Chapter 3

RUBY

"KHEIMER, untie my hands now!" I beg as I watch him remove his clothes.

"Behave, Ruby, alam mong hindi magandang galitin ako." He calmly said but coldly ordered me. I could feel my whole body shake as our eyes met.

Wala akong magawa kung hindi umiwas dahil pakiramdam ko ay mag-aapoy ang buong katawan ko dahil lang sa titig niya.

Nagulat ako nang bigla siyang dumagan sa akin at hinawakan ang magkabilang pisngi ko.

"Look at me, Ruby Rin," mapangahas niyang utos, pero nagmatigas lang ako at umiwas ng tingin sa kanya. 

Panigurado akong bibigay ang buong katawan ko kahit bigyan ko lang siya ng maikling sulyap.

Inalis niya ang pagkakahawak sa mukha ko at muling bumalik sa posisyon niya.

"If you insist," huli niyang sinabi. Bago pa ako makagalaw ay walang kapura-purada niyang hinatak ang damit ko at pinunit iyon.

"Kheimer!" Tili ko dahil sa sobrang gulat. "Are you insane?!"

"I gave you an option, didn't I? But you insist and remain stubborn. Now take the consequences because of your stubbornness." 

Before I could speak, he tore the last piece of my clothes and grabbed me.

"Kheimer, stop!" I scream, and in just one snap, Kheimer stops moving. Biglang nag-iba ang aura ng mukha nito. Para bang bigla siyang nagising.

Nilibot niya ang buong paningin niya at para bang nagtataka kung bakit siya nandito. Pagkaraan ay bumagsak ang tingin niya sa akin at gulat akong pinagmasdan.

Bigla na lang siyang nag-panic at napasabunot sa sarili niyang buhok. 

"Oh, fuck! Rin, are you good?" Tanong niya at agaran na lumapit sakin. "Why are you naked? And why am I—shit! Did I do this to you? "Gulat at takot, niyang tanong. Naramdam ko ang mainit na likido mula sa mata ko. Wala akong magawa kung umiyak.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" 

He started untying my hands and covered my body with a blanket.

"Fuck, Rin, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do this!" 

I can hear his cry as he hugs me tightly. Yung iyak na pinipigilan ko kanina ay hindi ko na napigilan at bumuhos na iyon.

"I-I don't know what happened. I don't know how! I don't know why!" 

As I hug him, I can feel his body shake unstably, and he starts breathing hardly, which makes me panic.

"K-Kheimer, calm down, please!" 

Ilang beses ko siyang inalog pero walang responde akong nakuha sa kanya. Gusto kong tumakbo palabas para humingi ng tulong pero hindi ko magawa dahil hindi ko siya pwedeng iwan.

I tried to reach my phone beside me so I could call for help, but before I could even do that, Kheimer started having a seizure and started choking on his own saliva.

I lay him down to bed and turn him onto his side so his saliva will drain down and will help him stop from choking. I quickly grab my phone and call an emergency number. After that I called my mom.

I tried to calm down as much as I could, pero talagang tinataksil ako ng mga mata ko at walang hinto sa pag iyak.

"Please, Kheimer, hold on. They're coming, please!"

For a short time he stopped choking but was still having a seizure.

"RIN!"

I heard a voice from my door. It was Tita Sarie, Kheimer's mom. They quickly ran towards us.

"What happened?!" Tita asks.

"I-I don't know either, Tita. He just started having a seizure again. I already called for help from the hospital. They're probably on the way now."

Without any question, Tito Kiezer carries Kheimer on his back and runs down outside.

Pakiramdam ko ay mawawalan na rin ako ng hininga dahil sa takot. I don't know what I'm going to do if something bad happens to him.

"Shh, don't cry, Ruby. He will be fine," my mom said, trying to comfort me. I just hug her and cry even more.

I could never forgive myself if something bad happened to him.

IT was early in the morning when we visited him in the hospital. Tita Sarie called last night and said that Kheimer is stable now.

"Ate Rin, can I ask you something?" Amara asks, Kheimer's younger sister. Kami ang nakatoka na magbantay ngayon kay Kheimer dito sa hospital dahil busy na naman ang mga tao sa hacienda.

"What is it?" tanong ko habang kumakain ng prutas na galing hacienda.

"Are you and Kuya having sex when he had a heart attack?" She innocently asks. Wala sa oras ko tuloy na lunok ang prutas na kinakain ko.

"W-what made you think like that?" nauubo kong tanong habang sinusubukan buksan ang water bottle.

"Because you were naked last night when we entered your room, you were covered in a blanket, but I could see you were naked." 

Napatakip na lang ako ng mukha ko nang marealize iyon. Bakit ko ba kasi nakalimutang magbihis? Nakakainis naman!

"But don't worry, I think I'm the only one who noticed you're naked because they're too worried, kuya. But I think Kuya Keefer saw you too. I really don't know."

Oh, Lupa! Lamunin mo na lang ako!

"Anyways, I need to go now. I still have class later, eh. You take care, kuya? Ok, ate? Bye." Paalam niya bago tuluyang lumabas ng kwarto.

Napabuga na lang ako sa hangin, dahil ako na lang mag-isa sa loob.

Maya-maya pa ay napatitig ako kay Kheimer nang mapansing gumagalaw ang mata niya kahit na kapikit siya. Napakunot ang noo ko nang biglang umalog ang higaan niya at kumawala ang malakas na tawa mula sa kanya.

"Bwisit ka! Kanina ka pa gising!" Inis na bulyaw ko sa kanya at pinaghahampas siya ng unan.

"W-wait! Wait!" Nanghihina niyang pigil sakin habang tumatawa pa rin.

"Nakakainis ka! Pinang alala mo ako tapos kanina ka pa gising!"

Halos masakal ko na siya dahil sa sobrang bwisit. Tumatawa lang niyang hinawakan ang magkabilang kamay ko para pigilan ako. 

"Im sorry for making you worry." saad niya at hinatak ako, kaya naman napadagan ako sa kanya pahiga. "It won't happen again, I promise." 

Marahan niyang inilapit ang mukha niya sa akin at idinikit ang labi sa akin. Napatulala na lang ako sa kanya pero kinalaunan ay humalik na lang ako pabalik.

"Ahem." 

Halos patalsikin ko na ang sarili ko palayo kay Kheimer ng marinig ko ang pamilyar na boses mula sa pinto. Nang lingonin ko iyon ay si Keefer ang bumungad samin.

"Hey, Bud," bati niya sa kapatid nang makalapit siya dito.

"A-ah sige, iwan ko muna kayo," paalam ko bago lumabas. Nang maisara ko ang pinto ay nagulat ako ng makita ang asawa ni Keefer na nakaupo sa waiting room. 

Seryoso lang ang mukha nito habang nakaupo. Dahan-dahan akong lumapit at umupo sa waiting room na kinauupuan niya, na isang upuan ang pagitan mula sa kanya.

Awkward....