Chapter 7 - taking the risk

When did this fucking irrational crisis hit him this hard? He had no idea. Probably, he is willing to believe that this is going to fade soon, like those times he thought he is madly inlove with someone. Gusto niyang isipin na hanggang ngayon, hindi mahahawakan ng babae ang puso niya.

"Listen you, stupid bull!"

Inilayo ni Marco ang cellphone nang sumabog ang galit na boses ni Edan sa kabilang linya. Nangibabaw iyon sa kabila ng malakas na ihip ng hangin na tinatangay ang amoy at alat ng tubig-dagat. Nadama niya ang pagkalat ng hapdi sa mga mata at naipikit ang kanan.

Nasa tuktok siya ng hindi pa tapos na tower ng parola at sa ibaba ang latag ng dagat. Payapa ang mga alon at tila kumikinang na hinabi sa liwanag ng buwan, habang mistulang alitaptap ang aandap-andap na ilaw mula sa mga bangkang nasa laot.

"You're going to risk her safety, Marco! Hindi ka nandiyan para magbakasyon at mag-alaga ng babae!" muling paalala ni Edan.

Five minutes of debate and they're still not coming up to a peaceful conclusion about Carmina Juana. Hinagod niya ang buhok at kinoldon muna sa mga daliri para matigil ang pagbagsak niyon sa kanyang mukha.

"I can protect her and do the job you asked me to do at the same time. Why are you so freaked out?"

"Freaked out?" Edan's rigid voice intensified his frustration. "Basically because your stupidity will ruin our plan!"

"I don't see how keeping her with me is going to ruin our plan, Edan." He fired back crudely.

"Do you want me to put this on details how?"

"No, I know why exactly you're making this a big deal when it shouldn't have. Tell those people who are looking for her that she is with me and that she's safe but do not reveal my location to anyone."

"Ego-tripping again, Marco? What you're about to do is not on the rules. You're not protecting Carmina Juana, you're locking her up in there. Bring her to us, she is out of your concern anymore."

"I don't need further lectures from you, Edan. Do me a favor, do as I say, Sir and leave her to me." He clenched his jaw and ended the call, squeezed his cellphone yet making certain not to break it with his force.

Carmina Juana became his concern the moment he opened that box. Absurd but his worries is getting abmormally weird day by day because of that woman.

He isn't the type to bang his head on the wall for an affair that was not even his priority. Women was never became his priority at all.

But...Carmina...he looked up, blew air again to the moon above momentarily hiding a part of it behind the thin clouds. His decision will direct him to a different course and might destroy him all the way...still...still... he just can't let her go that easy. He'll run off with her even to the edge of the world  if she is so desire.

Nakababa na siya ng tower at binagtas ang pathway paakyat ng bunk house, nang marinig niya ang basag na ingay ng tubig sa mababaw na parte ng parola base. Lumapit siya sa railing at dumungaw sa ibaba. Bulto ng babaeng umahon sa tubig ang tinamaan ng kaniyang paningin.

Carmina Juana.

The thin piece of soft slip aumented her sensual curves, he swore he can almost taste her from where he is standing. Her skin competed the flickers of the moonlight in ways words are not capable to describe. 

He breathed in.

If this is not reasonable enough to locked her in, then he must be desperate. He desired her. He wanted her so bad that sometimes evil things start to sound right if he can have her all for himself.

Nagtagis siya ng mga bagang.

After battling his ego and failed, he submitted and went down to the parola base.

Nadatnan niya ang dalaga na pinipiga ang maiksing laylayan ng kamison. Medyo nagulat pa ito nang makita siya. Naglakbay ang titig niya pababa sa katawan nitong halos bumakat na pati kaluluwa sa manipis na tela. Halata namang wala siyang delikadeza kaya hindi nito sinubukang umangal.

"Is this a steamy rendezvous with the sea?"

"Steamy? Baka salty ang ibig mong sabihin." Umirap ito at dinampot ang tuwalyang nasa buhanginan. Muli itong bumaling sa kaniya at bumaba ang paningin sa bitbit niyang cellphone. "Can I borrow that?"

"Not for now. You have nothing to worry about your family and friends, I've sent a report about your status here."

Tatlong beses na itong nakiusap na hiramin ang cellphone niya. Sinipat niya ang oras sa cellphone. Past nine o'clock in the evening.

"But I need to talk to my cousin personally." She frowned.

Umiling siya at idinaan ito sa pakindat-kindat pero rumolyo lang ulit ang mga mata nito. Bagamat hindi ipinilit ang bagay na iyon at naglakad pabalik ng bunk house.

Nagtagal ang titig niya sa balakang nito pababa sa pang-upo ng dalaga. Malusog na hugis-puso. Ang tatak ng ganda nitong makikita kahit sa simpleng indayog ng katawan nito.

***

Maybe she is still undecided that she can't really forced her objective about borrowing Marco's cellphone which is her only possible medium to connect with her family. Everytime she go through with the subject and he constantly refused, she can't find the effort to persist.

Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit ayaw ipahiram ng binata ang cellphone nito. He's willing to lend him the phone at first. Bigla na lang itong nagmamatigas ngayon. Walang paliwanag kung bakit. She thought maybe he was just teasing her and he is just waiting she would insist.

Pero iyon nga, hindi rin siya determinado sa kaniyang balak kaya ayos lang sa kaniya na tumanggi ito.

Pagdating sa quarter ay tumuloy siya sa banyo at nagbanlaw ng sarili. Nilabhan na rin niya ang kamison na isinuot sa pagligo sa dagat. Marami siyang bagay na natutunan sa pananatili niya rito. Lahat ay bagong karanasan kaya siguro nag-aatubili rin siyang umalis at bumalik sa maingay na mundong kinagisnan niya.

"Drink with me?" Bumungad sa kaniya sa labas ng banyo si Marco at nakaumang ang malamig na bote ng beer.

"It's late, may trabaho pa tayo bukas." Tumanggi siya at tinunton ang looban ng quarter.

"Come on, just one bottle." Bumuntot sa kaniya ang lalaki at ayaw siyang tantanan.

"Ayaw ko nga! Ang kulit mo."

"Sige, kiss na lang." Umuklo ito at iniumang sa kaniya ang pulang labi matapos nito iyon kagatin. "Gusto kong malasing ngayon, mukhang hindi effective ang beer, bakasakali sa halik mo."

Saglit siyang napatitig doon saka umangat ang paningin sa mga mata nitong naniningkit sa kapilyuhan.

"Ubusin mo na iyan at bumalik ka na roon sa cabin mo, kulang ka lang sa tulog." Itinulak niya ito paalis sa kaniyang daraanan.

"Carmina, hindi na kita papakawalan, alam mo ba iyon?" Ngumisi ito at tumungga ng alak mula sa bote.

"Hindi ba obvious?" She forced her way to the hammock. Ibinagsak niya roon ang sarili habang pinupunasan ng tuwalya ang buhok. Nagbibiro lang ito, hindi ba?

"Okay lang ba sa iyo?"

"Ano naman ang magagawa ko? Hindi ko kabisado ang lugar na ito. Staying here with you is the safest choice I have for now."

"Not just for now, but for as long as I am alive, Carmina."

Natawa siya sa sinabi nito. "Stop with the prank, Marco, bored ka ba ngayon at kung anu-anong pumapasok diyan sa utak mo?"

"You don't believe me?" His eyes turned wicked. "I wonder what it takes for me to convince you since I had a lot of things going down for now." He leaned against the edge of the table.

Napawi ang tawa niya. Seryoso ba ito? What's he mean about not letting her go? She is completely confused but she also don't want to ask him, she's worried he might gave her the answer she can't imagine.

"Inaantok na ako, Marco-"

"I'll sleep here tonight, no, I will sleep here with you starting tonight, Carmina," he declared without a trace of hesitation.

She lost her words and just stared at him there. She did crazy things too, when she was at Spain, to maximize the fun at the peak of her career. Yet, she never thought about going to bed with men.

She never.

Marco is her saviour. But he is still more of a stranger than a friend. He is a hot devil, very attractive that she drooled sometimes in secret thinking about him.

Pero hindi niya kailanman naiisip na manatili habang-buhay sa piling ng binata. Ayaw niyang magsayang ng kaniyang emosyon at panahon. Kailangan niyang makaalis dito.

"Believe me, Carmina, I will be your final destination." That was almost a whisper but enough to make an echoing blast in her brain.

"What you mean is-" hindi niya naituloy dahil sa kilabot na nadama nang dalhin nito sa bibig ang middle finger at pumasada roon ang dulo ng dila nito.

"I have wrote my name inside you that night when this finger breached your innocence." Malagkit ang titig nito sa kaniya, may halong determinasyon.