Chapter 4

Amari Vann

"Vann, you look pale, ayos ka lang ba?" tanong sakin nung isang katrabaho ko rito sa casino.

Kasalukuyan kong nilalagay ang gamit ko sa locker room namin. I am wearing a sexy black dress na isa sa mga uniform namin. We have 7 uniforms para sa 7 days na araw.

Kakapasok ko pa lang pero gusto ko na mag out dahil nanghihina ako, hindi ako makakain ng maayos dahil lahat ay isinusuka ko.

Hindi ko pa alam kung anong gagawin ko sa batang nasa sinapupunan ko, ni hindi ko nga siguro kung may sapat na nutrients akong naibibigay sa kanya dahil I barely eat at stress na stress ako.

"Kulang lang sa tulog" pagdadahilan ko.

"Okay, sa VIP table ka ulit ano? Madalas kang i request nung mga bigatin nating kliyente, baka may mag offer na sayong asawahin ka nyan"

I just laugh and shook my head.

To be honest, I get that kind of offer a lot. Sex in exchange for money pero dahil naniniwala akong kaya ko ang expenses ng kapatid ko at I way back then ay virgin ako kung kaya naman ang dali kong tanggihan ang lahat.

Napaisip ako dahil malamang one of these days ay kukulitin na ako ni Sir Alex, I could lie and just come to him para makuha ko yung pera pero something in the back of my head says na mali iyon dahil sa batang nasa sinapupunan ko.

I am lost right now.

I am truly lost.

Mabilis na lumipas ang oras, palalim na ng husto ang gabi and I was sub dahil I need to take my lunch.

I stood up and was on my way out of the main area ng makaramdam na naman ako ng hilo, muntik na akong bumagsak ng maramdaman ko ang mabilis na pagsalo sakin ng kung sino, avoiding me from falling completely on the floor.

I immediately stood up nung makabwelo ako. I mentally cursed myself for not eating properly.

"Salamat" sabi ko ng nakayuko at akmang aalis na pero natigilan ako ng hawakan ako nito sa braso para pigilan sa paglakad.

Mabilis akong humarap dito, only to meet the same pair of eyes I do not wish to ever see again.

"Congressman Art"

"Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded right away and then pulled my hands away from him dahil I feel a little electrocuted by his touch.

"Mauuna na po ako" sabi ko before I walked away.

I am in the pantry, halos 30 minutes na ang naaksaya ko pero hindi pa rin ako makapili ng kakainin ko dahil parang lahat ay isususuka ko.

"Vann" napalingon ako sa tumawag sakin, I immediately stood up nung makita kong papalapit sakin ang manager namin dito sa casino.

"Ma'am Monique" I greeted her and she smiled back.

"I know naka lunch ka pa and we don't usually do this pero I need your help"

"Sure po, ano po ba iyon?"

"One of our VVIP requested for you to join him for dinner"

"Po?"

"I assure you hija, dinner lang, hindi ka nya pwedeng pilitin or what pero I really think he just wants you to join him for dinner, pwede mo ba akong pagbigyan?"

Saglit akong napaisip, I usually get requests like this at madalas ay auto decline sakin but this is my first time to be requested by one of the VVIPs - if I take this, malaki ang percentage na makukuha ko almost triple ng daily sweldo ko tapos kakain pa ako sa mamahaling restaurant namin dito sa casino.

"Okay sige po"

Napapalakpak si Ms. Monique sa tuwa.

"Thank you talaga Vann! Sa totoo lang bilib na bilib ako sayo, hindi naman lingid sa kaalaman ko how many clients we have in here that is into you, kung pipiliin mo nga lang, you could be an escort pero I know you're not into that. Anyway! He will be in the VIP Lounge 1 "

"Mag retouch lang po ako and I'll go there" she smiled and then naiwan na akong mag isa.

After kong mag retouch ay naglakad na ako papunta sa VIP Lounge. I greeted our two main bouncer in here before walking towards the VIP Lounge 1.

I breathe in and out before I twist the doorknob to open the room.

Kusa akong napahinto ng makita ko kung sino ang naghihintay ng  payapa at naka diretso ang tingin sakin.

Art Theodore Dela Cuesta.

He raised his hand ordering me to come in before he went on to drink his wine.

Tahimik akong napalunok bago ko dahan-dahang sinarado ang pinto, hindi naman ito naila lock kaya wag kayong mag isip.

I walked slowly to the table, giving me enough time to appreciate his perfect feature. He is tall, his hair is neat and not long, matangos na ilong, itim na mga mata at mapupulang labi. Looking at him, alam mo na agad bakit sya kinababaliwan ng mga babae sa bansa.

I sat down in front of him.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Why did you request for me?"

"Can't I?" he then gave me a smirk.

"Hindi ako nakikipaglaro sayo, congressman"

"Am I?"

"You have a girlfriend and here you requested for a woman you had a one night stand with, ano sa tingin mo ang iisipin ko?"

Umayos ito ng upo at pinagsalikop ang kamay. His face became serious too, he was quiet, na tila nag iisip.

I stood up dahil ako ang nawawalan ng pasensya, dala na rin siguro ng mood swings ko.

"Why did you really request for me, Art?" I asked him directly.

"I don't have an answer for you, Amari"

I sighed right away. We are wasting time.

"You and I agreed not to meet anymore, wala ng dahilan pa para magkita pa tayo"

"I know"

"So please, don't bother me ever again"

Hindi ko na sya pinagsalita pa, I immediately went out of the room.

Art Theodore

"Magandang gabi, senyorito" bati sakin ng mayordoma ng pamilya namin na si Manang Belen.

"Magandang gabi, manang" I greeted her back, she helped me with my coat, nasa likod ko ito habang naglalakad ako papunta sa sala ng mansyon namin. "Is mom and dad, still awake?"

"Why is my handsome son looking for me?" mula sa grand staircase ay nakita kong pababa si mommy, naka robe na ito at nasisiguro kong patulog na dapat.

I gave her a kiss on the cheek nung makababa ito at makalapit sakin.

"Bakit gising ka pa, mom?" I asked her.

"Oh well, inaabangan ko ang pag uwi ng kapatid mo, mukhang nag party na naman ng malala kasama si Hanna"

"Hayaan mo mom, pagsasabihan ko si Hazel, pati na si Hanna"

"Thank you hijo, alam mo naman sayo lang nakikinig yung kapatid mong iyon, at oo nga pala bakit ka nadalaw dito sa bahay?"

"I was planning to have a drink with dad pero mukhang tulog na sya"

"May problema ba hijo?"

"No mom, all is good naman, I just really wanna have a drink with dad"

"I see, oo nga pala, I want to ask you something" she is smiling widely at me kaya napakunot ang noo ko.

I walk to the bar counter we have and got myself a glass of liquor.

To be honest I want to have a drink with that because I am confused with what I just did today.

What the hell crossed my mind that I specifically requested for her to join me for dinner?

Ako pa ang naunang nagsabi sa kanya to forget about it yet I acted that way. I look stupid!

"Is Mira pregnant?"

Mabilis akong napalingon kay mommy dahil sa tanong nya.

"What kind of question is that, mom?"

"Well, I am just asking" she excitedly walked closer to me. "So, is she? C'mon Theo, tell mommy"

"Mom, she's not pregnant, okay? You know, Mira, she is focus on her career now lalo na her dad is also asking her to join politics"

Mira and I have been going out for years. I am in love with her for a very long time, her family and my family are close dahil parehas na parte ng politika. We separated two years ago, because she wanted to pursue her career which is being a doctor in another country and she said that long distance relationship will not work for her.

So, she left me. I was broken hearted, I felt betrayed and so I focus on just having fun and flirtatious relationship but never a serious one. Lahat puro fling lang, that's how I met Amari.

Amari is special. Kadalasan sa mga babaeng naka fling ko, they come to me first, but Amari, I came to her first. I admit that I immediately had a crush on her pero she left that morning, so I figured that maybe ayaw nya rin ng relationship and also Mira came back, she said she wanted to fix everything and I still love her, that's why we got back together.

"Oh no, she's not pregnant? Then why does my fortune teller master told me"

"Told you what mom? Sabi ko naman sayo wag ka ng makinig at maniwala sa mga hula-hula sayo"

Sinimangutan ako nito bago umupo sa bar counter.

"Well, my fortune teller master told me that a new life within our family is on its way and the new addition in our family is the family's biggest blessing, magdadala daw ng swerte sa pamilya"

"Mom naman"

"Well I believe in fortune telling, so if ever Mira will be pregnant anytime soon, you have to tell me, I cannot wait to see my grandchild"

I just shook my head. Matigas ang ulo ni mommy at talagang naniniwala ito doon sa mga hula.

"Senyora, dumating na po si Senyorita Hazel at Hanna"

"Finally, I can sleep"  my mom said. "You deal with your sister and cousin, I am going to bed bago pa ako hanapin ng daddy mo"

"Goodnight mom"

"Goodnight hijo, ingat sa pagda drive pauwi"

I nodded before I went to the front door.

"Wala, tumba na yan yaya belen, ipa akyat mo na yan" rinig ko agad ang boses ni Hanna.

Hanna is just a year younger than me, while my sister just turned 21.

Naabutan kong inaalalayan na ng ibang katulong namin ang tulog ko ng kapatid.

I just shook my head ng lagpasan ako ng mga ito para iakyat ito, leaving me with Hanna.

"Bakit mo naman hinayaang maglasing si Hazel?"

"Minsan lang naman" she laugh, she sound a bit tipsy too. "Bukas mo na ko sermunan, kasi may sermon session pa ako with daddy pag uwi"

Akmang tatalikod na ito

"Hanna" I called her.

"What now, cous?"

"What were you doing in the hospital nung huling beses? Anong ginawa mo na namang kalokohan?"

The reason why I am asking her this is because I have a feeling na baka may kinalaman kay Amari. I wanted to know if she is sick or is there something wrong, if there is anything I can do to help.

"Hoy! Hindi ako gumawa ng kalokohan, ipinagbabawal na ba ang pumunta ng ospital?"

"Okay, if you won't tell me, I'll just make tito ask you" I was about to pull my phone ng pigilan nya ako.

"Ito naman! Nakakainis ka naman eh!"

"Then tell me, why were you at the hospital?"

"Well, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone kasi nagpromise ako but fine, if you promise to keep it, I will tell you"

I sighed. Mukhang may ginawa lang talagang kalokohan itong si Hanna.

"Fine"

"Well, it's not me, mukhang ayaw talagang ipasabi talaga ng bestfriend ko kahit kanino, pero I think you remember Vann"

Parang automatikong nag play sa isip ko kung paano sya nagpakilala sakin ng gabing yun.

Amari Vann Reyes.

I nodded.

"Well, sya yung reason why kami nasa ospital"

"What happened? Is she sick? Is there something wrong with her?"

"Grabe, ngayon ko lang naramdaman na  congressman ka, may pake ka talaga sa nasasakupan mo no?"

"Enough with the jokes, Hanna"

"Grabe, ang serious naman, pero hindi, wala naman syang sakit"

"Then why are you there?"

"Well you see-

"What?"

"Vann-

"Hm?

"Vann is pregnant"