AETERNUM SERIES 3: CINDERELLA'S CHANCE (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER TEN

" Put me down, you devil incarnate!"

Parang isang sako ng bigas siyang ibinagsak sa kama ni Gio. Tahimik niyang ipinagpasalamat na sa kama siya ibinaba nito at hindi sa sahig dahil may pakiramdam siyang hindi kakayanin ng kanyang mga tuhod na suportahan ang kanyang sarili.

She winced when she heard Gio slammed the door so hard as if the hinges were about to fell.

" I'll be more than the devil himself if I see you trying to go out with another man, Cinderella!", his hands were on his hips as his eyes were in slits. Palakad-lakad ito sa harapan niya.

Mabilis siyang bumangon at pinatatag ang sarili bago ito hinarap.

" You can't trap me in any cage, Gio! Now let me go out. I need to talk with Marco," malakas niya itong tinabig para sana makaraan patungo sa saradong pinto pero para itong matatag na pader hindi man lang natinag sa ginawa niya.

" And now, Marco! He won't have you in any ways, wife. He's too faithful to his Anna," nasa boses nito ang galit. He wound his hand on her hair and pulled it in a not so gentle way to raise her face and met his anger.

" Hindi na ako magtataka kung paano mo nakilala sina Marco. You have your ways," paismid na wika at sinalubong ang galit nito. " And your mind's as dirty as a sewer, Zamora!"

He snaked his one arm around her waist and pulled her against his solid chest.

" And what do you want to think, woman?!," his breathing was fanning her face. " Naabutan ko ang asawa kong sasama sana sa lalaking gusto nito noon!"

" I don't give a damn, Gio! Just let me go! I have to talk to Marco. You started all these and if you think you'll have the sweet ending just as you planned, you better think twice."

Nagtitigan sila ni Gio at gusto niyang papurihan ang sarili dahil nakayanan niyang hindi ipakita dito ang sakit na dulot ng ginagawa nito sa kanya. Tila sinusukat nito ang determinasyon sa kanya. Ilang minuto pa ang nakalipas nang ito ang kusang umiwas ng tingin. He took a deep breath and slowly let her go.

Pero kung inaakala niyang makakalabas siya ay nagkakamali siya. Sumandal si Gio sa mismong nakasarang pinto at minasahe ang batok.

" Let's talk, Cindy," he's voice was low na para bang nakikiusap nga ito sa kanya.

Umatras siya mula dito at tinungo ang nakabukas na bintana. Pinuno ang kanyang dibdib ng malamig na panghapong hangin. Her vision's blurry from the tears she was fighting not to fell. Ito na ba ang katapusan ng kung anuman ang meron sa kanila ni Gio?

" Six years old ako nang nalaman kong hindi ko ama si Frank. My classmates in Hamburg pointed out the obvious: Frank's too white to be a father to a brown skinned boy. They were innocent remarks but they got me thinking. My younger sister, Erin, has the same color as my father. Noon din ay inamin nila sa'kin ang totoo kaysa daw sa iba ko pa malaman.

My mom told me that my real father wouldn't want anything to do with me. For a young boy who's being bullied for his color and did not even see what his father's shadow looks like, it broke my soul."

Agad niyang pinahid ang mga taksil na luhang nag-unahang magpatakan sa kanyang mga pisngi at hinarap ang asawa. Nakasandal pa rin ito sa pintuan habang ang mga kamay ay nakapaloob sa bulsa ng pantalon. She bit her lips as she saw for the first time this other side of him: broken and insecured.

" Nang nasa high school na ako,nalaman ko galing sa mga pinsan ko na tagarito na matagal nang nag-ampon sina Mariano and that was you. You were around seven perhaps at that time. And it made me angry. Paanong nakuhang mag-ampon ng iba ang ama ko kung ako nga na dugo niya ay wala siyang pakialam?"