will be the same thing, magrerent tayo ng lugar doon and then I'll have you there. Walang pinagkaiba sa kuwarto ko," sagot nito.
"Ugh! Just take me there and we'll figure it out!" iritado kong sagot dito. In the end, wala rin naman siyang nagawa.
The mere fact that we don't really know each other that much, it is really surprising na sinusunod niya pa rin lahat ng gusto ko. Isa pa siyang LeFevre, ha. Pinili kong huwag na lang isipin iyon tutal ako naman ang nakikinabang dito. At tsaka ano pa ba ang makukuha niya sa 'kin? I mean, makakagawa pa ba ito ng masama sa 'kin eh lahat naman ng meron ako pwedeng pwede kong ibigay sa kanya dahil hindi ko rin naman iyon mapapakinabangan.
I'd even give my self willingly.
It was around 6 in the morning when I woke up. Napalingon ako sa paligid upang tignan kung nasaan na kami pero wala akong nakita ni isang signage. When I looked at Ivan, he was busy driving at mukhang napakaseryoso nito. Magdadrive na nga lang kelangan seryoso pa? Can't he loosen up a bit?
"Gutom ka ba?" tanong ko dito.
"Hey, you're awake."
"Obviously," tamad kong sagot dito.
"That's good. Ang lakas mo humilik," pangaasar nito saken. Agad naman namula ang mukha ko sa kanyang sinabi.
"Wala kang pakialam!" sagot ko sa kanyang habang pinagpapalo ang kanyang braso.
"Hey, I'm driving! Maaksidente tayo!" sagot nito habang tumatawa.
"Eh ano naman ngayon? Mamatay din naman tayong lahat," irap kong sagot sa kanya.
"Pero seryoso, nakakaistorbo sa pagdrive yung hilik mo. But thanks, it kept me awake. Ni hindi nga ako inantok," dagdag pa nitong sara sa 'ken.
"Bwisit ka talaga! Magdrive ka na nga lang!" suway ko dito pero tinawanan lang ako nito. "Nasaan na ba tayo?"
"Yun nga, hindi ko sigurado."
Nalaglag ang panga ko sa kanyang sinabi. He can't be serious! Anong hindi niya alam? Naliligaw kami? Kikidnapin ba ako ng taong ito? O kaya irerape? My god! He doesn't need to go through these troubles, iooffer ko na nga sa kanya ang lahat eh!
"Anong hindi mo sigurado? Ivan ha! Nasaan tayo?"
"Can you relax? Nagtanong na ako kanina noong nagpagas ako. Ito ang sinabing direksyon. I just want to make sure that we are on the right track kaya magtatanong ulit ako. Please don't fall asleep, nakakahiya iyong may kausap ako tapos istorbo iyang hilik mo."
"BWisit ka!" sigaw ko dito sabay palo ng ilang beses sa braso.
Hindi naman nagtagal noong may nakita kaming mukhang matinong pagtatanungan. Pinili niya na doon sa may sari-sari store magtanong kaya nilubos lubos ko na, inutusan ko siyang bumili ng pagkain dahil gutom na ako.
"Damihan mo yung bibilhin mo ha!" I reminded him before he closed the door. Napangisi naman ako sa sarili ko.
It was probably less than two minutes when his phone started ringing. Dahil chismosa ako at walang pakialam sa privacy nito, I decided to check it. I frowned when I saw the name Theo flashing on his screen. Oh, it was his dad! Si Tito Theo! Bastusing bata rin pala itong si Ivan, ganoon ba naman ang ipangalan sa ama niya?
"Son," Theo greeted.
"Hi, tito," nakangiti kong bati dito.
"Who's this? Bakit nasa 'yo ang cellphone - teka, Andrea?"
I laughed when he finally realized who I was. "Yup! I miss you, tito!"
"I miss you too, princess. Where's Ivan?"
"Buying me foods, tito. Why? Do you have anything to say? Tawagin ko?"
"Don't bother Andrea. I just wanted to check if you are still with him."
I frowned. Why did I even frown? "Bakit, tito? You don't want me around Ivan?" disappointment was evident from my voice.
"Of course not, princess. Gusto ko lang malaman kung inaalagaan ka ba niya."
Napangiti ako at tila ba'y nabunutan ng malaking tinik sa lalamunan. Again, why do I feel relieved all of a sudden? "No worries, tito. I make sure na sinusunod niya ako lagi," proud kong sagot dito. I don't even care kung anak pa niya ang pinaguusapan. I was too proud that I could make Ivan LeFevre do everything I say.
"That's my girl," I laughed when I realized that he was actually tolerating my attitude towards his son. Si Ivan ba talaga ang anak nito o ako? Well, I guess I am a lucky bitch to have a lovng tito Theodore. "Hindi ka ba niya inaaway? Pinapagod? O baka naman pinapahirapan ka ng anak ko."
"Tito, I am his boss," nakangisi kong sabi.
"Good. Anyway, you know my number, right? Just give me a ring when you two need something or when something happens, alright?"
Ngumiti ako ng malawak dito. That's why I love tito Theo, he never fails to make me feel na ako pa rin iyong batang inalagaan niya dati. "Yup. And oh, please say to tita Isabela that I said hi."
"This is actually on loudspeaker, princess."
"Oh! Hi, tita! I'll have Ivan as my alalay muna, ha?" natutuwa kong pagpapaalam dito.
"Go ahead, Andrea, para matuto," may pagkunsinte pa nitong sabi.
"Thanks po! Ooops, pabalik na siya, I better end this call baka malaman na pinaalam ko pa sainyo na aalilahin ko siya, bye!" I politely said before ending the call.
Ivan looked at me when he saw me smiling from ear to ear. I was genuinely happy because I got a chance to talk to tito and tita and then bumalik pa ito na may dalawang plastic na puno ng pagkain.
Don't get me wrong. I love my parents more than tito Theo and tita Isabela. Weird lang itong pagpapakita ko sakanila ng love ko for the but this is the best way I know. I love them too much that I start to distant my self from them just to help them avoid pain.
"Why are you smiling?" nagtatakang tanong ni Ivan sa 'kin nang pumasok ito sa loob ng kanyang sasakyan.
"I just feels nice to order you around," mayabang kong sagot dito.
"Ngayon lang ito, Andrea. Tignan mo mamaya, I will be the boss," aniya habang inaabot sa 'kin ang dala nitong plastic bags na may mga pagkain.
"Whatever," I rolled my eyes at him. "Binili mo ata lahat ng laman ng sar-sari store," komento ko habang tinitignan ang lahat ng pinamili nito. There were biscuits, chips, candies, sodas, juices and bottles of waters.
"Baka magutom ka, eh, at isa pa, hindi ko alam ang gusto mo kaya binili ko na lahat ng meron sila. Gusto kitang busugin," he said then he grabbed a bottle of soda. Pinanood ko itong ininom ang malamig na softdrinks. I wonder how could he remain so damn hot kahit ano pa ang ginagawa niya.
"Or maybe you're just trying to make me fat," I snorted.
Tinignan niya ako at nakipagsukatan ng tingin. I didn't understand what was happening to me, my heart started beating faster and I started to feel something weird in my tummy. I do not know what to call that but whatever those things are, I know for a fact that it will do me no good.
"Love, it doesn't matter if you get fat. You will still be perfect," he said that almost made my heart stop from beating. This is not good.