Untamed

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Bibiyahe ka pasyudad?" Vince smiled softly.

Natigil ako sa pag-iimpake ng mga gamit ko at nilingon siya.

He is standing at my door, clutching the doorknob.

"Yes." I nod to him.

"Aaron is a friend of mine." pagkukuwento ko pa.

"He is from the city?"

Tumango ako sa tanong niya.

"Babalik ka na sa buhay mo dati?" he pop out another question.

I am not sure what to answer.

"Nah. He is just asking for a favor. Uuwi rin ako pagkatapos." I answered.

"G-Great! Pag uwi mo naisip ko baka puwedeng lumabas tayong dalawa? May masarap na nagtitinda ng ice cream sa kabilang bayan. Baka puwede nating puntahan?"

"Sure. I would love that." I smiled at him as I finished packing up my clothes and belongings.

"Are you really sure you are coming back, Grace?" he asked, parang nag-aalala sa kung anong bagay.

Living here in a small province and meeting Vince parang nagkaroon ako ng ibang katauhan. They know me here as Grace and not Raze. Alam nilang mahilig ako sa car racing pero hindi nila alam na iyon talaga ang trabaho ko.

They know nothing about my life before they met me. O kung may alam man sila siguro kaunti lang iyong mga bagay lang na dapat nilang malaman tungkol sa akin.

"Oo naman. Andito pa ang ibang gamit ko at may trabaho pa ako rito." I chuckled.

Napakamot siya sa batok na tila nahihiya.

"P-Puwede bang tawagan mo ako pag nakarating ka na roon gusto ko lang na makasiguradong ligtas ka."

"Sure! Ako na ang tatawag sa iyo pag nakarating na kami sa Manila." Aaron pop out of nowhere.

Napalingon naman sa kaniya si Vince.

"Salamat!"

"No prob, dude." tumango si Aaron sa kay Vince at pagkatapos ay bumaling sa akin.

"You ready? My driver is already here."

"Yeah. I'm already done so I guess I'm ready." I answered.

"Don't miss me too much." I smiled at Vince as I was about to get into the car.

"I'll try not to miss you." he smiled back, shyly.

Tinawanan ko naman siya bago nagpaalam at tuluyan ng sumakay sa sasakyan.

"May gusto sa iyo 'yon." puna ni Aaron nang umandar na ang sasakyan.

"He is just a friend." iling ko.

"Yes. And I'm just a friend too but I had a crush on you before. Hindi sana iyon mawawala if you didn't reject me kaso si Greg ang pinili mo." he laughed playfully.

"Mabuti na lang at naka move on na ako." pahabol niya pa.

"Silly! You know I always treat you like my brother." I laughed.

"Ouch! Oo na! Alam kong hindi uubra ang charms ko sa iyo." he pouted.

"It's not like that. It's just that you are better to be my brother." I explained.

"Yeah. As if I want a sister. I'm an only child, Raze." he snorted.

"So am I." balik ko sa kaniya at sa bintana na tumingin.

Sa biyahe ay nagpahinga lang ako. I am  too occupied of a lot of things to socialize with Aaron. Mukhang naramdaman naman iyon ni Aaron dahil hindi siya nangulit sa biyahe. Minsan ay naguusap kami but not really something serious like about what happened 2 years ago. It was just a light casual talk.

"I'm really happy you agreed on this. Hindi nga naniniwala sa akin ang team ko na mapapabalik kita e." he chuckled.

"Yeah. You have a convincing power." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Malakas lang talaga ako sa iyo." pagmamayabang niya.

Aaron is my childhood friend. We trained together. I'm not really a friendly type of a person. School, bahay at practice lang ako madalas not until I met Aaron. My father introduced him to me. He's in my same age. At first I find him annoying pero sa mga ibang araw may pakinabang din naman ang ganoong ugali niya.

Sabay kaming nagdebut sa mundo ng karera.

Hindi sang-ayon ang magulang niya sa napiling propesyon. Racing is extreme and dangerous. Kaya tutol ang magulang niya sa pangangarera niya lalo na dahil may sakit sa puso ang ama niya at bihira lang ang mga itong manuod ng tournament o kahit practice ni Aaron. Palaging sinasabi sa akin ni Aaron na kahit kailan hindi naging proud ang magulang niya sa kaniya. That is why he is happy whenever he is with us. He treated my father like his own father and I'm okay with that. I'm not a selfish greedy only daughter. I am fine sharing my father to him. But in that case kay Aaron lang. I don't like anyone except him. Si Aaron ang nagturo sa akin kung paano makisalamuha at pakisamahan ang mga tao kahit na ayoko sa kanila o ayoko sa ugali nila.

Kaya siguro kaunti lamang ang kaibigan ko.

"We will be staying here. Puwede sana sa bahay ang kaso baka hindi ka maging komportable sa pamilya ko. You know they will never stop bugging you questions after you disappeared." he shrugged his shoulders. Gesturing the hotel suite where I'll be staying.

"Nasa kabilang room lang ako kung sakaling hanapin mo ako. You can always call me. Dito ko na pinili dahil malapit lang sa arena."

Marahan akong tumango sa kaniya at inilibot ang tingin sa kabuuan ng hotel suite.

"Okay. Thank you, Aaron.

"I should be the one thanking you, Raze. Like really I mean it. I really wanted to help charities you know that." he laughs it out.

I agree on him. He have a soft spot for those who is unfortunate in life. Madalas siyang tumulong sa mga charity event before at hindi lang iyon pakitang tao. Palagi talaga siyang nagpaparticipate sa mga ganitong klaseng event.

On the next day he invited me for a race, practice na rin para sa gaganaping laban bukas.

"Wow! Are you sure you're not competing on your stay in that province? Wala ka pa ring kupas!" he commented, hinubad niya ang suot na helmet.

"Not really. But I race there too for a friendly match. Isa pa ang mga tao roon ay hindi mahilig sa ganito. They're not into racing, Aaron." iling ko.

"Sabagay. Maliit lang ang probinsyang iyon at mukhang hindi pa 20th century style ang pamumuhay. Puro bukid lang ang nakita ko roon ng puntahan kita. So I assumed their work there is all about farming?"

Tinanguan ko siya bago uminom.

"Yes."

"Buti hindi ka naging magsasaka?" he asked.

I gave him a deadpan look.

"Well I applied as a waitress."

"Kaya pala roon kita naabutan. I thought you are there for your lunch? Well, kumikita ba ang resto na iyon? It looks old...bukod pa roon wala masiyadong tao." He said.

"It was fine. Hindi maraming tao. At sila lang naman ang nag-iisang resto roon at doon lang kumakain ang mga tao pag may okasyon o gusto nila." I answered.

"In short that's the only resto you can find in that province." dagdag ko pa.

Tumango siya.

"You know what that place is really perfect if you wanted to runaway and hide."

Mahina akong natawa.

"Another match?" he asked. After he had drunk all of his water.

"Game."