Wanted: Brother-in-law (Published)

Chapter Four

"You will not believe what I had to go through this morning." naiinis na bungad ko kay Jacinto nang umagang iyon. Hindi agad siya nagsalita, sa halip, tinitigan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa. 

"You're still wearing that?" he asked in a funny tone. Hindi ko na lang pinansin ang sinabi niya. Umupo ako at saka pinindot ang intercom para tawagin ang sekretarya ko. 

"I need coffee, Adelle. And please bring me those documents Mr. Hang signed the other day. Move fast!" huminga ako ng malalim. My head was still throbbing, it was killing me and I feel like hell. Gustung-gusto ko pa sanang mahiga, matulog at magpahinga, pero hindi ko naman magawa. Hindi ko na kayang magtagal doon sa bahay noong babaeng sumuntok sa akin noong isang araw. 

Of all people bakit siya pa ang makakakita sa akin sa labas ng bar na iyon? Of all people bakit siya pa ang nakaisip na iuwi ako sa bahay niya at saka alagaan ako?

Hindi naman sa hindi ko masaya sa nangyari pero, it was a disaster!

I cannot believe that she saw what she's not supposed to see... but... I find her expression comical. Hindi ko tuloy mapigilan ang magiti kapag naaalala ko ang pamumula ng mukha niya. I also liked it when she said hindi na virgin ang mga mata niya. 

That woman... err.. I think her name was Bling... she's something. 

I really didn't think that I'll be waking up next to her... 

Infact, I never thought that I'll wake up next to a woman that's not Jasmine. 

But waking up next to her, it was something that I cannot really explain. Noong nagising ako, takang-taka ako kung nasaang lugar ako, at kung kaninong kwarto iyon. Inilibot ko ang mga mata ko. It was kinda weird waking up inside a bright red room. Weird and yet very relaxing... tatayo na sana ako noon nang bigla akong may makapang braso. 

Gulat na gulat ako noong makita ko ang babaeng iyon sa aking tabi. Matagal bago ako nakakilos, I was trying to remember kung may nangyari ba.. kung may ginawa ba kami, but everything was a blur. All I could remember was how I got hit by something hard then I lost consciousness.

Pinagmasdan ko pa siya habang natutulog. It was funny beacuse I find her very beautiful... ang naisip ko lang noon ay kung bakit pamilyar sa akin ang mukha niya. Ni hindi ko naisip na siya pala iyong babaeng sumuntok sa akin noong araw ng kasal ni Jasmine. 

I just sat there, watching her sleep..admiring every detail of her small heart shaped face... 

And then, I saw a spider.... napasigaw ako... Nagising siya. She looked at me with those innocent wide liquid brown eyes. I thought something melted inside of me... 

We had a moment.. we certainly did... but that faded away whe she spoke. 

Moment ruined. 

Bigla kong naisip na siya ang pinakanakkainis na taong nakasalamuha ko. 

"Agui! Hello!" iwinagayway ni Jacinto ang kamay niya sa harapan ko. Napamaang ako. 

"Are you saying something?" tanong ko. Kumunot ang noo niya. 

"I said, Mother was very worried about you. Tinatawagan ka niya pero patay ang cellphone mo. And yeah... Jasmine was looking for you last night..." 

That caught my attention. Jasmine was looking for me? Why? last night was supposed to be her honeymoon night, tapos bigla niya akong hahanapin? Tumikhim ako. 

"Bakit daw?" dinampot ko ang folder na inilapag ni Adelle sa mesa ko at nagkunwaring nagbabasa. I saw Jacinto shrugged. 

"I don't know. Pero kahit ano man ang dahilan niya, sigurado akong may kinalaman iyon sa kung anuman ang sinabi mo sa kanya noong niyakap mo siya."