chapter 13

IV

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself,

is not puffed up;

Her brow knitted, almost automatically, as soon as she saw me standing there. She doesn’t like me hanging around the room creating distraction. Her hand made a ’shooing’ gesture so I decided to step back. I didn’t have to count to ten when she opened the door and walk towards me.

“Are you okay?” she shook her head. “I’m stupid, I’m sorry. What happened?”

“Same old.” I can taste the pain biting in my tongue, I somehow choked. Feeling my eyes stinging, I look away. I am trying to create an image of a mature, responsible person – a man. For her. But I am really having a hard time. I feel like I’m going to cry, in her arms. In front of her, I’ll cry like a baby. “Damn it!”

“Hey!” I can feel the anger rushing to her but as she met with my eyes, her mood slowly began to soften until she finally smiled, broadly, sweetly. “Power hug!”

I tried to smile with her.

She open her arms wide “Come on… come here, you big, crying kapre!”

I stepped closer and she squeezed me tight. “I love you.”

She stepped back. I tried to meet her eyes but she’s avoiding my gaze. She saw the bruises and red swollen patches on my arms. Very lightly, she traces them with her fingers.

It was a tender, soul-shattering caress. My sweet torture. I caught her hand and held her tight.

“Nick…”

“Corrine…”

“Don’t.”

“What?” still keeping her hand, I smiled. “There’s more.”

She raises her brow but letting me with her hand guide it upwards. She felt the swollen bump on the right side of my head. “What the…?”

“A shoe.” Her reaction’s enough to heal my troubles away. I laughed. “Really…”

“Really?” She shook her head, half-smiling, half-frowning. She touched the bump again the pressed it a little harder.

“Ouch!”

Both of us are laughing now.

“I have to go, but I’ll see you later, okay?”

I shrugged.

“I’ll see you later.”

***

           

As soon as I saw his figure down at the lobby, I knew he saw my brows knit. He hovered around the room, occasionally stepping forward and leaning against the glass window. I tried to send him away by waving my hand but still he hovered. As soon as I finish what I’m discussing and assigned each group their task, I went outside. I was ready to be angry and scold him but I notice his eyes red from crying.

            “Are you okay?” Of course he’s not. He looked tired, aged and lonely. “I’m stupid, I’m sorry. What happened?”

“Same old.” He choked as he tried to fight the tears from coming back. His eyes moistened so he looked away. “Damn it!”

“Hey…” I am racking my brains thinking of the perfect words to say so I could take his pain away but I can’t seem to think of any. I was too mad for semantics right now. I hate and curse all thing things that are making him cry. I decided to smile instead. Being mad is not what would help; he needs cheering up.  “Power hug!”

His smile was lame, it didn’t even reach his eyes but it’s a start.

I opened my arms wide for a hug. “Come on… come here, you big, crying kapre!”

He stepped closer; I closed my eyes feeling his warm embrace. “I love you.”

It was the most perfect thing in the world. I would give anything to say it back to him but I can’t. I stepped back. He was trying to read my reaction so I turned. Only then did I notice the bruises in his arms. I wanted to take him in my arms and tell him the same thing and that’s everything’s going to be all right but I can’t. I shouldn’t. I touched his arms but he grabbed my hands instead.

 “Nick…”

 “Corrine…”

“Don’t.”

“What?” still keeping her hand, he tried to smile. “There’s more.”

“What the…?” Fuck! I felt the bump on his head, almost the size of an infant’s fist. I am really mad that I wanted to scream. This wasn’t the first time and  sure as hell won’t be the last time they’d done this to him.

“A shoe.” He laughed. “I caught his first throw but the second one was just too fast, it hit me. Shucks, that old man really is a fast hitter!”

“Really?”  Shaking my head, I didn’t know if I would smile nor frown. He’s trying to lighten up for my sake. I see the effort. I decided to play along. I touched the bump again the pressed it a little harder.

“Ouch!”

Both of us are laughing now.

“I have to go, but I’ll see you later, okay?”

He shrugged, as if weighing his options.

“I’ll see you later.”