WANTS TO PROTECT

Sera Shinto Bia point of view

Paglabas namin sa Mansion ni Azrael. Isang mamahalin at magarang sasakyan ang naka-park sa labas na para bang kanina pa naghihintay saaming dalawa.

Binuksan ni Azrael ang pinto sa shotgun seat, "Hop in!!...." nakangiti at mukhang excited na saad niya saakin.

"Is this yours??....Nakakagulat, ngayon lang kita nakita na nagdala ng sasakyan...." asar na tanong ko sakanya habang nakangiti. Hindi parin ako pumapasok sa loob ng kotse, hinihintay ko sagutin niya ang tanong ko.

Napakamot siya ng batok. Halatang nahihiya. Mukhang tinamaan siya sa tanong ko. "Right! I'm a Vampire, mas mabilis pa ko tumakbo dito kung tutuosin lang...But....I just want our road trip to be long....and memorable...." sagot niya, napansin ko na parang humina iyong boses niya doon sa huling sentence na sinabi niya. He look shy. That was CUTE.

Ngumiti lang ako at hindi na muli pa siya inasar. Pumasok ako sa loob ng sasakyan at umupo ng maayos. Pagsarado niya ng pinto ay sumakay narin siya sa driver seat.

Ng makapasok siya, nagulat ako ng lumapit siya saakin at walang sabi-sabi na isinuot saakin ang safety belt. Hindi ko inaasahan ang ginawa niya pero napangiti na lamang ako.

Isinuot niya rin ang kanyang safety belt at pinaandar na ang makina ng sasakyan. "This was my first time....But don't worry....I will drive with care....Uunahan na kita, kung may reklamo ka sa driving skill ko mamaya kana mag-comment...." nakangiti, pero parang kinakabahan na sabi niya.

Hindi ko rin maiwasan kabahan. Sana hindi nalang niya sinabi na first time niya magdrive. Kinabahan tuloy ako.

"Talaga? First time mo??....Eh? Sino nagdrive nito papunta dito kung first time mo??...." tanong ko para mawala ang kaba ko kahit papaano.

"Kakabili ko lang nito. At dito ko na pina-deliver. Siguro kakapadala lang nito ng companyang pinagbilhan ko kahapon...." sagot niya at hindi nakaligtas saakin ang ilang na ngiti niya.

"Eh??!!...." mas lalo tuloy ako kinabahan. First time niya talaga. Napatawa ako ng mapakla. Baka sakaling nag-jojoke lang siya.

Gusto ko pa sana mag-react pero ramdam ko na ang pagandar ng kotse. Umaandar na talaga. Hindi ko maiwasan mapawisan. Kabadong kabado ako. Azrael for God's sake, please drive safely!! Gusto ko man ipagsigawan pero parang nanuyo ang boses ko sa sobrang kaba.

AFTER 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING....

AFTER 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING....

AFTER 45 MINUTES OF DRIVING....

AFTER ONE HOUR OF DRIVING....

"Geez!!....Why so quite??...." nagulat ako ng magsalita siya. He sounds like confident. Mukhang hindi naman siya kabado habang nag-dridrive.

"Uh?!....Hmmm...." hindi ko alam ang isasagot. Kabado parin ako. Tuyo parin ang lalamunan ko sa sobrang kaba.

"Hey! I said this is my first time. Pero hindi naman ako makakakuha ng driver license kung wala ako sapat na training..." pagkasabi niya ay agad na napatingin ako sa direction niya.

"This is my first time driving with YOU....that's it....what I really mean...." dagdag pa niya with calm and shy voice.

"Huh??...."

"Tsss....Sera, please calm down. Hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko kung may mangyari masama saiyo, lalo na kung ang dahilan ay ang driving skill ko...."

Napatingin ako sa daan. Dahan-dahan ko iniintindi ang mga sinabi niya. Hanggang sa ma-realize ko ang lahat. Napabuntong hininga naman ako. Inhale. Exhale. Hanggang sa mawala na ang kaba ko.

Tama si Azrael. Isang oras ko na inoobserbahan ang pag-dridrive niya. He drive with gentle and care. Hindi mabilis at hindi mabagal. Sakto lang. He knows how to stop and how to signal. He sometimes accelerate but in moderate way. Muling bumalik ang tingin ko sakanya.

"Sorry. For now. I will trust you...." nakangiting sabi ko sakanya. He smile back but his eyes are still looking to the front view.

After 5 minutes of silence. Hindi na muli siya nagsalita, pero pansin ko ang pasulyap sulyap niyang tingin sa direction ko. Teka, ako ba tinitignan niya o sa side mirror siya tumitingin?? Hindi ko alam kung bakit parang I feel awkward this time, kahit hindi naman ito ang unang beses na kaming dalawa lang ang magkasama.

Pero hanggang sa hindi na nakaligtas sa paningin ko iyong huling sulyap niya saakin sabay bawi at tingin ulit sa harap.

"Did you have something to say??...." hindi ko na napigilan pa itanong. He seems like want to say something to me.

"Uhhmmm....Nothing...." he said with bothered tone.

"I think...." hindi na natapos ang sasabihin ko ng magsalita siya ulit.

"Do you know, Ares??...." tanong niya na ikinagulat ko. Again ARES. Who is really that person?? I never meet him. Even once.

"I know him by NAME like what I said before. Loki spoke about Him often. But I never meet him. Even once...." sagot ko.

"Right. What's the point of asking. You two will never be meet, because...." he suddenly paused midway, kaya naagaw niya ang attention ko.

"Because??...." I admit, somehow, I'm interested about Him. ARES.

Loki and Azrael know him. They are friends. Meet not just once, but why?? Why I never been meet him, even once?? A big question for me.

"Tsss....I should not asked about Him. So pathetic!...." inis na bulong ni Azrael sa sarili pero I heard him. Why it seems like, he's hiding something about me?? About that Man, Ares.

"Who is He?? Who is Ares, Azrael??...." pangungulit ko sakanya.

"Someone. Don't be bothered about that asshole. He's just NOTHING...." seryosong sagot ni Azrael. Pero hindi ko nagustohan ang sagot niya.

"Sounds like....You're hiding something about Ares, Azrael...." nagtatampong saad ko sakanya, sabay tingin sa labas ng bintana. "You and Loki, are same....Everytime, I asked about that man, Ares....You both obvious hiding something and answered me nonsense....." dagdag ko pa. Hindi ko maiwasan ma-disappointed.

I really want to KNOW HIM. Who is ARES??

"The truth is....I hate him. Because He had YOU, Sera...." he said na lalong ikinataka at ikinagulat ko.

WHAT??!! Hindi na natanggal ang tingin ko sakanya, seryoso siyang nad-dridrive habang nakatingin sa daan.

"I hate HIM. To the point, I don't want to chit chat with you, kung siya lang naman ang topic. But....I hate myself right now....coz....kahit ako....hindi ko maiwasan itanong siya saiyo...."

"Azrael???...." I found myself speechless. He sounds like jealous or I'm just imagining something??

"This road trip will be long, Sera! So buckle up!!...." bigla niyang sigaw out of topic. Nagulat ako hanggang sa maramdaman ko nalang ang pagbilis ng pagtakbo ng sinasakyan namin.

Oh my G!! He accelerate his drive. Hindi ko na napigilan pa na mapahawak ng maigi sa mga pwede hawakan na alam ko tutulong saakin. What he's thinking??!!! Akala ko ba, he will drive with gentle and care. Nasaan na iyong Gentle?? At iyong Care??

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!.....AZRAEL!!.....SLOW DOWN!!...."

Hindi niya ko pinansin, sa halip nakangisi lang siya habang mabilis na nag-dridrive. Still focused in driving na para bang hindi niya ko naririnig na sumisigaw.

Mas lalo ako kinabahan ng mapansin ko na parang nakikipag-karera pa siya sa ibang sasakyan ng makarating kami sa city, kung saan mas maraming sasakyan.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!...AZRAEL!! I SAID SLOW DOWN!!!...."

"Geez!! This was AWESOME!!!...." nakangiting sigaw niya. He enjoy but opposite for me, mukhang mahihimatay na ko sa sobrang kaba at takot.

"KUNG PWEDE LANG TALAGA MAG-MURA, AZRAEL!!!...." I said with my full lungs. Then, he suddenly stop in middle of the road. Muntik na ko masubsob sa harap mabuti nalang talaga naimbento iyong safety belt.

He laughed. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

"Sana man lang sinabi mo na balak mo ko pagtripan para hindi na ko sumama saiyo. Kung alam ko lang. Haytzzz....Akala ko pa naman, you need someone to talk with. When I saw you this morning, you look so down and unhappy...." inis at sermon ko sakanya.

Then he suddenly stop laughing. At bumalik iyong mukha at aura niya kaninang umaga. The Azrael, who look sad and need comfort.

He become serious again. Then he start the car engine again and drive. Hindi na muli siya nagsalita pero bumalik iyong way ng pag-dridrive niya kaninang umaga. Iyong sakto lang at hindi mabilis.

So moody. Is he really a Man? I can't help questioning his gender right now.

AFTER 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING....

He still keep quite. Did I said something wrong?? Pakiramdam ko tuloy may nasabi ako na hindi maganda sakanya, that's why he acting so dumped and broken. I'm worried.

"What's wrong, Azrael??...."

"What will you feel??...."

"Huh??...."

"If someone....who you trusted for so long. A FRIEND. Betrayed you?? Keep secret??....and until this time, until now, still keeping secret...."

Hindi ako agad nakasagot sa tanong niya. Those questions, sound like so meaningful. From deep wounds. From deep pain. Na para bang matagal na niya gusto itanong. And he still keep waiting for the answer.

Who is this FRIEND by the way?? Based on how he acting right now, I think that FRIEND of his, is very important to him. Hindi ko mapigilan mapangiti.

For this kind of SIDE he had is very adorable and priceless. I'm so proud as his friend.

"Ahhmmmm....If that Friend of mine, betrayed me or still keeping secret from me, isa lang ibig sabihin iyon....THAT FRIEND OF MINE WANTS TO PROTECT ME...." I said with full of confidence and a big smile in my lips.

Azrael point of view

"THAT FRIEND OF MINE WANTS TO PROTECT ME..."

Sera said. After what she said, hindi ako nakaimik. I'm so SPEECHLESS. Gusto ko man mag-protesta o mag-react. I don't know why?? I can't. I can't argue for that kind of words.

Those words, so MEAN. I smiled for that thought. What a MEAN WORDS?? But still, those words got me on the spot.

Pinahinto ko sa tabi ang kotse ko. Nasa rural area na kami at paakyat na ang daan, medyo malayo narin pala ang napuntahan namin.

Napatingin ako sa wrist watch ko. It was already noon time. I feel hungry. This Road Trip was unexpected tiring for me. First time na nagdrive ako ng ganito kalayo. Napaisip tuloy ako kung kaya ko pa ba magdrive pabalik. HAHAHA.

But Sera is right. ARES WANTS TO PROTECT ME. He keep those secret not just because Nyx begs for it and because he wants to protect me. He gamble our FRIENDSHIP just to protect me. So stupid ASSHOLE. I can't help admire that asshole even more.

Yeah! I admire Him. But that was my SECRET.

"Thank you, Sera...." I said sabay tingin sakanya. I smiled and she smiled back. "Hungry??..." tanong ko.

"Yes!! Kanina pa....Akala ko nga, ako lang nakakaramdam ng gutom dito. Finally, nakaramdam ka rin...." sagot niya na ikinatawa ko. She never failed to surprise me.

She maid me smile even more. One of the reason, why I'm feeling more desperate to HAVE HER.

Sorry. Asshole. I don't want to LOST this time. I want HER. Just Her.