The Demon General's Young Wife

Chapter 21

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        "What are you doing out here, dozing off?" Pukaw ng Heneral sa nakatulalang si Khallib na noo'y nasa hardin ng palasyo at nakatingin sa kawalan. Malalim ang isip.

"G-General Griffin, ikaw pala." Matamlay na tugon ni Khallib na nilingon lamang siya saglit pagkatapos ay ibinalik din sa hangin ang tingin.

"Why? What's the matter? Kanina pa kita pinagmamasdan, you seems uneasy, kanina ka pa din patingin-tingin dyan sa cellphone mo."

"Umm, do you remember the girl that I was mentioning to you a lot?" Kapagkuwa'y tanong nito sa kanya matapos siyang harapin.

Natigilan siya saglit dahil sa narinig ngunit tumango din siya.

"Of course. Mas gusto mo pa siyang pag-usapan natin kesa yung mga articles na dapat mong matutunan." Sarkastiko niyang pahayag kaya napangisi ito.

"So, what about her? She's bothering you." Kapagkuwa'y seryoso niyang turan.

"I've been--- I've been reaching her out since yesterday, but she's not answering my calls nor my messages. Supposedly, lalabas kami kahapon. She agreed, but I couldn't reached her yesterday. Ngayung araw naman, I spent the whole day trying to contact her para sana imbitahin siya sa dinner party tonight pero wala siyang pagtugon. I don't know why, this is the first time she ignored me. I mean, she's naturally mean at times, but is she ignoring me this whole time all of a sudden?" Ngingisi-ngisi pang pahayag ni Khallib ngunit bakas ang pagtataka at pait sa tono nito.

Hindi naman alam ng Heneral ang sasabihin dahil alam niya kung sino ang babaeng tinutukoy nito. Lahat ng nangyayari sa bawat araw ni Shu simula noong tumira ito sa bahay niya ay nakakarating sa kanya. Nana Tacy and Sgt. Guillier have to submit him a report of his wife's daily whereabouts. Saan nagpupunta, sinong nakakasama, anung mga nangyari, anung problema ang kinakakaharap nito, anung mga kailangan nito. All of it, nakakarating sa kanya. How does he not know about the thing going on between his wife and the young master?

Napatiim bagang lamang siya n'un habang nakatitig  sa young master at pumamulsa pa. "The dinner will start in 2 hours. The guests are about to arrive. You should go and prepare, Sir." Kapagkuwa'y formal niyang wika dito para umiwas sa usapan at tatalikod na sana ngunit nagsalita itong muli.

"I even went to her apartment to check on her, but--- but the people in the nieghborhood doesn't know her. Wala daw silang kilalang Shu."

Mas lalo lamang siyang natuligsa dahil sa narinig.

He also doesn't know how to react o kung anu ba ang dapat niyang sabihin.

Maya-maya'y narinig niya ang malalim nitong buntong hininga bago ngumiti ng pilit. "Hindi ba-- hindi ba't nabanggit ko rin sa'yo noon that I've been meaning to officially confess to her? Lumipas ang taon hindi ko parin nagawa. I was thinking, tonight would be the best moment for it. Para na din makilala siya ng pamilya k---"

"Ah-- Khallib," sa wakas at nagawa ng Heneral na putol dito dahil hindi na niya kaya pang pakinggan ang mga sinasabi nito.

It's not that he's jealous or something, it's just that, he doesn't want the young master to act fool in front of him. Alam niyang magiging malaking kahihiyan kapag nalaman nito ang katutuhanan that he's actually confessing his feelings to the husband of the girl she's talking about.

"General," maya-maya'y basag naman ni Khallib sa kalaliman ng kanyang isip.

"Do you have something to tell me?" Sunod pa nitong tanong nang makuha na ang atensyon niya.