Stuck on the Puzzle

Chapter Three

Sa huling pagkakataon ay inayos ko ang mantel na nakalatag sa damuhan. I looked at the food I made. I'm sure he'll be delighted to see everything I've prepared. I have been patiently waiting for him to come.

Napatingin ako sa paligid. I sighed in contentment because this is the life I've been wanting to have ever since, a simple life. I didn't even know why we ended up living in the countryside, but I'm happy, really.

Kaiba ang buhay dito kumpara sa siyudad. Here, the air is clean. The people are very nice too dahil wala kaming tsismosang kapitbahay na nagngangalang Marites.

"Dolores!".

I turned my head to the voice that called my name. I instantly smiled when I saw a figure walking towards me.

I waved my hand. He waved his hand too. I can't see his face yet but I bet he's smiling so wide now, like me. This is what happens when you're in love with someone, you just can't stop smiling with the sight of them.

He walked closer and closer. But as he was getting nearer, his face was getting blurry.

My forehead creased. Bakit ganoon? Bakit wala siyang mukha?

In my mind I was trying to remember what he looks like, my husband. But I can't seem to do it. I don't know his face. I started to panic. Bakit ganoon?

Kinusot ko ang mga mata ko. I think I'm just having problems with my eyes but when I opened them again, there was no one. He was gone. My husband was gone. He disappeared in the fields.

Inikot ko ang paningin ko but there left no traces of him.

I started having uncomfortable pain in my chest after. It was like my heart was getting torn apart pieces by pieces. I screamed but there was no voice coming out of my mouth. I screamed again, still nothing.

Until I felt someone shaking me.

"Miss, gumising po kayo, nananaginip po kayo".

Wala sa huwisyong napabangon ako. Napangiwi pa ako dahil sa sakit na sumigit sa ulo ko. Niyeta, nag-inom ba ako? Para akong lumaklak ng sangkatutak na alak, shutangina.

"Miss, okay lang po ba kayo?".

Napalingon ako sa binatang nasa tabi ko. Napakunot ako ng noo pagkakita sa kanya. Hindi ko siya kilala, never ko pa siyang nakita sa buong buhay ko. Teka, nasan ba ang asawa ko? Nasaan ba si Timothy?

"Nasaan ang asawa ko?". Tanong ko sa kanya.

While waiting for his answer, I had the chance to look around. Mas lalong lumalim ang kunot sa noo ko when I saw where I am.

Putangina. Hindi ito ang honeymoon place namin ni Tim.

"Wala po kayong kasama kaninang natagpuan ka namin. Hindi ko po alam kung nasaan ang asawa niyo". He answered pero hindi ko pinansin ang sinabi ni totoy na mukhang magtatanim sa sakahan. Ang pormahan niya kasi parang sa mga magsasaka.

But that's not important right now.

What am I doing in this weird place? Para itong kubo at ang lahat ay gawa sa kahoy. Natatanaw ko rin sa bintana ang nakapaligid sa amin. It's a field, a fucking rice field.

Patakbo akong lumapit sa bintana to see the surroundings clearly. Fuck! Wala yata ako sa La Union. Dapat nasa beach kami ngayon ni Tim. That's for our honeymoon.

Pinag-isipan talaga naming mabuti kung saan namin gagawin ang unang gabi namin bilang mag-asawa. We want our first night to be a special one. First night as husband and wife, kasi naman hindi naman na ako virgin at mas lalong hindi siya. But regardless, we still want to believe it was both our first.