For All That It Takes

CHAPTER 5

Muling nangunot ang noo ko dahil sa sinabi niya. Marahas ko siyang itinulak palayo sa akin. He distant a bit. Naiintindihan ko naman kung ano pinupunto niya, ngunit hindi ko makuha kung bakit siya umaasta ng gano'n. Hindi iyon tama.

What he just said wasn't right. It wasn't good for the both of us. It wasn't.

Kung gusto niya na gawin ko 'yon, he should pay me. He should lay some bills to buy my time. Dahil hindi libre ang oras ko lalo na kapag gabi. Kagaya ng taxi, tumatakbo rin ang metro ko.

Huminga ako ng malalim at tinitigan siya. We stared at each other. Pinantayan ko ang laman ng mga titig niya sa akin. I should do it so I could be able to fight his stares.

"W-what are you s-saying?"

He signed deeply.

"Don't, Haier."

What's with him?

He seems angry while staring at my body. Lalong-lalo na sa suot ko. I couldn't understand him at all. He's acting strangely in front of me right now.

"Magsalita ka nga ka—"

He crushed his lips on me again.

Bigla niya na lamang ulit sinakop ang mga labi ko. Napahawak ako sa damit niya dahil sa gulat sa ginawa niya.

Humiwalay siya sa akin. Napayuko ako.

"Work for me, Haier."

I lifted my chin to look at him. I saw his dark eyes looking at me pleadingly.

"Leave this place and work for me, Haier—"

"No."

"What?"

"Don't look at me that way,"

His forehead creased hearing my words.

Ayaw ko. I don't want him to look at me like that. Kung ang mga kapatid ko ay ayaw kong tinitignan ako na may naaawang mga mata, hindi ko alam kung bakit ayaw kong titigan niya ako gamit ang nagmamakaawang mga mata.

I can feel my inside feeling hurt just by looking at him staring at me like that.

"Haier..."

I stopped him by my hand. Ihinarang ko ang palad ko sa gitna namin upang pigilan siya.

"Y-you... You don't have the rights to order me, Mister," I said.

His jaw tightened.

"You and I... W-we, we only happened in one night."

"Haier—"

"Isang gabi lang. We happened only for one night so stop saying those words on me. Hindi kita kilala at gano'n ka rin. We are totally strangers for each other, Mister."

"What the fuck are you saying?!" malakas na sigaw niya.

I didn't flinched. Hindi ako nagpatinag sa sigaw niyang iyon. Tinignan ko siya ng diretso.

"Stop making it a fuss. If you came here, be here as a costumer and not anyone who'll order for a prostitute to leave the place that gives them their lives."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I am not."

He puffed a breath as if I was talking some bullshits in from of him.

Inayos ko muna ang buhok ko bago ko ayusin ang suot kong manipis na tila. Nakita kong sinundan niya ng tingin ang mga galaw ko. Nakita kong mas lalong mag-igting ang panga niya nang magawi sa may maselang parte ko ang mga kamay ko.