🌹 THE PROTECTOR 🌹

🌹 kabanata 16 🌹

Mansyon

IT WAS a long trip halos nakatulogan na nga ni Hera ang buong biyahe. Nakarating sila sa terminal at agad na napansin ni Hera ang malawak na berdeng kulay ng tanim sa malayong banda.

Her heart leaped a bit. It's the same view she used to see doon sa hacienda.

Lumilingon si Jun tila may hinahanap.

"Nakarating na ba tayo?" hindi napigilan ni Herang tanongin. Nakakaramdam narin siya ng pagod.

Maagap na tumingin sa kanya si Jun. "Mga isang oras papunta doon sa pamilya ko. Kumusta ang pakiramdam mo?" His eyes roamed around her face. "Nahihilo ka ba?"

"I'm okay. Just, curious..." Umiwas siya ng tingin. Baka na naman isipin ni Jun na nagrereklamo siya. At hindi na malayong mangyari iyon lalo pa at medyo naiinitan siya ngayon.

Isang pick-up ang tumigil at agad na bumaba roon ang isang lalaki, matangkad pero halatang mas bata pa sa kanya. Humalo ito sa mga pasaherong abala sa kanilang mga bagahe at sa wakas nakarating sa kanila. He had a very big smile on his face.

"Kuya Marco! Sa wakas!"

"Henry," tumatawang ani Jundrix at sinalubong ang yakap ng lalaki. Nagawa pa niyang gulohin ang buhok nito. Their laughter made it obvious that they are really close with each other.

Jun held his shoulders grinning. "Ayos ah. Nong huling bisita ko musmus ka palang."

"Nong ipinaalam ni Senyora na darating ka hindi ako makapaniwala kuya. Ang tagal mong hindi dumadalaw eh."

"Oo. Ngayon lang nagkaroon ng pagkakataong bumisita."

The boy's wide smile slowly faded when he realized someone was with Jun. Agad itong umayos at medyo nagtatakang tumingin sa kaharap.

"Henry hawakan mo to. Mauna ka na don sa sasakyan. Susunod kami."

Parang wala sa sariling kinuha ni Henry ang bag nila. "Sige kuya. Si Mang Karding ang driver. Nandoon sa sasakyan." Nakangiting sumulyap ulit kay Hera bago sinunod si Jun.

Hera's not sure about their arrangements now that they are out of the Island. Jun didn't even introduce her to that kid. Hindi sila magkahawig non so she's not sure if they're brothers. Magpapanggap parin ba sila—— the girlfriend boyfriend thing?

"Gusto mo munang kumain?" He simply took her small jacket from her hand at hinawakan ang kamay niya.

Hera was hesitant at that. Sumulyap siya doon sa pick up. "If it will only take an hour patungo roon then I can still wait."

"Sigurado ka? Pwede tayong kumain saglit."

Umiling si Hera. "Matatagalan pa tayo. I'm not that hungry anyway. Pagod lang ako..."

Kumunot ang noo ni Jun at sandaling nag-isip bago tumango. Naglakad na sila patungo doon sa sasakyan habang hawak parin ang kamay niya. That's the time she started to wonder why it felt so normal, him holding her hand and all of these places she's been in these past weeks.

She's probably changed so much. Who would have thought that she'd be spending her supposedly debut tour around the world, here—in these kinds of places with people she once hated to talk or even be with... There is still a tingling part of her that wanted to deny that this is all right and that she should be here but that's not up to her now that she began to like it...

She kept looking at Jun's back as he slowly pulled her. Ni hindi niya magawang mandiri sa kaunting siksikan na nadaanan nila. Until now, hindi parin siya sigurado pero nararamdaman na niya... It's like a rekindled infatuation she once felt before. She never liked anyone so wala siyang mapagkumparahan pero sapat na iyong kaunting init sa dibdib niya para malamang may gusto siya kay Jundrix.