Chapter VI

Matapos naming mag-usap na tatlo at ma-i-settle ang mga schedule ay nag-live stream ako ng sandali. Sinubukan ko kung meron pa ba akong viewer at kung active pa ba ang followers ko para walang hassle kapag nagsimula ulit kaming mag-promote ng cosmetics at iba pang beauty products ng company next week. At good thing active pa naman sila at marami sa kanila ang naka-miss ng beauty tips and makeup tutorials ko. Most of them are asking why did I go on hiatus and dahil honest naman ako I told them the truth about my mother's condition.

Some of them even donated for her kahit na hindi ko naman hinihingi. And that's when I realized dapat pala hindi ko na lang tinanggap ang offer ni Andrea kasi ang 20M niya kayang kaya ko palang kitain dito sa live streaming platform at modeling kaso sa sitwasyon ko ngayon hindi muna ako makakatanggap ng modeling jobs I still need to wait for six months and finish this agreement before I can come back to China. 

I just take a cab to go home hindi ko pa kasi nakukuha ang kotse ni Andrea sa condo niya kaya medyo hassle kasi gabi na rin. Mabuti na lang at babae ang driver ng na-book kong sasakyan kaya tiwala akong walang nangyaring masama sa akin while on the road. Habang stocked kami sa traffic ateng driver had a little chit chat with me ang random niya nga eh but I enjoyed talking to her she's like my ninang. Everything seems so fine naman not until we caught up in an intersection at may kung sinong bigla na lang bumangga sa sinasakyan ko and the impact knocked me out...

I woke up with a headache, hindi ko na alam kung ano ang nangyari after that road incident. Ni hindi ko nga alam kung nasaan ba ako ngayon but given the smell of medicines and the state of the room where I was I know that I am at a hospital.

“Thank god you are awake now Miss Rodriguez”

Bungad sa akin ng isang lalaki na pumasok sa kwarto na kinaroroonan ko. Hindi ko siya kilala nut he seem to be a nice person pero dang nahihilo pa talaga ako. 

“I'm Stephen Nepomuceno by the way iyong nakabangga sa sinasakyan mo kanina”

Nahihiyang ani nito. So siya iyong walang hiyang driver na nakabangga sa amin mabuti naman at hindi ako na hit and run ano kasi gosh gastos ito psh. “I'm very sorry about what happened hindi ko talaga sinasadya, the breaks of my malfunctioned at hindi ko sinasadyang mabangga ka, your injuries are not that fatal but still...”

“You don't have to worry I am fine don't mind it”

    “Thank god, anyways I hope you don't mind that I've opened your bag to see your id and contacts I've already called someone on your list to inform them about what happened”

Tanging pag tango lamang ang naisagoy ko sa kanya dahil medyo nahihilo pa, talaga ako dahil sa aksidente I just grabbed my phone at nagulat ako ng makita ang oras mula doon it was almost midnight at lagot na ako kay Calvin kasi siguradong hahanapin ako ng mga tao roon d*rn it ano na ang dapat kong gawin? 

He was about to talk again ng biglang bumukas ang pinto at mula doon ay pumasok ang nag-alalang si Lilianne. 

“My goodness gracious Aud— A-Andrea pinag-alala mo ako ng husto hindi ko alam kung ano na nangyari sa akin alam mo ba kung gaano ako ka shocked ng may tumawag sa akin na nabangga ka daw”

Lily-jie almost called me by my real name mabuti na lang at napigilan ko siya. “Mister, may I know who you are and what you did to my best friend?”

Deretsyahang tanong nito sa lalaking nagpakilalang Stephen. “Uhm. I am the one who causes her accident so I am here to take care of her medical expenses and to make amends on my mistakes”

Lily even gave him a sharp look as the doctor and nurses arrives to check me out at mabuti na lang at wala daw namang malalang nangyari sa akin at maari na din akong lumabas agad agad kasi siguradong lagot na ako nito kay Calvin. 

Si Lily na ang umaalalay sa akin palabas ng ospital, mukhang wala talaga siyang tiwala ka Stephen. “Uhm Miss how about ihatid ko na kayo gabi na rin baka kung mapaano pa kayo sa daan”

Pag-alok ng lalaki pero may pamilyar na boses akong narinig mula sa di kalayuan. 

“Dominique, are you really sure that she's here?”

Lagot na ang boses na iyon hindi ako pwedeng magkamali, is he here for me? Lily-jie truthfully refused on Stephen. At bago paan kami makalabas isang pamilyar na bulto ang napansin kong papalapit sa amin. 

Medyo nahihilo parin ako pero sigurado ako at kilala ko kung sino ang lalaking papalapit sa amin. And yes sigurado na akong ako ang pakay niya.

“Wait Salazar? Ano naman ang ginagawa ng tulad mo dito?”

Stephen asks Calvin as he approached. Hindi naman iyon pinansin ni Calvin at diretso lamang siyang nakatingin sa akin. I know even Lily was confused but she choose to stay silent and just looked at me. 

“What happened to you? And why the h*ll are you here with him?”

Base sa tono ng pananalita niya he's mad but kinda trying to suppress his anger. “Wait Miss Rodriguez do you know who he is?” naguguluhan na tanong ni Stephen but again he was ignored by this man in front of me. 

“I'm asking you Andrea, what happened?”

“Salazar she doesn't even wanted to talk to you” ~Stephen

“Shut your mouth will you Nepomuceno this is a matter between me and my wife so don't interfere”

Madiing turan nito. Lily was so shocked to know that he was my husband at hindi siya makapagsalita kaya naman sa mga tingin pa lang niya alam ko na agad kung ano ang iniisip at gusto niyang sabihin.

“What is your wife?”

“Yeah, any problem with that?”

That question made me shiver but I stopped this hindi ko alam kung ano ang meron sa  dalawang ito o kung may alitan man sila but I have to stop this before something happens. “Calvin enough it's just a small accident, and Mr. Nepumoceno here is the one who takes me here so enough with this talk and let's go home I'm still a little bit dizzy you know”

Nag-iba naman ang expression niya ng dahil sa sinabi ko at dahan dahan niya akong nakuha mula sa pagkaalalay ni ate Lily. “Wait is this really true, Miss?”

I just nod as answer at sumama na kay Calvin I was really in daze right now I don't really have time to argue.

“You know what Nepomuceno get out of my sight at ako na ang bahala sa asawa ko at baka hindi na kita matantiya, let's go wife”

Wala nang nagawa pa si Stephen ng bigla na lang akong kargahin ni Calvin. Parang bigla akong nalinawan dahil sa ginawa niya I gave him a questioning look at sagot naman niya ito ng tingin he was like ‘One violent reaction or I'll drop you’

Kaya naman napakapit na lang ako ng mahigpit kasi baka ng ilaglag niya mahirap na. “Uhm excuse me Mr. Salazar right?” 

Pigil ni Lily-jie sa kanya. “I'm Lilianne,her best friend ikaw na ang bahala sa kaibigan kong yan ha and make sure she'll drink the doctors prescriptions she has a habit of skipping medicines so I hope you watch her, and you Drea don't forget our business next week call me if you can't go and next time bring your own car na ha at umiwas ka sa mga aksidente”

“Uhm... Lily-jie ingat ka rin sa pag-mo-motor wag mo na ako alalahanin my husband will take care of me na”

I smiled as she waves for goodbye. Hindi ko naman malaman kung ano ang nakain ng lalaking ito at hanggang sa makarating kami sa kotse niya ay buhat buhat niya ako. Gosh pinagtitinginan kaya kami kanina sa loob dahil sa kanya, hindi na lang ako nagreklamo kasi baka magalit pa siya pero pansin ko may something talaga between him and Stephen para silang magkaibigan na alam niyo 'yun nagkatalo dahil sa babae or something like that. You know just like a typical plot in movies.

Ayoko namang magtanong kasi hindi ko ugali iyon, isa pa wala akong karapatang gawin yun bahala siyang mag-open up kung gusto niya. Tahimik kaming dalawa hanggang sa makasakay siya ng kotse. Inalalayan naman niya ako kanina sa pagsakay maging sa paglalagay ng seat belt amd he just sighs before breaking the silence.

“Next time call me if something like this happens, do even know how worried your and my parents are when they found out that you're not home good thing may nakapag sabi sa assistant ko na may babaeng naaksidente kanina at dinala sa hospital na iyon you are making everyone worried to death you know”

Ah kaya naman pala so siya ang na-pressure sa parents namin when they found out na hindi pa ako umuwi.

“Sorry I passed out kasi and I don't have your number to call so I hope you understands”

He just sigh again at tahimik na lang akong magsimula siyang magmaneho medyo nahihilo pa rin kasi ako dahil sa mga gamot kanina kaya itutulog ko na lang muna siguro ito…