In The Arms Of An Angel (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 26

She held on to him tightly. She's beyond happy that he is now in front of her. But her happiness was shortlived when he said:

"Miss, sorry talaga, ha. I don't know how you knew my name or if it's just a creepy coincidence. But I'm pretty sure maaalala kita kung nakilala na kita before. I don't even know why you keep calling me a tagabantay." He said as both his hands held her arms to push her gently away from him.

"P-pero ikaw ang nagsabi sa akin dati na tagabantay ka nung magkakilala tayo di ba?...dito ka sa bundok na'to nakatalaga at dito tayo unang nagkita ng iligtas mo ako sa may bangin...ano ba ang nangyayari syo? Nakalimutan mo na ba lahat yun? A-ako 'to si Dei..." She tearfully insisted. She noticed him look around them as he move discreetly away from her.

"Miss, to be honest you are starting to freak me out. I don't know what you are talking about. I don't really know nor remember who you are. And I'm not what you call a "tagabantay" whatever that is..." He said this as he slowly stood up and walked cautiously backwards.

"Richard..." She reached out to touch him but he moved so she could not reach him as he said:

"Miss, nakadrugs ka ba? I think you need help...seriously. Please stop right there. Baka napagkamalan mo lang ako..." She tried moving towards him again but he raised a finger at her in warning.

"No, please don't. I'm serious. Stay away. Don't follow me." And with that he walked away and disappeared behind the shrubs that hid this place from the main trail.

Dei was left there staring at the spot where he disappeared to. She didn't know what to make of what happened.

She couldn't be mistaken. He really is Richard. That she's sure of.

From his striking hazel eyes, prominent nose and jawline, fairer than fair complexion, the deep dimple on his left cheek and even the small scar on his right cheek, these confirmed that it is indeed him. She knew deep down she is not mistaken.

"Pero bakit di nya ako kilala? Nagpapanggap lang ba s'ya para layuan ko s'yang tuluyan? Sinadya ba nya yun? Anong nangyari??!" She thought.

*****

RJ rushed back to their camp while occasionally looking behind him to check if the woman followed him. But he did not see her. He doesn't know whether to feel sad or relieved which confused him further.

He went straight to where Kris was, arranging wood for the campfire later as the others prepare the food they are cooking for their dinner.

"O, bakit ka humahangos? Para kang hinahabol ng baliw dyan. Anyare?" Kris asked him. He looked at his friend with a weird expression on his face.

"Parang ganun na nga, bro..." He muttered and he saw his friend turn to him completely with raised brows.

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?" Kris asked him as he sat beside his bestfriend on the small flat rocks they placed around the fire to serve as seats.

"Well, I was by the ledge earlier and I saw there a girl..." He abruptly stopped talking when Kris bursted into laughter beside him.

"What???" He asked the chuckling Kris.

"Iba talaga kamandag ng kagwapuhan mo, bro! Hanggang dito ba naman sa bundok hinahabol ka ng chicks?!" And his bestfriend bursted into another round of laughter.

"Wag ka nga, Kris! Seryoso kasi ako..." He said irritably. Kris just motioned with his right hand for Richard to continue the story as he try to contain his mirth.

"Ayun nga may nakita akong babae kanina at akala ko tatalon sya sa bangin so hinila ko sya palayo sa gilid..." He paused, not sure how to continue telling the story.

"O, tapos? Anong nangyari at napatakbo ka pabalik dito? Pangit ba? Katakot ba ang itsura, ganun?" Kris prodded still laughing.

"Huy! Hindi ganun! Alam mo namang di ako mapanghusga sa itsura...there is just something very familiar about her that I can't place..." He said.

"Very familiar pero tinakbuhan mo sya? Baka naman isa sa marami mong tagahanga iyang sinasabi mong babae?" He just shook his head no to a still amused Kris.

He's having difficulty putting into words the things he felt when the woman touched him earlier. It was so familiar that he didn't know what to make of it. He knew he has never met her before but he felt this odd feeling of being at home in her arms. He has never felt that way with anyone, not even his ex-girlfriends before.

"Hindi ko rin maintindihan, bro. I knew I've never met her before but she seemed to know me or it might have been just a freaky coincidence lang...and she also kept referring to me as a tagabantay...narinig mo na ba yun before? Basta ang weird nya..." He narrated distractedly.

"Ahhh...medyo weird nga. Pero parang narinig ko na yung about sa mga tagabantay dito sa bundok na ito before. Pero ang mas mahalagang tanong...maganda ba yung girl?" His bestfriend persisted. He blushed upon remembering the woman's face.

Her light brown eyes that seemed to look straight to his soul. She also has a cute button nose that is perfect for her small doll-like face, and those full red lips...he can't help but imagine. He has met his fair share of beautiful women in his life but he never felt that strong pull before with any other woman in the past. And that freaked him out. So he ran.

"Huy! ang tanong ko maganda ba? Pero sa itsura mo pa lang ngayon na halos magkulay makopa na mukhang alam ko na sagot. Ngayon lang kita uli nakitang ganyan sa babae, ah....So, bakit mo nga tinakbuhan?"

He shrugged his shoulders before he looked at his bestfriend.

"To be honest, bro hindi ko rin alam. There's really something familiar about her. Parang kilala ko sya pero I know for a fact na ngayon ko pa lang sya nakita. May kakaiba rin akong naramdaman nung mahawakan ko sya. Parang bigla akong kinabahan..."

"Sigurado ka bang tao yun, bro. Di kaya naengkanto ka?" His bestfriend asked him.

"Bro naman! 21st century na uso pa ba ang mga ganyan?" He laughingly asked Kris.

"Bro, pareho tayong di basta naniniwala sa mga bagay na iyan lalo na sa trabaho natin pero alam din natin pareho na marami pa ring nangyayari dito sa bundok na hanggang ngayon ay hindi kayang ipaliwanag ng scientia. Kagaya na lang nung nangyari sa'yo. Kung pagbabasehan ang mga pangyayari, isang malaking himala talagang maituturing na buhay ka pa ngayon."

RJ heaved a huge sigh.

"Ewan ko, Kris. Hindi ko talaga maintindihan 'yung nangyari."