TRACE DIMAGIBA (Wild Men Series 1)

S4: 09

CHLOE

It was twenty minutes past ten in the evening, and I was here in the kitchen. I don't know where Trace is, but it's good that he's occupied with something else. We had no chance to talk again earlier because he received a sudden call. It's probably for the best since I know that what happened upstairs earlier might repeat if I let him corner and talk to me alone.

The party is not yet over, but I just came from the boy's room. They've already fallen asleep, and I tucked them to bed. Gunner and Killian got tired from playing around, and I left them with their two nannies. I headed straight to the kitchen because I just wanted to drink water before going to sleep. Kung may gustong sabihin si Trace ay mas mabuti na bukas na kami mag-usap.

At kakatapos lang din tumawag ni papa. Tumawag para masiguro na nauunawaan ko ang sitwasyon ko at syempre... sinisigurado na hindi ako matutukso kay Trace. Papa also informed me that tomorrow, someone would pick me up early to go back to Bulacan and told me that I should bring the kids with me so I wouldn't have any worries. Actually, it was another reminder of how dangerous Trace is and not to give him the chance to deceive me again.

At ang lahat ay katulad ng dati pa rin, puro lang ako pagpapanggap na kay papa ako naniniwala at siya lang ang pakikinggan ko. I sounded I hate Trace still for him to believe I have no intention aside from revenging for my son's death. I sighed. Minsan ay gusto ko na paniwalaan ang sabi ni Alguien na mahina si papa, na hindi siya gaya ni Mamita...

Well, Alguien is right. Papa could be a devil for the wicked things he did, but he seems just a puppet. Masyado lang siyang nagpapadala sa galit kaya nakakagawa ng masama pero isa nga siyang mahina na nadidiktahan. Just when Trace's mother tasked him to rape Mama... Papa said he did that out of his love for his friend Ana, but the truth was, he was weak and... a bit stupid. But that stupidness created me, so... I smiled sadly. Magrereklamo pa ba ako? No, of course.

I pushed the thought of Papa away and looked for something to eat to take to my room. I was about to go upstairs as I didn't want to return to the party. I preferred to sleep right away. I took a box of cereals and fresh milk when I heard something. There were rustling sounds, and I paused in my steps as I exited the kitchen. Curiosity wins at lumingon ako to check kung ano ang ingay na doon sa corner ng kitchen nagmumula.

I almost dropped what I was carrying out of surprise when a big cat jumped on me, and luckily, I didn't scream. Wow! A big cat! Not like those big cats on the island of Foedus, but a big domestic one. It's almost as big as the dogs. At dahil na-amaze ako sa nakita ko ay sinundan ko ang pusa na tumakbo after kong ibinaba sa kitchen table ang box ng cereals at ang fresh milk.

I smiled as I saw another big cat that approached the one I was following, and the two of them ran away from me. They went to a dark area, so I couldn't clearly see the color of one of them. The one that jumped on me is white. I followed them until I reached the garden, and they completely disappeared from my sight. They hid among the plants there.

"Hey, kitty... kitty..." tawag ko sa kanila pero it's not effective at hindi naman sila lumapit. I looked around, but I still couldn't see the two of them. "Ming...ming..." I called them as I remember that is one way of calling cats here in the Philippines. "Ming... ming... ming..."

I heard a chuckle after that. Nilingon ko agad ang tumatawa na alam na alam ko na kung sino sa boses pa lang kahit hindi ko pa nakikita. Trace caught me calling cats ming-ming kaya siya natawa. Bigla nanlaki ang mga mata ko. I am trying to remember when was the first time I learned that cat call from him. Doon sa manor ng mga pusa ko iyon unang narinig. Tama... I can still get away with it because I remembered that thing.

"Is there something funny, Trace?" I asked in a seemingly snobbish tone to make him think that it was only my reaction being caught by him calling the cats ming-ming and nothing else.