Capitulo Treinta y nueve

"I already talk to my lawyer he said there should be a ground so we could annul our marriage."

"Did you consummate your marriage?" It's Ashton, her only friend. Bahagya siyang namula, she remember the incidents that they were about to do it but she was able to always stop herself before she fully submit herself to him.

"No." iniangat niya ang mainit na kape na kaniyang hawak at hinipan iyon. Nahawi ang pusong nakaguhit sa ibabaw. "We already used that as a ground, but it was not enough specially that my husband was not cooperating, ni hindi man lang siya dumadalo sa mga hearing and now that I am living with him was not helping." Inis na sambit niya.

"Until now I can't believe that you are already married. Matagal na tayong magkakilala pero hind ko pa nakikita ang asawa mo." Ang nailing na wika ng kaibigan subalit may nakakalokong ngiti sa labi. Inirapan niya ito bago humigop ng kape.

"I thought our marriage was already annulled. I literally forget about it, it has been more than ten years. You will meet him soon." Hindi niya sinabi dito na kamuka ng kaniyang asawa ang lalaking nakilala niya sa ibang panahon.

"So kasal ka na pala nung mga panahong nabulag ako at niligawan kita." Muli niya itong inirapan. "That was probably the reason why you don't pay any attention to those guys around you before. You were so cold and distant, but you look really different now. Is that because of your husband?"

She stared blankly outside the Café then she looks back at her friend after a long silence and give him a brief smile. "No."

"I see... It's because of the guy you met in the year eighteen hundreds." Muli siyang umiwas ng tingin, she don't want to talk about Lucas and she's afraid Ashton will ask too many questions about him. "Forget about him Kallyra, you know you will never see him again."

"Yeah... As if, it was that easy as it sounds." She said bitterly.

"You like your husband, why don't you give yourself a chance with him. Don't annul your marriage, sa tingin ko ay mahal ka ng iyong asawa, he will not force you to live with him if he don't."

Natawa siya ng mahina. "You don't know him... He is up to something. Didn't I tell you that he was buying all the big shares in all of my companies?"

"What?" hindi makapaniwalang sambit nito. "What are your plans about it?"

Umiling siya. "Wala..." humugot siya ng malalim na hininga pagkatapos ay muling ngumiti ng tipid. "I was planning to sell my own shares as well. It will be better kung sa kaniya mapupunta ang pamamahala ng mga kumpanya, at least he is way better than Minalinda and my cousin Carlotta she don't like managing my company anyway."

"What? What do you mean I don't get it." naguguluhang tanong nito.

She looked at him in the eyes. "I'm planning to leave."

Nanlaki ang mga mata nitong napatitig sa kaniya. "Saan ka pupunta.. Are you... Are you planning to go back there? No... that's impossible you have to have another ship like Andromeda, and it takes us years before we were able to build it. And you can't do it alone, at lalong hindi ka siguradong makakabalik sa parehong panahon." Kunot-noong wika ni Ashton.

Akmang magsasalita siya ng makita ang panlalaki ng mata ng kaibigan. Nakatitig ito sa kaniyang likuran na para bang nakakakita ng multo. Kunot-noong lumingon siya. Then she saw Maxwell, malalaki ang hakbang nitong papalapit sa kanila. Tumayo siya upang salubungin ito.

"What are you doing here?" nanlaki ang mga mata niya ng bigla siyang hapitin nito sa beywang at hinalikan siya ng mariin. It was a possessive kind of kiss.

Tulala pa rin siya ng pakawalan nito ang kaniyang labi.

"Hi, I'm Pierce Sarmiento. Kallyra's husband." Inilahad nito ang palad sa kaniyang kaibigan, nanatiling nakayakap ang matigas nitong braso sa kaniyang beywang. Matalim ang tinging pinukol nito sa kaniya matapos tanggapin ng kaniyang kaibigan ang pakikipagkamay nito. "I hope you don't mind if I join your meeting Mr.?" kay Ashton na ito nakatingin she can heard the coldness in his voice.

"Ashton Miguel Velasquez. No. you're fine." Narinig niyang wika ng kaibigan. Napilitin siyang maupo ng umupo na ang dalawang lalaki. Nagtaka siya sa gulat pa ring muka ng kaniyang kaibigan, nakatitig ito sa kaniyang asawa na para bang hindi makapaniwala.

"You look very familiar. Have we met before?" tanong ng kaniyang kaibigan sa kaniyang asawa.

"I'm not sure, I don't remember you." Ang matigas na sagot nito. "So what is this meeting all about?" tinipunan niya ito ng matalim na tingin. The bastard just ignored her.

"I just came back from U.S., I'm Kallyra's friend." pakilala ni Ashton sa sarili, hindi nito inaalis ang titig sa kaniyang asawa.

"Ah! that is interesting, hindi ko alam na may kaibigan pala ang asawa ko." Nilingon siya nito, nilabanan niya ang malamig nitong tingin. "So what is this, a mini reunion?" sarkastikong tanong pa nito na hindi inaalis ang malamig na titig sa kaniya.

Umiwas siya ng tingin at inilipat iyon sa kaniyang kaibigang mapanuring tinititigan pa rin si Maxwell. Kumunot ang kaniyang noo. Kung hindi niya kilala ang kaibigan ay iisipin niyang bakla ito at tinamaan sa kaniyang asawa. Nagulat siya ng tumayo ito, napabaling din dito si Maxwell.

"I have to go, may kailangan lang akong puntahan. I will just give you a call Kallyra."

"You will not call her." Ang mariing wika ng katabi. Hindi niya iyon pinansin.

"Yes... are you okay?" kita niya ang pagkabalisa sa anyo ng kaibigan. "Saan ka pupunta?"

"Why do you need to know?" singit ni Maxwell nakaharap na naman ito sa kaniya at pinukol siya ng matalim na tingin. She glared at him as well.

"Why do you have to ask?" asar na asik niya dito. Kanina pa siya naiinis dito, bigla na lamang itong sumusulpot sa kung saan at nanggugulo. "And why are you here, sinusundan mo ba ako?"

"I was just passing by and I saw you." Nanliit ang kaniyang mga mata, she can clearly see that he was lying, sigurado siyang sinundan siya ng hinayupak.

"I really have to go." Narinig nilang paalam ni Ashton subalit hindi na niya iyon pinansin she was busy planning something in her mind on how she could torture this man alive. Sa tingin niya ay ganoon din ito sa kaniya, his angry eyes was throwing daggers at her, salubong ang makakapal nitong kilay at nanlalaki ang butas ng ilong.

"I won't buy that!" gigil na singhal niya dito. "Wala ka bang magawa at palagi kang nasa paligid kung nasaan ako? God! Daig mo pa ang stalker Maxwell!"

"Hah! Don't be too assuming, hindi ka naman kagandahan para i-stalk ko. It was just coincidence, are you hiding something from me kaya ayaw mong makisali ako sa mga meeting mo?"

Umawang ang bibig ni Kallyra. "Are you hearing yourself Maxwell?" hindi makapaniwalang bulalas ni Kallyra. "Hindi mo ba alam na masama ang nakikisali sa usapan ng iba?"

Umingos ito at ininom ang kapeng iniinom niya, wala siyang nagawa kung hindi ay sundan ng tingin ang ginawa nito. "You're my wife, that's give me the right. Palagi kang umaalis ng bahay, kanina ka pa hinhintay ng aso mo pasalamat ka at mabait ako pinakain ko na siya, you are very irresponsible. Hinahanap ka na ng aso mo kanina pa, he keeps on barking and it really annoys me kaya wala akong choice kung hindi hanapin ang lagalag niyang amo. Only to find out she was just flirting with some bastard. Ano na lang ang iisipin ng aso mo, sa susunod na umalis ka isama mo siya para walang maingay sa bahay!"

"I can't believe you Maxwell, seriously, are you drunk?" She laughs sarcastically at his lame excuse. Hanggang sa makauwi sila sa bahay nito ay hindi pa rin niya mapigilang hindi matawa. She just tried to suppress it nang makitang napipikon na ito.

"Let's talk Maxwell." bago umakyat sa hagdanan patungong ikalawang palapag ng bahay ay pigil niya dito.

Tinaasan siya nito ng isang kilay at sumunod ng naglakad siya patungo sa study room nito. He sat on the sofa after closing the door and waited for her to speak, umupo naman siya sa harap nito.

"I don't think may pinatutunguhan ang ginagawa natin Maxwell." she started.

"Oh?" he asked lazily.

"You ain't getting your memory back by staying with me. May ilang linggo na ba simula ng tumira ako sa bahay mo? At kung tutuusin hindi naman talaga tayo nagkasama ng matagal noon kaya konti lang ang memories na magkasama tayo. Staying with me was not helping you."

"You don't know that." he spat coldly.

"Bakit hindi mo subukang magstay sa mga lugar kung saan ka lumaki, I'm sure matutulungan ka ng papa mo kung saan-saan iyon." she calmly suggested.

"You think I haven't tried that?" yumuko ito at itinukod ang dalawang siko sa magkabilang tuhod at pinagsalikop ang dalawang palad.

There was a hard glint in his dark eyes that staring back at her. His stance is making her feel overwhelmed and cautious. "Don't try to persuade me otherwise. I'm not letting you escape Kallyra. You will be trapped with me until I get all my memories back and like I said, this is how you will pay me for those wasted ten years of my life because of you."

Marahan siyang umiling at matamlay itong nginitian. "Do you think I am stupid Maxwell?" kumunot ang noo nito. "I am not clueless about your main objective by wanting to stick with me all the freaking time."

He stared at her longer, trying to read her mind and slowly raise the corner of his lips. "Is that so? do you think I still love you?" may panunukso sa tinig nito but his eyes remain hard and cold.

"Come on Maxwell. Let's be honest this time shall we? I know you are trying to get back at me because you accused me of your mother's death as well aside for being in a coma for ten years. You think I'm that stupid to believe that you only stay with me because you want me to help you get your memories back? But whatever you are planning I don't really care Maxwell, just do it already and don't waste both of our time, I don't have lots of time to deal with you and I know you really don't want to be with me."

Samantalang si Ashton ay hindi makapaniwalang nakatitig sa mga documents at mga pictures na nakakalat sa mesa niya sa loob ng kaniyang opisina. Sinalang niya ang disc na naroon kasama ng mga nakakalat na dokumento.

Umilaw ang monitor, may lumabas ng pulang numero sa gilid nito, it was obvious na nirecord ang videong yun gamit ang camerang ginagamit nila sa tuwing meron silang pinag-aaralang artifacts.

"Day 1:

Code: 001800a.c

Specie: XY Human

Name: Unknown

Case no.: 10096" iniharap nito ang camera sa isang malaking bloke ng yelo na ipinapasok sa loob ng isang malaking machine.

"August 12 2018. A human artifact was found in the middle of the Pacific Ocean it was covered with block of ice. Today a group of scientist and archeologist are trying to remove the human out of the hard ice using the most advance machine they are using to recover the artifacts found in the Arctic Oceans and the North Pole."

Ashton fast forwarded the video.

"Day 10:

Code: 001800a.c

Specie: XY Human

Name: Unknown

Case no.: 10096.

August 22 2018, we are trying to revive the human's life. Scientists found out that the human brain still have oxygen. It is unimaginable, a total miracle science can't explain." Muling hinarap ang camera recorder sa isang grupo ng mga surgeon.

"Tumataas ang heartbeat ng pasyente, 75 over 120.. 80 over 128!" voices that can be heard on the background.

Muling pinabilis ni Ashton ang pag-play video at huminto iyon ng tumutok ang camera sa pasyente. He zoom it in hanggang sa makita niya ng malinaw ang muka nito. Umawang ang kaniyang bibig at hindi makapaniwalang napatitig sa nakikita.

The human artifact that he and his team found bago siya sumakay sa Andromeda ay nabuhay, hindi kapani-paniwala. Ang lalaking natagpuan nilang nasa loob ng bloke ng yelo ay kamukhang-kamuka ng asawa ng kaniyang kaibigan.

Si Pierce Maxwell Sarminento.