Temptation Island: Broken Ties

Kabanata 12

Thea

She's been awake for about half an hour. Hindi lang siya makagalaw dahil sa matipunong brasong nakadagan sa kanyang tiyan. Hindi lang iyon, ang kanyang katabi ay nakasiksik pa sa leeg niya kaya mas lalo siyang hindi makakilos. 

Pusang-gala! Bakit hindi siya iniuwi ni Saint? She remembers reciting her address while half-asleep last night. Mapagsamantala, gusto pala ng kayakap. 

Sorry, Samantha, pahiram muna...

"Good morning..." Napakapit siya sa dibdib sa baritonong boses na iyon, it was raspy and sleepy.

"Saint. Tinitigasan ka ba? Huwag mo akong tutukan!" Umusog pa siya ng kaunti para dumistansya. She heard Saint chuckled sexily.

"Mas gusto ko yung mas bata." May panunukso sa boses nito. 

Hinarap niya si Saint at hinampas ang dibdib. "Hindi ako mukhang matanda! Bakit wala kang pang-itaas ha!?"

"I am doing you a favor; I sleep naked. Buti nga ay nakaboxers pa."

"Where are we? Kailangan kong umuwi. Fox might be worried."

"Fox?" Nagsalubong ang kilay ni Saint.

"Yes, we live together."

"You live together?" Sumeryoso ang boses at anyo ng kaharap.

"Yes, he became my best friend when I left the country."

"Ano mo na pala siya ngayon? Live in partner na?"

"Yes, we're living together, if you put it that way. But he's gay."

"You don't know that." May iritasyon sa boses nito.

"Anong I don't know that? Ano bang sign na gay o hindi ang isang lalaki? Mas malakas pang tumili sa akin iyon kapag nakakita ng butiki!"

"Even gays get married to women."

"Hindi kami talo at hindi ko siya papakasalan kasi gusto ko iyong maginoo pero medyo bastos. Huwag nga nating pagtalunan. Hindi na tayo close." Umingos siya. Saint's eyes softened. He sighed heavily. 

"I am sorry about Tito Sandro. I am sorry that I was not there, Thea." Saint looked guilty.

She smiled, "Ano ka ba? Litanyang lasing lang iyong kagabi. The truth is, I've moved on. Daddy said that I should be happy that he'll be pain-free. I understand that you have to let go of people you love for them to be happier. And I did let him go. I should be satisfied."

"Did you even cry, Thea?"

"A little." She coped through blogging. 

Walang kangiti-ngiti si Saint. "You can mourn now. With me."

"Hindi na." Umiling siya. "Okay na yun!"

"Thea.."

"Okay na nga! Ano ba! Ayoko ng drama!" Mahina siyang natawa. "Kasi yon si Daddy, kahit nung kalbo na, hindi pa rin nakakatawa. He lost all his hairs. Walang kilay. Then one day, I went to the hospital from school, nung time na yun, hindi na kami halos umuwing dalawa... He had his eyebrows drawn! Bumili siya sa Amazon ng eyebrow stencil tapos nagdrawing siya ng kilay niya, kulay brown! And he was laughing, so I did.. I laughed with him too. Mangiyak-ngiyak pa kami sa kakatawa kasi parang tanga, kalbong-kalbo tapos may kulay na brown.." She bit her lower lip as she reminisced the past, she felt that tears suddenly tickled the corners of her eyes. "Then a week later, we learned that his cancer has gotten worse. I thought I will lose him that day but he was given another year. We're still blessed, right?"