Kabanata 2

#TACRT02

Kabanata 02

Alex must be really crazy!

He just punched another innocent guy when he caught me talking to him. We were just talking!

"Not because you are wealthy, you have the right to punch people randomly," I said, pagkababa-baba ko sa kaniyang sasakyan. The chopper— unfortunately, was unable to be used. That's why we used his Ranger, instead.

"I didn't punch him for nothing!" His defense, trying to follow me.

Lumingon ako sa kaniya, "So ano iyong nangyari kanina? Nadulas lang kamao mo sa mukha niya?" I sarcastically asked.

I clicked my tongue due to disappointment. I don't buy his reasons.

Sobrang kawawa 'yung mukha ng lalaki, it almost turned violet! Knowing that isang suntok palang ang nabibigay nitong lalaking ito ay nagawa na agad paduguin ang mukha niya... is just scaring me.

Sa tingin ko ay hindi lang depression ang kailangan kong ee-fix sa kaniya. I also need to take control of his temper.

Ang bilis magalit!

And his anger leads him to hurt people. He becomes violent when he is outrageous.

"He was flirting with you!" he replied.

Kinunutan ko siya ng noo at saka naglabas nang mabibigat na pag-hinga. Does he think I was interested to that random guy? That I would literally just date anyone I'll see?

I never liked boys! At wala akong panahon para makipagharutan lang.

And it's his fault! His decision of having a date with me in a club? Of course, there would be plenty of perverted boys. Exclude the guy I was talking to, he was good, he was different. I even managed to get his name. Samuel, with a pretty face.

Alex should have known, I am not pretty, pero hindi rin ako pangit. But some boys will be boys, lahat kami may perlas. May mga intensyon talaga sila

"He wasn't, nagtatanong lang siya!" I screamed.

As a psych graduate, I should not act the way I am acting right now in front of people who has a very bad temper like him. Hindi ko dapat sinasabayan ang galit niya! Nagiging dagdag lang ako... it's just I can't help myself from being irritated. Because he was being too irrational!

"And what's the case, Alex? If he was flirting with me, anong problema mo?"

He remained silent. He looked at me. I saw him clenching his jaw.

I hit the jackpot. I hit a nerve.

I bothered a sleeping nerve. 

"W-wala na ba t-talaga tayo?" Looking up at the sky with no stars on it, he said.

"God Alex! Three years na mula nang iwan mo ako and you are still thinking na mayroong tayo pa!?" I chuckled a half.

Nakakatawa lang, nakakatawa lang talaga siyang pagmasdan. Being so desperate to get me back.

Sorry, sir. That won't ever happen.

The thought of being in a relationship with him is just creeping the hell out of me.

"Pero kaya pa namang ayusi—"

I didn't even give him a chance to finish his sentence.

"N-O... NO!"

My phone rang...

Kaya kinailangan kong sagutin ang tawag.

"Hey, Sami?" I said. It's Sami, 'yung sinasabi kong only bestfriend.

"ALEX! YOU NEED TO GET BACK HERE, NASA BAHAY SIYA, HE'S HERE!"

Sami was transparently scared. Her voice was a bit shaky.

Sinong siya?

I tried to recall all the possible persons that would return. Lahat ng mga inutangan ko. Lahat ng mga may atraso ako. But I knew to myself I cleaned my name on every loan I had. That I didn't create enemies.

Or... are we talking about different pay off?

Sa palagay ko ay alam ko na.

Pero it was three years ago! Sobrang tagal na panahon na ang lumipas.

Mabilis na nanginig ang tuhod ko. Natakot ako bigla. I had to look at Alex who's similarly quiet.

"Can you drop me off at the unit?" I asked Alex with his teary eyes.

Anong problema ng lalaking ito?

"S-sure..." Dali-dali akong sumakay sa kaniyang Ranger.

Bakit pa kasi nagpababa pa talaga ako sa company nila, e... wala naman na akong dapat balikan doon.

***

Fifteen minutes of travelling, I saw myself in front of a guy who has a lot of bling-bling on his neck. His fingers were full of gold rings. He had so many tattoos on his skin— especially on his arm. His hair was brushed up by some kind of a royal gel.

"Look who's back! Alex, my dear. The naughty girl who ran from her responsibility." He welcomed me with his terrifying words. He's really back.

I was stunned very hard when I remembered it was Michael. That it has always been Michael that has been running after me.

He was inside my little apartment, nakaupo sa sofa habang naka-de-quatro. He sat in my opposite direction.

Ilang minutong ganun ang posisyon namin. Tahimik ako, tahimik si Sami. Walang nagsasalita. Michael was just grinning at me.

He stood up and approached me. "Na-miss mo ba ako, baby girl?" He chuckled. He tried to caress my trembling skin on my face.

Para akong na-istatwa. "What do you need?" I stuttered.

"Pay Off." He grinned widely.

"Saan?" Playing dumb, I asked. Baka lang kasi nakalimutan niya. I'm just hoping na ibang utang iyong pinag-uusapan namin. But I have to doubt it, kung pera ang usapan, papalagpasin niya ito.

"Gusto mo ba talagang ipaalala ko sa iyo ang nangyari sa atin?" With his threatening words, parang utay-utay akong natutunaw.

"Walang nangyari sa atin!" I screamed, closing my eyes and trying to hold my composure.

"Mayroon, baby girl. Limot mo na?" Mahina ang kaniyang boses. Pabulong ito pero malakas ang dating sa aking sistema.

He came closer to me, hindi parin ako umaalis sa pwesto ko. Sami immediately went outside.

Someone help me!

Lumapit siya sa tainga ko, I clearly hear his warm breath. "Ulitin natin para maalala mo?"

Then, a tear fell from the corner of my eyes. I was staring at my opposite direction as my mind gives me a flashback of what happened.

I was stunned. I can't move.

A second passed, I saw Michael lying in the floor. "Stay away from my girl!" Alex shouted.

How was I supposed to react. Two persons I tried to forget from my past suddenly appeared on the same day. Sooner enough, they'll be the one to unlock the chain of my misfortunes.

"You stay away from this mess dummy!" Michael replied.

Agad namang sinunggaban ni Alex si Michael, pinasadahan ng mga malalakas na suntok sa mukha. Ang kamao ni Alex ay tumama sa bandang noo ni Michael, dahilan para mahilo at maluha ang mata ng lalaki.

I couldn't help but to scream as tears were continuing from caressing from my dirty face.

Alex stopped from punching the guy at the floor who's now relatively bleeding from his attack.

I almost wished Alex na tuluyan na niyang patayin.

Same came in to my position and hugged me. She tosses Alex away. She tried to comfort me.

Michael stood up with his legs like a poisoned noodle. "I'm not yet done with you." Pointing his fingers at me, sa sobrang titig ko ay parang nawala ako sa sarili.

Lumabas siya pagkatapos. Sobrang takot na takot ako.

Michael wasn't joking around when he said he's not yet done with me! I know that guy, if he wanted someone to be killied, that certain someone should call all the saints he knows, because one thing is for sure, may taning na ang buhay niya.

"Alex! Are you okay?" Worriedly, Alex asked me. I lied by my nod. But my tears, my eyes, the trembling of my hands, it says otherwise.

Hindi ako okay, but I need to pretend na okay ako.

Ayaw kong ipakita sa ibang tao na nanghihina ako... they could use my weakness for their own good.

"Alex, sino ba talaga 'yon?" Sami asked, mopping the floor covered with blood. Sami knows Michael by his name. Pero hindi niya alam kung ano ang nangyari sa amin dati. I always tell her that Michael is a bad person. Na dapat kong layuan. Kaya pinapayuhan ko siya na kapag may pupuntang lalaki rito na may pangalang "Michael" tatawagan niya agad ako.

"A very long story that couldn't be shortened." Pinunasan ko ang luha ko.

My condition has never been shaken since before, but the flashback I encountered was different.

"At least the plot of it," Sami insisted.

I begged to disagree the idea of telling her what really happened. It's bothering. She's a girl, she'll know how it feels once she learn about it.

"Sorry pero I can't." I pursed my lips to smile.

***

The next morning, I was scared to death.

Three years ago, every morning ay may natatanggap akong grocery from an unknown person— from a relative stranger, pero ngayon, it wasn't only a grocery.

When I told myself Michael wasn't joking, I kind of prayed that he was joking. But life ain't stupid.

It's a death threat.

Not for me, but for Alex De Guzman.

"Ate!" Selena said as she was knocking the door. My hair was such a mess. Mas lumalim din ang eyebags ko dahil sa hindi ako nakatulog nang tama kagabi. I kept on crying until I fell asleep. Tapos gigising ako, lumuluha ulit. Nakakapagod iyong gabi kahapon.

Sige pa rin ang katok ni Selena sa pintuan. I was fixing myself a bit, I might worry Selena.

She's my half-sister, she visits my apartment when she has time. Or sometimes by her schedules. Selena lives on his dad, iyong nanay ko ay nanay niya rin, but we have a different father. Nang mamatay si mama ay kinuha na siya ng Step-father ko. At first, inaakit ako ng Step-dad ko, kasi after all, lawfully I was his responsibility. Pero I declined to accept his offer since I was in a legal age to decide for my own.

Pakiramdam ko lang kasi ay magiging pabigat na ako. Selena was growing up, ayaw kong dumagdag.

But it was totally okay to live without their help, I learned to stand up by my feet. I learned to be intellectually independent.

Oh right, not actually. Like what I've mentioned kanina, an unknown person was sending me grocery every morning.

Hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko kilala kung kanino galing ang mga iyon.

I asked Selena if si dad ba nagbibigay 'nun but she said no.

Tinanong ko rin si Sami if siya ba ang may pakana ng mysterious grocery, but I also got the same answer.

Wala naman na akong ibang mapagtanungan. They were the only persons I know. Na tumutulong sa akin.

Iniisip ko na lang that it was Mama, giving me her grace. Kung sinoman siya, I was thankful for the kind help.

Nang tapos na akong mag-ayos nang sarili ko ay binuksan ko na iyong pintuan na kanina lang ay maingay dahil sa katok ni Selena.

Nang buksan ko na ito ay wala namang tao sa labas. I had to blink twice. Am I still dreaming?

I just reassured myself that I was hearing my own idea. I must be hallucinating.

I freaked out so much last night. Hindi maikakaila kung nagsisimula na akong magisip ng mga bagay-bagay.

Pabalik na sana ako sa loob nang biglang mag-vibrate iyong cellphone ko.

"Alex!" I heard from my phone when I answered his call. It's my second day of working for Alex De Guzman. Hindi na siya siguro makapag-hintay sa akin.

"Help! I'm in trouble!"

Nayanig ang buong sistema ko. He was not calling because he's waiting for me to appear in my job. Michael must have been starting his plans already.

Eto na nga ba ang kinatatakutan ko!

"I'm on my way!" I said, following the directions given by him.

Gago ka, Alex. Nalagay ata kita sa piligro. I'm almost right there.

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