IT HAD BEEN DAYS SINCE LORI HAD A RELAPSE. SHE SEEMED TO BE HOLDING herself together just fine now, throwing herself into that business of hers. Bumabalik na sa dati ang kulay, ang sigla...ang ganda. Well, she had always been beautiful.
That oval face. The slightly upturned nose. The rosebud lips. The smooth skin. The lithe figure. The grace. At sa nakikita niya nitong mga nakaraang araw, masasabing nagbalik na nga si Lori. She was her usual self.
No, that wasn't true.
The Lori he knew was gone. Hindi na iyon babalik. Ang babaing pinagmamasdan niya mula sa balkonahe ng kanilang bahay ay hindi ang Lori na una niyang nakilala at minahal.
May kausap sa cordless si Lori sa ibaba, malapit sa gate. She got the call just as she was opening the gate, iniabot ng maid nila ang telepono kay Lori wala pang limang minuto ang nakakaraan. Base sa expression nito, kliyente siguro ang kausap. Lalaki. Sigurado si Paco, hindi naman sa mga binebenta ni Lori interesado ang mga kliyente. Kay Lori mismo.
And she loved all the attention she got so easily. But to accuse her of flirting was unfair. She didn't flirt. Didn't have to.
Kumukumpas pa ang kamay ni Lori habang nakikipag-usap sa telepono. Paco would occasionally hear her laugh. She was wearing a light pink loose pants, white sleeveless top which was tucked in to the pants and showcased the gentle curves of her hips and her slender waist. Nakatali sa likod ang buhok na alon-alon--she got no time to blow dry it into submission, she complained earlier--itinali na lang ang buhok at panyo ang ginamit na laso.
Hindi mo mapapagkamalang alcoholic.
She looked so chic, smart, capable.
Ni hindi rin ito nakatapos ng highschool. Natawa doon si Paco. Lori was a living, breathing argument against formal education.
She was seventeen when he first met her. Sad. Terrified. Absolutely beautiful. The Lori he knew. He thought she would always need him.
Paco heard the doorbell echoed from downstairs. Lumapit si Lori sa gate, binuksan ang maliit na bahagi. A guy from a courier company. Baka may pahabol na shipment si Taka, sa loob-loob ni Paco.
Pero nilinga siya ni Lori, kumaway. That surprised him. He wasn't aware that she was aware of him. Itinuro na lang ni Paco ang sarili, "Ako?"
Tumango si Lori. Napilitang bumaba si Paco.
Para sa kanya ang package...packet.
"Ano'ng Takara?" Tanong niya. Iyon ang nakalagay na pinanggalingan ng pakete. Takara Enterprises, may address sa ...Caloocan. Hindi niya matandaan kung kailan siya huling nagawi doon. Wala siyang kilala na taga-Caloocan.
Nagkibit-balikat lang ang delivery man, pinapirma sa ledger si Paco. He simply scribbled a circle.
"Ano kaya 'yan?" Tanong ni Lori.
"No idea."
"I've to go, I'll see you later."
"See you later." Sabi rin niya at bumalik na sa loob ng bahay habang binubuksan naman ni Lori ang gate para mailabas ang kotse. May katulong sila para gumawa niyon, pero ayaw na ayaw mang-abala ni Lori ng katulong. Ito rin ang amo na pumapayag maunang matulog ang katulong. Something Paco could not understand.
Bakit ka pa kumuha ng maid?
Hindi dapat matulog iyon hanggang gising pa ang mga amo dahil, paano kung may iuutos sila? To Lori, that was...slavery. To him, it was just how things were supposed to be.
Patakbo siyang umakyat sa hagdan. Sa kanyang opisina niya dinala ang pakete ng LBC. Winasak na lang niya ang plastic para makuha kung ano ang laman. Ordinaryo at regular sized na brown envelop pero tiniklop sa gitna.
Nanlamig siya at parang huminto sa paghinga nang makita niya ang laman. Graduation picture ng isang babae. Black and white ang larawan pero walang dudang high school graduation iyon. Suot ang puting toga at mortar board, hawak ang diploma.
Matipid ang ngiti, parang ayaw ilabas ang ngipin and Paco knew why. Sungki ang isa niyong ngipin sa itaas. It added to her charm but she wasn't aware of that. She was self-conscious about it.
And despite the shy smile, the girl's eyes were a different story. Round and thick-lashed, they seemed to know everything yet so innocent. So trusting.
We tripped the light and danced together to the moon...
The face took his breath away.
So were the words behind the picture. Idinikit doon ang mga letrang ginupit mula sa mga magazines.
WHERE AM I?
At kalakip ng picture, typewritten note. Nakuyumos niya iyon matapos basahin. Pero muli niyang inunat at binasa.
Someone was blackmailing him. That was obvious.
Sino?
Si Lori.
His wife was blackmailing him?
He found that absurd...then again....
But he had to be very, very sure if he had to do something about it. And he HAD to do something about it.
Pero obviously, wala pa siyang ibang choice kung hindi ang ibigay ang hinihingi ng blackmailer.
Money.
One hundred thousand pesos.
Napasingasing si Paco.
BINABASA MO ANG
DEVIOUS 2
Любовные романыPregnant at 17, disowned by her family, ginawa ni LORI ang makakaya para maibangon ang sarili at maitaguyod ang anak. Just when she thought she found happiness and security, she got caught up in one family's dirty secrets. She was plunged into unspe...
