Chapter 6
Hindi ko alam kung anong ibig niyang sabihin sa babawi siya. But if he means by making it up with me is to leave me without telling me where he'd go, then darn him.
It's been 5 days. 5 days when he left without me knowing. 5 days since he's been gone. In that 5 days, I've waited for him to enter the damn door of this house. But there's no sign of Zeiger. He's been MIA.
Every car that stops in front of the house, I immediately looked through the window wishing it was his car. It was him. But, no.
I bit my lower lip as I turned my back to face the empty space of the bed.
Zeiger, nasaan ka ba?
Nonetheless, tumayo ako at pumunta sa banyo kaysa magmukmok at mag-hintay sa taong walang kasiguradohan na babalik pa ba. Kung may balak pa bang bumalik.
I took a quick shower and dressed up.
I wore a tattered jeans and a loose shirt then partnered it with sneakers. I blow-dried my hair and tied it into a high ponytail, and I'm off to go.
I took my phone and wallet with me and I went out of the room.
Kinuha ko ang susi na naka-hang sa key rack.
While dialing in my phone, I locked the front door and the gate of the house and entered in my car that's been parked outside.
"Hello?" Kenji with his bedroom voice boomed through the speaker.
My brows met as my blood boils when I realized that he's still in bed.
"Kebaribaridad! Tulog ka pa?"
"Tanga. Sasagutin ko ba ang tawag mo kung tulog pa ako? Utak nga Elaine, gamitin mo nang magkaroon din ng kwenta yan." Saad niya.
Ang baklang 'to, oo.
"Where are you?" Tanong ko.
"Office."
"'wag mo akong niloloko, Kenji!"
"Ayy gagi! Siya na nga itong nagtatanong, ako pa naloko. Nasa office nga!— Mr. Alvarez, Engineer Ramos wants your presence at the site." Rinig kong saad sa kabilang linya.
Nasa office nga siya.
"Okay, tell her that I'll be there. 'wag niya akong masyadong mamiss. Ako lang 'to. Yes, Sir."
Napasapo ako sa noo ko nang marinig ang usapan nila. Medyo mahangin din itong si Kenji, eh. Grabe makaalsa ng sariling bangko.
"Hoy, Elaine. Still there?"
"Yes. Papunta ako diyan sa office mo. Sasama nalang ako sa site, ha? Babush! Wait for me. Labya!"
"Hoy! teka-"
*Toot!*
I ended the call.
Agad kong inihagis sa dashboard ang aking cellphone at pinaandar na ang kotse. I drove it off to Kenji's office.
Magi-isang oras din bago ako nakarating doon dahil sa traffic. I parked my car beside Kenji's and then stepped out and wore my shades on even if it's not too hot since the sky's cloudy. Feeling artista kasi ako, ano ba.
"Good morning, ma'am! Any appointments with whom, ma'am?" Saad ng babaeng nasa front office.
"I'm a friend of Architect Kendrix Jino Alvarez. I would like to pay him a visit." Casual na aniko.
"Alam po ba niyang nandito ka, ma'am? Hindi kasi kami nagpapasok ng kung sino-sino. " Tanong niya at nagtaas ng isang kilay.
Napanguso ako. Ang dami namang tanong ni ateng! Ganito ba talaga ka-istrikto ang kompanya'ng ito? Ang taray, ah.
Before I could be able to open my mouth to utter a word, a deep voice boomed throughout the hall.
"Elaine,"
Agad akong lumingon sa pinanggagalingan ng boses.
"Architect Alvarez." Saad nung babae.
I saw how Kenji's eyebrow raised as he shifted his gaze towards the girl behind me.
"Oh? Ikaw ba si Elaine, Miss Ponce?" Supladong aniya.
Taray ng bakla'ng 'to! Na-ano ba 'to at wala sa mood?
"S-Sorry po, Architect." Nakayukong aniya.
Kumunot lang ang noo ni Kenji tsaka ako binalingan ng tingin. I smiled at him and waved my hand to greet him.
"Tara na. Nagagalit na si Ramos. Akala mo jowa, eh." Saad ni Kenji sabay tinalikuran na ako at naunang naglakad ng building.
Sumunod ako sa kaniya. Nang makarating kami sa parking lot, kinalabit ko siya at agad naman siyang lumingon.
"Sabay na ako sayo. Tinatamad akong mag-drive. Sayang din gas." I said as I smiled sheepishly.
"Ayan tayo eh, 'no?" Aniya.
Tinawanan ko lang siya at nang tumunog na ang kotse niya, kaagad akong pumasok at naupo sa passenger seat.
He entered and sitted himself at the driver's seat and we're off to go.
_______
"Zeiger is a former playboy, you said. Then what if, Laine—what if lang, huh? What if bumabalik siya sa dati niyang gawi? Tas ikaw ang unang biktima kasi ikaw ang nandiyan. Kasi ikaw yung malapit. What will you do? What will happen to you?" Saad ni Belle.
I almost spitted out the water I'm drinking by her words. I looked at her unbelievably and blinked a couple of times.
Nandito kami sa mini office sa site ng construction nila Kenji. And since I was bored and I felt alone here because Kenji's not around and Belle is somewhere near the place, so I invited her to come over and she gladly obliged it.
I told her about me and Zeiger. I even told her about some things I know about Zeiger from the past that I haven't told her. And she end up with that thought.
"You see Elaine, Zeiger is really a secretive person. You don't even know why he and Athena ended, right? You don't know what happened to him while you're in States, while you're away. You don't know what's been running in his mind. You can't even predict his simple actions! So God knows what he's been planning and what he's been hiding in his closet." She looked at my eyes intently before she sighed.
She held my hands and squeezed it a bit. Her eyes shows a lots of emotions that I can't name. But I can see through her eyes how worried she is for me.
"I know you're a fool just by loving him this much, Laine. But please, this time use your brain. Do not let yourself get fooled. For once, stop following your heart. Don't let the love you have for him blind you. Kasi sa huli—if my what ifs were right— sino ang kawawa? Sino ang magluluksa? Sino ang masasaktan ng sobra? Ikaw." Aniya.
Para akong sinampal ng katotohanan.
Belle has a point. Is this a sign that I'll distance myself from him?
Napapikit ako ng mariin. I should've done this at the very beginning. But... I can't. I just can't.
I opened my eyes and looked at Belle straight in the eyes and was about to utter a word when the door flung open all of the sudden.
Sabay namin nilingon ni Belle ang pintoan at nakita namin si Kenji na niluluwagan ang necktie at may hawak na puting hard hat sa isang kamay. Tinignan niya kami at tinaasan ng kilay.
"Problema niyong dalawa?" Tanong niya.
"Wala. Nag-girl to girl talk us." Maarteng ani Belle.
"Ah, ge." Tumango si Kenji at naglakad palapit sa upuan niyang nasa harap namin ni Belle. The table in front is the only one keeping our distance.
He hung his coat on the back of the chair and putted the hard hat on the table as he sitted himself and looked at us.
"Hindi pa ba kayo gutom?" Aniya. He looked at his wrist watch,"It's already 12:51."
"And I thought my feelings were gone? But I'm lying on my bed, thinking of you again." Pag-kanta ni Belle.
"Bwisit ka, Belinda."
Napapailing at natatawa na lamang ako sa kanilang dalawa.
"Umayos kayo nang hindi ko kayo mapapalayas dito. Ano sa inyo?"
"Yung poging engineer doon! Hehe."
"Belinda!"
"Oh, chill, bebe Kenj! Kahit lunch pack lang sa Jollibee o McDo, okay na."
Sinamaan ng tingin ni Kenji si Belle saka ako binalingan ng tingin.
"Sayo?" He asked.
"Siya lang, sapat na." I winked at him.
Napasapo sa noo si Kenji at mahinang napamura.
"Alam niyo, iyang kaharotan niyo ang tatapos sa buhay niyo. Susko. Bakit ko ba kayo naging kaibigan?" Tila problemado na problemado'ng ani Kenji.
"Simple, kasi maharot ka din." Belle said in a matter of fact tone.
"'wag mo ko igaya sayo, Belinda. Huwag. Santo kaya ako."
"Santo'ng kabayo?" Panunuya ko.
Agad naman akong tinaponan ng tissue ni Kenji at sabay kaming bumanghalit ng tawa ni Belle.
"Pa-deliver nalang tayo. Libre ko na. Ganyan naman kayo, eh." Sabi ni Kenji habang may dina-dial sa phone niya.
Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ba ako, magagalak o maiinsulto sa paraan ng pagsabi ni Kenji. But one thing is for sure, letse siya. Joke. Baka di pa ako ilibre, eh.
Itinalikod niya ang swivel chair mula sa gawi namin at kinausap ang nasa kabilang linya sa mahinang boses dahilan para hindi ko gaanong marinig.
Hindi ko nalang pinansin si Kenji at humarap ulit kay Belle.
"Belle—"
"Alvarez!"
My words were cut off by the sudden opening of the door and a loud shrill voice boomed throughout the four corners of the room.
Sabay-sabay kaming lumingon sa babaeng kakarating lang na may suot na hard hat.
I stilled as I looked at the goddess-like woman in front of us.
But it's not really her beauty that made me stunned. It's the guy behind her who is trying to take his hand from her hold. Their hands were intertwined.
I stared at their hands as I traced my look from the guy's hand up until his face. And when our eyes met, my world came into a halt.
Tila nabingi ako. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin. Wala akong nakikita ngayon kundi ang mga abo niyang mga mata na nakatingin sa akin. Nanghihina ako. Parang unti-unting hinihigop ng malamig at mala-yelong mga titig niya ang lakas na meron ako.
I felt my heart crumpled painfully. I felt betrayed. I felt... pain, pain, and another pain.
His lips parted a bit as I felt my eyes watered.
I gather all the strengths I have left as I tried to utter his name.
"Z-Zeiger..."
__________
A/N:
Here's the update for today! Merry Christmas, everyone! Stay safe❤️