67 - Fire - Pineapples
(POV Blaze)
Paradiso is suppose to wipe my memory and send me to my eternal slumber, but an annoying voice suddenly wake me up out of nowhere. An unfamiliar voice that I am sure that I have never heard before.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a young man in his late teens. He is gently shaking my shoulder as if I need to wake up in a hurry.
"Kuya Blaze, tanghali na. Sabi mo gisingin kita ng maaga. Hindi ba may lakad kayo ni Amelia?"
Kuya Blaze? Amelia? And who the fuck is this guy?
"Past twelve na, 'di ba may lunch kayo sa hacienda?"
I don't know what the hell is he talking about kaya mabilis akong bumangon sa kama. I found myself inside an unfamiliar room. Lumabas ako ng kwarto at mukhang nasa isang mansion ako na nasa gitna ng maraming taniman ng pinya.
Pineapples? What the hell am I doing in the middle of pineapple fields?
"Kuya Blaze, naririnig mo ba ko? May date kayo ni Amelia," sabi ng binata na kasama ko habang iniikot ko ang paningin ko sa buong paligid.
"I am sorry. Who is Amelia again?" naguguluhan kong tanong.
"Ang nililigawan mo na haciendera? Bilisan mo at baka ma-late ka pa."
I don't know who the hell is Amelia. Malayo ang name niya sa Camilla Villarosa so I don't fucking care about her.
If I am not mistaken, it seems that my soul is trapped inside the body of a different person. This would be troublesome. I don't want to live my second life in a stranger's body. Nagmadali ako na humarap sa isang life size mirror and I almost gasped when I saw my face.
"Damn it. I am still good looking as fuck!" nakangiti kong sabi sa harap ng salamin.
I still look the same. The same gorgeous and hot Blaze Azevedo, excluding my reddish hair. I tried to access the power of the god of fire, but I can't feel anything. Mukhang isa akong tao sa mundong ito.
"You mentioned that my name is Blaze. Is my last name still Azevedo?" tanong ko sa binata.
"Ha? Kuya, nagpapatawa ka ba? Siyempre Azevedo pa rin ang last name mo. Bakit mo naitanong? May problema ba?" naguguluhan na tanong na binata.
"Yes, we have a problem."
"Pansin ko nga. English ka ng English eh. May amats ka ba?"
I took a deep breath and combed my dashing hair. It seems that all of the traces of the god of fire vanished in me. All I have left is my breathtaking body and my name. I can also feel that I am a mere human. No signs of godly powers.
"I hit my head. That's it. I hit my head last night and I think I have some sort of amnesia," nakangiti kong palusot sa binata.
"Amnesia? Hala ka! Kuya Blaze, tara na at magpa-doctor na tayo! Baka may mangyari pa masama sa iyo. Kamusta ang ulo mo? Masakit pa ba? Naku! Tatawagin ko na ang inang at amang para madala ka agad sa ospital---"
"No need. I think I am fine. Can you just give me a brief background about me? I think it would be better if I remember bits and pieces about myself," sabi ko sa binata sabay turo sa magarang living room sofa.
Ipinaliwanag ng binata na siya si Sebastian Maranan at ako daw ay ampon ng kanyang mga magulang. Ang ama ko daw ay isang Portuguese at ang ina ko daw ay isang Pinay na kaibigan ng kanyang ina. Maaga daw pumunaw ang aking magulang, kaya ang mga Maranan daw ang nag ampon sa akin. Wala daw siya alam masyado sa background ko noong bata pa ako, pero sa pamilya Maranan na daw ako lumaki.
This sounds like my fake background history when I moved to the Philippines to establish my line of luxury clubs.
"So I am a farmer? Pineapple harvester to be exact?"
"Not really, Kuya Blaze. Isa kang rich bachelor. Ikaw ang namamahala ng pineapple business ng inang at amang at meron ka din business sa Manila. Nakatapos ka na ng Business Administration, pero kumuha ka din ng Physics and Chemistry courses, which is quite odd. Pero isa kang genius, Kuya Blaze."
"Can you enlighten me why am I here?"
"Nagbabakasyon ka lang dito para ayusin ang business natin."
"And how would you describe my personality?"
"You are serious and easily-angered, pero mabait ka sa amin ng mga amang at inang. Marami kang mga chicks dito lalo na nang nag-aral ka sa Maynila. Kuya, sigurado ka ba na ok ka lang? Tingin ko kailangan na natin magpa-doctor. Mukhang wala kang naaalala na kahit ano."
"Sebastian, I am fine. I just need to refresh my memory. If I may ask, where on earth are we right now?"
"Bukidnon, Kuya Blaze."
"Bukidnon? In Mindanao?"
Fuck! Why I was transported here? Pwede naman sa Metro Manila, bakit sa Bukidnon pa?
I need to go back to Manila. I need to find Camilla. Kung nagbalik ako sa pagiging tao, there is a very high possibility that Camilla is also back. I just need to locate her.
"Sebastian, kailangan ko bumalik sa Manila. I have some urgent business to attend to."
"Kuya Blaze, hindi pwede. Kailangan mo makipag-date kay Amelia."
"I think I can decide who I want to date---"
"You proposed to her," sabi ni Sebastian as he smiled bitterly.
"Teka, akala ko ba nililigawan ko pa lang siya? Who in their right mind will propose to her if we are not even together?"
"Ikaw, Kuya Blaze. Nagpropose ka sa kanya ng isang business proposal kung magpapakasal kayo. Parang merging of business. Ang business nila ay food production and distribution, samantalang hawak naman natin ang malaking portion ng pineapple plantation."
I don't know why I proposed to her, but since Camilla is my Amore, there is a good chance that Camilla was trapped inside this Amelia's body.
"How does she look like? This Amelia?"
"She's pretty. Sobrang ganda. Bagay na bagay kayo, Kuya Blaze."
"I will meet her. Saan kami uli magkikita?"
"Sa hacienda nila. Ihahatid na kita."