Ash

Chapter 15. Ash

UNANG inakala ni Rellie ay nabalian siya ng buto, pero pinaliwanag sa kaniya ang dahilan kung bakit sumakit nang husto ang likod niya.

"What do you usually do?" the doctor asked when she's checking on her while she's still lying on the bed. Okay na ang pakiramdam niya at nakapagpahinga na.

"I paint and sketch. I do a little bit of sports, too."

Napatango-tango ito. "What sports?"

"Basketball. Sometimes, tennis."

"I see. Fortunately, it isn't a fracture." Then, she went on explaining that it was a muscle strain. Mas naramdaman niya nga ang sakit nang maitulak siya ni Candace Ferrer at tumama ang bandang kumikirot sa hood ng sasakyan. But now that she thought of it, she shouldn not blame her. Nakaramdam na siya ng sakit noong mga nakaraan pero binalewala niya. Iyon pala ang dahilan niyon—mali ang postura niya sa tuwing nagpipinta.

"It is a lumbar strain. It occurrs because you overstretch or twist your back too much. For additional information, lumbar strain is one of the most common causes of low back pain. The injury can occur because of overuse, improper use, or trauma."

She slightly nodded. "Tinamaan nga po ito sa hood ng sasakyan, iyon lang ang naiisip kong dahilan kung bakit sumakit ang likod ko," she added.

"Ano'ng mas sumakit sa iyo?" the doctor probed.

"Dito—" Itinuro niya ang parteng pinakasumakit. "—sa buttocks part. 'Tapos nataranta ako kaya napaupo na lang ako sa daan kanina."

Again, the doctor nodded. "How about your legs? Sumakit ba? Nagmanhid din ba?"

Umiling siya. "But my back stiffs; can't even move it."

"I'm certain it's a muscle strain. But just to be surer, let's run some tests."

"Okay po, Doc. Salamat. Mga ilang linggo po kaya ang recovery?"

"Most people recover from a strain within a month, it can also become an ongoing problem if it's due to poor sitting posture and you don't take steps to correct it."

"So I have to be extra careful for faster recovery," she commented; trying so hard to focus and make the conversation longer so that the doctor would stay.

"Exactly."

Muli siyang nagpasalamat sa doktor bago ito nagpaalam. Ayaw pa niya sana subali't may mga iba pang pasyenteng naghihintay rito. She did not want to be childish to ask her if she could stay longer.

Now, she was left in the room with that man she had been avoiding his intense gazes for a while now. Nakapag-focus naman siya kanina sa doktor nang magkausap sila, pero ngayong umalis na ito ay hindi na niya maiwasan ang lalaki. Saka, bakit pa ba ito nandoon? At bakit tila mas may kiliti sa kaniya na nandoon pa ito? Ang gulo!

"Okay na, makakaalis ka na po, Attorney," basag niya sa katahimikan. Though she used respectful words, she tried to sound unemotional.

"You're really a painter?" he asked instead.

She looked at him weirdly. "Really?" she repeated the word. Had she mentioned about it to him before?

"I mean, I didn't know you're a painter."

"Ah..." Napatango siya. "It's just a hobby. My brother is the professional in this field. His name is Arc Prietto, he's actually famous. Really famous."

Yet, he didn't even flinch. Maybe, her brother wasn't that well-known for others who worked in different fields. Muli siyang napaangat ng tingin sa mga mata ni Sinned at parang may nagsasabing pamilyar ito sa kuya niya, o baka namalik-mata lang siya.

"Anyway, thanks for bringing me here. I'm glad it's nothing serious. Akala ko talaga, nabalian na ako." Sinned. She wanted to add his name so she could call him casually just as she always did in her mind.

"I thought so, too." His voice was not stiff anymore. She also noticed how relaxed he was now while sitting on the sofa and facing her direction. She licked her lower lip. Were they really having a comfortable conversation at the moment?

"Ahm, kumain ka na ba?" Sinned?

"I still did not. Why? Are you hungry?"

Oh, my God! Biglang lumakas ang tibok ng kanyang puso. Komportable na talaga ang usapan nila.

"Should I buy you some food? What do you want to eat?"

"H-hindi ko alam..." Busog na ako sa presensiya mo.

"Magpa-deliver na lang tayo?"

Tayo?

"Or do you want to take a rest instead?" biglang tanong nito nang mahalata siguro ang pananahimik niya. Napalunok siya dahil baka umalis naman ito kung magpahinga siya.

"Aalis ka na ba?"

Nagtaka ito sa tinanong niya. Was it too sudden?

"I mean, aren't you busy? You've been here for hours now."

"It's fine. I don't have a meeting today," he answered firmly.

"If a take a rest, will you be still here until I wake up?"

"Yes—"

Napanguso siya.

"—until your guardian arrives."

Napangiwi siya bigla. "Ano, b-busy si Kuya. Baka bukas pa makararating iyon."

"How about your parents?"

"Abala rin," she lied. She perfectly knew that just one call, her family would rush to the hospital no matter how busy they were. Unless nasa abroad.

Bahagya itong natigilan at napaisip. Pagkuwa'y sinabing, "Alright, I'll stay with you."

Para siyang batang pinagbigyan sa desisyon nito. Bago matulog ay naghabilin siya rito. "You can go home while I'm asleep so you could take a shower. Then, c-can you buy something for us to eat on your way back here?"

Ang kapal ng mukha mo, Rellie. Feeling close ka.

But she shove her thoughts away.

Tumango naman ito at hinintay niyang magtanong kung ano'ng gusto niyang kainin. Pero nag-excuse ito na may kakausapin lang saglit kaya lumabas na ng silid. Siya nama'y naiwang nakatulala sa pinto at hindi makapaniwalang napaka-kaswal nilang nag-usap ng huli. Though, his tone of voice was a bit cold, but still, they had that conversation.

At hindi pa rin niya maipaliwanag kung nasasabik ba siyang maging modelo ito sa mga susunod niyang paintings o sketches, o baka dahil sa matindi talaga ang paghanga niya sa lalaki...

She's admitting she had a huge crush towards him despite of what happened. Mas lumala pa nga 'ata ngayong nagkaroon na sila ng tsansa na magkausap nang normal.

Before falling asleep—she silently hoped his face was the first one she would see once she woke up—then, she dozed off with an excitement smile on her face.

KINANSELA ni Sinned ang mga meeting niya sa dalawang kliyente pagkalabas sa silid ni Rellie. Hindi na rin niya pupuntahan si Candace bago ito umalis ng bansa at nag-send na aiya ng text message patungkol doon. Pagkabalik na lamang nito ay saka sila magkikita.

When he learnt that Rellie Prietto had been coming back to the law firm just to meet him for a few days now, he had her background checked and he came to know some general details about her.

Aurora Aurelia Smith Prietto

Tumatak sa isip niya ang pangalan ng babae at hindi niya inakalang nakababatang kapatid ito ng isa sa mga na-recruit sa Phoenix upang maging secret agent. Her brother was one of the excellent private investigators of the agency. But they didn't have much interactions since he's not always in the agency unlike the other agents. Lalo na noong maging ganap na abogado na siya.

He decided to call Hue, Arc Prietto's codename in the agency, so he could inform him about what happened to his sister. Halata kasing nagsinungaling lang si Rellie kaninang sinabi na abala ang nakatatandang kapatid, pero alam niyang wala namang misyon ang huli sa ngayon. Puro mga babae nga ang inaatupag.

Ilang ring lamang ay sumagot na ito. "Ash! Why are you calling me now? I'm in the middle of an investigation."

"Ash?"

Hindi ito sumagot at mabilis na nagpaalam. Sinned called him again and he thought he would reject the call, but he did not.

"What did you just call me? Ash?"

"Why? Isn't it cool?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was just suggesting that you should use a codename, too."

"Why should I?"

"Wala, para cool?"

If the latter was in front of him, he would just coldly stare at him.

"Bakit ka nga pala napatawag?"

Bumalik ang atensiyon niya sa dahilan. "Your sister is in the hospital—"

"What did you do to Rellie?"

Something's really off. Why was he insinuating that he did something bad to his sister? And he sounded as if he knew that he already met his sister.

"Gago ka, Hipolito, alam kong crush ka ng kapatid ko kaya humanda ka pagkakita n—"

"Ano'ng crush?" he interrupted; scowling.

Tumikhim ang nasa kabilang linya saka sumeryoso. "How did you know my sister?"

"Are you sure you're asking me that? Mukhang nag-imbestiga ka na."

No response. So, he was right.