Every Beat

Phoenix Laz Sandoval

HEY, I'M DRUNK AGAIN.

I almost fell to the ground when I got out of my red Ferrari F8 Spider convertible. I came home drunk again tonight. Every night, I had to go home intoxicated to this old two-story mansion in Bulacan that I bought five months ago.

"I am fucking Phoenix Laz Sandoval and I will be the CEO of Sandoval's! I am a freaking billionaire!" I screamed in the middle of the night.

Yes, I was a billionaire. At the age of 27, I was already a billionaire and about to inherit my father's company.

"You heard me? I am fucking Phoenix Laz Sandoval!" I shouted again like a fool.

Kahit naman magsisisigaw ako rito ay walang makakarinig. Ang lawak ng lupang ito na ang tanging nakatirik ay ang ancestral mansion, my mansion. Talagang pinili ko ang lugar na ito na tahimik at malayo sa city dahil dito ko gustong umuwi tuwing matatapos ang araw. Dito ko sana gustong mag-relax at mag-settle na rin sana... kung sana lang ay walang "something" sa lugar na ito.

Gumegewang ang lakad na tinungo ko ang pinto ng mansiyon hanggang sa makapasok na ako sa loob. Sumalubong sa akin ang kadiliman ng malawak na sala ng mansiyon. I didn't bother pressing the light switch because it would only turn off again. The lights and appliances in this house seemed to have a life of their own, going on and off as they pleased.

"I am the soon CEO of Sandovals! I am a freaking billionaire!" I shouted again and my voice echoed around the living room. "And I... I am not afraid of ghost!" sigaw ko na dinuro ang kadiliman.

Marami na ang bumili sa lugar na ito, lahat ng buyers ay hindi nakatagal at nagsi-alisan din dahil nga raw may multo. Ako lang ang bukod tanging matibay na nanatili rito at tumagal na ng limang buwan, dahil ako si Phoenix Laz Sandoval, the soon CEO of Sandoval's and I am not afraid of ghost!

Even with the lights turned off, the moonlight shone through the large glass walls, allowing me to see the living room. I used the little light to get to the lazy boy chair, where I often sleep at night.

"Oh, damn..." I raked my fingers through my hair, making it messier, and took off my necktie. Basta ko na lang ibinato sa kung saan.

Isinunod kong hubarin ang aking mga sapatos, at basta na lang ding ibinato. Then I sat down in the lazy boy chair. Ganito ako parati tuwing uuwi rito. Palagi akong gabi umuuwi rito, palagi ring lasing at palaging dito sa lazy boy nagpapalipas ng magdamag. Hindi na ako nag-aabalang pumunta pa sa kwarto.

At katulad din nang parating nangyayari, mayamaya lang ay nakaramdam na naman ako ng kakaiba, iyong bigla na lang na tila meron akong ibang kasama. And out of nowhere, a woman appeared with long hair, a pale complexion, and wearing a white long sleeveless dress.

Nakangising dinuro ko siya. "Hey white lady, why are you still here in my house, huh?!"

She'd been here since I bought this place. Mukhang hindi siya matahimik. She was also the reason kung bakit kahit ayaw kong uminom, ay nag-iinom ako. Kailangan kasi na lasing ako na uuwi rito dahil nakakatakot siya—I mean, nakakaasar siya.

Kahit mahilo-hilo sa kalasingan ay tumayo ako. "You can never scare me!"

The white lady was just looking at me, frowning.

Dinuro ko siya ulit. "You can never scare someone like me. You know that? I am Phoenix Laz Sandoval, the soon CEO of Sandoval's and a freaking billionaire!"

Kumiling ang ulo ng white lady. "Nasabi mo na 'yan kanina, kahapon, at noong isang linggo. Actually, limang buwan mo na iyang sinasabi parati. Wala bang bago? Kaumay, e."

"Oh, fuck!" Napasabunot ako sa aking buhok. Isa pa ito sa kinaaasar ko sa multong ito, she knew how to answer!

Humakbang siya palapit sa akin palapit hanggang sa kaunti na lang ang pagitan namin. What the hell? Bakit kailangan niyang lumapit?!

"I am not scared of you," sabi ko, pero paatras ang mga paa.

"Okay," balewalang sagot niya.

"Yeah, I am not scared! Do you know why? Because I am Phoenix Laz Sandoval, the soon—"

"CEO of Sandoval's, a freaking billionaire," dugtong niya.

"Yeah! You're right! Kabisado mo na!" Napapitik ako sa hangin. "Also, there's a ton of women lining up to be my girlfriend!"

Nagtutule siya ng tainga.

Wait, nagtutule?!

Umayos ako sa pagkakatayo. "Basta, marami sila, but I'm not... I'm not gonna fall in love with any of them!"

Tumango-tango siya at ngayon at nagkakamot naman siya ng kili-kili.

"I'm not gonna fall in love..." Natigilan ako kasi ang kinis at ang puti ng kili-kili niya. "Uhm, that..." Tumikhim ako. "I am not gonna fall in love not until I met someone like my beloved mom."

Iyon ang dahilan kaya ayaw ko pa. Wala pa akong makita ni isa na puwedeng ipangtapat sa mom ko. "I am not gonna settle with just anyone... I'm gonna find someone like my mom... My loving and beautiful mom..."

Humalukipkip ang multo na tila bored na bored na.

"My dad is so damn lucky to have my mom, you know? My mom may be flawed, but she is the best wife for my dad and mom to me and my sister. She nags us because she cares for us. She loves us!"

Dahil sa hilo ay muli akong napaupo sa lazy boy chair. Nakatingin pa rin sa akin ang multo.

"I'm gonna find someone like her before I settle down!"

Lumapit siya sa akin at inayos ako sa pagkakaupo dahil nakalaylay ang ulo ko.

"I'm not gonna fall in love..."

"Oo na."

"I am Phoenix Laz Sandoval, soon CEO of Sandoval's and a freaking billionaire..." halos umuungol na lang ako dahil bigla na akong nakaramdam ng antok. "I have this principle that I am not gonna settle until I met someone like my mom... But why... Why am I falling to a ghost?"

Natigilan siya.

Malamlam ang mga mata na tiningnan ko siya. "Why am I falling to you?"

The white lady's eyes widened in shock.

"What did you do to me?"

Umawang ang mga labi niya.

"You're a ghost..." anas ko. "But instead of leaving this house to avoid you, I always choose to come home to you..."

Nakaawang pa rin ang mga labi niya na ngayon ko lamang napansin na hindi naman pala talaga maputla, kundi napakapula pala.

Lalong lumamlam ang mga mata ko. "I always choose to stay so I can be with you..."

Huli ko nang na-realize na llumapit na pala ako sa kanya, kinabig ko ang batok niya at inabot ang mga labi niya. I kissed her. I kissed the ghost in my house!

It was supposed to be a quick kiss, but it didn't work out that way when I felt the softness and sweetness of her lips. My kiss on her deepened and became demanding, and I groaned when I felt her kissing me back.

I kissed a lot of women, but this kiss was different. Very different. Puwede palang maging mainit ang mga labi ng isang multo. Nadadala na ako nang bigla akong matigilan. Wait! Bakit ganito? Nagkakamali lang ba ako?

Bakit amoy instant pansit canton ang hininga ng multong ito?!

jfstories

Hi, readers! As JF needs to take another break for medical reasons, we, her admins, will take charge of posting updates. Aside from the SB6 and other ongoing jfstories, we are considering reposting her old stories that have been removed here on Wattpad, katulad nito.