No One Else

Kabanata 11

Kabanata 11

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And it was just her first visit. Dahil muli pang pinuntahan ni Belle ang asawa niya habang nasa base pa lang ito. And she's also already getting herself familiar with her husband's residence in there. At nakilala na nga rin niya ang mga comrades din ni Sam.

She was getting really familiar and she's having fun knowing even slowly of these things about her husband...

And also, Belle just didn't expect that she'd as well have this little conversation with the Captain...

Even if they're husband and wife now it still feels a little awkward between the two sometimes, but then slowly they're both learning to be comfortable with each other.

"What do you want to do, then?" Sam asked his wife about her dreams, too...

Madalas silang nagsasabay na kumain kapag pinupuntahan siya ni Belle at napag-uusapan na rin nila ang mga bagay tungkol sa kanilang dalawa.

"Gusto ko sanang maging medic din sa military. My Tita Margaret was also one who used to work as medic in the military. She went to America years ago to go to a medical school there that my Papa recommended...

"And she's a doctor now." Ngumiti si Belle sa asawa.

Ngumiti na rin si Sam sa kaniya. "Then you can pursue it, too." Sam told his wife.

And Belle's eyes widened a little at what her husband said. Umiling siya. "I don't really know... I used to work at a hospital before, pero pinatigil din ako ni Papa..."

Bahagya naman kumunot ang noo ni Sam sa sinabi niya. "Why?" He asked.

Napatingin si Belle nang deretso sa kaniya. Pero umiling lang din siya. At hindi na rin pinilit pa ni Sam na sumagot...

"You can do that now... If you want to become a medic in the military, then be one." Sam told Belle.

Tumingin naman si Belle sa kaniya. "Are you sure?"

"Well, yes... Why?"

Umiling muli si Belle. "I mean, it's different now..."

"How so?"

"I'm already married. We're married..."

Nagkatinginan muli silang dalawa. Hanggang sa umiling naman sa kaniya si Sam. "Doesn't matter... You can still do what you want, Isabelle..."

Nanatili ang tingin ni Belle kay Sam. And somehow she felt reassured by what he said. She felt her heart warming...

Sa huli ay magaang napangiti si Belle sa asawa...

At hanggang minsan ay niyaya na rin siya ni Sam na lumabas din sila. "I just thought that you might be bored and we're just always in the base..." he said.

He visited his wife early in the morning this time. Hindi nga rin siya nagpasabi kaya naman halos mataranta din si Belle nang malaman niya galing sa kasambahay na nand'yan ang asawa niya. At nagdalidali na rin siyang ayusan pa rin ang sarili niya bago humarap kay Sam.

"Can I invite you out today?" Sam asked her.

"Saan... naman tayo pupunta?"

Sam smiled. "Where do you wanna go?"

Napangiti na rin si Belle habang kaharap ang asawa na maaga siyang dinalaw ngayon. At nagkasundo na nga silang mamamasyal sa labas sa araw na ito. It was like a date and their first date...

And Belle felt like her relationship with the young Captain was becoming better and better each time.

And then she realized that marrying him wasn't as bad as she first thought it would be with him...

And so she finally decided to give him a chance and their relationship... their marriage...

Because after all ay kasal na rin naman silang dalawa. At tingin ni Belle ay hindi pa naman siguro huli ang lahat para kilalanin pa rin nila ang isa't isa.

Until she already likes spending more time with him, and just being with him...

And the truth was it wasn't really that hard for them to like each other. Even after just spending some time together, they both already realized na nagkakasundo rin naman pala silang dalawa.

But sometimes happy days are just short lived...

"Ma'am Belle, pinapatawag po kayo ng Papa n'yo." sinabihan siya ng kasambahay.

Medyo natigilan pa si Belle at marahan na rin siyang sumunod sa pinaalam sa kaniya ng kasambahay pagkatapos. Dahandahan din siyang pumasok sa office study ng ama pagkarating doon. Nag-angat ng tingin si Douglas nang maramdaman niyang nandoon na si Belle sa opisina niya sa bahay.

"Pinatawag n'yo raw po ako, Papa..." marahang sinabi ni Belle.

"Yes. We'll have visitors coming over."

"Uh, ang mga Puentevella po ba?"

Tumingin sa kaniya si Douglas at medyo kinabahan pa si Belle sa usual lang din namang seryosong tingin nito kapag magkausap sila. Hindi pa rin niya maiwasan dahil sa nariyan na rin niyang takot sa ama...

At nagdadahandahan talaga si Belle kapag kausap niya si Douglas kahit ama niya pa ito. Dahil alam din niya kahit sa sarili niya na kahit sa konting pagkakamali lang ay nagagalit na agad si Douglas sa kaniya. Kaya naman palagi rin siyang nag-iingat sa ama...

"Yes. They'll be here for your sister. So do all the preparations needed. Gusto kong maramdaman nila na pinaghandaan din natin ang pagpunta nila rito sa bahay natin." Douglas instructed like he would to a maid...

Hindi naman talaga kailangang gawin pa ni Belle ang mga bagay na ganito at pwede na rin iasa na lang sa mayordoma. But for some reason ay sa kaniya pa rin pinapagawa ni Douglas.

"Okay, po... I'll make sure that everything will be fine..."

Bahagya lang naman tumango si Douglas sa sinabi niya. "How are you with Captain Lazaro?"

Napaangat ng tingin si Belle sa tanong ng ama. At may maliit na parang pag-asa ang naramdaman niya sa puso niya nang marinig sa ama na mukhang nangungumusta rin ito sa kanila ni Sam...

Kaya naman bahagya na rin siyang napangiti nang sumagot lalo na nang maalala niya rin ang bumubuti nang relasyon nila ni Sam ngayon. "Maayos naman po kami, Papa..." masaya pang sagot ni Belle sa ama.

"Hmm. If only Captain Samuel Lazaro also came from a better family background like the Puentevellas, I would have rather had him marry Diane instead." ani Douglas na parang nanghihinayang din.

Natigilan si Belle sa sinabi ng ama. At ang tuwa niya kanina ay unti-unting humupa... kasama ang konting ngiti niya na nawala na rin sa mukha niya...

What does her father mean, Belle could only ask herself in silence. Hindi niya pa halos maintindihan ang sinasabi ni Douglas...

"Papa—"

"You're dismissed." Tinaas lang ni Douglas ang kamay na parang tinataboy lang din siya nito sa opisina nito.

Belle couldn't do anything but just to follow and disappear from her father's office and sight...

Naisip ni Belle ang nakababata niyang kapatid na si Diane. Obvious naman sa kahit na kanino na ito ang paboritong anak ni Douglas. And now knowing that her father also thought of having her younger sister to marry Captain Sam instead of her hurts her as well...

Hindi niya talaga maintindihan kung bakit ganoon na lang ang ama niya sa kaniya...

Diane is also younger than her. At nasa college pa nga lang ito ngayon. Pero mukhang pinaplano na rin ng ama nila ang pagpapakasal din sa nakababata niyang kapatid.

Hindi pa talaga sila nag-uusap ni Diane. These days she's busy in the university. Magaling na estudyante rin kasi ang kapatid niya at matalino rin sa pag-aaral. Kaya naman lalo pa tuloy proud si Douglas sa paboritong anak. Kahit na ganoon din naman sana si Belle noong nag-aaral pa siya. She also received the highest latin honors. But her father never showed up to attend her graduation...

But for Diane it's different. It's just always, always different treatment towards the two daughters...