Until You Love Me Again

Chapter Three

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NAGISING nang maaga si Isabel kinabukasan. Well, it was more like she didn't really sleep last night. From some crazy reason, she had dreams about seeing Alexander again in San Martin. Well, it was more like a nightmare.

Napanaginipan niyang nalaman nito na nagbunga ang isang gabing namagitan sakanila at kinuha nito si Luisa at Santiago sakanya. Nagising siya nang halos alas dos pa lang ng umaga with tears in her eyes. Matagal bago niya narealize na panaginip lang pala ang lahat.

Nang kumalma siya ay sinubukan niya uling matulog. For the second time, she dreamt about Alexander and this time she dreamt about the night they made love. "Made love". She almost scoffed. For all she knew, it was just sex for him.

Sa ikalawang beses simula nang bumalik siya sa San Martin ay napabalikwas siya sa kama. Natutop niya ang noo. What the heck was happening to her? Did she just dream about the past and the future?

It was the past, alright. But she sure hoped that she didn't dream about the future. The last thing that she wants to happen is for Alexander to learn the truth about the twins.

And for the hundredth time since arriving in San Martin, she thought that going back was the greatest mistake of her entire life. Bigla bigla ay parang gusto niyang hilahin paalis ng lugar na yun ang kambal, isakay sa kotse niya at muling magpakalayo-layo.

But if she does that, isang tanong ang mamamayani sa buhay nilang mag-iina, "Hanggang kailan? Hanggang kailan sila tatakbo at magtatago?"

Kasalukuyan silang nasa restaurant sa ground floor ng hotel na tinuluyan nilang mag-iina. Pre-occupied ang kambal sa pagkain ng waffles kaya hindi nito napansin ang pag-aalala sa mukha ni Isabel. Thank God for waffles!

Patapos na sa pagkain ang mag-iina nang biglang tumunog ang cellphone ni Isabel. When she peered into the screen, she saw that it was Patrick Cruz, the buyer of the land she was selling who was calling her.

"Hello?" saad niya nang pindutin niya ang answer button.

"Good morning Ms. Ruiz" pormal na sagot ng lalaki.

"Morning" maikling tugon niya habang pinupunasan niya ng tissue ang mukha ni Luisa at Santiago.

"I hope I'm not calling you at a bad time" si Patrick Cruz.

"No.. no. Of course not Mr. Cruz" sabi niya. "I'm already in San Martin. I actually arrived yesterday pero gabi na masyado kaya hindi na ako nakipagmeeting sayo. I was planning to call you after breakfast to set up a meeting with you" dugtong pa niya.

Nagset-up si Isabel ng ad tungkol sa pagbebenta niya ng lupa sa San Martin and Patrick Cruz was the first interested buyer who contacted her last week. Nagkita na sila nito sa Maynila.

Mukha naman itong katiwa-tiwala at talagang interesado ito sa lupa. Napag-usapan na nila ang mga basics ng gagawing bentahan. Nagrequest ito ng final meeting at ocular inspection ng area ngayong araw at sa kagustuhan niyang maibenta na ang lupa ay pumayag siya agad.

"It's a good thing that I called you, then" sagot nito. "Is it alright if we meet up at 2pm this afternoon?" tanong nito.

"Yeah. Sure. No problem. Okay lang ba kung dito na lang tayo magmeeting sa restaurant at the ground floor of the inn that I am staying in?" tanong niya.

"No problem" maikling pakli nito.

After a few minutes she ended the call with a smile. Finally. Everything was falling into place. For the first time since she came back, she actually felt relief.

A few minutes before 2:00 pm ay bumaba si Isabel sa restaurant kasama ang kambal. Kumakanta si Luisa ng kantang pinapatugtog sa elevator habang pababa sila at napansin niyang nakabusangot naman si Santiago.

"Hey, what's wrong?" tanong niya kay Tiago.

"Tiago doesn't want to come down, Nanay" sagot ni Luisa para sa kakambal and hummed to the tune of the elevator music again.

"But why?" tanong niyang muli.

"Because you're meeting up with that man again" sabi ni Tiago makalipas ang ilang sandali, patungkol marahil kay Patrick. The last time she met with him, he took her home kaya nakita ito ni Tiago. Akala marahil nito ay manliligaw niya sa Patrick.

"Yes, I am meeting up with that man again" simula niya with a smile on her lips. "And that man has a name. It's Patrick. Don't call him 'that man' Baby" komento pa niya.

"Patrick like the starfish?" inosenteng tanong naman ni Luisa na nakapagpatawa sakanya. Mahirap kasing iimagine na starfish ang seryoso at patpating buyer ng lupang binebenta niya.

"Yeah. Like the starfish" she conceded. "Only, in a suit" dugtong pa niya.

Pagkatapos ng ilang segundo ng katahimikan ay sabay na bumunghalit ng tawa ang kambal, probably imagining Patrick Star of Spongebob Squarepants wearing a suit, gaya ng suot ni Patrick Cruz.

Paglabas nila ng elevator ay tinumbok nila ang direksyon ng restaurant kung saan sila magmimeeting ng lalaking pinag-uusapan nila ng kambal. And for some unknown reason, something doesn't feel right.

Hindi niya alam kung kinakabahan ba siya o ano. Weird. Hindi niya naramdaman yun nung una siyang makipagkita sa buyer ng lupa niya. Bahagyang kumunot ang noo niya. Hindi niya talaga maintindihan ang nararamdaman niya.

Pakiramdam niya, may nakatingin sakanya na hindi niya makita. Agad niyang iwinaksi ang nararamdaman niya nang makita niyang nakaupo na sa isang sulok ng restaurant ang lalaking kameeting niya.

It was time for business.

OUTSIDE the inn, a black car was parked and the man seated behind the driver's seat was focused on Isabel's movement. Bahagya pang naningkit ang mga mata nito nang makipagkamay si Isabel sa kameeting nito.

Halos walang nagbago sakanya. She was still as beautiful as the sunrise in San Martin. Her face was still perfectly framed by the big waves of her hair. Her smile was still as warm as the summer breeze. Kung may nabago man dito ay mas lalo pa yatang tumingkad ang ganda nito. Motherhood became her.

'Hold up, Alexander. You hate that woman, remember?' his mind taunted him. He gritted his teeth. Of course he will never forget. Nandito siya para sa iisang rason lamang at hindi yun ang hangaan si Isabel sa kahit na anong paraan.

'That's not what your body is telling you, man' muling pang-aasar ng isang banda ng utak niya and he uncomfortably shifted in his seat. This was not the right time to be aroused. Damn this woman!

Ilang segundo din niyang ipinikit ang mga mata. Kailangan niyang magfocus sa purpose ng pagsulpot niya sa labas ng inn na pinag-check inan ng mag-iina. He's here to talk to Isabel. He's here to get answers from her. Whether she likes it or... well, she has to like it. Bago pa pumasok ang kung ano pang isipin sa utak niya ay agad na siyang bumaba ng kotse.

The time has come.

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