Naalangan bigla si Knox. Paano niya sasabihin kay Concepcion ang lahat? "Well, can you stick around and tell her that?" aniya kay Dani.
Biglang tumawa ang babae. "I'm afraid I have to go. I may drop by again later, if I'm not busy."
"Please?" sambit niya. Ayaw niyang siya ang magsabi ng lahat kay Concepcion dahil hindi pa man ay parang nahuhulaan na niya ang magiging reaksiyon ng babae. Bago oa makapagsalita si Dani ay nawala na ito. Muntikan nang mapamura si Knox.
He thought it was not fair that the only way to travel in time was to have sex with the person he saw in his mind. Sa kasong ito, si Concepcion. Siguro ay mas naging madali ang lahat para kay Danielle. She was a woman, no man was ever really that conservative. Kahit pa sa kung saang panahon ito napunta, mas madali para rito ang lahat. While it would take a lot for him to convince someone like Concepcion to do it with him and it wouldn't be fair also.
Alam niya na sa panahon ni Concepcion ay hindi basta-basta ang ganoong bagay. Alam din niyang posibleng mayroon na itong betrothed. He was not sure but if she had one, it wouldn't be fair. Kukunin niya ang isang bagay na alam niyang sagrado para sa babae at hindi iyon pahahalagahan. Well, maybe he can take her with him to the future. Ano pa ba ang kailangan ng babae sa panahong ito? Her house was a mess, everything was hard to do, even peeing. Kailangan niyang ilagay sa isang bote ang laman ng pantog dahil ang toilet ay isang water closet noong panahong iyon. Hindi pa moderno ang plumbing system. He supposed there was an outdoor toilet, too, but it was a good thing that he didn't need to shit yet. If he did, he would have to do it in the water closet and stay inside the room, knowing his shit was in there with him.
This was insane. Hindi na nakapagtatakang napakaraming nagkakasakit noong araw. Nag-mental note siyang ipaalala sa babae na kung sa balon galing ang iniinom nilang tubig ay walang kuwenta ang plumbing, malamang na ma-typhoid fever sila, among many others. Pero sino ba siya para sabihin kung ano ang magiging desisyon ng babae? If it were him and his brother was here, he wouldn't be able to leave.
Kaya ngayon, paano niya makukumbinse si Concepcion na gawin nila ang tanging paraan para makabalik na siya sa pinagmulan? He suddenly understood why Danielle was grinning. Alam ng babae ang kanyang reputasyon pagdating sa kababaihan. If Concepcion was a modern woman, it would be easy.
Iniligpit niya ang pinagkainan at sinigurong malinis na malinis ang silid. Gusto sana niyang mag-igib ng tubig pero magagalit si Concepcion kapag lumabas siya. Isa pa, ayaw niyang mamatay sa lugar na iyon. Wala siyang kahit na anong armas. He knew that guns already existed at that time. Ano ang laban niya kung madaming magtatangka?
He needed to find a way to stay but also be able to get out of the room. Hindi siya makapaghintay na kausapin muli si Concepcion para makagawa sila ng paraan. Mahirap ang ganito. But he would simply have to wait. He was not a very patient man though, and was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.
Oras ang lumipas bago pumasok sa silid si Concepcion. Mukhang pagod ang babae. Sa isang banda, may simpatya siya rito. It was not easy living in her time.
"Nakauwi na si Trinidad. Isinara ko na ang lahat ng bintana at pinto. Puwede ka nang bumaba, kung gusto mo. May banyo din sa ibaba, kung gusto mong gamitin. Pinapuno ko na ng tubig ang mga lalagyan."
"Are you okay?"
Tumango ang babae. "Pagod lang pero ayos naman. Bukas, may lalakarin ako. Walang tao dito sa bahay, makakalabas ka ng kuwarto."
"Kailangan nating umisip ng paraan para makalabas ako ng bahay."
"Pagod ako, hindi ko kayang mag-isip."
"Paano kung sabihin mong kamag-anak mo ako?"
Naglakad ang babae patungo sa mesa kung saan mayroong palanggana at pitsel. Napabuntong-hininga ito nang makitang wala nang laman ang pitsel. He volunteered to get some water for her.
Nang makababa ay nakita niyang ang lalagyan ng tubig sa ibaba ay isang malaking tub na mayroong takip na kawayan. Kahit paano ay buo ang takip kaya siguradong hindi lalamukin. But he did not like the idea of living like this. He was so used to living in comfort and safety.
Nilagyan lang niya ng tubig ang pitsel at tumaas na. Nakaupo si Concepcion sa tumba-tumba at nakatulog na roon. She was a tough girl, it was apparent. Hindi niya rin kilala kung sino ang lalaking kausap nito kanina, pero halatang kayang ipagtanggol ni Concepcion ang sarili, isang bagay na hindi inasahan ni Knox sa mga babae mula sa panahong iyon.
Mula rin sa narinig niyang usapan ay lalong napukaw ang kanyang interes sa babae. She was ahead of her time. Kapag din naiisip niyang ganito ang kalakaran noong araw ay hindi siya makapaniwala. There really was a time when people thought that sixteen was a good marrying age. Kung titingnan si Concepcion ay parang nasa twenties pa lang ito, and already she was considered unfit to be a bride. Oh, she would love the twenty-first century for sure. He can picture her as a CEO, or a lawyer, even a soldier. There was no place for her here, but there will be one for her in the twenty-first century for sure.
Mukhang mahihirapan itong matulog sa upuan kaya binuhat niya ito. Nagising ang babae at pumalag. Mabuti at hindi niya ito nabitiwan.
"Shhh," aniya. "You need to be on your bed."
"Madumi ako. Kailangan kong maligo. Ibaba mo ako."
"Paano ka maliligo kung wala nang tubig?"
"Sa ibaba. O sa labas." Kumuha na ang babae ng maisusuot na damit, saka lumabas ng silid. Walang nagawa si Knox kundi ang sumunod dito.
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