CHAPTER 39
Boys and Kisses
REN
"YOU SHOULD HAVE called me right away!" she pouted as she began removing the seal of the box that she carried with her upon entering. "Alam mo na palang may mga umaaligid sa'yo roon, bakit hindi ka pa nagsumbong sa akin?"
"Why did you come here, Mom?" singit ni Knight nang siya ay makatayo na habang nagpapampag ng pantalon.
Sa halip na sumagot si Ma'am Charlotte ay tila hindi nito pinapansin ang anak at sa akin lamang nagtuon ng pansin. "I have been so willing to keep you within my sight and territory so you won't be in danger. Anyway, here's for supper. Ako ang nagluto niyan," gayak nito sa akin.
Iniayos niya ang mga pagkaing hindi ko mapangalanan sa built-in foldable table ng kama. Nagdala rin ito ng isang maliit na thermos ng tsaang ipinipilit niyang ipaubos sa akin.
"Mom, talk to me."
"Ren, can I talk to you alone?"
Ako naman ay hindi na nag-isip sa sa ibig niyang iparating kay Knight. Walang nagawa ang huli kung hindi ang mapailing na lamang dala ang iritasyon at saka lumabas ng silid.
Tumawa ang kanyang ina at saka sinabing, "I went to PMA yesterday and I saw your name on the list of the entrance exam passers. What are you planning to do, Renaissance?"
The sound of my name from her lips sounded mellow and sweet I couldn't feel ever awkward of hearing it.
I tasted the soup first and I like it firsthand. I like thick soups.
"Ma'am, hindi naman na po siguro lihim sa inyong mahirap kami ng lolo ko. At kung hindi pa nasasabi ni Knight sa inyo, ako na po ang magsasabi," saad ko bago huminga nang malalim. "Kung naaalala pa po ninyo iyong panahong binawi na ninyo si Knight mula sa Boystown, ako po iyong batang gusto ninyong kupkupin."
The mere thought of telling her this actually captured what she expressed right now. She looks surprised.
"How could that be?" she awkwardly laughed so light. "That child is a boy and you're a girl."
Tumango ako at saka ipinaliwanag ang lahat upang maintindihan niya. Sa dulo ng aking kwento ay natahimik siya nang ilang sandali bago niya mapagpasyahang tumayo.
"That's now more of a reason why I should keep on treating you like my own daughter."
She looks so proud and sure of herself as she said it.
"But I guess my son was right back then. Hindi ko rin naisip ang mararamdaman ng lolo mo noong gusto kitang kunin. But that doesn't stop me from wanting you in my family. I like you. So if you don't mind me asking you about your plans for applying to PMA, may I know why you took an exam?"
"Ayon nga po. Gusto kong matulungan kaagad si lolo. Isa pa po, hindi naman makakasakit ang sumubok, di po ba?"
She looks hesitant before asking, "Alam mo ba ang pinapasok mo?"
Sa totoo lamang, hindi ko alam. Hindi rin ako sigurado kung kaya kong panindigan. Ni hindi ko nga inasahang makakapasa ako sa entrance exam na iyon.
"Do you plan to proceed to the Complete Physical and Medical Exam?"
I looked up and all I saw is a motherly concerned face.
"Hindi ko po alam."
I hate to admit that but I damn well have to be honest. The woman is in military, herself. She knows what she's talking about.
"I am not trying to stop you but I am not trying to encourage you either. Have you told this to Knight?"
I shook my head and wondered why I should tell her son about my career plans.
She treaded to the door and finally let Knight in.
"I'll leave you two now. I probably won't be home when you move to the house but I have got everything prepared by now. Please feel at home, Ren. Remember, you're supposed to be my daughter," she said while looking at Knight before leaving.
"What did she tell you?" he calmly asked but I can see the dying curiosity in his eyes.
Should I tell him though? I might as well should.
"Sinabi ko na sa kanya ang nangyari noon sa Boystown."
I saw him roll his eyes and he said, "Now I understand why she's acting like she's got a new favourite." He then smiled and patted my head. "But I'm happy she likes you."
Napakunot ako ng noo. "Aren't you bothered that your mom ignores you?"
"I'm used to it. Not that she always ignores me. It's just that she tends to act like I don't exist whenever I asked something from her and she's mad that she can't resist because I am her kid."
Napatawa ako at saka siya tinapik sa balikat.
He might have not expected me to do it because he nearly flinched.
"Saluhan mo ako," alok ko sa kanya at hindi naman ito tumanggi.
"HINDI RIN BA qualified sayo ang indirect kiss?" he interrogated after washing the pair of spoon and fork and the box of the meal.
We shared the utensils never minding to use the plastic ones in the hospital ration because they instantly broke apart. It didn't bother me.
However, the boy right beside me is sulking and was bickering against me, forcing me to believe that we kissed by sharing a spoon and fork in eating.
"Why are you so interested in my kissing categories, anyway?"
I took my medicines which were mostly some stuff to ease my cramps and my headache the like. Sinabi ring maaari na kaming makauwi bukas basta't maubos ko lamang ang huling batch ng swerong isusuplay sa akin ngayon.
"Saan ka matutulog niyan?" tanong ko sa kanya nang mag-alas nueve na. Tinamaan na rin kasi ako ng antok dahil na rin siguro sa lamig ng kwarto at sa nakakapagod na pagtitiis sa pagmamaktol ng aking puson.
"I can figure that out myself. I'll be back, okay? I'm just going to make a call outside that door. Sleep."
"PWEDE NA AKONG pumasok ng school mamaya," pamimilit ko kay Knight habang nag-iimpake na siya upang makauwi na kami. Nanghihina pa rin naman ako ngunit hindi na ako nahihilo. Kailangan ko lamang sigurong gumalaw-galaw dahil hindi naman talaga sanay ang aking katawang walang ginagawa. Hindi na rin ganoon-kasakit ang aking puson. Iyon nga lang ay talagang makawala ang labas ng dugo sa aking hindi ko rin naman magawang ireklamo dahil mas mabuti nang ganoon upang malinisan ang loob ng akin katawan.
"You'll take the day off. I already called Duke to take care of it."
"Malapit na ang exam ko," katwiran ko.
He just scooped me up and put me down my feet so I could slip into my slippers. "I called Lolo G and he said that he's okay. Wala na rin daw lagnat ang pinsan mo."
"Eh di babalik na siya?"
He shook his head and said, "Hindi pa raw bumabalik ang kasama sa bahay ng pinsan mo kaya doon muna siya."
"Hindi na ako nakipagtalo pa dahil naiintindihan kong hindi kaya ni Jeya ang mabuhay nang mag-isa."
"Go wash your face and brush your teeth up there while I get your meds from the pharmacy. We'll get going when I get back."
Kaagad naman akong nagtungo na sa banyo upang maglinis ng mukha. Hindi rin naman ako makaligo nang maayos dito kaya mabuting ipagpaliban na lamang iyon mamaya pagkauwi. Ibinalik ko sa bag ni Knight ang sipilyo ko at habang nagpupunas ako ng mukha ay narinig ko nang bumukas ang pinto kaya naman ako na ang nagmadaling magsara ng bag niya bago siya harapin.
Iyon nga lamang ay hindi si Knight ang aking nakaharap.
He smiled and looked at me as if I am an item in an auction. I don't like that kind of stare.
"Sino ka?"
Cold blood seemed to run down my feet up to my arms when he walked toward me and another pair of men entered the room which alarmed me intensely.
"You need to come with us."
The sentence was a command. It sounds like a command from a person who looks like he knows how to command.
"Sino po kayo?"
Handa na akong sumigaw sa kahit na anong oras mula ngayon kapag lalo pa silang lumapit sa akin. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang kailangan nila ngunit wala akong alam na atraso sa kahit na sino upang ako ay mapuntahan ng mga ganitong tao. Hindi ako nakasisiguro kung ligtas silang kasama sa isang silid o hindi.
Hindi sila mukhang mamamatay-tao ngunit mukhang kaya nilang pumatay ng tao.
"I'll count to three and you will turn around and meet me in the eye."
Maging ako ay napatingin sa biglaang pagsakop ng kayang boses sa silid. I didn't even hear him coming in but maybe it's what fear can do. It might disrupt you from your other senses.
His words seemed to catch their attention so maybe what he said really didn't matter. It was just all because he interrupted them so that's why.
"Anong ginagawa ninyo?"
There was suspicion in his voice. If I couldn't be mistaken, he could have also dripped venom in his mouth.
"Napadaan lang kami, Sir. Napakwento lang," saad ng isang hindi ko na tinignan pa.
Sinubukan kong hulihin ang mata ni Knight ngunit napagtanto kong hindi ko na kailangang iparating pa sa kanyang hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko sa kanila dahil siya na mismo ang nagparating nito sa kanila.
"You're scaring my patient."
The men backed out, maybe sensing that they had no chance to do whatever they might have planned to do just now and decided to quickly exit the room. Knight didn't retrieve his furious face as he dialled in his phone and said over the line, "We've got them. Lock this hospital down now. Three men in blue scrub suits. They're wearing coloured shoes."
A few moments later, there came layers of metal sheets sliding down the windows in the room we are in and I can hear murmurs from the hallway.
"Anong nangyayari? Sino sila?"
He looked at me dead in the eye and said, "Those were the men who are surveying your area, Ren. I have had them followed from yesterday when I rushed you here. They followed us when I hailed a cab. That's why I called three of your friends here. Nandito sila kahapon pa at gusto kong ipakita sa kanilang hindi ako nagbibiro sa mga sinabi ko. Then Kris cooperated by reporting the incident to his father because he saw them wandering around here with his very eyes. Now we had them."
Wala na akong ibang nagawa kung hindi ang mapaupo dahil sa nanghina kong tuhod. He walked up to me and pulled my head close to his chest.
"I'll keep you safe, okay?"
And I could have never even doubted him.
At that moment, I thought about nothing but to stay right where his eyes could reach. That way, I am safe.