Beneath the Sun

Kabanata 1

I saw a beautiful man standing the by the door and I know I am in trouble. A man I knew so perfectly, or so I thought. He is there by the door. Staring at me with those tantalizing eyes that made me fall and drop at the same time. It's been what? Five years since last time I saw this almond brown eyes. The eyes that is so deceiving, yet falling.

"Ahem. Nay Gina, magandang tanghali po." Ani ng lalaki nakangiti.

"Abay magandang tanghali din sayo, Thunder. Ano'y napadaan ka ata dito sa amin?"

Ito ako nakatayo sa tabi ng Tatay Jaime. Di alam ang gagawin. Nakikiramdam kung kikilalanin ang lalaki o hindi at nagulat ng narinig ang pangalan ng lalaki. Magkakilala sila? Paano nangyari yon? Tanong ko sa aking isip.

Here, I am standing, feeling like my surroundings have stop and all I hear are the sound of waves and the tweeting sounds of birds. I am so nervous to move. To make a sudden movement that may turn his head at me. So frightened to make eye contact that I could not resist. There I realize, I am really in trouble.

"Nay nagkasalubong lang kami ni Tatay Jaime at inaya akong kumain ng tanghalian. Nalaman kasi niya na hindi pa ko nakakakain.". Ani ng lalaki.

"Oh ganun ba? Sige! Sabayan mo na kami kumain. Ay, ito pala ang alaga ko dati, na si Thalia. Nagbabakasyon siya dito sa Batangas at dyan lang siya malapit nakatira."

I froze when Nay Gina said my name. I made a small movement and smiled at the visitor.

"Hello." I said mutely.

Hello? Sa lahat ng magandang sasabihin hello lang ang nasabi ko? At bakit kailangan ko ng magandang sasabihin? Sa pagkakatanda ko hindi maganda ang huli naming pag-uusap. Sakit lang ang naramdaman ko. At heto ako nag-iisip ng magandang sasabihin? God, ano ba 'tong pinag-iisip ko.

The man called Thunder turned his head and nodded at me.

What the heck? Yan lang ang nasabi ko sa aking isipan. So, dito, we are going to pretend we don't know each other? Okay fine. That's not a problem to me. Hmmp.

Tatay Jaime broke the silence. " Ano na mga bata, kumain na tayo. Panigurado gutom na din kayo."

Pareho kami ni Thunder ng sumagot na oo. At naglakad na papuntang hapag-kainan. Tahimik na umupo. Magkaharap kami na umopo ni Thunder. At sinusubukan kong hindi magkatinginan sa mga magagandang mata ng lalaki. Oh my god, is all I can think of.

Tatay Jaime properly introduced us in the table. "Ikaw, Thunder, ito nga pala si Thalia, gaya na lang ng sinabi ng Nay Gina mo. Ang ganda niya tiba? Parang anak na naming yan." Nakangiting sabi ni Tatay Jaime.

"Opo. Maganda nga po siya."

Aba syempre maganda ako. In-born ata 'to. Hindi mahahanap sa iba. Sabi ko sa isipan. Hay nababaliw na ata ako.

Lupas ang minuto at nagkwentuhan sina Nanay at Tatay at ang bisitang si Thunder. I sat there and ate the delicious food Nay Gina cook, while, listening to their conversation. I noticed that they seem to know Thunder very well. Siguro, nga't matagal na nilang kilala si Thunder. I sighed with the thought.

"Thalia, ayos ka lang ba?". Nay Gina asked.

"Opo. Nay. Pagod lang siguro dahil sa byehe."

"O siya. Magpahinga ka muna. At kami na ni tatay Jaime mo ang magliligpit."

I smiled and nodded to agree.

"Ikaw naman Thunder. Mukang busy ka ha?" Tanong ni nanay kay Thunder.

"Hindi naman nay. Magpupunta lang ako ng dagat. Magpapalipas ng oras."

"O siya Thunder, ikaw muna bahala kay Thalia . Paki-hatid mo naman sa bahay nila."

"Sige po. Walang problema. Akong bahala kay Thalia." Thunder answered with seriousness and glee.

Hmmp. Kung alam ko lang. May binabalak 'tong hinayupak na lalaki sa akin. Nakuha pa talagang ngumiti pagkatapos ako hindi pagbigyan ng pansin kanina na parang hindi kami magkakilala. Who you ka ngayon sa akin.

Ilang minute kami naglakad ni Thunder papunta sa bahay ko. Tahimik kami pareho at walang ni-isa sa amin ang nagsasalita.

Pagkarating ng bahay ay nagpasalamat ako sa paghatid. " Salamat." I smiled. I tried to close the door immediately but had failed miserably.

Thunder immediately held his hand at the door to stop me from me closing it. He push it wide so he can enter and drag me to the wall after he closed the door.

"You can't leave me, Thalie. You can't." He said and sealed my lips over his to stop me from saying anything else.

The kiss is so delicious. Just like before. I am so addicted to his kisses. I can feel myself. That tingling feeling in between. I know I have to stop. But I can't seem to find myself from stopping. I kiss him back with the same ferocity.

This intense kiss. The kiss that broke me pieces. The kiss that keeps me from kissing him over and over again. The image of our baby, the baby which he didn't know that exist snap my mind back to reality.

I push him strong enough to break the kiss. "What the heck are you doing? Kissing me as if you have right to kiss me. Because you don't! You lost that right that moment you broke me off. So, stay away from me and leave me alone. Pretend you don't know me, just like how you pretend you didn't know me a while ago!"

Thunder grinned at me, as if just witness a sweet humiliation of me. He still standing in front of me and I am trap between his arms.

"Thalie, baby. Don't you miss me. Because surely, I am missing you since we broke off." He said with eyes that dazzle me and a bedroom voice.

I stared at him with furrow eyebrows. Looking at him dumbfounded, like he has not done anything wrong.

"Tigilan mo ko Thunder. Hindi ako nagbibiro."

"Bakit na naman kita bibiruin na na-miss kita. Totoo naman kasi." He said sincerely.

"Wag mo nga ako pinagloloko. Anong akala mo sa akin, nag-umpog ang ulo sa pader at nakalimutan ang mga masasakit na salita na sinabi mo? Siguro nga naumpog ang ulo ko pero kahit kalian hindi ko nakalimutan ang masasakit na salita ng binitawan mo!"

I think I saw pain passed through his eyes. Or is it my imagination? I don't even know why but I regret what I said to him. I want to take it back, but I can't. I just can't. I feel like no words can soothe what kind of pain I am feeling right now. I am tired. My heart is still beating painfully. The pain that never left. Pain that started five years ago. Pain. When will you go and leave my heart alone?