CHAPTER 5

KUMUNOT ang nuo ni Valerie nang mapagbuksan ng pinto si Mikhail Romanov. Wala naman siyang maalalang appointment niya rito.

“What are you doing here?” nakakunot ang nuong tanong ni Valerie. Inayos niya ang suot na maternity dress dahil bahagya itong nagusot.

Mikhail showed a hurt face. “Ouch! Nakalimutan mo na agad ang rason kung bakit ako nandito.” Pasimple niyang pinagmasdan ang dalaga. Parang hindi ito buntis kung hindi mo titignan ng maigi pero halata na ang pagkakaumbok ng tiyan nito. She’s still beautiful.

Valerie had a set of brown eyes and black long hair. Her maternity dress is beautifully fit her making her the most beautiful pregnant woman he had ever seen. Napangiti na lang si Mikhail.

Valerie sighed when she remembered the reason why Mikhail was here. “Oh, right. I remembered. Pumasok ka na.”

Lumiwanag ang mukha ni Mikhail at pumasok sa loob ng bahay ni Valerie. “Are you living alone?”

“Yes.” Valerie answered and closes the door.

Napatango si Mikhail. Hindi niya napigilan ang sarili na ilibot ang tingin sa loob ng bahay ni Valerie. “Nice house.”

“Yeah, but not screaming wealth as yours.” Sabi ni Valerie.

“What do you mean?” tanong ni Mikhail.

“Well, you’re obviously rich. Kaibigan mo ang asawa ni Mr. Velasquez.” Seryoso niyang saad.

“Let’s not talk about being rich.” Sabi ni Mikhail.

Nagkibit ng balikat si Valerie. “Okay. Madali lang naman akong kausap.” Tinignan niya ang oras. “Malapit na pala ang lunch. Since you’re here and I am nice, you eat, you work.”

“Okay, Madam. As you wish.” Mikhail said it with a smile.

Napailing na lang si Valerie at pumunta sa kusina. Sumunod naman si Mikhail kay Valerie. When Mikhail entered Valerie’s kitchen, natawa na lang siya ng mahina nang makita ang mga gamit nito. “You’re indeed a chef,” he said.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Tumango si Mikhail.

Nagsuot ng apron si Valerie saka ibinato kay Mikhail ang isa pang apron. “Wear it.”

Mikhail stared at the apron in his hand. “The design is too girly.” Aniya.

Umirap si Valerie. “If you don’t wear it, then you won’t work. And if you won’t work, you won’t eat.” She said in firm voice.

Mikhail sighed in defeat. “Okay, you win.” And wears the apron.

Napangiti si Valerie. “Bagay sa ‘yo.”

Mikhail wanted to refute it but he remembered that Valerie was pregnant. At sa pagkakaalam niya ay hindi pwedeng inisin ang mga buntis dahil delikado kapag ang mga ito ang nagalit.

So, in the end, Mikhail always obey what Valerie would ask him to do. To wash the caserol, vegetables, the knives, and all that she will use for cooking. Nagpapasalamat na lang si Mikhail na marunog naman siyang maghugas kahit papaano. Before he lives independently, his mother loves to cook so he would help her in the kitchen but he never learns cooking. Nanonood lang siya.

Nakaupo si Mikhail sa isang stool habang nagluluto naman si Valerie. They were in an awkward situation because no one talked. Maraming gustong itanong si Mikhail kay Valerie pero ayaw naman niyang manghimasok sa pribado nitong buhay. Siguro dahan-dahanin na lang niya ang pagpasok sa buhay nito hanggang sa makuha niya ang loob nito.

Alam niyang walang tiwala sa kaniya si Valerie. Halata naman sa kung paano ito makitungo sa kaniya.

“Don’t stare at me. Nakaka-conscious.” Sabi ni Valerie.

“Ang ganda mo.”

“Alam ko.” Confident na saad ni Valerie na ikinatawa na lang ni Mikhail.

“You cook. I’ll teach you.” Sabi niya.

Tumango si Mikhail. “Okay.”

Kumunot ang nuo ni Valerie. Bakit parang may mali? He always obeys what I say.

Umiling na lang si Valerie at hinayaan si Mikhail. She teaches Mikhail how to cook. She felt like they already knew each other for long time. There was really an awkward atmosphere but there wasn’t any tension.

Habang nasa harapan ng stove si Mikhail. Palihim na kinunan ni Valerie ng larawan ang binata saka ipinadala kay Wynter with a caption, ‘he’s annoying.’

Wynter just sent a laughing emoji means that Wynter is having a happy moment and Wynter is laughing at her. But then hindi inasahan ang sumunod nitong mensahe.

‘Val, are you ready to fall in love, my friend?’

Valerie stilled. Napatitig siya kay Mikhail at kasabay nito ang pagbilis ng tibok ng kaniyang puso. Hindi niya maintindihan ang ibig sabihin nito. She’s been into relationships but she never felt this kind of emotion. A kind of emotion that rocks her heart. Really?

“Valerie, what’s next?”

Napakurap si Valerie. Tumikhim siya. “The onion.”

“Oh, okay.”

Valerie was teaching Mikhail how to cook. Pagkatapos magluto ni Mikhail, tinikman ni Valerie ang luto nito. Napatango siya. “Papasa na ‘to.”

Napangiti naman si Mikhail sa papuri ni Valerie. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“But we have two dishes left to cook.” Ngumiti si Valerie. “Ako na. Nagpahinga lang ako saglit kanina.”

“You’re pregnant…”

“Yes, I’m pregnant but I need to move to exercise my body. Ayaw kong maging balyena. Mag-abot ka na lang ng mga kailangan ko.” Sunod-sunod na saad ni Valerie.

“Sige.” Tugon ni Mikhail. Bigla siyang napaisip. Valerie is pregnant and he had too many questions in his mind. Did her boyfriend leave her? Or did she dump her ex-boyfriend?

Mikhail hope that it’s the latter.

After cooking, Mikhail and Valerie eat heartily. Hindi sanay si Valerie na may kaharap na ibang tao sa pagkain maliban kay Wynter na matalik niyang kaibigan pero ewan ba niya komportable siya kay Mikhail kahit hindi pa niya ito ganung kakilala.

The awkward atmosphere was reduced when Mikhail starts to crack jokes para patawanin si Valerie at gumana naman.

Valerie was laughing because of Mikhail’s jokes. Hindi niya alam kung napapatawa ba siya nito sa mga jokes nito o dahil lang sa buntis siya at parte ito ng pagbubuntis niya.

“What’s the matter?” tanong ni Mikhail nang makita niyang natigilan si Valerie.

Umiling si Valerie. “Nothing. May iniisip lang ako.”

Pagkatapos nilang kumain, Mikhail volunteered to do the dishes while Valerie went to the living room and rest while watching movies.

After washing the dishes, Mikhail went to the living room and found Valerie sleeping while the remote is on her hands and the tv was on. Napangiti na lang siya saka inayos ang dalaga sa pagkakahiga nito. Umupo siya sa katapat na sofa. He wanted to stay until Valerie wakes up. Pero hindi niya namalayan na pati siya ay nakatulog. Paggising niya ay may nakalagay na sa kaniyang kumot at abala naman si Valerie sa pagbabasa.

“You’re awake.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m reading menus for my restaurant. I’m expanding it so I need new menus for the customers.” Tugon ni Valerie habang nakapokus sa ginagawa nito.

Tinignan naman ni Mikhail ang oras sa suot na relo. Nanlaki ang kaniyang mata nang makitang alas tres na ng hapon. He checked his phone and facepalm. There are a lot of calls from the Underground and from his company. Naka-silent kasi ang pone niya.

Tumayo si Mikhail saka nagpaalam kay Valerie. “Aalis na ako.”

“Ingat ka.”

Nagmamadaling naglakad si Mikhail patungo sa pinto pero bago siya lumabas lumingon muna siya kay Valerie. “Thanks for the food. Till next time.”

“Wala ng next time.” Saad ni Valerie pero nakaalis na si Mikhail at naisara na nito ang pinto.

Napailing na lang si Valerie. Napahawak siya sa tiyan niya. For some reasons, she felt she was connected to Mikhail but that was impossible to happen. Hindi niya ito kilala at wala silang koneksiyon. How could it be that she felt that way?

Mahinang napabuntong hininga si Valerie. “I don’t want to get married so I can’t be emotionally attached to him. Hindi maaari. Hindi pwede.” She said firmly.

Men are vicious.

Hanggang ngayon naaalala niya pa rin ang dahilan kung bakit namatay ang kaniyang ama. Dahil doon nangako siya sa sarili na kailanman ay hindi siya mag-aasawa. Kaya siya sumailalim sa artificial insemination dahil ayaw niyang mag-asawa. Ayaw niyang magkaroon ng asawa para hindi siya magkaroon ng sakit ng ulo sa hinaharap. She wanted to have a child but she didn’t want to have a husband.

But now, she doesn’t know. Her heart doesn’t want her to be alone. It was reacting to Mikhail.

And this is not good.