CHAPTER FIVE
"NATALIE?" Nakita ni Vhal itong naglalakad magisa habang may dalang bote ng alak. "Natalie!"
Lumingon ito sa kanya at napatigil. "Oh, Valerian Fernandez number 2.6!" She's tipsy.
"Oh my goodness! It is really you" she feverishly said, parang fan.
Tinignan siya ni Vhal ng maige sabay inom niya sa bote. "You're drunk, Natalie" ani Vhal.
He was about to get the bottle when she move her hands away. "Hey! I.. am.. not.. drunk!" She tried her best to stand up straight.
He hissed, of course he won't buy that. "Natalie.." But she smiled and now he don't want to see that smile disappear.
Sumasabay ito sa background music coming from the bar na malapit lang sa kinatatayuan nila ngayon.
"Natalie, come. Ihahatid na kita sa kwarto mo" hinawakan niya ito sa magkabilang kamay at inalalayan.
Ngunit napatigil siya ng marinig ang sunod na kanta. Kahit si Natalie, napatigil..
We'll do it all
Everything
On our own
Dahan-dahan nagkasalubong ang mga tingin nilang dalawa. Tila kahit walang sinasabing salita ay may mensaheng naiintindihan nilang dalawa.
We don't need
Anything
Or anyone
She bit her lower lip when their eyes locked into each other. Waves of memories started to filled their minds, ganitong ganito 'yon.
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?
Parang may sariling isip ang mga kamay ni Natalie at kusa itong pumulupot sa leeg ni Vhal.
I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel
Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough
After five long years, nakita ni Vhal muli ang mapupungay na mga mata ni Natalie. Iyong mga matang mapagmahal siyang tignan, iyong mga matang sa kanya lang nakatuon.
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden
That's bursting into life
She pulled his nape and embraced him. Hindi alam ni Vhal kung ano ang nangyayari but right now, nothing else matter.
He wouldn't trade this moment for something. How he wish that they could stay this longer--rather forever.
"Let's waste time, chasing cars, around our heads" he started to sing the song.
Naramdaman niya na mas humigpit pa ang pagkakayakap sa kanya ni Natalie habang sumasabay sa kanta.
"I need your grace, to remind me, to find my own," he continued.
"If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?" She sang. Oh god, how he missed her singing voice.
He pulled away from the embrace and cupped her face. Nakita niyang may mumunting luha na nabuo sa mga mata nito, mga luha na hindi niya nais makita noon pa man.
"Forget what we're told, before we get too old, Show me a garden that's bursting into life" they pressed their foreheads together.
Sandali pa silang nanatili sa posisyon na iyon. It seems that they're inside their own world and in just one move, they could be waken up with the reality kaya walang may balak na gumalaw sa kanila.
But he pulled away again and cupped her face. Nang makita ang mga mata ay alam na niya ang gagawin, unti-unting lumalapit ang mga labi niya sa labi nito...
"Oh, Vhal!" Damn! Why does he always have to ruin everything? "Kanina pa kita hinahanap--" napatigil ito nang makita na kasama niya si Natalie.
"I'll go," she said. Hindi na nito nagawang tumingin sa mga mata ni Vhal bagkus nagmadaling makaalis sa lugar na iyon.
"I'm sorry, nasira ko ba ang--" he glared at Riley. "Sorry"
He didn't sleep that night. He just couldn't. How could he?
Hawak-hawak na niya si Natalie kanina, he could feel her breath on his skin. He could hear the sound of her heartbeat and he could feel the warmth of her skin.
He could feel her now at hindi na iyon maalis sa isip niya. It has been five years at hindi niya malimutan kung kailan niya huling naramdaman ito.
"Sheena, wala bang tawag para sa akin?" He asked his new producer, it has been a month since he flew here in Italy.
Hindi kasi nakasama si Gladys sa kanya ngayon dahil magpapakasal na ito, that's why Sheena volunteered to take Gladys place for a moment.
"Tawag?" Her brows furrowed at sandaling napaisip. "Oh, your cousin Blake!" Sambit nito.
"He was asking me your personal number, nagpalit ka daw kasi ata ng numero dahil hindi ka nila matawagan" it was true.
"I'll just call him myself" bumalik na siya sa kwarto at nagkulong.
~¤~¤~
KINABUKASAN ay buong maghapon na hindi nakita ni Vhal si Natalie. He wanted to see her and talk about what happened last night but he's not sure kung maalala nito iyon.
Gusto niyang pagusapan dahil alam niyang pagkatapos kagabi ay hindi pa tunay na tapos ang namamagitan sa kanilang dalawa.
"Vhal, you're not sure about that" komento ni Riley. "Ikaw lang ang mapapahiya sa gagawin mo, and don't tell me na nalimutan mong hindi ka niya kilala" Sambit pa nito.
Yes, of course. Alam niya iyon at hindi na niya itatanong kung bakit nagpanggap itong hindi sila magkakilala, he left her!
"Riley, I. Left. Her." He said. "Kahit sinong babaeng iniwan lang basta basta ay siguradong ganoon din ang gagawin"
"You didn't left her that quick. Hindi iyon basta-basta lang, Vhal." Of course, he knew. Lahat ng pinsan niya alam ang dahilan kung bakit niya nagawa iyon.
"But that's what she thought, Riley!" Napasapo siya ng sentido. "And that's why I want to talk with her, I wanna know.."
She put her hand around his shoulder, she pulled and embraced him so tight and they sang that song, their song.
"Don't tell me that I didn't warn you, Vhal" iyon ang huling sinabi ni Riley nang dumating si Zacharie at halatang hingal na hingal sa pagtakbo.
"Kuya! Tulong" napatayo si Vhal at Riley sa pagkakaupo. "There was this bitch who's putting up a goddamn fight, naiipit na si Natalie doon!"
"What? Where?" Nang sabihin ni Zacharie ang lugar at hindi na nagdalawang isip si Vhal na tumakbo papunta roon.
"You bitch! Hindi porket magaling kang racer at gusto ka ng karamihan ng lalaking guest dito ay mayabang ka na" naabutan nilang dinuduro ng isang babae si Natalie and to his surprise si Stacey ito!
"You know why they like me, huh? Because I am not fake like your plastic boobs and ass!" Napasinghap si Stacey sa sinabi ni Natalie at pagkuwa'y hinablot nito ang buhok ng dalaga at pinagsasampal.
Sabay-sabay na napasinghap ang mga tao at hindi sila magawang pigilan.
"Stop that!" Sigaw ni Riley. "Call the security" utos nito sa staff.
"You bitch!" Of course, Zacharie won't let her friend go through this alone. "Akala mo ang ganda mo!"
"Natalie, stop this" sabay hinila ni Vhal si Natalie papalayo kay Stacey while Riley pulled Stacey away.
"Stacey!" Saway ni Riley. "Stop this!"
Nang mapaghiwalay ang dalawa ay pumagitna pa rin si Vhal at Riley, you know women.
"What's wrong with you both? Dito pa talaga kayo nagaway, hindi na kayo nahiya sa ibang bisita!" Galit na sambit ni Riley.
"Siya naman ang may kasalanan, eh!" Turo ni Stacey kay Natalie. "I had Valerian first pero dahil sa kanya hindi na ako matignan ni Vhal!"
Nanlaki naman ang mga mata ni Vhal, paano naman siya napasok sa issue?
"Edi sayo na! Saksak mo sa peke mong cleavage. " oh, boy. This is the side of the new Natalie, hindi ito palaban noon! "Isa pa, wala akong inaagaw sayo ha because at the first place, he was never yours!"
Akmang susugurin pa ulit siya ni Stacey ay agad nang napigilan sila ni Vhal.
"You whore, I'm gonna make sure that you'll regret this day!" Sigaw ni Stacey.
"Enough of this, Stacey!" Sigaw ni Riley. "Vhal, get her away from here" utos nito sa pinsan.
Paniguradong patay sila kay Gilbert, he's the oldest Rodriguez cousin and he's kinda the president of this place kaya malaki ang tyansa na magalit ito.
"Bitawan mo ako at uupakan ko lang iyong babaeng iyon!" Sigaw ni Natalie habang nagpupumiglas.
"Hey, tiger calm down" pagalo ni Vhal sa kanya. "She's not worth it you know"
Binitawan na niya si Natalie nang madala niya ito sa gazebo bar. "Sir, whiskey" pagkuwa'y inabutan siya ng bartender ng dalawang basong whiskey.
"Here" inabot niya kay Natalie, she looked at him with brows furrowed. "Pampakalma"
Kinuha naman iyon ni Natalie at ininom ng isang bagsakan.
Vhal was just there,looking at her with disbelief. "What?" Mataray na tanong nito sa kanya.
Umiling lang si Vhal at siyang uminom "w-wala"
Sandali silang natahimik. Ngayon lang niya nakita si Natalie na ganito, hindi siya sanay.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Biglang tanong ni Natalie. Nakataas pa rin ang kilay at minamasahe ang sentido.
"No!" Agad niyang sagot. "Hindi ko nga alam bakit bigla akong nadamay sa away niyo"
"It's because, she's one of your fuck buddies!" She blurted out. "Next time mamili ka naman ng ikakama mo and before fucking someone, linawin mo kung ano lang ang pakay mo sa kanila para hindi nagaassume!" She yelled.
Sumeryoso ang mukha ni Vhal, akmang aalis na ito ay hinawakan niya ang kamay nito. "Let me go!" Matigas na pagkakasabi nito.
Tila nagapoy ang mga mata ni Vhal that's why he pulled her and claimed her lips.
And she didn't resist.