Sinusubukan kong kalmahin ang sarili ko habang naglalakad ako palabas ng garden. I needed to breathe. I have to find Carl and tell him about the letter. Who the hell is Jasmine? I tried thinking and remembering kung nagkaroon ba ko ng ekwentro sa kanya. But the way she acts a while ago tells me the opposite thing. Ang pag pa-panick lang ni Agatha ang ipinagtataka ko.
I should’ve told Carl about the letter. I thought it was nothing that’s why I ignored it. It doesn’t make sense.
Paglabas ko ay sinubukan kong hanapin si Carl, dito ko lang kasi sya nakitang lumabas kanina kasama si Ken. But I couldn’t see him.
Luminga linga muna ako bago ko napag desisyonang maglakad na pabalik sa table namin. Baka mag alala si Agatha, ang paalam ko pa naman ay mag c-cr lang ako. Jasmine seems harmless. Sino kayang baliw ang nagdeliver sakin ng calling card niya.
I sighed. I can still feel the loud beating of my heart despite convincing myself that it was nothing. Nasan na ba kasi si Carl? Ni hindi man lang ako nilingon bago umalis. Ni ha ni ho, WALA. I'm upset and I'm near to getting mad.
I, again, entered the garden. The same inviting look of the place welcomed me but I couldn't appreciate it anymore. Parang pakiramdam ko dumami yung tao kahit alam kong wala namang nagbago. I breathed deeply and started walking again nang makarinig ako ng mahinang sigaw.
I looked around to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating. Parang galing sa may bandang likod. I don't know what got into me nang sundan ko kung saan galing yung boses. I walk passed a bridge na nagdudugtong sa kabilang side ng garden.
Konting lakad pa ay natanaw ko ang isang malaking kubo. Hindi ko akalain na sobrang laki pala talaga ng garden nila. Carl told me once na mahilig ang mommy nya sa mga bulaklak at halaman pero hindi naman sumagi sa isip ko ang ganito kalaking garden.
I snap out of my thoughts when I heard Carl's voice. God! Andito lang pala sya. I sighed in relief and felt myself relax a bit. Dumiretso ako sa likod ng kubo ng makita ko si Belle. She's fuming mad.
Agad akong nakapagtago sa sobrang gulat. Bakit sila nandito? My heart went wild again. Why the hell is she mad? And, why the hell am I hiding? For Pete's sake! I feel like an Idiot. I didn't see Carl's expression dahil nakalikod ito sakin. Tanging mukha lang ni Belle ang nakita ko. Where's Ken?
"Stop it, Belle" Carl hissed.
"What are you going to do?" Belle replied with a laugh. I scowled. She's insane! Hindi ko alam kung depress lang ang babaeng to o talagang may saltik lang. "I know what you did. Does your wife know?" she added. That got my attention.
"Huwag mong idamay si Celine sa mga kalokohan mo." Carl warned. He's mad. Mahina ngunit madiin ang pagkakasabi niya ng bawat salita na syang ikinatawa muli ni Belle.
"Chill! Why is Jasmine here? Alam niya bang kasal ka na?" saad ni Belle.
They both knew Jasmine. Of course they knew kaya nga ito imbitado rito. When did I start being an idiot? Now, I remember that old creepy man. Mr. Beltran ang tawag rito. Ka ano ano naman kaya ito ni Jasmine?
"Alam ba ni Celine kung bakit hindi ka nakauwi agad galling sa business trip?" dagdag ni Belle ng hindi sumagot si Carl. "Oh, poor Celine."
Poor Celine.
My breathing went fast as I felt my body getting cold. Hindi naman din kasi namin napag usapan pa kung bakit sya tumagal don ng isa pang linggo. Is it…?
