Camille and Patrick treated the rest of their honeymoon like friends who were on holiday together. Walang kahit anong malisya. They slept on the same bed but faced away from each other.
As agreed, sa condo ni Patrick sa syudad sila tumira. Camille was adjusting pretty well as some kind of roommate to Patrick. She cooked their meals but nothing more. Wala rin siya masyadong pinagkakaabalahan. She run their business through phone and email.
It was afternoon already when Camille got a call from Patrick. Minsan lang to tumawag sa kanya. Usually just to tell her he can't make it to dinner dahil sa overtime nito sa trabaho. "Hey, napatawag ka," bati ni Camille.
"Yeah. Look, wag kang magluto ng dinner. I have an invitation to dinner sa bahay ng uncle ni Tristan. It's his birthday and most people from the office are invited. Me and some people were told to bring our wives. I need you with me," Patrick said. I need you with me. Gustong matawa ni Camille. If only Patrick said that and meant it differently. He needed her to be his arm candy for the night. Nothing else. Knowing that hurt Camille. Pwede bang kailanganin din siya ni Patrick para sa ibang bagay? Di lang para ipakita sa mga tao?
"Yeah sure. What should I wear?" tanong na lang ni Camille. She could hear Patrick's background. May mga lalaking malalakas ang boses. May nagbabagsakan na kung ano. He was probably at the construction site.
"Something casual. Pwedeng dress pero wag masyado formal. Susunduin na lang kita mamaya," she just hummed in confirmation. "I gotta go. Bye," paalam ni Patrick. It was so informal. As if he wasn't saying bye to his wife. Wala man lang "take care" or "see you late."
She was dressed in a casual beige dress that reached her knees and nude wedge sandals. Tahimik sila sa biyahe papunta sa bahay ng uncle ng kaibigan at boss ni Patrick. He didn't bother with small talk. Gusto tanungin ni Camille si Patrick kung kamusta ang araw nito but that would make her sound like a real wife, which she wasn't. At least not for Patrick. To him, she was a burden he had to suffer para di siya guluhin ng tatay niya.
Nang makarating sila sa bahay ay nagsisimula na ang kasiyahan. The buffet dinner wasn't started yet pero mukhang malapit na. Agad na tinawag si Patrick ng mga kasamahan nito sa trabaho. They reserved seats for the two of them. Only two other guys brought wives. The other two were single and the one other woman was introduced to Camille as the accounts payable staff. The way the other woman looked at Camille made it obvious she didn't like Camille. And the only reason for that was Georgina the accountant wanted Camille's husband. Georgina was a threat to Camille's marriage and she was honest enough to acknowledge it.
Nakipag-usap si Patrick sa mga kasamahan nito tungkol sa trabaho so Camille was left to make small talk with their wives. Si Georgina naman ay pilit sumasali sa usapan ng mga lalaki and she was succeeding at it.
"Camille, wag mong mamasamain ah. Pero mag-iingat ka diyan kay Georgina. My husband told that when Tristan made it obvious he wasn't interested, si Patrick naging bagong target niyan," bulong sa kanya ni Ellaine na asawa ng head ng accounting and finance at boss ni Georgina. Ellaine wasn't that much older than Camille. Probably in her early thirties.
"Yeah. My husband also mentioned that. She was almost fired by Tristan kaya nalipat kay Patrick attention niya. Kung di pa lang sila kinulang ng tao sa accounting, baka nasisante na yan. Ellaine's husband had to give her a verbal warning," dagdag pa ni Marianne na asawa ng kasama ni Patrick na engineer.
Camille wasn't happy. This woman was a serious threat to her life with Patrick. Just because she wasn't doing anything yet didn't mean it was going to stay that way. Tingin pa lang ni Georgina kay Patrick mukhang may masama na itong binabalak. Halata ring wala itong pakialam na may asawa na si Patrick. She was one of those vicious women who had the little morals and even less decency. Wala itong pakialam kung may maapakan o masaktan to basta makuha nito ang gusto.
And Camille wasn't going to lose her husband to that kind of woman. Kaya kahit halos di na siya pansinin ng Patrick pagkatapos nilang maghapunan dahil abala na ito kakausap sa mga kasama ay nilagay nito ang kamay sa hita ni Patrick. Naramdaman ni Camille ang paninigas ng buong katawan ni Patrick. The guys each had a bottle or more of expensive beer and the women were served cocktails. Patrick was on his second bottle of beer at namumula na rin ito.
She smiled sweetly at him and Camille knew Georgina noticed. "Pat, tama na yang beer," Camille said, her voice saccharine sweet, "Magdadrive ka pa," paalala niya. She doesn't talk usually this way to Patrick. Pero dahil kanina pa siya naiimbyerna sa panakaw nakaw na hawak ni Georgina sa kamay ni Patrick at sa pagpapakita nito ng cleavage, napuno na si Camille.
"Okay babe, sabi mo eh," sagot ni Patrick. He was drunk. No way in hell was he gonna call Camille "babe" if he was in his right mind. And Camille knew that. Humawak ito sa kamay ni Camille at hinalikan ito. "Sandali na lang ah. Uuwi rin tayo," sabi nito kahit di naman siya minamadali ni Camille. She was enjoying Elaine and Marianne's company and also she was enjoying goading Georgina.
Patrick stood up, declaring that they were going home. Sumunod naman agad si Camille at kumapit sa asawa. Not to annoy Georgina further but to stop Patrick from falling. Nagpaalam muna sila sa uncle ni Tristan bago lumabas. "Sir, happy birthday ulit. Kailangan na naming umuwi. Dun sa kabilang site pa ako bukas at kailangan ko umalis nang maaga," paalam nito. Gusto pa sana silang pigilan ng celebrant pero di na nagpapigil si Patrick. "By the way, I haven't introduced my wife. This is Camille," pakilala nito.
"You choose wisely Patrick. Nice meeting you Camille," sabi ng uncle ni Tristan.
"Nice to meet you too sir. And happy birthday," sagot na man ni Camille. "But we really have to go," paalam nito.
Nang makarating sila sa kotse ay agad na pinaandar ni Patrick. He was in a hurry to get home. Nang makapasok sila sa condo ay agad na kinaladkad ni Patrick si Camille papasok sa kwarto nito at sinunggaban nang halik. He was kissing her aggressively and roughly. Nang humiwalay ito saglit para huminga, agad tinakpan ni Camille ang bibig niya. "Patrick, anong ginagawa mo?"
Sinandal siya ni Patrick sa pader pero di pinansin ni Camille ang sakit. "You just had to touch me Camille? Alam mo ba anong klaseng pagpipigil ginagawa ko para di ka galawin? Tapos kung kelan nakainom ako nang kahit konti lang, hahawakan mo ako sa may ano ko? Why don't you just offer yourself while you're at it," galit na sabi ni Patrick.
Bago pa makasagot si Camille ay siniil na siya agad ni Patrick ng halik.
Author's Note:
So I started another short story pero di ko muna siguro ipopost. Nagloloko naman kasi laptop ko. Chapter 5 or 6 pa lang ng How This Ends, nagloloko na siya. Three times to na off while nagtatype ako nitong chapter na to. So you see? Nakakawala nang gana magtype diba? Lol
Since parang mali na nagsisimula ako nang bagong story kahit ang rami pang di pa tapos, gumawa na lang ako ng update dito. Sorry kung medyo halatang di to pinag-isipan na chapter. Di ko kasi talaga to pinag-isipan. Mas gusto ko na kasi ngayon magsulat ng short stories lang kaya nahihirapan na ako pag ganito. And if you read my first few works (in my opinion, yung mejo cliché), maybe you noticed nagbago na yung parang writing style ko. Lol. I have a lot of short stories coming up but my laptop isn't cooperating so my sincerest apologies. Enjoy guys.
BINABASA MO ANG
Conveniently Married
Ficción GeneralHe used to love her. He used to give a damn about her. He used to be there for her. But it's all in the past. Now, even if she knelt in front of him and worshipped the ground he walks on, he wouldn't care anymore. Thank you Chantalah for the new cov...
