Love, Take it Off

FIVE

"You've got to be joking!" Bungad agad sa akin ni Zereid. Nakapalit na siya para sa dinner mamayang gabi.

If Yesenia and I talked for that long, will she even show up for the family dinner later?

Pinasadahan ko lang siya ng tingin dahil balak ko na ring magpalit. I was covered in dirt from kneeling down, and I wasn't sure if there was blood on my face or my body.

I couldn't risk showing off what Yesenia did.

"Hoy!" Zereid shouted, "really? Echapwera lang?"

He casually buttoned the bottom of his coat and walked over to me. I stopped in my tracks when he stood right next to me.

"I need to change," I said, avoiding his gaze.

Baka asarin nanaman niya ako dahil alam kong mugto ang mga mata ko. I could still feel the warmth around them. It's hard to escape Zereid once he sees me like this.

Hindi ko naman kasi akalaing nakatambay pa rin siya rito sa field, specially since he was dressed in a suit and tie.

"Hindi ka makakapagpalit kung hindi ka aamin sa akin." Zereid said. "I told you to bring Yesenia with you."

"That's exactly why I've been avoiding you—I didn't do what you asked," I replied, turning my head away from him.

I tried to slowly walk away from him, wanting to put some distance between us.

But then he grabbed my hand, and I flinched in surprise.

He definitely noticed.

His eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly in shock. "Did she hurt you?" There was a hint of anger in Zereid's voice.

I shook my head. She didn't hurt me; in fact, I realized she was the one who comforted me, not the other way around.

"Let's go inside. We need to talk in private," I said, finally letting him slip his hand from mine. I hoped that once we were alone, I could explain everything without him getting too worked up.

Thankfully, linuwagan niya ang paghawak niya sa akin. As I walked away, I was relieved to not feel his presence right behind me.

I immediately made my way towards our house, feeling a mix of anxiety and fear. As I walked down the path to our house, the sweet smell of flowers from the trees and fresh herbs beside the wall mixed with the delicious aroma of pasta wafting through the air.

It was overwhelming.

This place felt so different from the forest I had just left behind, where the ground smelled awful and the scent of blood was strong, mixed with Yesenia's faint vanilla perfume, which was tainted by sweat and fear.

I paused, standing right outside our door, lost in thought.

Had Yesenia ever walked peacefully like this? Did she get to enjoy the sweet scents of pastries and food, and flowers in their mansion?

The contrast between our lives made my knees feel weak. Suddenly, I found myself crouching in front of the back door, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Yesenia was right about my innocence. She had every reason to say that, since she had seen things I was too afraid to face. I wrapped my arms around my knees, letting the tears fall as I thought about how different our worlds really were.

***

"Zereid," I said as I welcomed him into my room. "Naka-ready na ba lahat sa baba?"

"Yeah, our parents are setting the table, and they're waiting for Yesenia's family to arrive."