The Spirit of the Dragon Deity

CHAPTER 19

PAGKATAPOS nilang mag usap ay napagdesisyonan nilang pumasok na sa loob ng mansyon. Pero hinila naman ni Raiden ang kamay ni Ali para maiwan sila sa Garden, nagtatanong naman na napatingin si Ali kay Raiden at ngumiti ito sakaniya. For the very first time nakikita niya ang magandang pisikal na anyo ng lalake. To show his perfect and manly face, it is composed of clean cut of hair, well shaped eyebrows, pointy nose, thin almond eyes, and uni lips. Bukod pa don kapag tinititigan ka niya ay pakiramdam mo ay hinihigop ang buong kaluluwa mo just to look in his eyes.

"Raiden?" Nagkatitigan lang kasi sila ng ilang minuto at mukhang napansin naman iyon ni Raiden tsaka ito umiwas ng tingin at tumikhim.

"Sorry, I was just appreciating your beauty." Ali felt like her heart was exploding out of 'kilig'. Paminsan minsan gusto talagang kurotin ni Ali si Raiden dahil sa pagpaparamdam nito ng kakaibang damdamin sakaniya.

"Hala, parang baliw to." Kinikilig na sabi ni Ali at kasabay nun ay nahampas niya ng malakas ang braso ni Raiden na ikinanlaki ng mata nito. Nagulat din si Ali sa nagawa so she immediately put her hands down and bite her lip. Nakalimutan niyang Deity pala itong tinatrato niyang close.

Tumikhim naman si Raiden tsaka hinawakan ang kamay ni Ali kung saan may nakabalot na Bracelet na bigay nito. "Ali, alam mo bang may purpose ang bracelet na ito bukod sa pwede mo akong matawag anytime?" Napatingin naman si Ali sa bracelet at inantay ang susunod na sasabihin ni Raiden. "Napoprotektahan ka nito para hindi malaman ng ibang kasama natin kung sakasakaling nag uusap kayo ni Lien. Yun nga lang, ako lang ang nakakaramdam non. Pero sa ngayon mukhang kailangan ko nang palitan for the safety of everyone." Seryosong sabi ni Raiden at nagtaka naman kaagad si Ali kung ano ang ibig sabihin nito.

"What do you mean, Raiden?" 

"I will remove the protection that others cannot sense kung sakaling lumabas si Lien saiyo. I will change it into a protection na hindi magagawa ni Lien na makapag take over sa katawan mo kung saka sakaling masugatan ka. Whenever I am not around, this bracelet will protect you from harm for the mean time. If ok lang saiyo na palitan ko ito. Ang tanong, will that be ok with you?" Alalang tanong sakaniya ni Raiden at napa isip naman si Ali. It seems like tinatraydor niya si Lien pero valid naman diba kung iisipin  niya naman ang kapakanan niya at ang kapakanan ng mga kasama niya dito? Valid naman kung mapipigilan niya ang panibagong gulo na mangyayare lalo na't nag deklara na si Lien ng away against the deities and with that, Ali made up her mind. 

"Ok. Kung ano ang mas makakabuti, doon ako." Raiden smiled at her and his hands glowed while holding the bracelet. It took him a minute para matapos ang proseso.

"It's all settled, mapapanatag na ako." sabi nito sakaniya and he held her hand while looking at her straight in the eyes. "Kamusta ang pakiramdam mo?" Tanong nito sakaniya at ramdam naman ni Ali ang sinseridad sa boses nito. 

She smiled at him and replied "Masama ang loob ko kay Lien and that's an honest confession. But then, I was trying to understand her pero hindi talaga. Mali talaga ang mga ginawa niya and it's hard for me to understand her situation. Madalas ko siyang pinagbibigyan noon pero sa ngayon, tama na. Sarili ko naman." 

Raiden brushed his fingers in Ali's hair "That's right Ali. This time, think about yourself. Masyado ka nang mabait." Napangiti naman si Ali dun. Nature na siguro niya ang pagiging mabait.

"How about you, Raiden? Ano'ng nararamdaman mo na bumalik na si Lien?" Tanong ni Ali kay Raiden. Sa totoo lang, kinakabahan siya sa magiging sagot nito. Hindi niya alam kung may feelings pa ba si Raiden kay Lien o may plano itong balikan. Thinking of that, hurts her.

Napansin niyang napaisip si Raiden and a few minutes nagsalita ito. "Hmm..Honestly, I can see now that I cannot treat Lien just like before. After a few encounters with each other recently, ramdam ko na puro galit nalang ang nasa loob ni Lien. Ramdam ko rin na pareho na kaming walang nararamdaman para sa isa't isa. Lien would always have a special place in my heart.  After all, she was my first love and my bestfriend." Nagustohan naman ni Ali ang sagot nito and that means that may space na sa puso nito. Kung ganon, magpapa tapang na si Ali.

"Are you open for an application?" desididong tanong ni Ali na ikina kunot ng noo ni Raiden.

"Application for? As far as I can remember, wala kaming application for servants nowadays." Napairap naman kaagad si Ali sa pagiging boomer ni Raiden sa mga ganitong bagay.

"Sira! Application for Raiden's future wife!" Nakakunot pa rin ang noo ni Raiden habang nag iisip ito hanggang sa nakuha na nito ang pinaparating ni Ali and when he did, binigyan siya nito ng makabuluhang ngiti, tsaka pinisil si Ali sa pisngi.

"Bakit? gusto mong mag apply?" tinampal naman ni Ali ang kamay ni Raiden sa pisngi niya at nginisihan ito.

"I would love to. Can I?" 

"I would love to accept your application as well and no more applicants will be allowed to apply again." Kinilig naman si Ali sa pagpayag nito. "But then, I should be the one asking you that, Ali. Ako ang lalake dapat ako yung nagtatanong niyan. Inunahan mo lang ako."

Napatakip naman ng labi si Ali "Wait, you mean...you.."

"Yes, I like you." Napakagat naman ng labi si Ali dala ng kilig, kaya pala siguro wala siyang boyfriend for her entire life it's because at this age niya pa makukuha. Deity pa! Pak sino ka diyan? May biglang pumasok naman sa isipan ni Ali na ikina simangot niya.

"Are you sure you like me for who I am, Raiden? Is it not because kamukha ko si Lien? Ako talaga? as in me?" Alalang tanong ni Ali at napaseryoso naman ang mukha ni Raiden tsaka hinawakan nito ang magkabilang pisngi ni Ali.

"Alina Lu, I like you for who you are and I promise, ikaw lang. From the day I met you, it's only you and I would love to get married with you and spend the rest of my lifetime with you. Would you like to spend your lifetime with me as well?" nagulat naman si Ali ng biglang may kulay asul na manipis ang nagtali sa mga kamay nila ni Raiden.

"Raiden, what's this?" kaagad niyang tanong rito habang binababa ang kamay nilang dalawa and Raiden just smiled at her so brightly.

"I am proposing to you. That means, if you accept my proposal. You will become my fiance." Nagulat si Ali dun pero at the same time, nakaramdam siya ng pagiging emosyonal sa sinabi ni Raiden, she can feel his sincerity and as far as she knows, once a deity will love someone and ask it for marriage, it will be his/her only love forever. Kaya hindi na pakakawalan ito ni Ali.

Kaagad siyang tumango habang namumuo ang mga luha sa mga mata niya. "Yes, Raiden. I would like to spend my lifetime with you as well." After she said that, biglang naging tattoo na bracelet ang asul na lubid sa mga pulsohan nila. "Ano'ng nangyare?"

"It's a sign that we are engaged. It will move into your ring finger once we get to marry each other." 

Hindi naman makapaniwala si Ali sa narinig. " Seryoso?" 

Raiden just laughed at her and nod. Inilapit naman ni Raiden ang mukha niya kay Ali at napangiti naman si Ali because Raiden really smells good. 

"Permission to kiss this lovely woman."

"Permission granted." and with that, binigyan siya ni Raiden ng mapusok na halik pero in a good way. Then, she kissed him back. Ali knows that they were too fast, pero minsan lang ito sa buhay niya and her life is short. She might as well explore things and do things faster than expected.