Chapter 5

TARAH

 

 

 

"Wait. You mean... you'll stay in the house? Mag-iistay ka dito ng ilang oras? O hanggang bukas? O... ng ilang araw?"

 

 

 

"Ng ilang araw. If that's okay with you."

 

 

 

"No! I mean--- This is your house. Your brother's house. Hindi ako ang may karapatan magsabi kung sino ang titira dito o hindi. So you don't need to ask permission from me."

 

 

 

"You're the wife. Bahay niyo itong mag-asawa. You have a say who get to stay here. "

 

Kumalabog ang puso ko sa "You're the wife." na sinabi niya. Ilang sandali akong napatigtig lang sa kaniya. "No. I don't want that. I don't want to do that. Ask your brother." I'm not going to claim this house. I'm not going to act like I own it. 

 

 

 

"Already did." Mabilis niyang sagot. Sobrang kalmado habang ako ay kabado na natataranta na hindi ko alam.

 

 

 

"He's okay for me to stay here. Actually he's the one who told me to look over you. He doesn't want you to be alone."

 

 

 

I froze. Really? He's concern about me? I didn't realize we were staring at each other's eyes for a minute now not until he spoked. I looked away.

 

 

 

"Okay. Let me just ask you this," he trailed off. Dahil doon ay binalik ko ang tingin sa kaniya. "Will you be comfortable if I stay in this house with you? Just for a few days." Nagpalipat lipat ang tingin niya sa akong mga mata.

 

 

 

No. Hindi ko pinagkakait ang bahay na ito, but I won't be comfortable around him. Geez! Ngayon palang ay hindi na makalma ang puso ko. Not that I don't feel safe around him. I'm intimidated by him. I get conscious.

 

 

 

"If your brother's ok with it." Sambit ko nalang. Ngayon ko lang napansin na kapag siya ang kausap ko ay napapa-straight english ako. Kapag sinabi kong hindi ay sigurado itatano niya kung ano ang dahilan. Kapag sinabi ko naman na oo ay wala ng bawian yon.

 

 

 

"He's okay with it. He told me to come here, remember?" He was not being sarcastic but still it made me uneasy a little bit.

 

 

 

"Then ok. You can stay here." Matigas kong sabi. Nagpapanggap na hindi ako nagpapanik deep inside.

 

 

 

"GREAT!" Napaigtad ko sa malakas niyang boses at sa pasuntok niya sa hangin. "Sorry." He mouthed. Kitang-kita kung paano ako nagulat.

 

 

 

"Why were you holding a knife when I came?"

 

 

 

Napakurap kurap ako. Ngayon ay bumalik ang hiyang naramdaman kanina. "Wala akong inaasahang bisita kaya..." hinanda ko na ang kutsilyo panaksak sa taong may balak na gumawa ng masama sa akin at sa bahay na ito.

 

 

 

"I wouldn't blame you. It's actually good, that you can fight for yourself." Hindi ako umimik. "Why are we in the kitchen except for the knife part?"

 

 

 

Tinalikuran ko siya. Napasinghap agad dahil hindi ko pala naisarado ang fridge. Kaya pala nilalamig ako! "Oh! You're gonna cook?"  Tanong niya. Hindi na. Hindi ako umimik. Inilibot ko ang tingin sa mga pagkain.

 

 

 

"Is that for dinner? Hindi nagluto si aling Bet? Oh! Right. I think she mentioned about it. She said you didn't want her to cook?"

 

 

 

Napaharap ako sa kaniya. Parang kailangan ko yatang magexplain sa part na iyon.

 

 

 

"You don't like her dishes?"

 

 

 

"No. Hindi sa ganon. I can cook for myself. Hindi niya ako kailangan paglingkuran."

 

 

 

"Right! You didn't ask for a maid in the first place, so you don't want her to act one." I think I heard a sarcasm in there.

 

 

 

"I didn't ask because I don't need one. I can take care of myself." Hindi ako pinabayaan nina mama, pero hindi din nila ako tinuruan umasa sa iba pagdating sa trabaho sa bahay.

 

 

 

"Wala bang maid ang mga Fuentebella?"

 

 

 

I was taken a back. Shit! Oo nga pala. Alam nilang Fuentebella ako. Lumunok ako bago umiling. I was their maid, actually. Nagkibit balikat siya at kumunot ang mga kilay. Mukha siyang nag-iisip ng malalim. Ayan nanaman ang mga guhit sa kaniyang noo 

 

 

 

"I went to their house few times." Kinabahan ako. Oo, minsan ay dumarating ang mga Schneider doon. Hindi ko naman alam na siya iyon. Hindi ko pinagtutuunan ng pansin ang pagdating nila. Well, specifically ang mga tao ang hindi ko pinagtutuunan ng pansin. I was busy making the house presentable before they arrive. At hindi ako nakakasingit na makiusyoso dahil ayokong sumali sa pakikipag-unahan ng dalawang magkapatid masilayan lang ang anak ng mga Schneider. Masilayan lang siya.

 

 

 

"And I think they have a maid. Or was she not?"

 

 

 

Napalunok ako ng laway. Hindi kaya napansin din niyang dalawang magkapatid lang ang nakatira doon? Hindi kaya nila nalaman na ampon lang ako? Or baka gumawa ng dahilan si Mrs. Lucille kung bakit ngayon lang ako sumulpot sa pamilya nila?

 

 

 

"Anyway, we can just order. Pero ok lang din kung gusto mo magluto."

 

 

 

Magluluto sana ako, pero kung matitikman mo ay hindi na. Hindi ako ganoon ka confident sa cooking skills ko. And I don't think I will ever be confident kung siya ang kakain. And I don't think as well that I could cook properly knowing he's the one who will eat it. I'd be so freakin tense, and would panick.

 

 

 

Nahihiya akong pag-orderin siya pero bahala na! Hindi ko kayang magluto.

 

 

 

"No. Mag-order ka nalang. Hindi naman ako gutom." Hindi pa ako sobrang gutom. Pero baba nalang siguro ako mamaya kapag tulog na siya. Basta kapag wala na siya sa kusina.

 

 

 

"What? No. I'll order food for us. Pero kung ayaw mo muna kumain, then... you can just come down later... when you got hungry?"

 

 

 

"Ok." Mabilis akong pumanik sa taas. Gosh! Hindi ako makahinga doon! Parang hindi ako humihinga pero naamoy ko ang pabango niya nang lagpasan ko siya. Dumikit yata sa ilong ko ang amoy niya. Ghad! Ang bango niya!

 

 

 

Napatalon ako nang biglang may kumatok sa pinto. Nakasandal ako sa pinto kaya gulat na gulat alo. Alam kong siya, kaya huminga na ako ng malalim bago binuksan ang pinto. Hindi nanaman ako makakahinga ng maayos neto.

 

 

 

My breathing hitched as soon as I saw him standing just outside the door. Our eyes met. "Anong gusto mong kainin? I forgot to ask you what food I should order." He said. I stopped my eyes from gazing at his chest. Bumabakat sa t-shirt niya. Mas lalong umumbok dahil hawak niya sa isang kamay ang phone niya.

 

 

 

"Ikaw na bahala. Hindi mo naman alam ang mga pagkain kinakain ko. Kaya kahit sabihin ko ay hindi mo din naman malalaman." Supladang nasambit ko saka agad na sinarado ang pinto. Shit! That was rude of me. I was nervous! Gusto kong sagutin ng matino ang tanong niya pero wala naman akong masabing pagkain. Malay ko bang sa isang mamahaling restau siya mag-oorder? Fast foods lang ang alam kong orderin. Lumaki siya sa mayaman na pamilya, malamang yayamanin din ang mga pagkain na kinakain nila. Baka nga never pa yang kumain sa Jollibee, e.

 

 

 

Sa sobrang tensiyonado ko sa kaniya ay nagiging mas masungit ako. I've met his other brother. Hindi naman ako ganito sa kanila. For the past weeks, tatlong gwapong lalaki na ang nakilala ko, but I wasn't like this in front of them. I can keep it cool when I'm around them. I'm not so tensed. I'm not intimidated. But with him... maybe it's his shoulders? Hindi naman kasi ganoon kamaskulado ang dalawa. Siya pumuputok ang damit niya. Baka nga. Baka dahil sa katawan niya, kaya sobrang tensiyonado ako sa kaniya.

 

 

 

I think I should leave early for class for the rest of the day's he'd be here. At baka kina papa nalang ako makikikain bago umuwi para hindi kami magkatagpo sa kusina. Hindi ko magagawang kumain kasabay siya. Baka mabilaukan ako. Hindi nga ako makahinga diba, ang kumain pa kaya.

 

 

 

Anong nangyayari sa akin? Is this the sickness you get from hot men? TARAH! ANO?! HOT ANG KAPATID NG ASAWA MO? Nababaliw kana.

 

 

 

EZEKIEL

 

 

 

Sungit. Never pa ako sinungitan. Lalo na ng mga Fuentebella. Maybe because she doesn't have their blood flowing in her veins? The two sisters always shove themselves at me. This one is different. Maybe for now? Sooner or later she'll show her true colours. Baka nagpapahard to get muna?

 

 

 

That is a first as well. Walang nagpapakipot sa akin. That's Schneiders. Either the name or the face, no one's playing hard to get, they want us all.

 

 

 

Hindi na siya lumabas sa kwarto niya mula nang pumasok siya doon. The food I ordered arrived, but I'm undecided if I should knock on her door, tell her to come down and eat. But I have a feeling she'll just ignore me and the food. Or... I could bring the food to her, however she might not eat it and let the food sit cold in her room until morning. Or... I could just message her, that way I wouldn't feel ignored completely, and I could save the food from being ignored too.

 

 

 

But I want to see her. Bakit parang mag-eenjoy ako sa pagsusungit niya? Perhaps, because she's the first. The first lady to ignore me. We'll see how long she can ignore me. I couldn't believe I'm grinning right now. Will I really enjoy it? Or it'll bw torture for me? Let's see.

 

 

 

I was a little disappointed she didn't want to cook. Sabi ni aling Bet ay masarap daw ang luto niya. I was anticipating for it.

 

 

 

And so I texted her. Told her there's food in the kitchen. I waited for her to come down, but she didn't. I stayed in my room, working on my emails as I wait for the hours to pass by. I quickly shut my laptop when I heard the sound of a door opening and closing. I looked at the clock, it's eleven already. Sa wakas ay pinakiramdaman niya din ang tawag ng kaniyang tiyan.

 

 

 

Maingat, at bahagya kong binuksan ang pinto sa aking kwarto. She did went out of her room, and now on her way downstairs. Nakita ko siya bago siya lumiko papunta sa hagdanan. I wouldn't risk following her to the kitchen and get busted. I have my ipad, I could just watch the cctv footages.

 

 

 

I noticed she's wearing different clothes now. Is that a lilac purple skirt under a long white sleeves? Or a dress under the sleeves? Either way, it's cute.

 

 

 

She opened the fridge, took her minutes before she took out the pizza box. She wasn't that happy when she saw what's inside. But still she took a slice. Sabay na tumaas ang kilay ko nang makita siyang mahinhin na tinanggal ang pepperoni sa kaniyang pizza. So she doesn't like pepperoni on her pizza? But she doesn't mind the pineapples? Hmm... New discovery about her.

 

 

 

She heated it up, then took it to her room after. There's no camera inside the rooms. And even if there was one I wouldn't spy her through it. That's her very private place. No matter how curious I am about her, I wouldn't go to that extent. That's creepy.

 

 

 

I heard from my baby brother their school suspended classes tomorrow. Will she stay in the house the whole day? I'm looking forward to have a few interactions with her. Wish me luck.