Chapter Thirty Seven
"A Burglar In The House"
Daniel Rouge Gustilyo's Point of View
Hinintay ko magdamag si Theo na makauwi sa bahay. He came home around 2 in the morning. He wasn't drunk he was rather... happy.
Sumunod ako sa kaniya papasok at tinanong siya. "Sa'n ka galing?" Nagbabaka-sakaling may in-attend lang na isang business meeting sa kompanya. I was hoping he did not meet his girlfriend, hoping that he just went somewhere. I was anxious all night thinking about it.
Lumingon ito sa akin. "'Wag ka ngang umaktong para kitang asawa." He taunted at me. Napatingin na lamang ako sa sahig.
Why do I always feel so weak whenever he's around me?
"Theo, is this still about that incident?" Tanong ko sa kaniya.
'Di ito nakasagot sa akin. He just went inside his room, "Theo." Tawag ko ulit sa kaniya at sinundan siya sa loob.
This is the first time I'm going to explain myself to him. I hope he hears me out.
"Is it still about that kiss? I'm sorry. 'Di ko naman sinasadya 'yon." Tiningnan niya lang ako ng nakakunot noo. Nakaupo ito sa kaniyang higaan habang nakatayo lang ako sa harap nito na pinagmamasdan siyang hinuhubad ang kaniyang sapatos. I saw him clench his fist again.
"Excuses." He nonchalantly answered. "You and your lousy excuses." He added. Anger evident in his voice.
Napabuntong hininga na lamang ako. "I didn't mean it. It was an accident I swear. Si Eric kasi."
"Hinayaan mo siyang halikan ka." He spat out at me. "It wasn't an accident."
"THEO," I yelled. "Do you think I was fine with it? Hindi. I kept telling him to stay away pero ayaw niya." I summed up my courage to speak to him, tinaasan ko siya ng boses.
"You did not try hard enough Rouge."
Now he's calling me by that name
"I swear that kiss didn't mean anything!"
"Liar!" He yelled at me. "What about the sex? You had sex with Eric. Don't you lie to me. Dahil alam ko, mismong si Romeo ang nagsabi sa akin. You cheated on me, at first ayaw ko sanang maniwala but that kiss supported my theory!" Galit na galit nitong sinumbat sa akin.
R-romeo told him? Nabigla naman ako kaya napa-atras ako sa kinatatayuan ko.
"You're a pathetic liar." Napalunok na lamg ako bigla sa pagdudura nito sa akin.
Kaya bigla na lang akong napuno, this time I was the one who clenched my fist. "Ikaw ba? You lied to me, you toyed with me, you made me the side bitch sa relasyon niyo ni Stephanie na 'yan. Now who was the liar in the first place Theo? I'm not going to lie we had sex but that was before you even confessed to me!" Mahaba kong litanya sa kaniya.
"Theo, I put up with your differences kasi mahal kita. I put up with everything, I shoved people around me just for you. And now you're acting like a kid. As if that kiss took away something from you." Nangagalaiti kong sinabi sa kaniya. Napahawak naman ako sa dibdib ko kasi sumisikip na siya. "Oh—Oh god that was just a kiss."
Then I realised I was crying infront of him, but I dried my tears off. "Theo, don't you know you're already hurting me? You're always tearing me apart. You know everything about me — even my weaknesses yet up until now, I still don't know about you. You never opened up to me." Sunod-sunod kong turan sa kaniya.
It feels like I got a lump in my throat that my voice started breaking.
"Now tell me, aren't you being selfish? You're being inconsiderate. 'Di mo man lang ba iniisip ang nararamdaman ko?" Napapasinok kong turan sa kaniya habang humihikbi na. I can't see him clearly dahil umuulap na ang mga mata ko.
Iniwan ko siya sa kaniyang kwarto atsaka tumalikod at nagsimula nang pumasok sa loob ng kwarto ko.
When I got inside my room I started crying again. I'm all alone and I don't know who else to talk to.
...
Nagising ako dahil sa ingay ng bunganga ni Abeline. Agad naman akong bumangon dahil she kept on calling my name all over again. I put on my bathrobe as I walk myself to the bathroom and check my face.
Shit.
I look like a weeping widow.
"Darling — OMG." She screamed when she saw me. "You look horrendous." 'Di naman niya kailangang sabihin ang halata.
I just kissed her on her cheek and greeted her. "You must had a very unpleasant sleep." Sabi pa nito sa akin.
If you only knew.
"Anyway, where's Theo? I haven't seen him."
"Ewan ko po sa kaniya." Sagot ko na lamang atsaka tumungo sa kusina. Pero nabigla ako nang nakita kong nasa sala naghihintay si Lolo. So as fast as I can I kissed him on his cheek.
"Dani Dear you look terrible. Had a rough night?" He asked me.
"Allergies po." Pagsisinungaling ko naman kahit na alam ko na iba ang dahilan nito. "Napunta po kayo?"
"Had to check on my grandson but it seems like he's not here." Disappointment was evident in his voice. "'Di na siya paminsan nagpapakita sa business meetings. I wanted to pay a visit dahil nag-aalala na ako and it turned out he just went to your school. Leaving you behind?" Nabigla naman ako sa sinabi nito sa akin.
So I checked on our clock.
Shit.
I overslept?
"Oh dear." Ani Abeline. "'Di pa rin ba kayo bati ni Marco? It's been two weeks."
"Uhh, 'Di ko alam sa anak niyo'ng 'yon." I just dropped my shoulders out of frustration.
"Si Theo ba ang rason kung ba't ka mukhang ganyan?" Tanong sa akin ni Lolo. 'Di na lamang ako sumagot. "That boy." Napapa-iling nitong sinabi.
"Oh Mom, kelan po pala pupunta ang maglilinis ng bahay?" Tanong ko sa Mom ni Theo.
"Oh, nalimutan ko palang ibigay sa'yo ang number nila. Here." She searched through her purse and gave me the contact number. "Just call them if you need some works to do at home." tinanggap ko naman ang card atsaka nagpasalamat dito.
"Anyhow, Dani do you have school?" Tanong nalang ni Abeline sa akin. I nodded. "If it's not something important you can join us." Alok nito sa akin.
"Saan po?"
"Golfing, parachute gliding then some horseback riding sa farm." Masayang sinabi ni Abeline.
"I think I'll pass po muna. I have a shoot today."
"Looking like that?" She squinted her eyes on me. "Wait, wait wait. You have a ... shoot?" Tanong nito sa akin. "And for what?"
I nodded. 'Di ko pala nasabi sa kanila na isa na akong model. "I work as a model for Soul & Style."
"Well that's good. That's good. At least your earning money ... from the family." She agreed, nodding her head as a response. "Well, I guess me and Dad will be going na lang muna. I hope you and Theo fix your indifferences." Paalala nito sa akin. "And Dani dear, don't really overwork yourself and cheer up. There are people dying."
Her statement is quite hypocritical but I let her off with grandpa. 'Di ko alam pero may saltik ata sa ulo itong si Abeline. I just nod at the both of them while waving my hand as I watch their backs slowly retreat itself.
Pagka-alis naman nila ay agad akong tumungo sa banyo para maligo. While taking a shower, I can't help but think about Theo just leaving me at home. Nauna itong pumasok at iniwan lang ako, that made me even sad.
Dinamdam ko ang pag-agos ng tubig sa balat ko. Then suddenly I just found myself crying.
I know there's this effect of the running water that triggers one's sadness psychologically. That's why I just find myself crying. Dumagdag pa nga ito sa bigat ng dinaramdam ko ngayon.
Am I losing my worth to Theo?
Or am I just worthless to him in the first place? Na andali lang para sa kaniya na iwan ako. 'Di man lang nga siya nagpakita ng pag-alala nang makita niya akong umiyak sa harap niya kagabi.
He once said he hates seeing me degrade myself and crying in front of him.
What is really up with him?
I know trauma caused him such misery which led him to be so skeptical about everything. But he didn't have to inflict such pain to me instead. Nakakapagod na rin namang masaktan palagi.
Nakita ko na lamang ang sarili ko na nakaupo sa sahig ng banyo habang yakap-yakap ang sarili ko.
I hate being miserable.
...
It was already afternoon when I arrived to the shoot. Azenette wanted me to come today kahit na alam niyang may pasok ako, it was important because I'm going to meet the manager she wants me to have and to talk about the news about me getting a deal with a pretty big company.
After shoot, she showed up with a tall man that looks somehow familiar. "Dani." Ani Azenette sa akin. "Meet Hans." Pakilala nito sa akin.
I wanted to scowl upon hearing his name but I just smiled at him instead.
But wait, Hans is my manager?
"Nice to meet you Daniel." He smiled at me as he leaned in to kiss my hand. Agad ko naman itong binawi.
"I think you two will get along."
"Oh we will." Sabat pa ni Hans kay Azenette. "I'll let you two have a talk muna, I'll be going inside first." Umalis na muna si Azenette para bumalik sa loob kasama ang mga photographers to check the pictures we just took awhile ago.
"You work as a talent manager?" Nakakunot noo kong tanong sa kaniya.
Ngumiti lang sa akin si Hans. "'Di naman talaga." Sagot nito sa akin habang naglalakad kami.
"So why are you here then?"
"Just had to secure the bag. Don't worry I won't be hard on you. Although I am often but no, I'm not going to be hard on you."
"Did Abeline sent you?"
"No, My Mom did."
"Tita Mathilde?" Naguluhan naman ako bigla sa sinabi nito.
Hans just nodded at me. "Chill Dani. Babantayan lang naman kita at iuupdate about this and that." Ani Hans sa akin. I just rolled my eyes at him and started walking.
Ang gulo ng pamilya Gustilyo. Ano ba 'tong gusto nila sa akin?
"Anyway, starting from now. You have to follow some of my rules. You have to attend some party to increase your publicity, attend some fashion shows, have to maintain proper diet, it's also mandatory that you contact me once in awhile —" I stopped him.
"Wait, I thought you're not going to be hard on me?" Lumingon ako sa kaniya habang nakakunot noong nagtanong. "Ba't may pa-rules ka pa?"
"How can I not be hard on you? You look like a woman too." He slyly smiled at me.
Well that caught me off guard. Bigla naman akong nainit sa kaniya kaya ko ito hinampas sa kaniyang batok. "Seryosohin mo kasi Hans!" I yelled at him.
"It's just some simple rules and to atleast make it sound more professional! Like a business plan." I just rolled my eyes at him in disbelief.
This is nonsense.
All throughout the shoot ang gulo-gulo! Hans continued on keeping his eyes on me. Parang hindi nga siya manager ko eh, he acted more like an obsessed stalker. Ugh.
But I'm glad that the shoot finally ended and it made me so tired that I slumped myself on the cozy sofa the moment I got home.
Dinama ko ang sarap ng kutson at nakatingin lang sa kisame.
Nakakapagod din palang mabuhay.
But I remembered what Abeline just told me awhile ago.
"People are dying." I laughed at how hypocrite she sounded when she said it this morning. So I stood up while carrying my purse and walked myself inside my room.
But I realised my room's door was opened. I'm pretty sure I had it locked before I went outside.
Pagpasok ko nang dahan-dahan ay may nakita akong lalaking nakatayo sa loob. He was carrying a hard object with him.
© 062120
AN
091520 — Sorry for not updating 😞 pero today's my birthday so here's an update for all of you sana naman nakabawi ako