Death Trap Pandemonium (COMPLETED)

Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE
Settling On Enemy Turf

October 29, 2015; Thursday
Blue Bay Retreat House, Azulan City

On any other occasion, Cess would've actually enjoyed playing chef and cooking for their joyful bunch of misfits. Kung hindi lang sana parang minamartilyo ang ulo niya sa sakit. Wala pa ngang dalawang bote nainom ko kagabi, ganito na kasakit ang ulo ko? The five-hour ride from Santa Filomena to Azulan due to heavy traffic caused by a car pile up definitely did nothing but worsen her migraine.

If she wasn't having the worst headache of her life, Cess might've been admiring how immaculate and well-equipped the kitchen was. It had four stoves for crying out loud!

"Miss Espania, Miss Vicente! Wala na bang ibabagal 'yan?" tanong ni Ma'am Demetria pagpasok na pagpasok niya ng kusina. "As far as I'm concerned, hindi naman full course meal ang hinahanda niyo?"

Just hearing the teacher's shrill, no-nonsense voice made Cess want to douse someone with the boiling soup Chloe was tending to. Preferably the one who was standing at the entrance of the kitchen.

Tila nabasa ng kanyang pinsan ang iniisip ni Cess kaya siya na mismo ang kumausap kay Ma'am Demetria. "Malapit na po kaming matapos, Ma'am. Pasensya na po."

Nang muli silang iwan ni Maam Demetria upang maghanda ng tanghalian, bumaling sa kanya si Chloe. "You'd think mas mapapabilis sana 'yung ginagawa natin kung tumulong man lang siya. Fucking mierda."

Bahagya na lamang siyang tumawa at nagpatuloy sa pagluluto ng tocino na nahanap nila sa isa sa mga ref—the retreat house had three—at limang lata ng corned beef.

"Well, what to do you know. Kung nakikita lang tayo ni Abuela¹, baka inatake na 'yon. Qué horror. Ang mga unica-hija niya ginawang muchacha²," pagbibiro ni Cess.

Chloe smirked as she recalled a memory of their grandmother. "God, Abuela was insufferable but we were her favorites. Naalala mo yung isang beses na bumisita kayo sa ancestral house, sinigawan niya ang Papa mo dahil pinagalitan ka?"

Despite her headache, Cess couldn't help but let out a full-bellied laugh at remembering. "Up to this day, hindi ko pa rin nalilimutan 'yon. Sa tingin ko sa kanya ko nakuha yung tendency ko magmura ala-Espanyol. At a young age, I memorized all the Spanish curses she yelled at Papa. Hindi nakaligtas si Mama na ginisa pa sa napili niyang mapangasawa. Halos ayaw nang bumalik ni Papa sa bahay niyo pagkatapos no'n." Umiling na lamang si Cess. "Pero hindi sila maka-hindi dahil gustong-gusto ni Hedrich si Abuela."

Akala ni Cess masakit na ang ulo niya. . .mas masakit pa rin pala ang mga alaala ng masasayang sandali na hindi na maibabalik pa.

Napaangat siya ng tingin nang hawakan ni Chloe ang kanyang kamay. Cess could almost feel her already broken heart crack in a few more places when she saw the grief and look of concern on her cousin's face.

"Cess, alam kong masakit pa rin—yung nangyari kay Hedrich, yung naging epekto non sa 'yo, yung mga nangyari sa pamilya niyo dahil sa mga kalaban nila sa negosyo," malumanay na sabi ni Chloe. "And I know I'm not always a reliable source of emotional support. But believe me when I say magiging maayos din ang lahat. I promise you, sisiguraduhin ko iyon."

Among all her cousins, Cess had always thought that Chloe was the cool one even if she almost never left their grandmother's ancestral house when they were kids because she was always sick. Noong hindi pa pinapanganak si Hedrich, itinuring niyang nakatatandang kapatid si Chloe na laging pinapahiram sa kanya ang mga laruan nito. But now. . .seeing this strange depth of emotions from her 'cool and aloof' cousin, Cess was more astounded and felt closer with the older woman than she had ever been before.