CHAPTER 40
RAMCEL
Victoria’s angelic beautiful face was the first thing Ramcel saw when she opened her eyes. Their legs were intertwined and their naked bodies were pressed together underneath the sheets.
The anger she felt for this stunning woman was flushed out of her system. What’s left was love and the instinct to protect Victoria.
She gritted her teeth in hatred for Hector. He’s already dead and she wished he’s being burned in hell. If he was alive, Ramcel would have killed him herself.
Kahit nasaktan sya ni Victoria ng paulit-ulit, hinding- hindi nya kailanman hihilinging maranasan nito ang mga pinagdaanan. Nagagalit rin sya sa sariling hindi man lang nya nakita ang mga senyales na may pinagdadaanan si Victoria noon. Iniisip na lamang nya ang mga sinabi ni Tita Isabelle. Nakaraan na iyon, she should help Victoria move forward.
Ramcel was glad Victoria didn’t have nightmare since they fell asleep. She couldn’t imagine the horror Victoria went through with Hector. According to Monica, Victoria didn’t want to talk about it.
“Good Morning, Baby.” Victoria’s voice was a little husky. It was kinda sexy too and Ramcel had to ignore the desire immediately washed all over her.
Ramcel smiled and gave Victoria a kiss on her forehead. “Good morning.”
“Did you dream of me?” Victoria asked smiling.
“No. I was eating buffet in my dreams,” biro nya kaya kinurot sya ni Victoria sa tagiliran. “What about you, did you dream about me?”
“No,” umiling na sabi ni Victoria saka ito tumingin sa mga mata nya. “I don’t need to anyway. Because my dream is right here beside me.”
Ayaw man magpakita ni Ramcel ng kilig pero kusang lumuwang sa ngiti ang mga labi nya. Nag-init din ang mukha nya. Hinagkan na lamang nya ito sa labi para mapagtakpan ang namumula nyang pisngi.
“Lalo kang gumaganda pag nagb-blush, Baby,” Victoria teased. Sinamaan ito ng tingin ni Ramcel kaya tumawa ito. Hanggang ngayon, musika pa rin sa teynga nya ang tawa nito. “It’s almost Lunch. Baka kanina pa nag-aaway yang three- headed dragon mo sa tiyan.”
“Can I have you for dessert?” Ramcel asked naughtily.
“I’ll think about it,” Victoria smiled teasingly then kissed her lips before getting off the bed then sauntered towards the bathroom without covering her sultry body.
Natutuksong sumunod si Ramcel rito pero nagpigil sya at baka hindi na sila makalabas ng kwarto kapag ginawa nya yun.
She loved Victoria, there was no doubt about it but she couldn’t get to say it. She was still afraid. Natatakot syang baka kapag sinabi nya yun ay mawala itong muli sa kanya. Baka kapag nakitang tuluyan ng masaya ang puso nya, bawiin sa kanya si Victoria.
Ramcel took her time taking a warm bath after Victoria left the room. She put on clean shirt and shorts then followed Vi, who was busy cooking fried rice on one pan and bacon on the other.
She circled her arms around Victoria’s waist. “You are more enticing,” Ramcel whispered then playfully nibbled Victoria’s left ear.
Natatawa itong napaharap sa kanya. Lalo nya itong hinapit sa beywang at hinalikan sa labi. She couldn’t take her hands off Victoria, now that she was really back in her life. “May I have my dessert now?” Bulong nyang nang-aakit rito.
Victoria laughed. “No, you can’t,” kunwari pagalit nitong sabi sa kanya pero kita nyang gumuhit ang pagnanasa nito sa mata. Hinalikan sya nito saglit sa labi saka tinitigan sa mata nang buong pagmamahal. “This is real, isn’t it?” Napalitan ng takot ang mukha nito.
“Yes. This is real. I am real,” Ramcel assured her.
Victoria kissed her again. “I am holding on to you, Ram. I won’t ever let you go,” madamdamin nitong sabi.
Ramcel’s heart fluttered. “But I want my bacon crispy, not burnt,” biro na lang nya dahil kinikilig na naman syang parang highschooler.
Natatawang itinulak sya palayo ni Victoria. Tinalikuran na sya nito para ipagpatuloy ang ginagawa. Umupo naman sya sa harap ng table para hintayin itong matapos.
Pumasok na sa work si Tita Isabelle habang nag-iwan naman ng notes si Monica na nagpunta ito sa grocery.
“You owe me dessert,” panunumbat kunwari nya kay Victoria habang nagd-drive sya papuntang Antipolo. Ipapakita sa kanya nito ang site kung saan itatayo ang restaurant nito.
“You can have it now if you want,” Victoria said. She slowly removed her black denim jacket and revealed her sleeveless v-neck blouse.
Napalunok tuloy si Ramcel nang makita ang makinis at mapuputi nitong braso maging ang nanunuksong cleavage nito. “You’re crazy,” nailing nyang sabi habang tinatawanan sya ni Victoria, na hindi na muling isinuot ang jacket.
Swerteng hindi masyadong traffic kaya nakarating sila sa lugar after an hour. It was a 700 square meter property situated on a hill overlooking the road and lush greens. Then at night, one could enjoy the city lights from afar.
“Binili ko to using my savings when I was still working in New York. I bought it after…” Victoria hesitated. “…after Hector and I were over. It was around the time I went back to continue my Culinary Arts class.”
Buti na lang maaraw na kaya umupo sila sa damuhan, sa lilim ng puno ng langka.
“Binenta ni Mama ang bahay namin sa New York at binili ang tinitirhan namin ngayon. Gagamitin namin ang natira para magpatayo ng restaurant na pinapangarap ko. I refused actually. I told my mother that I could find willing investors or I could loan in the bank but she insisted. Bakit pa raw ako uutang or aasa sa iba kung nariyan naman sya.” Victoria smiled gratefully, thinking about her mother.
“Your mom loves you so much,” Ramcel commented.
“I know.” Bigla itong napaiyak.
Hinawakan ni Ramcel ang kamay nito. “Hey, what’s wrong?” She moved closer to Victoria and hugged her until her tears subsided.
“Armando Alonzo raped my mother. At ako ang bunga, Ram.” Hindi nakapagsalita si Ramcel. “It started with him. Armando, I mean. Kung hindi na sana sya dumating sa buhay ko, hindi ka…” Victoria stopped and looked at her. Nagtatalo ang damdamin nito kung magsasabi sa kanya o hindi.
“You can tell me anything,” she urged Vi.
Matagal muna itong tumitig sa kanya bago ito magsalita. “I don’t want to share something horrible. I want to spare you from it. But now I realized, if I want to start over with you, I have to be completely honest.”
Ramcel nodded in understanding. After taking a deep breath, Victoria told her everything starting from Tita Isabelle and Armando’s story. She clenched her fist when Vi was on the part where Armando used Victoria for his political propaganda.
“My father didn’t want anything to do with me, but it was Hector who coerced him to see me because he had his own agenda. He became obsessed with me. He planned it all. I was stupid to believe he was a good person and I even hurt you in the process.”
“He’s a fucking psychopath,” Ramcel muttered angrily. She squeezed Victoria’s hand gently to assure her she’d keep her safe from now on. “I didn’t expect your father to be a scumbag but you don’t need him. Mahal na mahal ka ni Tita Isabelle. Maraming nagmamahal sayo.” Ngumiti nang bahagya si Victoria. “And that Hector, I hope he’s rotting in hell.” Natigilan si Vi sa tinuran nya. Bumuntong- hininga sya. “I already know about Hector. Liezle found her Dad’s unabridged report and I talked to Monica too before the typhoon.”
Natahimik si Victoria. Bumitaw rin ito sa mga kamay nya. “So, you already know that I’m a murderer,” she said softly and looked away from her. “I became someone else when I was on that island.”
“Ginawa mo lang ang dapat, Vi. If you didn’t do it, Hector would have murdered you instead.” Kung sya rin ang nasa posisyon nito, she’d do the same thing.
“Killing him wasn’t part of the plan. I just want to escape and be with you again.” Victoria looked at her with full yearning. Ramcel knew, she couldn’t take away the horrors those beautiful brown eyes witnessed. “Remember what I did with Milan?”
“Yes.” Victoria was referring to her highschool boyfriend. Hindi ito nakinig sa kanya noon nang binalaan nya itong pustahan lang ang panliligaw ni Milan kaya sinagot pa rin ito ni Victoria. Ngunit habang tumatagal, nahalata ni Vi na sex lang ang habol ng binatilyo kaya binaliktad nito ang lahat. She made Milan fall for her then broke his heart.
“I did the same with Hector. I made him fall in love with me. It was difficult at first but I’ve found a way to do it. I imitated the way you immerse yourself when you’re writing.” Ramcel was curious but didn’t say anything. Hinayaan lamang nya itong mag-open. “In my case, I have to pretend all the time that I was talking to you instead of Hector. Lahat ng mga ngiti at tawa ko sa islang iyon ay dahil sayo. Kailangan kong magkunwari na para sayo ang lahat ng ginagawa ko para mapaniwala syang totoo ang ipinapakita ko sa kanya. Maging ang mga halik at yakap na iginawad ko sa kanya, I have to imagine it was you or I wont be able to pull it off. I have to pretend even to the last moment before I stab him.”
Hector got obsessed with both Monica and Victoria because they reminded him of his mother, the only person who showed him true love and care. He dreamed of a perfect family for himself but it shattered when he learned he was impotent.
“Noong unang beses nya akong pagtangkaan, hindi nya itinuloy but I was so terrified. Monica took pity on me and assured me that Hector was useless in bed. Paulit- ulit nya akong pinagtangkaan pero hindi nya magawa. I felt relieved when he finally stopped but it didn’t change the fact that I’m still his prisoner.”
Victoria said Hector saw himself as a supreme being. A man above everyone but his self-esteem was broken because of his condition and after that he was unable to perform in bed. He was ashamed and frustrated. Everytime he got frustrated, he would take away life. He would hunt and kill.
“I took advantage of the so called love he felt for me. I wasn’t sure if it would work on him so I had a back up plan. Diego Joven.”
Si Diego ang naging witness against Hector. Ito ang nagsiwalat ng drugs operations at nagturo kung nasaan ang isla sa mga tauhan ni General Lobregat.
“I used him, Ram. I seduced him too,” Victoria admitted.
Once a week umaalis ng isla si Hector at iniiwan nitong mamahala at magbantay roon si Diego. Mas madalas na hinahayaan lang ng lalaki si Victoria na maglibot sa bahay. Kapag nakabantay naman ito, napansin ni Victoria na may paghanga ang mga titig nito. She decided to befriend him. Noong una malamig lang ang pakikitungo nito pero hindi sumuko si Vi hanggang sa madalas na ang mga itong mag-usap kapag wala si Hector.
“Diego also have Daddy issues. Kahit mamamatay tao sila ni Hector, pareho lang ang gusto nila. Pagmamahal at kalinga. When Hector wasn’t around, I pretended to care for Diego too. He became my confidante. I played the damsel in distress too. I lied to him until I got his trust…until he fell in love with me. Nagkunwari akong nahulog na rin ang loob sa kanya and I told Diego that I wish to have a life with him only if the circumstances were different.” Napailing si Victoria. “I was such a good actress, Ram. You would have been proud of me.”
Nangako si Diego kay Victoria na tatakasan nila si Hector. Gusto na rin daw ng lalaking magbagong buhay. Napag-usapan nilang isasama sa pagtakas si Monica. Batid ng tatlo na hindi sila tatantanan ni Hector kahit makatakas sila kaya tinangkang patayin ni Diego ang amo habang natutulog ito ngunit hindi ito nagtagumpay.
“Gusto kong tulungan si Diego pero pinigilan ako ni Monica. Hindi raw pwedeng malaman ni Hector na may kinalaman ako. She cares for me. Kapatid na raw ang turing sa akin ni Monica and she was willing to risk her life for me. Monica went to help Diego but she didn’t have the strength to overpower Hector.” Tears strolled down Victoria’s cheek. “Hector hunted and killed Diego in the woods. Monica was imprisoned in a dark cell.”
Victoria had to show Hector she wasn’t affected of Monica’s predicament. She had to act like she didn’t care. She had to make Hector believed she was starting to love him too.
Hector was a very jealous man. One of his men made a mistake of throwing an admiring glance at Victoria and Hector shot him right on the spot. Nakadagdag ang pagt-traydor ni Diego kaya lalong nagkaroon ng pagdududa si Hector sa mga tauhan nito. He made his men leave the island. Pupunta lamang ang mga ito kung kailangan at kung ipapatawag ni Hector.
Akala ni Victoria hindi na ito makakatakas sa isla. Na hindi na ito makakabalik sa kanya. Hector rose from the dead and aimed his gun at Victoria. He fired the weapon but missed her instead then he fell and stayed immobile forever.
The police came just in time to save Monica, who was immediately flown to a nearby hospital. Both women were saved.
“Now I’m starting to think again, if I still deserve you, Ram. Kung karapat-dapat ang isang tulad ko para sayo? Kung dapat bang bumalik pa ako buhay mo?”
Ramcel edged closer to Victoria and cupped her face with her hands. “Yan ba ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ka bumalik agad sakin?” Napapaisip sya kung bakit matagal bago nagpakitang muli sa kanila…sa kanya si Victoria?
Tumango- tango ito. “After I was rescued, I was a mess Ram. I had to see a doctor. I couldn’t sleep. Hector still hunted me in my dreams. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t cook. I couldn’t hold a knife without seeing blood. Without remembering piercing someone’s heart. Gustuhin ko mang bumalik sayo pero ayokong makita mo akong ganun, Ram, kaya mas pinili kong manatiling malayo sayo. I had to get back on my feet first. I want to be someone worth it before facing you again.”
Tears started stinging Ramcel’s eyes. “I am sorry for not being there for you, Vi. For not being able to protect you. But I’m here now. Promise me that you will share your pain with me from now on.” Victoria nodded. She wanted to say a lot of things but Ramcel conveyed her feelings through kissing Victoria’s lips and holding her tight in her arms.