To The Man I Love (LF Series #1)

Kabanata 18 | Painting

"Ready ka ng umuwi?" Tanong ni Kuya nang makalabas na kami sa airport. I smiled and nodded.

Niyaya namin si Carlo na mag-dinner sa amin but he declined. May kikitain daw siya. Biniro ko naman siya.

"Kikitain niya kasi long lost love niya. Gago to kala mo talaga." Tita Hannah laughed.

"Ikaw nga wala kang jowa. Buti naman ako no, may maaakit ako rito, naghihintay sa akin ngayon."

"Naku, nakakainggit ka naman." I said sarcastically. Everbody laughed. Binaba namin siya sa isang condo building. Doon daw ang tinitirhan niya. Hinatid ko siya hanggang sa lobby and we hugged.

"Go on, magpakarami ka na." I told him then he pat my back nang napakalakas. I cursed at him then he ran to the elevator. Gago talaga to.

Nakauwi rin kami. Kuya said this is our mansion. Nakatira na raw ako rito after I met our Dad. Itinuro nila ang kwarto ko and I saw it very plain. Walang gamit kundi konting furnitures at isang king-sized bed. It has a balcony at sa ilalim nito ang swimming pool.

They told me about my childhood during dinner. But I don't remember a thing. I said sorry and they said it's okay if I don't remember.

While resting on my bed. Tinandaan ko ang mga sinabi nila. I was transferred to an orphanage because I was traumatized when I was a kid. What happened to me and my mama was the cause. So, my father hid me in an orphanage to keep me safe. A lot of people want to find me para makapaghingi ng pera kay Dad. Orphanage was the only hope for my Dad. My trauma went away when I grew up in the orphanage. Then, sumakit ang ulo ko nang tinatandaan ang mga sinabi nila so I just slept.

"Hijo, kumusta ang tulog mo?" Tanong ni Tita Hannah nang kumakain kami ng agahan.

"Okay lang po, Tita."

"Kuya, gusto mo akong ihatid sa bago kong school?" Sabi ni Jason.

"Jason, baka busy na ang kuya mo kapag papasok ka na." Tita Hannah reminded Jason.

"No, tita. Puwede ko naman siyang isabay kapag papasok na ako."

"We have drivers, Marco."

"No, tita. Okay lang po talaga." I smiled to assure her it is really okay so she just nodded. Kaming tatlo na lang ngayon dito dahil may inasikaso ang dalawang mag-asawa tungkol sa paglipat ng mga anak sa bagong paaralan.

"Anong oras uuwi sina Kuya?"

"Mga bandang lunch daw kuya." Jason answered.

Once I finished eating. Nagpaalam akong mag-swimming sa pool namin. I removed my shirt and swam. Tumunog ang phone ko sa hammock kaya umahon ako. It was text from Ara.

'Nakauwi na pala kayo! Bibisita kami mamaya nina Bruce!'

'Sige. Para makilala ko na sila.'

I told our maids to prepare for my friends. Tita Hannah approved when I said Ara is coming with our friends. She warned me not to get triggered. I just nodded.

Ara entered our house with 4 people. And I suspected those are our friends.

"Marco! This is Bruce, Angel, Mason and his boyfriend." Pakilala ni Ara. They all looked shocked looking at me.  I smiled at them and their shocked expression changed. I looked at Mason. Then, tinitigan ko ang huling tao, he is wearing a very thick glasses and I smiled at him. He smiled back. Mason snaked his arms around him so I smiled at him also then he did too.

"I know you can't remember us but I am your hot friend." Sabi ni Bruce at naglahad ng kamay. Tinapik ni Ara ang kamay and I laughed.

"Hi! I am Angel." She looked at me and smiled.

"Doon tayo sa pool. Did you bring clothes?" I asked them.

"Yep!" Sigaw ni Ara.

We had a small party. I called Carlo to join us pero busy raw siya.

"Come on! Pumunta ka na rito."

"I can't. He is mad at me right now. Ayaw kong dagdagan ang galit niya sa akin." This love-sick brute.

"Okay, okay. Say hi to him for me. Kahit na hindi mo pa pinapakilala." I turned off the call.

"Who is that?" Mason asked.

"Ahh. My friend. Niyayaya ko pero busy raw." He nodded.

"Wait." I called for him. He stopped before he is about to opened the screen door.

"Are we a thing before?" I asked.

"Because, you are awkward around me." I continued to say to him.

"Yes, we were. But I was not the one." He said then went out. Anong ibig sabihin niya doon? We were but he wasn't the one?

Tita Hannah prepared a pizza for us. Sumali rin si Jason sa amin but I told him not to drink alcohol. He frowned when I said that. My friends laughed.

"Naku! Gayahin mo kuya mo, Jason. Nang first year college kami hindi siya makainom ng isang baso." Ara said then I looked at her curiously.

"You were a good student. Kaya kapag iinom tayo noon, ikaw ang maghahatid sa amin kapag nalasing." Angel told me.

Ilang oras din silang nagkukwento tungkol sa mga nangyari noong college kami that I cannot remember. I sipped the last shot of the beer. Lasing na silang lahat. Only me, CJ (Mason's boyfriend), and Jason and hindi lasing.

I did not have headaches within that night. Ara created a group chat para doon kami nag-uusap or nagbibigay ng updates bawat isa. They all now have jobs. Ara has her own accounting firm and client niya kami. Bruce and Mason are both pilots. Si Angel ay isang architect sa firm ng pamilya nila. CJ is still in college. Fourth year na raw siya.

At such young age, nagawa na nila ang mga pangarap nila samantalang ako, kulong pa rin sa mga alaalang hindi ko matandaan. This sucks.

"You have to meet our client. He owns the airlines you used when you came home. I did not meet him at palaging secretary lang ang kinakausap ko. You have to meet him." Sabi ni Kuya nang ihatid ako sa opisina ko.

"Okay, Kuya. What's his name?"

"He is Sebastian Bryant. I heard he was the disown son of the Bryants dahil sa mga ginawa niya noon. Kaya mag-ingat ka. I think he is dangerous." Kuya warned me.

"I think I can handle him." I assured him when I saw worry in his eyes.

Hinatid ako ng driver namin sa building ng office nila. I asked the lady in the lobby.

"Hi. I am Marco Ruiz. I am here to meet Mr. Bryant."

"Wait, sir." She called the phone. Then she nodded while receiving orders from the phone, I think.

"Okay, sir. Go to the 24th floor." She said to me once she finished the call.

Isang lalaki ang sumalubong sa akin and he smiled.

"Good Morning, sir. I am Daniel, Mr. Bryant's secretary. Please, follow me." He said and I obliged.

Daniel called from the intercom and he gestured me to enter the office of his employer. Once, I entered I saw his office. It has a grey colored theme. The furnitures are grey and so his wall. He was facing the windows and talking to a phone kaya hindi niya sigurong napansing nandito ako.

A painting caught my attention. It is placed on his wall behind his table. It has two hands that intertwined. The other hand is wearing blue watch while the other is wearing a blue bracelet. Natuon ang atensyon ko sa blue bracelet. The painting is specifically detailed kaya I can easily picture the bracelet. It really looks familiar. Then, an eerie sound came again to my ears. Nabitawan ko ang hawak na papeles. I screamed sa sobrang ingay at sakit ng ulo. Napaluhod ako sa sobrang sakit nito. Fuck! Someone held my shoulders, binuksan ko ang mga mata ko and I saw his eyes. He looked worried. Then, I lost my consciousness.

........

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