29: The pre-death argument

SAM's POV

Hearing my death-joke, he just stayed mute in his seat while I'm busy swerving into the highway, maneuvering the stirring wheel with gritted teeth.

The loud swooshing of air against the windshield was an indication that we're running over the speed limit.

My hands started to get clammy while my heart was almost at my throat now. I can even feel my sweat starting to fall on my forehead. I wanted to wipe it off as it roll down above my eyes but I can't. Not unless it'll save me--I mean us, then no!

When still, no answer had came out from him. I glared at him at the mirror and my brows almost reach the peak of Mt. Everest when I found the bastard busy with his phone!!

Of all things na gagawin nito, he really had the gall to even do that!

"Mr. Del Fuero? Naririnig mo man lang ba ang sinasabi ko? " I inquired in annoyance, not totally taking my eyes off the road.

His eyes was snapped to my way and threw me a cold stare that could freeze the impyerno.

I hope he could just freeze this moment and stop our impending death instead of freezing Satan's balls!

"I heard it exaggeratedly loud and clear, Ms. Javier so do not disturb me! I'm trying to concentrate here!"

That made my brows almost separate from my forehead when he hissed that.

"Oh.. I'm so sorry then kung nadisturbo ko man kayo, kamahalan but don't you think your phone would do nothing to save us here???! I said we're going to die and not going to Hollywood para maging busy ka diyan sa phone mo! Baka gusto mong magselfie muna tayo para naman mas sumaya tayo rito. Ano sa tingin mo???" Inis kong panunuya ko rito habang nanggagalaiting nakasipat sa may rearview mirror.

"I am busy calling for some help! Kaya kung pwede, Ms. Javier tumahimik ka na muna diyan and just concentrate with the driving instead of pestering me!"

My grip at the stirring wheel tightened as my blood boiled up to the highest possible point.

I think a headbutt was all that this bastard need para matauhan naman ito!

Infuriated with him, I scornfully stepped the accelerator instead of answering him.

"Ms. Javier!!!! What the hell are you doing now??!"

I just gave him a sarcastic smile at the mirror and then revved the car in an unbelievably fast speed.

"Ms. Javier!"

"Just concentrate with your phone you shit and let me drive here and take you to our early grave! Yan ang gusto mo hindi ba???! Gusto mong kumalma lang ako rito and drive here as if nag-jojoy ride lang tayo rito! Oh yes. I'm fucking enjoying this right now you granite-headed shit!!!" I shouted with short breath. Wanted to let out what I always wanted to tell in his face.

That he was a jerk and would always be!

"What did you just called me, Ms. Javier??!"

"I said I wanted to put some bullets in your head right now and bury you twenty feet below this ground! In short, I.WANTED.TO.KILL.YOU, you damn maggot!" I spat with gritted teeth, emphasizing the killing part.

His nostrils instantly flared out at that with eyes that could pierce through his head.

"And I wanted to strangle you now damn woman! You're such a pain in the ass! You've infuriated me every chance you can get and make me wanted to just kis-----"

"What??!" I yelled out with the same intensity he used of his tone.

"Make you wanted to what, you shit???! Tell me now before I'd let out this goddamn stirring wheel and beat you into pulp there!"

For a few moment, he just remained silent with unfathomable look in his eyes. I muttered a curse while glaring at the road with ragged breathing. My cold sweat started to trickle down on my face.

When I came to an intersection, I turned to the right seeing it na walang masyadong dumaraan doon and avoided the possibilities to bump anyone in our way.

Kahit na sumasama na ang pakiramdam ko and even starting to feel numb just the thought of my impending death, I still tried to drive the car like nothing was wrong. Dumadagdag pa ang gagong 'to!

Mabuti nalang at wala kaming ibang sasakyan na nakakasalubong sa daan na tinatahak namin ngayon kaya kahit papano, hindi masyadong mahirap imaneho ang sasakyan na'to.

The only problem was, the street lights available sa bawat gilid ng daan seems so few than what I had remembered from a while ago. I know Canada is a progressive country pero bakit ganito? Hindi naman siguro sing kuripot ng gagong kasama ko ngayon ang lugar na'to ano??

"Ms. Javier..."

I glared at him in the mirror and found him with furrowed brows while closely looking outside of the window.

"What now?!"

I heard him let out a few curses then tightly shut his eyes with his jaw kept twitching.

I frowned while looking at his sudden change of behavior.

Something was wrong. His face clearly telling me so.

Then again, I heard another curses from him, now blowing some air out while massaging his temple as if he was having a sudden headache.

"What now, Mr. Del Fuero?? Ano na naman yang gusto mong sabihin ngayon? Gusto mo bang kantahan pa kita ng konting advance farewell song ngayon?"

He hissed saka tumingin sa'kin sa salamin with exhaustion glinted in his eyes.

"You still didn't get it, do you?"

"Anong hindi ko parin gets? Na isa kang gago and that you have get me into this hellhole!"

His exhausted eyes instantly turned furious.

"What are you spouting now, Ms. Javier??!"

I scoffed and then shook my head while giving him a bitter smile.

"Kung hindi mo'ko inutusan na magdrive sa sirang sasakyan na'to, I wouldn't have been here now and hoping against hopeless hopes that we will be saved from this hellhole!!! And if it wasn't of you being so freaking stingy, buying this broken-tin-can car, hindi sana tayo nandito ngayon!!"

"Sinisisi mo ba'ko rito??!"

"Ah hindi po ba halata?!!!"

"At may gana ka pang sisihin ako ngayon when it was 'YOU' who always get me into trouble you stubborn woman!"

My hands suddenly became itchy when he yelled that, itching to draw out my gun and just end this argument fast.

"Everytime I'm with you, lagi nalang akong napapahamak dahil sa mga kalokohan mo! It wouldn't even surprise me if all of this was all because of you! Your enemies had unfortunately followed you through here and even dared tampering my car!!!"

"Ah so now you're blaming me with all of this??? Then screw you! You have lots of enemies who were after your damn sex---" My mouth snapped shut and quickly bit my tongue when I almost blurted out that he got a sexy ass!

Damn it!

Pull yourself together, Sam!

"I mean your damn boney ass! At ngayon sinisisi mo pa'ko that this was all my fault when it was really you who brought us into this trouble!"

I think he hadn't noticed my slip since he kept on making a loud noises inside his throat while giving me a look that was ready to murder me.

"No one would ever dare to get on my way!! Kaya natitiyak kong wala itong kinalaman sa'kin and this was just all because of you! You've brought me----"

He wasn't able to finish whatever accusation he had to say when we suddenly bumped something on the road, causing the car to jolt out and then a noisy rolling of something on the cemented road can be heard.

"What was that???!" I hastily asked with a frown, checking the side mirror in my right.

"Shit!"

My gaze moved to the rearview mirror when he suddenly cursed that out.

"What now??"

His eyes meet my own before he uttered an answer.

"You still didn't notice it, do you, Ms, javier?"

"Notice what??!" Inis na sagot ko sa kanya, annoyed with him kept beating around the bushes and making me more uneased.

He slowly shook his head saka tumingin na naman sa labas ng sasakyan.

"That we're trailing along one of Canada's bridge right now."

"Bridge? Huh! Yon lang pala? I thought kung ano na and that----"

"An under construction bridge, Ms. Javier. That's what I wanted to tell you kanina pa!"

My eyes slowly widened in shock with that news with my mouth gaping like a fish being deprived of water.

"Y-You--- you're not just bluffing, are you???!"

"I am not in a situation to joke around, Ms. Javier! Look around you outside. Can't you see those road signs outside and that thing we had just bumped a while ago??! Yan 'yong mga pruweba that we're fucking heading in an under construction bridge, damn it!"

I just ignored the last part of his speech and just looked around outside.

And there it was. Road barriers and other under construction signage in glowing orange colors. The indications that we really are heading to a more grievous death.

Oh God!!

Just thinking about falling off the bridge and into a hard surface, my nerves heightened. My sweats seems starting to drench me without even noticing it.

Unconsciously, my hands wiped the sweats trickled down above my brows while concentrating at the road.

Hindi ko na talaga yata malulutas ang kaso ng parents ko and even discover whoever responsible with tampering this car. I've no idea kung sino talaga ang tama sa'ming dalawa ngayon but I guess, we just have to let it slide for now.

We're just about to face our death.

The screeching sound of wheels can be heard when I tried to avoid another road barriers with difficulty.

A sound that seems so familiar to me.

"We don't need to kill her...She's dying after all.."

When that voice echoed through my mind, my hands became more numb as my breathing became more ragged, so numb that I could even no longer feel my hand. My eyes began to get blurry as my past appeared in my head, making it more vivid this time.

"---unlock the door so that we can easily get out after our fall."

I blinked a few times when I heard him said that, suddenly pulling me out of my reverie.

"Ms. Javier!"

I flinched when he suddenly shouted that just an inch away from my ears.

"W-What??!"

"I said I'll do the driving now and I'll unlock the door! Move now!" He angrily spat while motioning me to get off of the driver's seat.

"Move?? And why would I do that?" I asked in confusion.

"Alam mo na naman sigurong ako ang nagmamaneho rito!"

A loud rumbling sound came out under his throat with his lips formed in a thinned line.

"Concentrate will you??! I said I'll take over the driving and move your ass now! We don't have the whole day to discuss this matter!" He hissed saka pinaalis na'ko sa driver's seat.

Though I'd like to bit his head off, I complied with his order without letting go of the stirring wheel.

Then with ease, he hastily moved to take over the driving. Though he had too large built, he was still able to move from the back to the driver's seat with ease and then fastened his seatbelt with one hand.

Good thing he had thought about taking over the driving dahil hindi ko na alam kung kaya ko pa as my eyes getting more blurry.

"Ms. Javier??"

I turned to his way and found him glancing at me wearing an unknown look, that same look he'd always gave me everytime he was thinking about something I've no any idea with.

"Ano na naman?"

"Brace yourself for our fall."

That made me frowned at him in confusion.

"What did you mean by that 'fall' you just said, Mr. Del Fuero? Why would I braced myself when I know we won't surely survive from this lalo na kapag babagsak na tayo??."

"Listening to me wasn't really your habit, was it??? " he said with a clucked of his tongue and a shook of his head.

"Just brace yourself. That's it, Ms. Javier. Stop defying my order kahit ngayon lang and just buckle up your seatbelt and prepare for our fall."

Then came his twitching jaw again. His veins in his hands was almost ready to pop out while tightly gripping at the stirring wheel. His eyes just stayed glued at the road and not even taking it off to glare at me.

Though confused with him, I still took his advice without any protests seeing him too serious about it. So serious that it gave me no choice but to trust him.

The road was too dark and the headlight was the only thing that provided us light.

"The moment we'll fall, make sure to try to get out of here, Ms. Javier."

I just rolled my eyes at that then answered with sarcasms.

"I will. That, if we're still even breathing that time."

"I'm certain that you will. 'Masamang damo, mahirap mamatay' ika nga nila. So rest assured you will live." He uttered with the side of his mouth slightly quirked up.

This shit!

"And I'm pretty sure you will as well. Sa tindi ba naman ng topak mo---"

"Silent, Ms. Javier. Malapit na tayo!"

"Malapit saan?" Kinakabang tanong ko agad dito.

"To where the construction had stop.."

Hearing that, the pounding in my chest came back as the beating of my heart accelerated. My annoyance for him suddenly forgotten.

My hold at my seatbelt tightened as my breathing completely halted.

"Y-You're just kidding, are you???!" I asked, wanted him to tell me that he was.

"This is about our life and death, Ms. Javier! Tingin mo makikipagbiruan pa'ko sa'yo?"

Okay. I think he really was serious with his eyes ready to strangle me.

Hindi na'ko umimik and just muttered a silent prayer instead.

God. If I ever die tonight and this bastard beside me will survive, please do smacked his head for me. And if you do, please do it hard nang ma-----

My prayer was interrupted when we've bump another road barriers, making the car to jolt out then a loud screeching of wheels followed.

"In a count of three, prepare for the impact!" He suddenly shouted that in a hissed saka mas lalo pang binilisan ang takbo ng sasakyan.

"In one!"

Breath, Sam! Breath!

"Two!"

Breath! Goddammit!

"Three!"

Then in a second, I felt the sudden feeling of falling down with my stomach clenched tightly as the car jumped on air like what we usually seen in movies.

I tightly clutched my seatbelt with gritted teeth and stiffly leaned against my seat with held breath, feeling like I was being pulled down as the car started to fall down to God knows where!

"Unbuckle your seatbelt----"

He wasn't able to continue that when the car had finally plummeted then a loud splashing of water followed. The car jolted out at the impact while I almost cracked my head at that. And out of the corner of my eyes, I had seen him bumped his head at the window beside him.

"Mr. Del Fuero!"