Make Believe That I Love You - Sharmaine Galvez

Chapter 7

TO SAY that she was shocked was an understatement. Daig pa ni Abba ang hinipan ng masamang hangin sa pagkatulala. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. And her jaw literally dropped.

Sunud-sunod ang ginawa niyang pag-iling. "H-huwag mo akong biruin ng ganyan, Zach. You know me, baka seryosuhin ko ang sinabi mo." She tried to crack a joke but she knew she miserably failed. Ipinagpasalamat na lamang niyang sandaling nahinto ang pag-uusap nila nang dumating na ang mga in-order nitong pagkain. Sa nerbiyos siguro niya ay agad siyang kumuha ng camaron at isinubo iyon. She found some peace while chewing it.

Alam niyang pinapanood siya ni Zach, pero pinanindigan na niya ang hindi pagtingin dito. Her mind was racing. But it was strange because it couldn't think of something intelligible. Parang pawang abstract ang laman ng utak niya nang mga sandaling iyon.

Nakakatatlong piraso na siya ng camaron nang mag-angat siya ng mukha. Nakatingin pa rin ito sa kanya.

"Puwede na ba tayong mag-usap?" tanong nito.

Tumango siya. "U-ulitin mo nga iyong sinabi mo kanina."

"I want you to be my fiancée."

"That's what I thought I heard." Ipinilig niya ang ulo. "Nasisiraan ka na ba, Zach?"

Umiling ito. "I can say that I am perfectly sane at this moment."

"Then, bakit gusto mo akong maging fiancée? For geez's sake, alam mo ba kung paano ka magkakaroon ng fiancée?" sunud-sunod na tanong niya. Pero hindi niya ito binigyan ng pagkakataong magsalita. "Y-you have to court a girl. Then, kailangan mo pa siyang mapasagot. And maybe, you will both need time to know if you want to spend the rest of your life with each other. If you think you can tolerate her presence, then you can ask her to marry you. Kapag sumagot siya ng 'oo,' saka mo pa lang siya magiging fiancée."

Hindi ito kumibo.

"Siguro naman, alam mong hindi mo pa nagagawa sa akin ang mga iyon. So, it's not possible that I can be your fiancée," dugtong niya.

"Nakalimutan mong sabihin na iyon ang normal na proseso para magkaroon ako ng fiancée. But I don't want to undergo a normal process. I just need a fiancée a week from now. And she will have to act as one for just three days," sabi nito.

In a week's time? For three days? Talaga nga yatang nasisiraan na ito ng ulo.

Mabilis na tumayo siya. "Hindi ako ang kailangan mo."

Pero maagap na nahawakan nito ang braso niya. "Please sit down and hear me out first," pakiusap nito.

Maybe it was because of his pleading voice. Or his eyes. Or the warmth of his palm against her skin. Hindi niya alam ang eksaktong dahilan. Basta muli siyang umupo.

"Magkakaroon ng reunion ang pamilya Cua in a week's time. Matagal na akong kinukulit ng lolo namin na mag-asawa. And I don't think I'm ready for that. Para lang matigil na siya sa pangungulit, naisip kong magdala ng isang babaeng ipapakilala ko bilang fiancée ko," paliwanag nito.

Masyado nang gasgas ang kuwento nito and she didn't find it amusing, especially when the story was at her expense.

"Bakit ako ang napili mo?" tanong niya. "As far as I can remember, you hated me the first time you saw me."

"I didn't hate you—"

"But you didn't like me either," putol niya rito.

She knew she hit home when she saw the guilty look on his face. "Then why me, Zach? I don't fit in the story."

"I need a fiancée. Hindi naman talaga problema ang pagpili kung sino ang ihaharap ko sa pamilya ko. There are women who are very much willing to be my fiancée," sabi nito. "But I don't want complications. At siguradong iyon ang makukuha ko kung sa kanila ako pipili. They will make demands and expectations that I don't think I am ready to give."