Chapter 18
ARIANNA
WALA sa sarili akong napahawak sa kamay ni Declan na nakaposas din. Humigpit ang hawak ko sa kanya. Napalunok ako at nanlalamig ang buong katawan ko. Iniwas ko ang tingin ko sa lalaking nasa kabilang gilid lang, at mabuti nalang din at ang lalaking nakasuot ng mask ay wala na sa harap. Wala sa sarili akong napalibot ng tingin. Isang lalaki ang kumuha ng atensyon ko na papalabas ng pintuan ng simbahan sa gilid. Nakangisi ito saakin.
Kumalabog ang dibdib ko.
Ito ba? Ito ba 'yung dahilan kung bakit ayaw akong palabasin ni Declan sa mansyon niya? Ito na ba 'yon?
TULUYAN ng nawala sa paningin ko ang lalaki. Bumalik ang tingin ko kay Declan. Nakaluhod parin siya habang taimtim na napapikit. Ilang segundo ang lumipas ay dumilat ang mga mata niya at nag sign of the cross na siya. Unang hinanap ng paningin niya ay ako. Ngumiti siya saakin, pero hindi ko nagawang gumanti ng ngiti. Hinalikan niya ang kamay kong mahigpit na nakahawak sa kanya.
"Problem?" tanong niya nang mapansin ang ekspresyon ko.
Umiling ako. Puno parin ng kaba ang dibdib ko. Pakiramdam ko anumang oras ay mauulit ang nangyari saakin. Pakiramdam ko ay makikidnap nanaman ako at mapupunta sa kung saan. "Tapos ka na magdasal?"
Tumango siya. "Shall we go now?"
Tumango rin ako. "H-halika na."
NANG makalabas kami ng simbahan ay inikot ko ang paningin ko na para bang may hinahanap ako sa paligid. Ayaw kong bumitaw ay Declan dahil pakiramdam ko ay walang silbi ang posas na nasa pulsohan naming dalawa kapag lumapit yung mga lalaking nasa simbahan at nasa paligid lang.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Huminto sa paglalakad si Declan. Humarap siya saakin. Napakurap ako. Doon ko napansin na natulala na ako sa kawalan habang naglalakad. Halos mag-dikit ang katawan namin ni Declan.
"Arianna Camille." Luminga muna ako sa paligid bago ko siya tinignan. Nasa gitna kami ng arawan, pero pakiramdam ko nanlalamig parin ako.
"W-wala. Halika na."
"No. We won't go until you say what's bothering you." Madiin ang boses niya pero bakas 'don ang pag-aalala. Doon na nanggilid ang luha ko.
Agad niyang hinawakan ang mukha ko gamit ang dalawa niyang palad. "N-natatakot ako..." halos bulong nalang 'yon ng sabihin ko.
"Arianna—hey—calm down..."
"M-may mga...lalaki 'don sa simbahan. P-parang sila—yung kumuha saakin nung gabing 'yon—" Unti-unti na akong napaiyak. Biglang nanginig ang kamay ko.
AYoko. Ayoko ng maulit ang nangyaring 'yon saakin.
"Arianna, look at me." Hindi ko halos maintindihan ang sinasabi niya, luminga ulit ako sa paligid. Hinahanap ko sa paningin ko ang mga lalaking nakita ko kanina sa simbahan.
"I said look at me!" tumaas ang boses ni Declan. Napatingin ako sa kanya. Pinunasan niya ang luha ko. Punong puno ng pag-aalala ang mata niya.
"Calm down, okay? I'm here and I won't le anyone get you or hurt you. Alright? Do you understand me?" puno ng awtoridad ang boses niya.
Napahikbi ako. "Natatakot ako,Declan...." bulong ko.
"Shh... I'm here okay? I'm here. Don't be bothered by that. Hinding hindi sila lalapit sa'yo if you're here with me. I'm here to protect you, okay? I had done that before remember? Thats why you're in handsome hands now right?"
"Pero—"
"Shhh." Tinakpan niya ang labi ko gamit ang hintuturo niyang daliri. Kapagkuwan ay hinalikan niya ang labi ko ng ilang segundo. "Are we clear, Arianna Camille? You said you trust me, right?"
"Pero—"
"Right?" pagpuputol niya.
Napilitan akong tumango. Tumigil na ako sa pag-iyak. "Oo."
"Good then." Ngumiti siya. "Let's eat first before we proceed on our date, right?"
Hinatak niya ako papunta sa kung saan. Nagpati-anod nalang ako at pilit inaalis sa isip ko ang nakita ko kanina. Pareho naming hawak ay kamay ng isa' isa at sapat na saakin 'yon para paramdamang ligtas na ako. Sa kanya. Tulad ng sabi niya.
***
DECLAN
I can feel the auras of those fuckers while I was praying earlier inside the church. There are two of them who followed us on the church, but I acted like I didn't notice them. As long as they are not on our way, I won't do anything that will trigger their boss. Matagal ng nag-iinit ang dugo ko sa mga hayop na 'yan dahil wala ng ibang ginawa kung hindi ang sundan kami ng sundan na para bang buntot sila.
I'm still on guard as I and Arianna walk. We're looking for a good restaurant to satisfy my hunger but there is no any restaurant, or even any fast food chain to eat. But there are a lots of street foods, and any colorful things to sell outside the church.
Arianna was finally calm, but her eyes were still roaming around like she's looking for something. Her eyes screams fear, and anxiety. And that makes me angry.
I know what she feels. She thinks that someone might get her helplessly. But over my dead body, and even my soul is roaming around, I won't let them get her.
"Declan, wala namang jollibee o mcdo dito eh."she said tiredly.
I nodded my head. "Yeah, i'm starving as hell. Wala na akong matinong kain e."
"Kala mo ikaw lang? Ako nga ginugutom mo e." she rolled her eyes on me.
I laughed at her. "I'm sorry okay? Wala kasi si manang. Walang mamamalengke ng pagkain natin, aaand hindi ako marunong magluto."
She stopped walking and she looked at me intently. My heart automatically reacted because of what she's doing right now. Her pair of brown eyes is attracting me, even though her eyes were slightly swollen. "Pati pamamalengke, si manang ang inaasahan mo, Declan?"
I scratched the back of my head. "I tried once when manang's arthritis kicked in, but she throw away the vegetables and meats that I bought when she saw it."
Her eyes looked at me curiously. "Ha? Ibinato niya sa'yo?"
"Yeah. Hindi nga kasi ako marunong. Yung mga nabili ko ay puro hindi maganda. Those vendors tricked me because they know that I'm a beginner when it comes to that field, so yeah."
Nagkibit balikat ako. Maya maya pa ay biglang natawa si Arianna. My world stopped spinning while she's laughing beside me. What a captivating beauty. "Talaga? Di ko ma-imagine si manang. Lalo na 'yung reaction niya nung nakita niya 'yung pinamili mo."
I rolled my eyes on her. "Come on, Arianna. Patapon talaga ako pagdating sa pagluluto, alright?"
Napailing siya. "Mamalengke tayo after nating kumain? Game ka?"
"Marunong ka?" I asked.
She pulled up her free hand in front of me. "Magkano badyet? Ano gusto mong ulam?"
My eyes sparkled, because of excitement. "Adobo. Sinigang, and papaitan."
Natawa ulit siya ng malakas. "Sige. Tara kain na tayo? Gutom na rin ako e."
Inihilamos ko ang palad ko sa mukha niya, but she remained smiling. Doubts and fears on her eyes disappeard in an instant because of our conversation. "Alright, pero saan?"
Napatitig ako sa kanya. Nag-iisip siya. And then suddenly, as I looked intently at her, my pair of eyes caught something. Two men in black looking at our direction... and one of them was holding a gun.
"Huy!" Arianna snapped her fingers in front of me.
I took one last glance before I diverted my attention to Arianna. "May karinderya pala 'don o. Dun nalang tayo?"
I smiled. "Sure."
"Hindi ka tatanggi? Karinderya yon tas rich kid ka pa? Like...kadiri para sa inyong mayayaman ang karinderya e." tanong niya ulit.
I shook my head in disapproval. "Come on, I'm a rich handsome man, and don't know how to cook but I'm not picky. As long as it's clean and yummy, I'll eat it."
Napaikot ang mata niya. "Gwapo daw?"
"Oh bakit hindi ba?" I raised my eye brow on her.
"Hindi e."
"Edi hindi mo ako magugustuhan?" nanamlay ang boses ko.
She laughed. "Hindi ako tumitingin sa mukha, Declan."
"Saan sa baba?" I joked.
Napasimangot siya. "Sa abs. Pasalamat ka walo 'yan."
Natulala ako sa sinabi niya. Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad papunta sa karinderya na natanaw namin habang humahalakhak siya. "Pffft!"
"Come on, I have eight pack abs, so you mean you like me too?"
Still smiling, she looked at me. "Nanliligaw ka kamo hindi ba?"
Tumango ako. "Oo naman."
"Dapat ko na bang sabihin sa'yo na gusto kita o hindi? Diba hindi pa dapat?" She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Napakamot ako sa ulo ko. "Yeah. Wala na akong sinabi."
She tapped my shoulder. "Good."
Eksaktong nakarating na kami sa tapat ng karinderya. Nauna siyang lumakad papasok sa loob. I looked at her back and then smiled.
Am I having my own space inside your heart Arianna?
***
"Busog ka?" Arianna asked me while walking. We just finished our luched and we're off to go to the church again to get my car then we're off to go to the wet market to buy my stocks.
"Yeah. Enjoy talagang kumain sa ganyan e, no?" I asked her.
Tumango siya. "Masarap sa ganyan pero may mga vechin kaya masama sa kalusugan."
"Yeah, I agree on that. Manang don't use it also."
"Hmm...speaking of manang, nasan pala yon? May kasalanan yun sakin e."
Napatingin ako sa kanya. "Ano namang kasalanan ni Manang sa'yo?"
"Kinunsinti niya 'yung pagkulong mo sakin sa bahay mo." Nagkibit balikat siya.
"Gusto mo paring umalis sa bahay?" tanong ko.
Sinilip niya ako sandali. Nagpatuloy kaming maglakad. Nasa gate na kami ng simbahan nang sumagot siya. "Ikaw nagsabi niyan, hindi ako."
"Okay." Sagot ko nalang at napabuntong hininga.
"Dec, hindi mo nanaman naiintindihan e. Tsaka hindi ko pa gustong umalis sa bahay mo kasi sabi mo diba, delikado pa sa labas at napatunayan ko 'yon kanina. Okay na ako don....Feeling ko safe ako sa'yo e." She whispered something that I didn't hear.
"Ano?"
"Wala. Tara halik—"
"ATE! KUYA! Bili kayo nito o!" Pareho kaming natigilan ni Arianna sa paglalakad nang biglang may dalawang bata ang humarang saamin. Pareho silang may dalang bulaklak.
"Ay, tigilan niyo 'yan. Mahal niyan e." pinaningkitan ng mata ni Arianna ang dalawang bata.
"Oy, ate! Hindi ah. Mura lang 'to. Sale nalang! Sweet niyo kasi e. Jowa mo ba si kuya?" The two kids laughed at each other.
"Alis kayo diyan!"
"Sungit mo naman ate! Bili na kasi kayo!" The kid looked at me. " Kuya, bili ka na! Para kay ate!"
"Mukha niyo. Mandurugas kayo e." Arianna interupted the two.
"Magkano ba 'yan?"
"lima isang daan nalang 'tong rose. Walang tinik 'yan para swabe yang relasyon niyo!" Nagtawanan ulit silang dalawa ng kasama niya.
Napailing nalang ako. "O, sige na." Dumukot ang sa wallet ko ng isang daan. I handed it to the two kids. They happily accepted it, and then they handed me the 5 pieces of roses that was aranged in a boquet style.
"Salamat kuya! May forever na kayo ni Ate!"
I laughed.
The two kids run again to catch another costumers. I looked at Arianna and she's making faces. I smiled. "Hey..." I called her.
Tumingin siya saakin. "For you.." I winked at her cheeks automatically flushed. "Sana sagutin mo na ako."
Doon na siya napangiti. "Mukha mo."
***
"I feel like a traumatic Guy here. Naalala ko yung ginawa ni Manang dati sakin nung huling punta ko dito." I said while we're walking on the small isles of the market.
"Wala naman si Manang e. Nasan nga pala 'yon ulit?" She asked me again.
"She's in the province. It's her birthday so she will be staying there for a week or two." I explained.
"Ah, so pag birthday ni Manang, mag-isa ka lang?"
"Not really. Madalas nasa office ako to finish my works and such."
We stopped in front of a fish vendors. She faced me. "Kumakain ka ng sinigang na bangus?"
Tumango ako.
"Mabuti naman. Lika turuan kita bumili ng isda."
"Magkano po kilo nitong bangus?"
"90."
"Mahal naman. Seventy five!"
"Eighty!"
"Seventy five ate, bibili pa kami nito e." Arianna pointed anotherkind of fish.
I hold her arms. "Make it ninety Arianna. Hindi naman mahal e."
"Mahal 'yun tangek. Tara lipat tayo." She looked at me and wink, as if she has something on her mind.
Tumalikod kami pareho. I heard her whispered "1..2..3..—"
"O sige! Seventy five nalang." the vendor shouted.
Tumingin ulit si Arianna saakin. "Oh diba? Tara balik."
Natawa ako at naglakad kami pabalik sa tindahan na pinagtanungan niya. Tumigkayad siya at bumulong saakin. "Pag bibili ka ng isda, dapat hindi sila mukhang bilasa. Tas tignan mo yung hasang kung mapula pa. Pag ganon, fresh pa. Gets?"
I scratched the back of my head. "What's...hasang?"
"Ito." She opened the head of the fish, and something pinkish showed.
"That's pinkish."
"Tama, so hindi yan masyadong fresh." She holds another fish. "Ito dapat! Pula o."
I nodded my head when I saw the red hasang of the fish.
We spent almost three hours roaming around the market and buying foods. We even biught a cloth bag where we can put the foods that we bought. We bought meats, veggies, and even eggs, flours, and processed foods like hot dogs, longganisa and tocino. We put everything on the back seat, and we're ready to go home.
"haaaaay, kapagod." Napasandal si Arianna sa front seat. I leaned against her. I put her seatbelts on, and sniffed the side of her head.
"Take a rest when we reached home."
"Talaga."
I smiled. I went back to my seat and started driving. "Did you enjoy this day?" I asked her.
"Oo naman. Unique na date yon." She laughed.
"Indeed." I agreed.
"Ikaw? Okay ka naba?"
"What do you mean?"
"Binangungot ka diba?"
"As long as I'm here with you, I will be okay." I winked.
She rolled her eyes on me, "Mga manliligaw nga naman. Kulang nalang mamunga ang bibig sa sobrang pamumulaklak."
I didn't answered her.
Few minutes later, she talked again. "Dec?"
"Hmm?"
"Anong ginagawa mo 'don sa lugar kung saan mo ako nakita?"
Nagkibit balikat ako. "I'm a business man, Arianna. That's why I was able to go there with my friends."
"Eh bakit mo ako binili?"
"I don't know."
"Huh?"
"I don't know either." I chuckled. "I was attracted to you the time I saw you on that cubicle. I was stunned like that. But when I saw your tears, my instinct told me to save you. And my hearts says that I want to protect you as long as I can. And as I always looked at you when you're sleeping at night, I finally figured out that I liked you...."
I looked at her. To my dismay, she was slightlysnoring. She fell asleep. I sighed and continue talking. "and as you talk to me...and be close to me, my heartjust not only tells to protect you...but to love you as well."