Therrie's Thirty Days of Temperamental Cycle

Chapter 14: Pain

Arkin can see how Therrie struggle through her episodes. From all the things he had experienced together with her, this is far by the most complicated thing that ever happened to them. He didn't expect she'll be losing herself like that. It's like he saw another kind of Therrie there and the only thing he can do was to take her away from the crowd and nothing more.

But that was a few days ago and Therrie seemingly came back to her normal state. And that was what he always thought whenever Therrie acts normally—it's like fuel engaging into another kind of chaos.

She loses her sadness, obsession, humiliation, and insecurity and some days are good, but not better, and always on the border of getting into a worse scenario. He just wanted to be a good friend to her. Help her to what she needed and all, but it seems like Therrie's not getting to the point she's actually coming over her situation.

Arkin noticed that day by day, she's started losing her true self. He might be wrong, it's just his guts saying, but he was never wrong when he felt that kind of gut. It's always gonna happen at the end of the day. And now that he's looking at her like nothing bad happened, he just doesn't want anything to be weird anymore. This is kind of frustrating for him, but since his intention to help Therrie is his priority, he wouldn't abandon her.

But the question underlies in it is... how long he'll be patient for Therrie?

"How can I be a help for today?" Arkin asked Therrie. His lips travelled from her nape going around her neck. Napakislot naman si Therrie at tumupi ang bandang leeg saka napahagikgik sa ginawa ng binata sa kanya.

"Stop, Arkin... nakikiliti ako..." aniya at pilit na pag-iwas sa mga halik ng bintana.

"Don't you want it?"

Therrie giggled. "Gusto... but maybe we can do that later, 'di ba?"

Napangisi naman si Arkin saka tumango. "Sure, whatever. So... what are you cooking for today?"

"Just some garlic fried rice, eggs—I know you have both, but I can make another one for you, and hotdogs—and I know you have a big one, but you can actually eat what I'm cooking."

Natawa na lang din naman si Arkin. "Sure! I'll be setting up the table now tapos sabay na tayong kumain, okay?"

But before Arkin could even left her side and grab some plates to bring to the table, nasanggi ni Therrie ang hawakan ng frying pan at muntik na itong mahulog, though she could save it before it hits the floor, but one thing happened shook Arkin the most. Tumapon ang nag-iinit na mantika sa kamay nito and Therrie doesn't even reacted to it at binalewala niya lang ito.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Napakunot ng noo si Therrie saka ito dahan-dahang tumango. "Yes... why wouldn't I be? Good thing, I save the pan before it makes a mess on the floor."

Iyon talaga ang inalala ni Therrie at hindi ang kamay niyang nagsisimula nang mamula. Kahit parang walang pakialam si Therrie sa nangyayari ay bakas naman sa mukha ni Arkin ang pag-aalala niya hinatak niya ito patungo sa lababo at pinasadahan ng malamig na tubig. Still, walang nakuhang reaksyon mula kay Therrie.

"Don't you feel anything?" Arkin asked worriedly.

Umiling ito. "Wala naman. I guess, effective talaga kapag nawawala ang sense of feeling the pain. I don't have to tolerate the pain of it. Tingnan mo, parang walang nangyari, 'di ba?"

Natameme si Arkin at halos hindi alam ang isasagot sa dalaga.

"I should get back to what I'm cooking..." She pulled her hands off of his hand and continued cooking their breakfast.

Arkin was left stunned and somehow confused. That accident will bring some kind of pain and she didn't really mind it. So, when she finished her cooking and the table is already settled, they both started eating, but Arkin's eyes stuck on Therrie's right hand now that's it turning red and he might guess could go bad.

"Are you really okay, Therrie?" he asked.

She nodded, smiling like there's not even a single problem occurred in her life. "Yes! Everything's fine. Why shouldn't it be, right?"

"Nothing..." he said. "So weird," he whispered, shaking his head.

When they finished eating their breakfast, nagpresenta na lang din naman si Arkin na siya na ang maghuhugas ng pinagkainan nila habang si Therrie naman ay naglinis-linis ng kalat sa salas. Habang naghuhugas ng pinggan si Arkin ay narinig niyang may kumatok sa pintuan. He was about to get it and tell Therrie to hide, but when Arkin got into the living room, wala na roon si Therrie kaya naman laki ang ikipinagtataka niya kung saan ito nagpunta.

But inside his head, he was hoping that Therrie's already hiding from whoever the person behind the door.

He cleared his throat and fixed his posture. Inabot niya ang door knob at nang pagbuksan niya ng pinto ito ay hindi niya inaasahan kung sinong makikita niya sa harap niya.

"Hernan?" takang tanong nito.

"Arkin," pagbati pa nito.

Pero laking pagtataka na lamang ni Arkin kung bakit may mga pulis itong kasama. "Para saan 'to? Nahanap niyo na ba ang girlfriend mo or may kailangan kayong itanong sa akin? Maybe I can be a big help for you. Anong kailangan niyo?" Confident pa itong nagtanong sa mga awtoridad.

"Mr. Arkin Webb," pagbanggit ng pulis sa pangalan niya. Laking kunot noo ang bumalot sa mukha nito. "Inaaresto ka namin sa salang kidnapping kay Therrie Tenorio."

"Ano?!" gulat nitong usal nang marinig ang hatol ng pulis.

Agad na lumapit ang isang pulis kay Arkin at pumwesto ito sa likuran nito. Walang palag-palag kung hindi ay inilagay ang kamay ni Arkin sa likod at pinosasan ito.

"Ikaw ay may karapatang manahimik at kumuha ng abogado," pagbibigay ng pulis sa karapatan ni Arkin.

"Wala naman akong ginawang masama?!" rason at depensa ni Arkin.

Ngunit hindi siya pinakinggan ng mga ito. Nagtataka ito dahil parang walang pakialam si Hernan sa ginagawa niya at parang pabor pa ito sa pagkahuhuli sa kanya. Inilabas ng kwarto si Arkin at isinara ang kanyang unit at nilagyan iyon ng yellow tape kung saan magkaroroon ng karapatan ang pulisya na imbestigahan kung anong nangyari sa loob ng silid na 'yon.

Sa hallway ay nakita niya si Carmen at napaatras na lamang ito sa kanya nang makalapit. Hindi maintindihan ni Arkin kung bakit ganito ang nagiging reaksyon ng mga tao sa kanya. Nang makababa siya sa building at dinadala na sa police mobile ay natanaw nito si Therrie na nakaupo sa loob ng isang itim na sasakyan. Pupuntahan pa niya sana ito pero naging mahigpit ang awtoridad sa kanya at agad itong ipinasok sa loob ng sasakyan.

Habang nasa loob siya ay nakita naman niya si Hernan na pumasok sa sasakyang lulan ni Therrie. Hindi alam ni Arkin kung anong mararamdaman niya. Natulala na lamang ito nang tuluyang umalis ang itim na sasakyan at saka idinala si Arkin sa presinto.

Napatungo na lamang ito at napabitaw nang malalim na hininga saka bahagyang napailing. This is not what he's expecting to happen. Not ever.

The looks he found on Therrie's face doesn't show any sympathy, and yet he felt so much pain about what happened. He guesses, she couldn't feel the same thing so why would she be bothered by it?

He only wanted to help her pero siya pa ang napunta sa kamalian. He doesn't regret it, but he knows he's in the wrong situation and he has no idea how to get away with it. Not with being filed of kidnapping against him.

This is far by the worse thing he got into trouble and this is because of a moody woman.