Novels by christiane

Hindi ko na nagawang magpaalam nang maayos kay Renz pagkatapos niya akong ihatid sa building ng condo ko. I only got to smile a bit and nodded at him when he bid his good bye. At least, I waited for his car to go before I turned my back and went inside.Tulala ako buong oras na hinihintay kong tumigil sa tamang palapag ang elevator na sinasakyan. At nang makarating nga sa condo ko, dumiretso na ako sa banyo at naglinis.Pumikit ako habang dinadama ang tubig na bumabagsak sa katawan ko mula sa shower. It's draining how I can still see his image right before I entered Renz's car.Why did he even take a step forward? As if he was going to approach me.Rafael... Kailan mo ba balak bitawan ang puso ko?At kailan ko ba babawiin?Huminga ako nang malalim. I should really go back to sleep and take a rest. Mawawala na rin naman 'tong pakiramdam na ito kinabukasan. Ang mahalaga ay hindi ako magtatagal at aalis na rin agad bukas.I was drying my hair with a towel when I remembered that I left my

“Let’s raise our glasses for the newlyweds as they share another sweet kiss as husband and wife!”Nakangiti kong itinaas ang aking kopita katulad ng lahat. When they finally kissed, noon lang namin mahinang ipinukpok ang baso ng kurbyentos upang gumawa ng tunog while cheering on them. Mas lalong lumakas ang hiyawan noong pinalalim ni Levi ang halik at humawak naman sa batok niya si Rein na nagustuhan ang ginawa ng asawa.Their kiss ended after a few more seconds. Patuloy pa rin ang pang-aasar sa kanila lalo na’t namumula si Rein, noon lang nahiya noong nagsisigaw na ang lahat.“What a very passionate kiss from Mr. and Mrs. Fernandez! Talagang kinilig ang lahat!”Hinarangan ni Rein ang mukha niya at pabirong hinampas ang braso ng asawa. Levi only laughed and held her waist to pull her closer, earning another batch of screams from us.Pagkatapos kumalma ng lahat ay umupo na rin kami. May mga server na dumating para

Noong tuluyan na akong makalayo sa kanila ay saka ko lamang sinagot si Kenzo. “What do you mean I have a new project?” Rinig ko ang pagsalin niya ng tubig mula sa kabilang linya. Taking his time, I even heard him sipping his water and his big gulp was as if on purpose to tease me. Napahaplos ako sa aking braso noong humangin, nilalamig kahit kasalukuyang tirik ang araw. Wala sa sariling ibinalik ko ang tingin sa kabilang panig ng simbahan at nakitang papaalis na ang lahat para dumiretso sa venue. Nanatili ang paningin ko sa partikular na pamilyang halos pinapanood din ng lahat. Rafael opened the door for Sianna and even held her waist to guide her inside. Nakagat ko ang ibabang labi noong marahas na tumibok ng aking puso dahil sa nakita. Rafael then reached for the back seat, probably to check on their son who was seated there. Pagkatapos ay nakangiti niyang isinara ang pintuan ng kotse at nagulat ako noong bigla siyang bumaling sa direksyon ko! Hindi

Long before I realized that I lost my way from the perception of my sanity, I gripped my hand as I try to go back to the right path.The rapid of my heart wasn't helping and an act of a claw clutching it in agony tortured me more.Kailan ko nga ba huling naramdaman 'to?Hindi ko akalain na makikita ko siya rito. Hindi ako sinabihan nila Rein at Mavros. Hindi ako handa!Huminga ako nang malalim. Trying to convince myself that there are no more reasons for me to be affected by the fact that he's here, I smiled a little and had my eyes straight to the altar.Dapat ay matagal na akong okay sa katotohanang ito. Dapat... matagal na rin akong nakalimot. Ngunit talagang imposible."Ayos ka lang?" mahinang bulong sa akin ni Mavros na siyang nasa tabi ko ngayon.Ngumiti ako at tumango. Ngunit mas lalong lumalim ang kunot sa kaniyang noo

“On behalf of LAX Airlines and the entire crew, I’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip, and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice day!”"Thank you." I smiled at the flight attendant who attended me when I asked for help with my baggage. Ngumiti siya sa akin at tumungo bago nagpaalam.Dire-diretso ang lakad ko hanggang sa marating ko ang station two at napagdesisyonang doon na muna tumigil para tawagan si Renz na siyang susundo raw sa akin. Ani Rein, hindi na raw pala sila makakapunta rito dahil baka mahuli sa kasal. Ayos lang naman sa akin dahil naiintindihan ko, mas makakabuti pa nga."Saan ka?" tanong ko kay Renz na siyang kausap ko na sa telepono."You don't see me?" he said. "Maghanap ka ng lalaking nagwawagayway ng kartolina. Kita na kita."Napangiti ako at agad na inilibot ang paningin sa paligid. Bahagya pa akong natawa noong makita si Renz na todo

The next day, my phone was bombed with notifications from Rein and Mavros. Some of my other friends sent me friend requests and accepted mine. Kahit si Kenzo ay nakita ko sa listahan. Bahagya akong natawa dahil doon bago tinanggap ang kaniya.Rein Liana: Ellei Rolloque Velasco. Sebi, ikaw ba talaga 'to? Ikaw ba 'to?Rein Liana: Sumagot ka naman, oh. Parang awa mo na, Sebi. Miss na miss na kita.Agad kong sinalo ang mga luhang tumulo kahit nangingiti dahil sa pagbabasa ng mga mensaheng pinadala nila.Maverick Rosu: Sebi... Ikaw ba 'to?Maverick Rosu: We miss you so much. We're here, okay? Nandito lang kami. Kahit nasaang lupalop ka man ng mundo ngayon, handa kaming pumunta kung nasaan ka man para damayan ka. Mahal na mahal ka namin, okay?Mavros: Thank you for reaching out again. Talk to us when you're ready. Nandito lang kami.Maybe at some point, I regretted leaving them behind and had them searching for t

The next day, I was surprised to see Papa all dressed up when I went downstairs after I woke up and took a quick bath. He was wearing a formal white button-down polo and black jeans; I even saw his briefcase bag on the coffee table of our sala. His hair was neatly combed and his perfume was all over the place which confused me more. He only got to notice me when I chuckled a little because it was rare for me to see him like this. Even at his work, he doesn’t wear clothes that are too formal for his liking.“Aalis ka po?” I asked.Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay at sinenyasan akong lumapit para magpatulong sa necktie niya. Natatawa akong lumapit at inalalayan siya sa pagsuot nito. Pabiro ko pang pinagpagan ang kaniyang balikat dahil sa aliw.“Pupunta tayong school.”Namilog ang mga mata ko sa gitla. Ngayon na?!“Iniwan ko yung uniform mo sa cabinet mo, ah. Hindi mo ba nakita?”“Papasok na po ako sa klase ngayon din?” I uttered my disbelief. I haven’t even enrolled!Tumango si Papa. “Naasika

I only got to stare at the unfamiliar one who was seated on the stool beside my bed despite being confused. He was holding my hand while his eyes are closed, whispering words that left me dumbfounded, unable to perceive any of it.When I woke up from the feeling of rushed coldness on my chest, he was the first person I took sight of. Until my eyes drifted to my father and Tito Yael who were both watching him solemnly. My father didn’t even notice that I was already awake. Besides, I feel so frail to utter a single word to tell. My forehead creased as I start to recall what happened. My eyes fell leisurely to my body, remembering that I was drowning before I passed out. And… a figure of a man showed up. His hand extended to reach me.Was it him?The man that I saw in the forest?“Stay still.”I flinched a little when the unfamiliar man spoke after I

I wasn't able to scream nor utter my shock when I get to see him fully. My eyes shamelessly wandered on his face, feasting the glorious features that are owned by the man before me. His thick-arched eyebrows complimented his majestic eyes that, from what I remembered being at the shade of sincere red, though now in sterling gray that completely stole my breath away. My heart pounded ferociously when my view progressed lower his narrowed nose up until his uneven lips as if it was kissed by the cherry and baptized with his ancestors’ delicate touch. His sharp and defined jaw clenched that it made me woke up from my pleasure daze.Tumingala ako, noon lang din napansin ang katangkaran niya. Ang paningin ko ay hanggang baba niya lamang, kinakailangan niya pang tumungo upang makasalubong ang mga mata kong nag-aabang na masulyapan niya. At noong nangyari 'yon ay muli na naman akong binawain ng karapatang huminga. His obsidian eyes are like set of black holes, slowl

"Pa, sa tingin niyo po ba may multo rito?"Perhaps my question was a bit weird that Tito Yael and Papa looked at each other first before they settled their eyes at me.Nanatiling seryoso ang aking mukha dahil totoong nababahala pa rin ako sa nangyari kanina. Iyon na naman ang panlalamig sa aking sikmura tuwing maaalala ang nasaksihan. Ngunit pilit ko pa ring itinatanggi sa sarili na namamalikmata lamang ako kanina."Hija, ako'y naniniwala sa multo," si Tito Yael na marahan pang tumawa. "Ngunit imposibleng may magpakita sa iyo.""Bakit naman po?"Papa scowled at Tito. "Huwag mong paglaruan ang iyong mga salita sa anak ko, Yael. Baka makalimutan kong kaibigan kita."Kumunot ang aking noo at tinitigan ang dalawa. Si Tito Yael na ngising-ngisi at si Papa na halos patayin na siya sa matalim na tingin.Bakit?Hindi ko na la

Ang malakas na ugong ng tren ang nagpagising sa aking malalim na tulog. Kinusot ko ang aking mga mata at tumingala para hanapin si Papa. Kasalukuyan niyang inaabot ang dalawang malaking bag namin sa compartment upang ibaba ito. I yawned and stretched a little before I finally stood up to help him.“Nandito na tayo, Pa?” tanong ko at sinubok pang kuhanin ang bag mula sa kaniya ngunit binawi niya ito agad sa akin. Instead, he puckered his lips and used it to point the medium sized box on the floor to tell me to carry that as a replacement. Hindi na ako nagreklamo at mabilis iyong dinampot lalo na’t pinagmamadali na kami ng conductor.My eyes squinted as the fiery heat from the sun confounded my eyes the moment I stepped outside the train. I quickly placed down the box on the platform of the station before I hurriedly ran back to Papa to help him carry the rest of our belongings.“Ako na rito,

“Lalaki ang iyong anak, binibini!”Mariin akong nakapikit, pakiramdam ko’y mahihimatay na ako ilang segundo na lamang dahil sa panghihina. Hinihingal at pilit na nilalabanan ang sakit na nararamdaman mula sa ibabang bahagi ng katawan. Hindi pwedeng magpadala ako sa haplos ng hapdi at bulong ng pananamlay. Kung hindi lang dahil sa iyak ng aking anak ay baka kanina pa akong nahimatay, ito ang humihila sa akin pabalik sa katinuan.“Hindi nga ako nagkakamali. N-Nakuha niya ang dugo ng kaniyang ama!”For a moment, shock engulfed my entire system before I mustered up the strength to get up. I bit my lower lip to stifle my scream of pain as I try to confirm it myself. Sandaling nanatili ang tingin ko kay Camella, ang siyang tumanggap at nagpa-anak sa akin sa kaniyang kubo. Nakangiti siyang nakatitig sa anak ko at naging pula na ang kulay ng kaniyang mga mata. Bumaling siya sa akin at mas umangat an