"Thank you for managing the cafe so well, Rain. I am proud of you." Bati ni ate sa akin nang makapasok siya sa kaniyang opisina. Kakarating lang niya galing sa business trip niya with her father. I smiled at her and hugged her immediately. I missed her.
"I'm glad you are back Ate." I said as I let her go. She shook her head and that made me wonder.
"Nah, ah, I am back because I need to get some confidential documents but I'll be leaving again tomorrow. So you will still be handling this cafe." Ani ni Ate habang binuksan niya ang safe na nandito sa office niya.
"What's with the documents that you really need to go here personally?" I asked but I remained my distance away from her and the safe. I value privacy even if we are sister.
"I'm married Rain. I didn't know I was married. So I am currently doing underwork just to get this marriage voided." I put my hands in my mouth. My eyes grew big because of what I heard. Agad ko siyang nilapitan at pinaharap sa akin.
"Are you serious? How come?" I asked in disbelief, because I taught my sister is single. And now she's married?
"It's a long story but to sum it all up it happened because of my stupidity. No more question lil sis." Kahit gustuhin ko mang magtanong pero ramdam ko rin na ayaw talaga ni Ate na pag-usapan iyon kaya nanahimik na lang ako.
After a long silence my sister taught me things that I should know about the cafe. Clearly changing the topic but I let her since I understand her. Not all the time things needed to be shared. Just a long silence from someone is already a comfort.
Matapos niya akong bilinan ng kung ano-anong bagay ay nagpaalam na ito na uuwi na muna sa bahay niya para makapagpahinga. Hinayaan ko na ito dahil kita sa mga mata niya na wala talaga siyang maayos na tulog.
Lumabas narin ako ng cafe gamit ang secret door na nadito sa loob ng opisina. Namimiss ko na si Calissa. Patuloy parin ang pagpapanggap namin na wala nang namamagitan sa amin. Kahit alam kong hindi na nila magagalaw ang propesyon ni Miss Calissa ay gusto ko munang magdoble ingat dahil hindi ko pa alam ang mga kilos ng mga auntie at uncle ko. I need to find a way that they will not interfere with my life anymore. Ayoko rin talaga na itago kung ano mang meron sa amin ni Calissa. I want to love her freely without any restrictions.
Mahal ko siya at hindi ako magdadalawang isip na ipaalam iyan sa mundo pero hindi muna sa ngayon dahil maraming madadamay at maraming maisasakripisyo. I need to know what my family wants in order to give me freedom.
Kalahating oras lang ay nakarating na ako sa harapan ng condo ni Calissa. Sabado ngayon kaya walang pasok. I'm pretty sure she's in her dahil hindi naman talaga siya hilig na umaalis ng condo unless I am with her or Miss Mary. I press the door bell and after a few moments of waiting the door swung open.
Her shocked face made me chuckle. She immediately wrapped me in her arms and I returned it also. She's still wearing her pajama's kahit magtatanghali na.
"I missed you baby." Malambing niyang saad at sininghot-singhot pa ako bago kumawala sa yakap.
"I missed you more." I kissed her in the cheek and she pulled me inside.
"Is Miss Mary around?" I asked and roamed my eyes to the silent room.
"Nope, she's with her family. She's busy handling her brother's wedding." Napatango naman ako sa sinabi niya. Umupo na kami sa sofa at agad ko siyang hinila para yakapin. Even though we see each other almost everyday I still miss her. I don't seem to get enough of her.
"Are you tired of this?" I asked after a long minutes of silence. Magkayakap lang kami, ninanamnam ang bawat sandali na magkasa ang isa't-isa dahil alam naming dalawa na hindi ipinangako ng panahon na magpakailanman ay magkasama kaming dalawa. We are just enjoying each other's presence in the present. Our future being together is full of uncertainty. We know that and it's hard to think about it.
"No, I will never get tired of having you near me every day." She said and sniffed me in the neck. Oh, how much I loved to spend all the remaining seconds of my life with her. But everything is too complicated for now.
"I can't take you out on a date." I said sadly. Nalulungkot at nasasaktan din ako na hindi ko siya nadadala sa mga magagandang lugar. I am afraid that they will find out.
"This is a date already." She raised her head and pointed us. I smiled and kissed her cheek. She never failed to be contented in everything I could offer. She never demands to be taken out on a nice fancy date, she never ask me to do things for her. I know she deserves everything that's why I am offering her every bit of me.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" She asked in confusion, and I smiled sadly. I stroke her hair and gently tucked her hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes lazily.
"For I am still a coward. I am still hiding when in fact I should have face them and fight for the love that we have. I'm sorry if I still can't do it baby." Nahihiya kong sabi dahil nahihiya na talaga ako sa kaniya. Maraming nagkakarandapa sa kaniya but she chose me despite having the liberty to choose finest men in the country.
"I can wait till you are ready. Just know that when you are ready to fight, I am more ready to fight with you. I love---------" Hindi niya na natuloy ang sinabi niya nang biglang bumukas ang pintuan. Nanlamig ang buong kalamnan ko dahil sa nakita ko. How did they.......
"Get my niece away from that girl." Saad ni Tita Eve sa mga utusan niya. Tila napako ako sa kinauupuan ko. Calissa was drag harshly yun lang ang nagpapukaw sa akin na bumalik sa reyalidad.
"Get your hands off her or you'll see." Malamig kong saad habang hawak ako ng mga tauhan ni Tita. Nakita kong ngumisi si Tita sa akin habang si Calissa naman ay wala man lang ding reaksyon. She gave me a reassuring stare to tell me that she's okay.
"What shall I see my dear niece? Your game had ended. You are doomed. Your insanity should be stopped." Tinapik-tapik ni Tita ang mukha ko at pilit ko itong iniilagan. Hindi ko alam kung paano nila nalaman na nandito ako.
"This is not insanity." I reasoned out with a gritted teeth.
"Insanity Rain Cyril. This is all insanity. You are lowering yourself to a down grade woman you got here. Sa babae na lang iibig hindi pa ginagamit ang utak. Can't you see that she's a gold digger? Ikaw ba ang nagbabayad sa condo niya ito?" Mapanghusgang saad ni Tita kaya galit ko siyang tinapunan nang tingin.
"Don't you dare call her names or you'll see what's beneath the earth. Don't test me, you never seen me mad." I threatened her and I saw my Tita swallowed her own saliva. That's right, she should be scared.
"Hindi mo ako matatakot, if your dad will know about this, he'll strip you off with your inheritance." Pananakot niya sa akin pero nginisihan ko lang ito. Kahit hawak ako ng dalawa niyang tauhan ay nakaya ko paring maglakad papunta sa kaniya.
"I fucking don't care with the inheritance. I already inherited it." I gave her a smirk when I saw the reaction that I wanted to see. Fear. I know they were after my father's money. That's why they ruined my family and they are ruining me too for my father. But they didn't know a year ago I already inherited the proportion of wealth that I was supposed to have. Still not liquidated tho because I invested it outside the country the ROI will be in the next four years that's why I'm broke.
"You are kidding, right?" Hindi niya makapaniwalang sabi. Mas linakihan ko pa ang ngisi ko.
"Touch my woman and I'll make sure you will not receive any penny from my father."
"You are lying."
"Go, see it for yourself." She hesitated but after sometime she ordered her men to get out and escort her back in the province. She's the real gold digger.
Agad akong lumapit sa minamahal ko pero imbes na mag-alala ay namangha akong nakatingin sa kaniya. She's composed and didn't even panic.
"How come?" I asked and she smiled then snaked her arms to my waist and pulled me closer.
"I know martial arts. And my bodyguard outside was just waiting for my signal." She pointed her bracelet. Napailing na lang ako na may ngiti sa labi dahil sa sinabi niya.
Every day I always find something new about her. And I want to do that for the rest of my life. Uncovering every piece of her day by day.
"I am proud of you a while ago."
"Why?"
"You said you were a coward? Baby, you proved it wrong."
BINABASA MO ANG
Intersected Lines
Storie d'amoreA part time instructor with a major in Math. A student that aims to be a statistician. They were intersected by their faith in theorems and love in data. Will they be able to use the theorems that they've known and data that have been gathered to...
