Chapter 12
Eight Seconds
Nanuyo ang aking lalamunan habang nakatingin sa kanya. Unti-unti akong namanhid hanggang sa tuluyang nawala ang lamig na nararamdaman ko habang nakatitig sa kanyang nagyeyelong mga mata.
We stayed for a while just staring at each other, but his heavy stare made me the first one to look away as I cleared my throat.
"Tara na," sabi ko na lang sa hinahaba-haba ng katahimikan na nanaig sa pagitan naming dalawa.
I didn't wait for his response and went back inside the building. I walked straight towards the elevator and pressed the down button.
Ilang saglit din ay nasa tabi ko na siya kasabay nang pagdating ng elevator. Nauna na akong pumasok sa loob at agad din siyang sumunod.
I felt his skin quickly rubbed against mine when he stood beside me. I casually moved sidewards and rested my back on the cold metal wall of the elevator. Sinundan niya naman ako ng tingin sa ginawa kong galaw at pinigilan ko ang sarili ko na sumulyap pa sa kanya. Inisip ko na ako lang mag-isa ang tao rito sa loob ng elevator. I didn't let his presence get my attention.
The elevator dinged when it already reached the ground floor. Nauna ulit akong lumabas sa kanya at dire-diretso ang aking lakad patungo sa lobby. Nang makita ko naman ang kanyang sasakyan na naghihintay sa driveway ay mabilis ko siyang nilingon.
He stopped when I turned around and he gave me all of his attention.
"Let me just get my car," I told him and when I was about to leave, he immediately grabbed my arm to stop me from walking away.
Muli naman akong bumalik sa kanya nang hilahin niya pa ako. I almost clashed against his broad chest but I managed to stop the inertia and pushed myself away from him.
"Sorry..." I apologized for the almost collision.
Bumuntong hininga naman siya bago muling itinuon ang buong atensyon sa akin. "Bakit kailangan mo pang kuhanin ang sasakyan mo?" tanong niya.
"We will convoy, right?" I probed. "You brought your car. I'll also bring mine."
His forehead creased. "Why do we need to convoy if you can just ride with me?" he asked. "We're just gonna waste time and gas if we will convoy."
Hindi pa ako nakakaangal ulit nang mabilis niyang hinawakan ang aking palapulsuhan upang hilahin na palabas ng building. He pressed the key fob of his car and opened the door of the shot gun seat for me before he run towards the driver seat.
I slowly slid myself inside the car and settled myself inside.
It was already my second time riding his car. Akala ko'y pang-una at huling beses na ang pagsakay ko rito noong sabay kaming umuwi sa bahay para sa dinner gayong may susunod pa pala.
It was my dream before... It was still my dream now, but I didn't want to continue dreaming about it anymore.
Siya ang pangarap na ayaw ko nang pangarapin pa dahil alam kong kahit ano'ng gawin ko'y hinding-hindi koi to maabot. Sa tingin ko nga'y mas posible pang sungkitin ang bituin at maabot ang buwan kaysa ang maabot siya. Parang mas kaya ko pang lapitan ang napakainit na araw kaysa ang makalapit sa kanya na sobrang lamig.
He's just too unreachable for a girl like me. I will never be able to melt his ice down. I can't make his arctic heart warm enough to let me in.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit nila sinasabing walang masama kung mangangarap ka gayong nakakasama ito sa pag-iisip at sa pakiramdam ng puso kapag hindi ito nakamit. Ang pangarap ang isang dahilan kung bakit umaasa ang isang tao. Kapag nagsimula kang mangarap ay hindi nawawala ang pagbabakasali at pag-asa na ito'y makamtan.
Dreaming is like a trigger for a heart to be wounded and, probably, dysfunctional if we failed to reach our dreams.
But that's just for me...
Napukaw ng atensyon ko ang matayog na building ng Sarto na tinatahak ngayon ng sasakyan. Napakunot naman ang aking noo nang lumiko ito patungo sa driveway at agad na huminto sa tapat ng nakaabang na valet.
"Bakit tayo nasa Sarto?" tanong ko sa kanya nang pinatay niya ang makina ng sasakyan.
Nilingon niya naman ako. "You'll see," simpleng sabi niya bago lumabas ng sasakyan.
Wala naman akong nagawa kundi ang sumunod sa kanya palabas. Kausap niya ang valet at binigay ang susi ng kanyang sasakyan.
Nakatayo lamang ako sa gilid nilang dalawa at nang matapos silang mag-usap ay muli akong nilingon ni Jace.
"Let's go inside," he said before he started walking.
I followed him inside the classy and extravagant lobby of Sarto. No doubt that his family's company was screaming success from the way their empire physically looks.
The employees were greeting him as we passed by them and they will smiled at me to acknowledge my presence because I'm with Jace.
It was surprising how he was still known by Sarto's employees even though he didn't work at their company. Siguro'y ganoon na katanyag at katunog ang pamilya nila. Walang hindi makakakilala sa kanila.
Tahimik kaming sumakay sa elevator at pinindot niya ang pinakamataas na button nito. We were heading to the rooftop.
Napabuntong hininga naman ako habang hinihintay ang pag-akyat ng elevator sa tamang palapag. Nilingon niya ako at pasimple akong tumingin sa maliit na screen upang panoorin ang pagpapalit-palit ng mga numero habang kami'y pataas nang pataas.
Nang bumukas naman ang elevator ay dire-diretso siyang naglakad palabas nang hindi pa rin umiimik.
"Jace, ano bang ginagawa―"
I stopped from asking when I saw a helicopter waiting for us at the top.
A man dressed as a pilot was waiting for us while talking to the famous business tycoon, Vini Sarmiento.
Jace went to them, and they immediately sensed his presence. Kahit kausap ang kanyang tiyuhin ay hindi niya pa rin nagagawang ngumiti at magpakita ng ibang emosyon. I suddenly wondered if he was also like this to his parents.
Vini Sarmiento averted his gaze to me and he smiled before looking back at Jace again.
May sinabi si Vini Sarmiento at agad na umigting ang panga ni Jace bago ito umiling. Nagulat naman ako nang bigla siyang naglakad papalapit sa akin.
"Zarina Rivadelo, right?" he said and lent out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"It's a pleasure meeting you po, Mr. Sarmiento," sabi ko naman at ngumiti saka nakipagkamay sa kanya.
Bahagya naman siyang humalakhak bago umiling. "Drop the formalities, Zarina. Just call me Tito Vini since I think you're close with my nephew."
Nahihiya naman akong tumingin sa kanya. "Hindi naman po kami close," sabi ko.
Muli naman siyang humalakhak bago binitawan ang aking kamay. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nakakatawa sa sinasabi ko at tawa siya ng tawa.
"Tito..." Jace suddenly stole my attention.
Agad naman siyang nilingon ng kanyang Tito. "Hmm?"
"We need to fly now," he stated.
Vini Sarmiento cleared his throat before he became serious. "Okay..." he said. "It'll just be around Metro Manila, right?"
"Yes, Tito," Jace confirmed.
Tumango-tango naman ito bago ako muling nilingon ng nakangiti. "Well, it was nice meeting you again, Zarina. Hope that this is not the last time."
I nodded, feeling honoured. "Opo!"
He grinned and patted Jace's shoulder before he finally left us with the pilot gearing himself for the flight.
"Hindi mo naman sinabi sa akin na lilipad pala tayo para mag-ocular," sabi ko habang papalapit na kami sa helicopter.
"Well, I just thought that it'll be more easy for us to find a locale if we will do it through air," he said and gave me the headphones that I need to wear before we fly.
Sinuot ko naman ito at saka nilingon siya na parang tila isang sikat na DJ sa club dahil sa suot na headphones. I just hate how everything he wears looks good on him.
"I also have here my cam. We will take shots of the potential locale of your water park." He showed me his professional camera.
Tumango na lamang ako at nagulat ako nang bigla niya akong alalayan papasok sa loob ng helicopter upang makaayos na ng upo.
I made myself comfortable inside the chopper, and Jace sat beside me. It made me feel suffocated once again, especially that we were inside a small and closed space.
Naramdaman ko naman ang pag-ugong ng helicopter at nakuha no'n ang aking atensyon. The pilot was talking to someone on the radio while we were slowly taking off the pad and Jace, on the other hand, was manipulating his camera.
I just averted my stare outside the window where skyscrapers greeted me as my eyes met them. Mas lalo pang tumaas ang lipad ng chopper bahagya naman akong napakapit sa upuan.
I wasn't scared whenever I ride an airplane to fly and go to other countries, but it was very different from flying in a chopper because of it shakiness.
"Is it your first time riding a chopper?" Jace suddenly asked me that made me look at him.
Ang kuryosong mga mata ay agad na tumama sa akin.
Tipid naman akong tumango at saka muling nag-iwas ng tingin kasabay nang paglayo ng helicopter sa Sarto upang simulan nang libutin ang Metro Manila.
"Are you scared that we might fall?" he followed up.
Napabuntong hininga naman ako. "Lahat naman siguro ay takot mahulog," sagot ko at pinilit ang sarili na ngumiti.
He didn't respond after that. He turned to look outside the window on his side, while I did the same. We were not here to chitchat. We were here for work.
Jace got four of possible locales that he took pictures of where my water park can be built. I just kept on agreeing with him because we both share the same sentiments. Kailangan na lang naming mamili ngayon sa apat na nakita naming lugar. Sa tingin ko'y mas maganda kung kasama ang buong team sa pamimili. I probably might set a meeting in three days.
"Are you already satisfied with what we've collected so far or you want to fly around more?" Jace asked me.
Kung ako siguro ang dating Zarina na baliw na baliw sa kanya, I will ask him to stroll around the Metropolitan area for three times or more. Pero dahil ako ay ang Zarina na nagising na sa katotohanan at natuto ay mas pipiliin kong tapusin na ang pagsasama naming dalawa.
"Let's go back now. I'm tired," I just said as I kept staring outside.
I looked down at the ground where we were thousands of feet away from. Pakiramdam ko'y ganitong kataas o mas mataas pa ang nilipad ko nang sinimulan kong mahalin si Jace, kaya noong bumagsak ako ay halos hindi na ako makakilos ulit. It was like I was almost dead because it felt like my heart wanted to stop beating at that moment.
My heart suddenly got heavier when we were slowly passing by our Alma Mater.
This was the place where everything started. I met him in our school for the first time, and I used to believe that it was love at first sight. He instantly got my attention just walking passed by me with a very intimidating cold look on his face.
He was like the king of winter, and I was just a normal maiden villager in his kingdom who was hoping to be showered with his attention but then, I was fine with tiny snowflakes raining on me, everytime I watch him from afar.
"Do you remember when we were back in senior high?" Jace suddenly asked when I was immersed with the view of our Alma Mater from above.
Parang nilalamutak ang puso ko habang inaalala ang lahat. Iyon ang panahon na natuto akong isugal ang puso ko.
Of course, Jace.
Those times might be painful, but I didn't regret any of it.
"You used to follow me around and keep on saying you like me," he started to reminisce. "I hate girls who do that. I didn't like the idea of being chased by women. I feel like you all aren't respecting yourselves because it seems like you are willing to kneel in front of me just to be noticed."
Mariin kong kinagat ang aking pang-ibabang labi habang nagsimula ang pag-init ng gilid ng aking mga mata.
"But you..." he trailed and sighed before he continued. "You didn't kneel but instead, you continued standing right in front of me to be noticed."
"But even though..." I cut him off. "To you, I was still someone who's invisible. Iyong kahit nakatayo na sa harapan mo ay tila hindi mo pa rin nakikita."
Silence reigned between us, and I was rejoicing when I found Sarto's building approaching our way. Matatapos na rin tayo, Zarina. Kaunting hintay na lang.
"But it's fine! I've already learned my lessons before," sabi ko at nagsumikap na ngumiti. "Narealize kong hindi ko dapat ipinagsisiksikan ang sarili ko sa taong ayaw naman sa akin. There are others who care for me. Sila na lang ang pagtutuunan ko ng pansin. I'm not gonna chase someone again who's avoiding my existence. Ayaw ko ng magmukhang tanga."
Muling nanaig ang katahimikan habang unti-unti nang lumalapag ang chopper kung saan ito namamahinga bago naming ginamit.
When the chopper's finally settled on the pad and the engine died down, Jace spoke up again.
"You've really grown into a mature woman..." he suddenly said that made me turn to him.
Bumilis at lumakas ang pagkabog ng aking puso lalong-lalo na nang lumingon din siya sa akin.
Slowly, the corners of his lips rose up and gave me a genuine smile that I'd never thought he'd be able to give me.
My lips parted watching him smile for me. His smile was solely for me.
"I'm proud of you..." he added before the smile, which was for me, faded.
Eight seconds.
He gave me an eight second smile to make it all somehow fine.