All I Ask

Chapter 3. All I Ask

AFTER a month of practicing much harder, it was already the Founding Anniversary of the University. Napakaraming pakulo ng bawat department ng unibersidad, pero siyempre'y mas binigyang pansin ni Bree ang musical play nila.

It was a successful event and the crowd praised her for playing the role wholeheartedly and really good. Aaminin niyang noong una ay pinagdudahan niya ang sarili kung kakayanin ba niya iyon, but, thanks to her best friend, who played the role of the Phantom, she had the courage to believe in herself more.

"Dev, thank you talaga!" Napayakap siya sa lalaki nang nasa backstage na sila.

Tinapik-tapik nito ang likuran niya at natatawa nang sabihing pinagtitinginan na sila. Kaagad na kumalas siya sa mahigpit na yakap dito.

"Kaya ka hiniwalayan ng boyfriend mo, eh. Kung makalingkis ka sa akin..."

Malakas na tinapik niya ang braso nito. "Rui's not my boyfriend. It's a good thing that he didn't court me anymore, he's kind of controlling and I hate it. Grabe pa kung magselos, iyong mga paratang niya..." Napailing siya. "...akala mo, talagang nangaliwa ako." She then rolled her eyes remembering that guy but the latter only chuckled.

They were still wearing their costumes and would take some photos before they change their clothes. Ang dami pang nag-congratulate sa kanila hanggang matapos na ang event.

Inakbayan ulit siya ni Devon habang papunta na sila ng dressing room. Magkahiwalay naman ang bihisan ng mga babae sa mga lalaki pero sa iisang malaking silid lamang ang nga casts.

"May dinner party mamaya, don't forget," one of the casts reminded them both.

"Okay, see you!"

Then, she left them and went on telling the others about the dinner party at a restaurant bar.

"Hindi ko yata nakitang nakaaligid sa iyo ang kababata mo?" puna ng kasama niya, nakaakbay pa rin ito at naka-make up. She praised the makeup team countless times for making his face looked really deformed, just as how the Phantom should be.

"Ah, nandito kasi ang anak niya, kasama sina tita."

"May anak na iyon?" Bahagya pa itong nagulat sa nalaman.

"Are you sure you don't know?" Duda siya dahil ito yata ang pinakamagaling na investigator na nakilala niya. One of these days, she'd ask him to look for informations about Rexton's child and his mother. Nagulat na lang kasi sila noong disi-nueve si Rexton ay ipinaalam nitong may anak na ito, pero hindi naman dinetalye kung sino ang nanay. Kung ano ang nangyari kung bakit naiwan sa lalaki ang sanggol.

Devon Cristobal wasn't supposed to be studying again, but, he decided to enroll with her, taking up the same course. Hence, he ended up being her block classmate 'til they became best of friends. Hindi hamak na mas matanda ito sa kaniya, siyam na taong agwat, at ito rin ang dahilan kung bakit na-introduce siya sa AIA. Pero hindi naging hadlang ang agwat nila para mas makilala ang isa't isa. At isa pa, hindi halatang magte-thirty na ito. He honestly looked like he's in his early to mid twenties. Gwapo, matipuno, pero hindi niya tipo.

She suddenly remembered how did they first met.

It was when she's an incoming freshman college student, after malling, someone kidnapped her as she was walking to go to the terminal. They just got her without knowing who she was. She was saved by Devon and his team when they raided the club where she was brought. Maswerte siyang nang araw na madukot siya ay ang araw ng operasyon para tugisin ang sindikatong dumudukot ng mga bata-batang babaeng gaya niya saka pipiliting makipag-cyber sex o hindi kaya'y magbenta ng aliw sa naturang club na iyon. That club was now out of business.

Kahit kaagad na nailigtas ay hindi siya makausap nang maayos dahil sa nangyari. She's only wearing thongs and a lacy scarlet bra when she was found by him, alone in that cubicle, in front of the computer. Kaagad na pinasuot  sa kaniya ang suot nitong jacket bago pa man nakarating ang iba pang mga rumesponde.

Right after the raid, Devon brought her to the hospital and let the medical staffs called her parents. Ilang linggo rin bago niya tuluyang mapagtanto na ligtas na talaga siya't hindi na siya ibabalik sa basurang club na iyon. At unti-unti nang naging normal ang kalagayan niya.

Then, she asked her parents to find the man who saved her, but, they had a hard time identifying him. Until one of the hospital staffs—when they looked for the CCTVs—approached her and told her where could she find him. He even gave his contact number to her, and she finally found him.

Hindi pa sila gaanong magkakilala noon nang mag-desisyon itong mag-aral ulit. Then, as days passed by, they became closer and she started treating him as her best friend when he told her everything about his secrets. Including his job in the agency. He's a private investigator cum secret agent in AIA, and out of curiosity, she asked for more details about it, until she came to realize she's interested to be one, too.

He immediately recruited her when she told him she really wanted to join them, and, he started training her to be a professional sniper. Hanggang ngayon ay nagti-training pa rin siya, noong mga nakaraang buwan kasi ay nag-focus sila sa physical trainings, lalo nasa martial arts. Mabisang paraan ang kaalaman sa martial arts para makalaban kahit na walang armas.

"Tinanong ko lang naman kung nasaan si dela Costa, pero ang layo na ng narating mo," tukso nito.

Bumalik ang atensyon niya kay Devon lalo na nang kurutin nito ang pisngi niya. Tinabig niya ng kamay nito at sinamaan ito ng tingin. "Aray naman! Masakit!"

"I had to pinch you to wake you up. Wala ka ulit sa sarili mo."

"Heh! Naalala ko lang kasi noong una tayong magkita."

Saglit itong natigilan.

"Ilang taon ka na nga noon?" tanong pa niya.

He licked his lower lips. Devon had thicker lips than Rexton, and many girls at her age were praising Devon's fuller lips. Kissable daw kasi. But she begged to disagree, because Rexton's were more inviting. Even if his lips only formed a grim line, she'd still want to feel them. Lalo na kapag ngumiti na ito. Sayang, he's out of her league kasi kaya iniiwasan niyang mahulog dito. At isa pa, mukhang hindi ito maka-move on sa nanay ng anak nito.

"You were thinking about us?" Devon sounded as if it's an unbelievable thing to think about the two of them.

"Oo. Kanina." Dahil ngayon ay bumuhos na ang isipan niya tungkol kay Rexton. She just couldn't help but praise him for his exceptional acting. Especially when they were at the part where they sang "All I Ask of You" wherein the two protagonists fell in love with each other while singing the said song awhile ago . . .

She stepped closer and knelt to the ground to level Rexton's—who's Raoul now—smiling gazes while he's kneeling on the ground, too, as she sang her part:

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...

say the word and I will follow you...

And they had a duet which made her almost forgot the lines as he caught her gazes. He stared at her like he's the only woman he would love for life. Pagkuwa'y tumayo sila, lumayo ng halos isang metro habang nakaharap at nakatitig sa isa't isa, hindi mapuknat ang ngiti sa kanilang mga labi habang patuloy sila sa pagkanta ng mga sumunod na linya.

Share each day with me,

each night, each morning...

Bree, as Christine, wholeheartedly met his gazes with strong desire to show his love only for her as she sang the next line.

Say you love me...

He replied as a part of the song:

You know I do...

And they both ended with:

Love me—that's all I ask of you...

Raoul slowly leaned closer without cutting their intense gazes and they kissed passionately right after that duet. The instrumental kept on playing on the background loudly, but for Bree, her heart was beating louder even after that scene was already done.

"Great job, my Christine," malat ang tinig nito nang sambitin iyon.

Halos hinihingal pa rin siya nang lumayo na si Rexton sa kaniya para makapaghanda na sila sa susunod na scene. She didn't have the time to savour the moment since theatre play was far more different than the motion picture. Walang take two sa play. Kailangan ay hindi siya lutang, kaya nag-ayos na kaagad para sa susunod na eksena. She had to give her best shot to execute the role very well.

And she's glad she did, because she felt fulfilled at that moment they vowed on the stage to give thanks to everyone who supported and watched the play.