We went out of the mansion today. Storm was giving me a tour in the entire hacienda. He said there was a nice view in the place and that he would take me there.
"Magandang hapon po, Senyorito," the workers greeted Storm, and he greeted them back.
"Ang ganda po pala ng asawa ni'yo. Akala ko po si Ma'am De--" Hindi natuloy ng lalaki ang sasabihin dahil siniko siya ng kaniyang katabi.
I pretended not to hear them and sat on a wooden chair at the edge of the tree. I wiped a handkerchief on my sweaty face caused by the warm climate of the place.
"Ang init," I complained.
Nagtatanim ng mga palay ang mga trabahador habang tirik na tirik ang araw. I was impressed by their patience on planting.
I could hear the laughter of both the workers and Storm from here. I just watched them from afar as they caught up with each other. Storm was very friendly, so I was no longer wondering kung paano ko siya nakasundo. He was a very flexible man.
Matapos ang ilang sandali, inaya ko si Storm na maglakad na lang kami dahil gusto kong maranasan ang maglakad sa mapunong lugar. So, we were now going to the falls that Storm mentioned to me a while ago. He said it was a famous tourist spot. Even though I mentioned to him that I didn't like that kind of place, I had no choice but to follow him.
What the heck was happening to me? I'd been a great brat before.
"Fara," I heard Storm call me while we were walking. He was on my left side.
"Yes?" I responded.
"Ano'ng course mo?" he asked.
"Business Management," I answered.
"I guess you don't like your course," he said.
I glanced at him and said, "Definitely."
"Then, why did you take that course?" he questioned. Parang pinapagalitan niya ako sa tono ng boses niya.
Nobody knows how evil my dad is, I thought. I wanted to tell him that but I just chose to keep it to myself.
"My dad wanted me to take a business course. It was an order so I couldn't object. What I really like was Architecture," I just replied.
My eyes were on the road, which seemed like someone dumped white rocks on a muddy ground, making my shoes mucky with white dust. The sky became a little bit cloudy, so it was no longer that hot, and I was sure it would rain any time.
"You can take that course if you want," he said.
My brows raised as I slowly turned my gaze on him and stopped walking. "Seriously?" I cocked a brow to show my disbelief.
"Okay lang naman sa akin na kunin mo ang kursong gusto mong kunin. You can take Architecture if you want," he told me and smiled at me.
I heaved a sigh and shook my head. Then, I said, "H'wag na." I smiled bitterly and continued walking. His eyes followed me with a confused stare as I walked past him.
"'H'wag na'?" he repeated.
"I've lost my inspiration for taking that course." I was not sure if he noticed the sadness in my voice but still, I tried to be indifferent.
"Inspiration . . . I wonder who that inspiration of yours is."
"Secret." I made a face at him, which made him laugh.
I didn't want to tell him that my skills were nonsense. I wasn't good enough, so I was no longer expecting for success in that area.
"Well, matututunan mo rin mahalin 'yan," aniya. "I didn't like business before. What I really like is a medical course, and I wanted to be a doctor. But because I'm the one who inherited our company, I was forced to take a business course. But what some people say is true: You can learn to love something when it already came into your life."
"I hope so," I mumbled.
Napatigil ako nang maramdaman ko ang pagpatak ng butil ng tubig sa balat ko, at naging sunud-sunod iyon.
"It's raining!" I exclaimed.
He pulled my wrist, hauling me under a tree along the way. "Hindi tayo p'wede rito. Mababasa tayo. Let's find another place to stay," aniya.
Wala pa naman masyadong dumaraan sa lugar at puro mga puno lang ang narito. Lakad-takbong humanap kami ng masisilungan. He was holding my right hand while we were running.
"Thank God!" he exclaimed when, eventually, we saw a cottage located on the side of the road. It was a bit dusty inside, so I took the towel from my backpack and shook off the dust.
"Walang signal dito. I can't contact anyone," Storm said while checking his phone signal before looking at me. "We'll be stuck here for a moment."
"What now?" I said, my brows scrunched in a worried expression.
"Hintayin natin na tumila ang ulan," he said, then he sat down and rested his back against the wooden wall.
"Sorry, it's my fault," I muttered. I felt guilty. Kung sana hindi ako nagyayang maglakad...
"Hey, we didn't both expect this. We'll just take a rest for a while," he said in a soft voice.
I nodded and sat beside him. I closed my eyes and rested my back. I heard him humming while my eyes were closed. I didn't know the song but it sounded good.
"I will be still and know you are God . . ." he sang the last part.
I opened my eyes and turned my head to him. I met his charming eyes, realizing those eyes were staring at me. He smiled at me but I quickly looked away, tensed. I felt something weird and I didn't like that feeling. I turned around and faced the other side.
I heard him let out a chuckle. "Hanggang ngayon ba naman naiilang ka pa rin sa 'kin?" I heard him say.
"H-hindi naman kasi tayo close," I said without moving from my seat.
"Isipin mo na lang na kuya mo ako," he said while pulling back from his laugh.
I rolled my eyes. "That's impossible."
"Okay. Let's just accept the fact that we're married. Come here, honey..." pang-aasar niya.
I swiftly faced him and glared at him. "That's gross!" I slapped his arm slightly. I would have liked to give him a friendly tweak like what I always did to Kirby whenever he chaffed me, but I remembered, hindi nga pala kami close.
He just kept laughing while giving me a teasing stare. I just sneered at him before I turned around again. Nakakaasar.
Oras din ang lumipas bago tumila ang ulan. Hindi na kami tumuloy sa falls dahil medyo nagdidilim na at kailangan na naming bumalik, lalo na't walang signal sa lugar. Halos mapuno ng putik ang paa namin ni Storm. The darkness of the place was scaring the hell out of me. Ang tagal na rin naming naglalakad. Ang sakit na ng mga paa ko.
"Malayo pa ba tayo? My feet are getting numb," I complained.
"Actually, I'm not sure where we are now."
"What!" I exclaimed with eyes widened.
"I think we're lost."
"No..." naiiyak na sabi ko. Seriously, my feet really hurt.
"Just kidding. Malapit na tayo," biglang bawi niya.
Inis na pinalo ko siya sa braso. Tumawa lang siya.
***
"Where's the father of your child?" I asked Ate Peachy while we were on the veranda of the mansion, having a conversation.
She barely looked at me. "Uhm, I d-don't know," she replied. I noticed the tension in her voice.
"Oh, sorry," I said.
She wore a weak smile.
"He has brown eyes like mine," I continued, referring to Mark.
Mark was a handsome little boy. He reminded me of someone.
"Y-yeah," she said hesitantly.
"I guess his father has those eyes," I told her.
"Mukhang nagkakamabutihan na kayo ni Storm." Iniba niya ang usapan. Hindi naman lingid sa akin 'yon, kaya hindi ko na lang pinansin.
"We're just on the getting-to-know-each-other stage," I said and took a deep breath. "I found out that Storm is intelligent and kind but mapang-asar minsan."
She giggled and said, "And strict sometimes. But you are blessed to have Storm." She smiled at me. "He is caring and thoughtful."
"Yeah, he is." I smiled.
"Alam kong arranged lang ang kasal ninyo, but I hope maging maayos kayo," aniya.
Natahimik ako dahil doon.
"Storm deserves to be happy. Even if you don't love him, I hope you'll still take care of him," she added, "I think you deserve to know his past."
I looked at her with brows furrowed in curiosity.
"He was totally broken before. He had a best friend who's named Demi," k'wento niya.
"I know her. Nabanggit siya sa akin ni Kirby," I said.
"Oh. So, you know that they had a relationship," she said.
I shrugged and replied, "I don't know the whole story."
"Me, too. Storm was really miserable when Demi left him," she said and heaved a sigh.
"She left him?" I clarified.
She nodded and said, "Yes, bigla na lang siyang nawala. I think she's out of the country now."
"Oh..." 'Yon na lang ang nasabi ko.
"Tanungin mo na lang si Storm tungkol diyan. Hindi rin kasi niya nabanggit sa akin ang buong pangyayari," she suggested.
"Uh, I think I shouldn't mind his personal life."
"But he is your husband―"
"In paper." I cut her off.
Napabuga lang siya sa hangin at ngumiti. "Okay, I give in. Magpahinga na tayo. I'm sure napagod kayo kanina."
Kalaunan, nagsipasok rin kami sa kani-kaniya naming k'warto, at naabutan ko si Storm na nagbabasa ng libro habang nakasandal sa headboard ng kama. Nabaling ang tingin niya sa akin nang maisara ko ang pinto. Naramdaman ko kaagad ang malamig na temperatura ng k'warto dahil sa air-conditioner. Umupo ako sa gilid ng kama at hinubad ang suot kong sapatos.
"I've been waiting for you," he told me.
"Why?" I asked.
"I have something for you," he said.
Sumampa ako sa kama. Nag-Indian sit ako, gano'n din siya. He placed between us the book that had a black cover with words "Holy Bible". I was actually familiar with the book - it was the religious book of Christians - but I didn't know what its content was.
He opened the book. "The Bible is divided into two and have sixty-six books," he explained.
He showed to me the Bible he was referring to while flipping the pages before stopping at the page where I read the words "New Testament" with my eyes. He turned the pages back until he reached the very front. I read the words "Old Testament". Then he passed it on to me. I took it and turned the pages like what he did.
"If you want to know God, read His Word daily. The Old Testament has 39 books while the New Testament has 27 books. The Old Testament has the histories where you can read how the world began, how God made the heavens and earth, and even the first man in the world."
I just nodded my head.
"But... I want you to start with the New Testament."
"Why?"
"The New Testament has the Good News of Salvation," he said as his white and even teeth showed.
I turned the pages from the Old Testament to the New Testament and read the first book, "Matthew?"
"Yeah."
"As you can see, there are big numbers and small numbers." Nilibot ko ang aking tingin sa libro at nakita ko ang tinutukoy niya. "Those big numbers are the chapters, and the small ones are the verses."
"I put highlights on some verses there. Memorize those. That's my personal Bible but I'm giving it to you now."
"Okay, t-thanks."
Hindi ko alam kung ano 'tong pinasok ko. Napapatango ako ni Storm sa lahat ng sinasabi niya. Gosh! Nahahawa na rin 'ata ako sa kaweirduhan ni Storm.
"For now, you need to learn how to pray."
"Pray?" I said with brows furrowed.
Naalala ko ang sinabi ni Kirby sa akin noong bata pa kami: "He grants whatever you ask for." Tila narinig ko ang batang boses ni Kirby.
"Prayer is the way to talk with God. If you want to ask God, pray. If you want to thank God, pray. The more you pray, the more you will become closer to Him."
"You mean it's a way to communicate with God?" I simplified.
He nodded and said, "Exactly."
"B-but how?" I asked. Hindi pa ako nagdasal sa buong buhay ko.
He held my hands. I did not expect that. I felt a foreign feeling when he did that. I could feel the warmth of his hands.
"Just close your eyes," he said as he closed his.