DUE

KANINA pa napuputol ang tulog ko dahil sa bawat tapik na nararamdaman ko, I really hate it when someone wakes me up. Maaaring makatulog ka kapag ako ang ginising mo, Nagare tried it and I almost kick her ass for that but she's Nagare so she'll live no matter what I do.

 

"If you won't-"

 

"If you won't wake up, I'll kiss you." putol ni Khai, agad akong bumangon at binigyan siya ng masamang tingin. He's a pain in my ass, I'm starting to hate him. His actions and words give me chill that I never experienced, he might be dangerous to my heart that's why I hate him. 

 

"For Christ sake! Alam mo ba kung anong oras pa lang Khai Balderik Kristoffel?!" Asik ko na ikinatawa niya, I'll kill this man I swear.

 

 

"May pupuntahan tayo kaya bumangon ka na at mag ayos, make it fast. Breakfast is ready." saad niya, I groaned, unwillingly going to the restroom. Is this how my life with him? Everyday groan and pain in my ass, that sounded a little fishy.

 

"Urghhh!" Sigaw ko at dumiretso sa banyo, Lia knows how much I hate it when someone wakes me up. Dapat pala ay sinabi ko na ang mga ayaw ko para alam niya na, I feel lke I'm not myself kapag hindi kumpleto ang tulog ko.

 

Nang matapos ako ay agad akong bumaba, nakita ko si Khai na nakaupo at nakain kaharap niya si Lia na halatang hinihintay ako. Silence were all over them, pagsamahin ba naman ang dalawang taong tahimik kapag hindi lubusang kilala ang kasama.

 

"Hey Lia, cancel my appointments for today. May pupuntahan daw kami." sambit ko ng makaupo, I sip my coffee and napansing kong hindi iyon ang gawa ni Lia. Maybe Khai made this.

 

"Oh! Ms. Ash, I already did that because I'm going with the two of you. Wala naman ata kayong alam sa mga bahay if I'm not mistaken." kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi ni Lia, is he really going to buy a house?

 

"Bahay? For what?" Tanong ko, tumango si Lia at nagpatuloy sa pagkain. Khai ignored me and continue eating his food, I rolled my eyes showing how irritated I am.

 

"We're going to buy a house for you and your fiance." may pilyong ngiti sa mga labi ni, Lia. Obviously teasing me, they liked it when they saw my irritated face.

 

"So, talagang bibili ka ng bahay? Hindi ba't sayang dahil panandalian lang naman ang bisa ng kasal natin?" Baling ko kay Khai, na tahimik na kumakain. He nod as response.

 

"Yeah, I don't want to live in my fiance's house. Mas gusto ko na ako ang bibili ng bahay at doon titira ang mapapangasawa ko." may pilyo niyang sabi, inilayo ko ang mukha at nagsimulang kumain.

 

AFTER kumain umalis na agad kami, kanina pa ako naiinis dahil ang dami na naming napuntahan na bahay pero ni isa walang pinipili. He’s picky and pretty annoying, he can just pick a house na pasok sa taste niya and then go. 

 

"God! Daig mo pa ang babae kung pumili. Lia, sa Mitsuhe's Company nga. I’m tired. " asar kong utos, I heard her laughed which annoys me more. 

 

"It’s a company, not a village, honey. " napanganga ako sa narinig, did he just call me honey? 

 

"Cosa hai detto?!" Lumabas ang nakakaakit na ngisi sa kanya, I raised my brows when he did that. 

 

What's wrong with him?!

 

(Translation: What did you say?)

 

"I said, it’s a company not a village, ‘honey’." may diin ang huling salita nang banggitin niya ulit ito, hindi ko na napaigilan pa nag inis at pinalo ang braso niya. This man can really make me angry in just a blink of an eye!

 

"Urggghh! Lia, paki bilisan!" agad naman itong sumunod na may ngiti sa mga labi,s he's enjoying this of course. 

 

 

 

ILANG minuto lang ang itinagal at nakarating na kami, agad akong bumaba habang sila ay nakasunod sa akin. All of Nagare’s employees greet me full of respects, nang maka-akyat kami ay hinarang muna kami ng Secretary niya, napataas ang kilay ko. She’s new here and I can tell that, she didn’t know me at all. 

 

"Ma'am, do you have an appointment?" Tanong nito, Lia was the one who answered her dahil alam niyang tatarayan ko lang ito ng wala sa oras. 

 

"We don't have one but try calling your boss and pakisabi nandito si Ms. Ash." kita kong magtaka ang sekretarya ni Nagare pero sinunod pa rin niya ito, seconds of talking with Nagare she finally let us in. 

 

"Ma'am, Ms. Ash is here... Okay po," ibinaba nito ang telepono at iginiya kami papasok.

 

Nang makapasok kami ay agad aking umupo sa sofa, I feel tired and exhausted because of Khai. He doesn’t have a specific type of house that he wants to live in, how are we gonna buy a house if he’s like that? 

 

"What do you need?" Tanong ni Nagare na busy sa pagtipa sa laptop niya, obviously working her ass of again. 

 

"We need a house pero sayo pumunta itong honey ko. " hindi ko alam pero naiirita ako sa tuwing ganun ang tawag sa akin ni Khai. Nagare laughed so I glared at her, telling how annoyed I am. 

"Shut up!" Sigaw ko kay Khai, na mas lalong ikinatawa ni Nagare. I really hate him right now, I’m at my level that I will strangled him to death. 

 

"Bakit nga ba dito ka pumunta?" 

 

"Dahil daig pa nito, " itinuro ko si Khai, "Ang babae kung pumili ng bahay, nakakailang lipat na kami pero ni isa walang pinili. Maganda at maayos naman ang mga bahay, are we just gonna look at those house?! Paano kami matatapos at makakabili?. " iritado kong paliwanag, scratching the back of his head Nagare laughed at him. She pulled something out and hand it over to us. 

 

"Tss, here.” She gave me a paper with a place written on it. 

 

"Anong gagawin ko dito?!"

 

"Chill, village yan. Actually may bahay ako dyan, Japanese style nga lang ang type ng bahay pero alam kong papasok sa paningin mo at ng fiancé mo. " sambit niya, tumango ako sa kanya bago tumayo at nagpaalam. We were about to get in the car when I stop and face him, giving him a glare. 

 

"This is the last village that we’ll visit, after that, you will choose or else ako na ang pipili bahala ka. Inteso?" I said with authority, Khai looks amuse when I said that. It’s like he has never seen a woman being bossy to him. 

 

(Inteso is understood in Italian)

 

"Okay!" Nakangiting sagot ni Khai, I never saw him smile like that but, I can tell that he can make women follow her and give their souls just to be with him. He has a deadly, sedating, and seducing smile. 

 

"Stupido,” I whispered and get in the car to get some rest, ramdam ko nag pagod ng katawan kaya hindi ko namalayan mg nakatulog ako.

HALATA ang pagod kay Ash kaya hinayaan ko na siyang matulog sa braso ko. We both have the same past, pareho ang nangyari sa amin ngunit magkaiba ang hirap na pinagdaanan namin limang taong na ang nakalipas. Losing my sister Valentina, made me feel miserable and alone but I know it won’t do me any good. 

 

Ash’s father sacrificed Vanessa's justice for a name, kaya't naiintindihan ko ang galit niya sa ama nito. Her father was being selfish just for his own gain, even him he has a better reason why he did that it still gives pain and misery to Vanessa especially to Ash. Ash lost her light and that leads her into pure darkness, she became heartless and her heart was full of rage and resentment.

 

"We're here. " Rinig kong sambit ni Lia, I gave her a nod before waking her up. 

 

Ginising ko si Ash, agad naman siyang nagising. We started roaming around looking each empty house pero hindi pa kami nakakapili ng bahay hanggang ngayon pero napansin ni Ash ang isang bahay na medyo may kataasan. I can see in her that she’s in love with the house. 

 

"Let's go to that house. " sambit ni Ash, sumunod lamang ako sa kanya. That’s the only thing that I’ve been waiting for, a house that she has an interest in.

 

Nang makapasok ay agad na ipinakita at ipinaliwanag ang bawat parte ng bahay, malaki ito kaysa sa inaasahan ko. Pinagmamasdan ko lang si Ash na halatang masaya sa mga nakikita, ngayon ko lang siya nakitang masaya ulit. The last time we met was at our sister's funeral, all she did was cry and shout her sister's name. Kahit ang Queen ay hindi siya magawang pakalmahin lalo na nung dumating ang ama niya, she was desperate to kill him that time even if she's young. That's how much he hates her father.

 

 

 

NAWALA lahat ng pagkairita ko ng makita ang bahay, malaki ito at madaming kwarto. I like it because it's elegant but simple, can't deny how my eyes shines right now. Akmang sasabihin ko na kay Khai na bilhin ito ng mauna na siya. 

 

"We'll buy this." sambit niya, hindi ko inaasahan na aakbayan niya pa ako. I flinched a little when he did that, touchy I see. 

 

"Okay, I'll set an appointment para sa mga kailangan pirmahan. Welcome and congratulations to the both of you. " masayang sambit ng babae, we stayed for a little while before going home. 

 

Matapos nun ay umuwi na agad kami, hindi ko alam pero ng makapasok kami sa bahay ay nandoon na sa sala ang magulang ni Khai pati na rin magulang ko. They came here unannounced and to my surprise kasama ang magaling kong tatay, I wonder kung ano ang rason at naparito sya.

 

"Omo, bella bella bella. " masayang sambit ng Mamma ni Khai, I smiled a little before hugging them. Mayroon silang dalang maleta kaya naman ganon na lang ang laki ng pagtataka namin ni Khai. 

 

(Translation: pretty pretty pretty)

 

"Queen, King" bati ko sa mga ito at yumuko, ganon rin si Khai. 

 

"You can call me Mom." ngumiti lamang ako sa sinabi ng nanay ni Khai bago sabay-sabay umupo. 

 

"What's the matter, Mom?" Tanong ni Khai, which they answered with their creepy and silly smile. Nagtama ang paningin namin ni Khai dahil mukhang hindi maganda ang balak nila Mamma.

 

 

"Nothing, hinatid lang nila kami dito because we're staying here. Kayo saan kayo galing? We cant reach you two." masayang sambit ni Mom, halata din sa mukha ni Mamma ang saya. Great, they have a plan and I think we need to look forward. 

 

"O-okay, we buyed a house in Nagare's village." sagot ni Khai, kumain lang kami at nagpaalam na sila Dad, matutulog na din ako dahil nakakapagod ang ginawa namin kanina. Sa paghahanap ng bahay, almost all of my energy were drained. We were about to lay down when someone came in. 

 

"Can we sleep here?" Tanong ni Mamma na may pilyong ngiti, they have their pillows on their arms. 

 

"Mamma, I don't have-"

 

"Of course you have.” sambit ni Mamma at hinila ang down bed ko, napailing nalang ako. She really know me. 

 

"Kami na lang diyan, dito na kayo Mamma." sambit ko, na siangayunan din ni Khai.

 

"Hind--" 

 

"No, kami na po dyan," sambit ni Khai at ibinaba ang mga unan namin, inayos niya din ang pagkakapwesto nito. He’s sweet and caring and I like it, seeing this side of him I can say that he's open to me. I feel lucky at some point, being married to a prince and also a well known young CEO is such a previlage.  

 

"Okay," masayang sambit nila, nang humiga na kami ay agad kong naramdaman ang antok, tuluyan na sana akong aantukin ng maramdaman ko ang kamay ni Khai sa bewang ko. Pulling me closer and hugging me tighter, I felt him intertwined our hands making my heart stop for a minute. 

 

Akmang aalisin ko ito ng mas higpitan niya ang kapit at hapitin ako palapit sa kanya, wala na akong nagawa kung hindi ang magpaubaya. Rinig ko ang impit na tili nila Mamma pero hindi ko na iyon pinansin dahil sa pagod na nararamdaman ko. 

 

This is nothing, we just need each other for something. Just that, risking my heart for someone that will never be mine is a waste of time. He can do sweet things and such but my heart will stay hard as a rock, I can't love him because we'll end up letting go of each other.