Imogen
𓇢𓆸
Keenan has brought me to my father's grave. He was buried beside my mother's, in the space dedicated for her at our own mansion. Hindi man iyon nasabi ng papa, ay alam kong mas gugustuhin niya ring dito ilibing. He loves being with my mother, afterall. Wala nang nakatira sa mansyon na dati naming tinitirahan, but it's still clean and well maintained. Keenan told me that he hired someone to maintain the place so it won't be abandoned. He also told me that the property will be kept under my name no matter what which made me happy. I get to keep something from my family.
"Do you want to be alone?" pagtatanong niya sa akin habang nakatayo ako sa tapat ng puntod ng mga magulang ko. I nodded, at nagpaalam siya na maglilibot muna sa buong bahay.
There are lots of dried flowers left on my father's grave. I guess many have paid their respects and i'm glad that someone remembered him somehow. May nagiwan pa ng paborito niyang alak dito.
Inilapag ko ang mga dala kong bulaklak sa puntod nilang pareho. I have so much to say, but I can't manage because I am mute. But I know that they will understand, kahit na hindi ko sabihin. I just hope that my thoughts will reach them.
Hindi na rin ako makaiyak. Siguro ay naubos na ang mga luha ko sa loob ng tatlong linggo kong pagkukulong sa loob ng kwarto.
You don't have to worry about me anymore. I promise that I will be strong, papa. I will remember everything that you have taught me. I am now around the people that could understand me and I couldn't ask for more. I just wished that we got the chance to spend more time together at the very least...
After paying my respects to my parents, I decided to look for Keenan. I found him talking to the caretaker that he hired. I waited for them to finish talking, bago ko siya nilapitan.
"May gusto ka bang puntahan?" pagtatanong niya habang naglalakad kami palabas sa mansyon.
"I don't know. Why?" he attentively watched the movements of my hand. For someone who learned the sign language within a month, Keenan is really good. I can't help but to be amazed.
"Wala lang." he shrugged. "I just thought that you might want to go somewhere before we go home. Matagal ka nang hindi nakalabas, hindi ba?" dagdag niya pa.
"Let's eat some ice cream then..."
"Ice cream it is." Keenan drove to the nearest mall, which is an hour away from this place. That mansion was designed to be far from the city so it will not be accessible to everybody. It's a don's house, it has to be in an isolated place to keep it secure too.
Keenan brought me in an ice cream parlor inside the mall. Pagdating namin medyo mahaba na ang pila. Karamihan sa nakapila ay mga bata na may kasamang magulang. Watching them as they patiently wait in the line to buy some ice cream is a cute sight.
I noticed that the child in front of us is intently looking at Keenan and he's also doing the same. May mga bilugang mata at matabang pisngi ang bata. Mukhang nasa edad tatlo o apat palang ito. Napakacute! Parang gusto kong pisil-pisilin ang mga pisngi niya.
After few minutes of their staring contest, the child suddenly cried. Kinarga naman siya kaagad ng nakatatandang babae na kasama niya. Tinapik ko naman si Keenan dahil doon.
"You made the boy cry!" I said using the sign language na nagpakunot sa noo niya.
"I didn't do anything, what do you mean?" he asked.
"Then why is that little boy crying?"
"I don't know. Why would I make a toddler cry?" may point din naman siya.
"You were just staring at each other a while ago!"
"I don't know okay? I might have scared him." Keenan sighed as he watch the toddler cry continuously.
Keenan's face is always serious. I rarely see emotions cross through his face. And he always has this intimidating aura around him that makes him sort of unapproachable person, like the first time we met. Plus, he's a big person, tall with huge physique, which make him more intimidating.
"Smile."
"What?"
"Smile!" I emphasized the movement of my hands more for him to understand me.
"What? No." lalong lumakas ang iyak ng bata na nasa harap namin.
"Smile!" huminga ng malalim si Keenan. Ewan ko ba, parang humugot pa siya ng lakas ng loob para ngumiti. Ngingiti lang naman e!
Keenan smiled at the boy and he instantly stopped crying. He even softly wiped the boy's tears using his hand. Pagkatapos non ay ngumiti din ito sa amin pabalik. What a cute little boy!
Seeing him smile makes my heart skip it's beat. Sino ba naman ang magkakaganito di ba? He looks so gorgeous. He's so beautiful. OA na kung OA.
"Good afternoon po! May I take your order?"
"What flavor do you prefer?" Keenan asked. Kami na pala ang nasa tapat ng counter. Napaiwas ako sakaniya ng tingin at itinuro nalang ang una kong nakita sa menu na iniabot sa amin. Iyon naman ang iniorder niya. Hindi na rin siya pumili ng iba at itinulad nalang sa itinuro ko ang order niya.
"You like chocolate mint?" pagtatanong niya sa akin habang naglalakad lakad kami sa mall at kumakain ng binili niyang ice cream.
Tumango nalang ako kahit na hindi ko naman talaga gusto ang chocolate mint. Ni wala nga yan sa top 3 na paborito kong ice cream e! Nataranta lang naman ako kanina kaya itinuro ko yon! Kasalanan niya ito.
"Your face says otherwise." pinanlakihan ko siya ng mata. Gusto ko pa sanang mag deny pero nahuli niya na ako.
"Gusto mo bang bumili ako ng bagong flavor?" pagtatanong niya ulit. Umiling naman ako kaagad. Sayang naman kung hindi ko ito kakainin. Okay naman kasi ang lasa.
Umupo kami sa bakanteng bench sa tapat ng toy shop na nadaanan namin at patuloy na kinain ang ice cream na binili niya. Napapatingin kaming pareho sa mga pumapasok at namimili sa toy shop na iyon.
"He should be around 4 by now." Keenan muttered as he watches the children inside the toy shop. Napatingin naman ako sakaniya nung sinabi niya iyon.
"My little one." hindi siya nag alis ng tingin sa mga bata sa loob ng toy shop. He's talking about his son. He surely misses his child. It's sad that he never got the chance to even hold him.
Hindi ko alam kung anong sasabihin sakaniya. He rarely talks about himself. About his family. He already knew so much about me, but I just know few things about him. Pakiramdam ko tuloy ay hindi ako nage-effort na kilalahin siya.
Hinanap ko ang cellphone ko sa loob ng purse na dala ko.
"I bet he looks just like you." I texted him. Kaagad niya naman itong binasa.
"You think so?" he smiled. Tumango naman ako at ngumiti sakaniya pabalik.
"Your wife? What is she like?" I asked. As soon as he understood what I just asked using sign language, the smile on his face immediately faded.
"Let's go home." he stood up from the bench and started to walk away from me. His demeanor towards me changed after I asked him that question. Para bang iniiwasan niyang pagusapan iyon. He drove silently until we reached our home. Hindi rin siya sumabay sa pagkain namin ng hapunan.
Maybe I made a mistake by asking him that question. I shouldn't pry into someone's business, right? Did I cross his bounds? I don't know.
BINABASA MO ANG
Miracles and Sins
Romance[under editing] Keenan Aisenyev is different. He was born and raised solely for one purpose: to stand as a pakhan and takeover the Russian mafia at a young age, after his father, the former russian mafia boss (pakhan), unexpectedly died. He and his...
