KABANATA 3

"I told him not to talk so that the problem would not get worse. He doesn't deserve that--"

"So now you do?" He cut me off.

Seryoso ko siyang tinitigan, habang siya'y naman ay binalikan ako ng kabaliktaran nito. Napatingin ako sa kanyang labi nang nilaro niya ito gamit ang daliri. His lips pursed so I returned my eyes on him.

"What do you think?" Tanong ko rin, malumanay at nananatiling may tono ng pagrespeto sa kanya. After all, he was my master and I was one of his servants.

"What's your thought, Gualin? Does Irish deserve to be fired?" Reu looked at his friend with a naughty smirk.

Tuwid ang tayo, dalawang kamay sa likuran, tinignan ko si Gualin na mayroon ding ngisi sa labi, katulad na katulad sa matalik na kaibigan. When our eyes met, I looked away. Hindi dahil takot ako sa kanya, kundi alam ko ang kanyang takbo ng isipan.

"Of course." 

I knew it.

"As if papayag ka." Gualin chuckled, and so his friend.

"Right, of course I won't..."

Tumawa silang dalawa habang ako naman ay seryoso silang tinitigan. Na pahinto lamang ang mga ito sa ginagawa nang umalingawngaw ang tunog ng telepono sa loob ng library, nasa dulong bahagi ng silid. 

Hindi nawawala ang ngisi sa labi, Reu rose from his seat. "You can't convince me with that straight face of yours." He playfully shook his head, mocking me. 

Tinikom ko ng mabuti ang mga labi.

Naglalakad ito, at bago pa man makalayo sa amin, I heard him saying something without facing us.

"Please me more. I might change my mind, Irish."

Nawala ang tingin ko sa likod ni Reu ng marinig na naman ang halakhak ng naiwan na lalaki. He was looking at his phone and smiling like an idiot. 

"Tss. He deleted it...So greedy. Ayaw talagang may kahati." He smirked. 

Umiling ako at aalis na sana nang pinigilan niya ako.

"You give up?" 

Sa lahat ng taong nakasalamuha at nakilala ko, Gualin was the most dangerous among them all. He was very cunning and very intelligent...katulad na katulad ni Reu. Ngunit dahil sa mas lalong mapaglaro ito, hindi mo mapapansin at hindi mo na lamang namamalayang pinaglalaruan na pala nito ang iyong buhay. He was a carefree lad, but he was more than that. Playful, yet dangerous. 

Alam na alam ko, kaya maingat ako sa kanya. Ngunit mas lalong maingat siya sa akin. This man...hindi mo aakalain sa likod ng magandang mukha, kaya kang paikutin sa mga salita. Very unique gift, but also a very dangerous one. Pag mali ang pagkakahawak, maaaring marami ang maloloko at mamamatay.

"Giving up means you stop." Tumalikod ako ng tuluyan. "I'll take a rest but will never stop." 

"But you choose to rest at the wrong time." I heard him stand up and walked towards me. "The wound is still fresh. How can you cure it if the time has already passed?"

Natigilan ako ngunit hindi ko ito pinahalata sa kanya na tama ang sinabi niya. Kung hindi ko masolusyonan ngayon, maaaring makalimutan ito sa pagdaan ng panahon...Maaaring hindi na mabuksan ang kaso ni Harold kung hahayaan kong masara ito ngayon. Maaaring...mawalan ako ng pag-asang ibalik siya sa trabaho.

"This is a perfect opportunity. Don't you wanna grab it?" He chuckled again. "What a waste, pretty girl."

"I'll make an opportunity for me, Gaulin." Matigas kong saad, hindi tanggap na naisahan niya ako.

"Who are you again? You seem like you need memory plus gold." Still smirking at me. 

My lips became thin.

"Yes, you can make opportunities, but you can never make fate be on your side. That's not your decision to make, Ery." He tilted his head. "And one more thing, favors are only for those who have the power living inside of them. In your case, you are not in favor. You are in bad shape but still act like the situation is your slave. "

I hated to admit this, but he was right.

"You are intelligent, but still lack of understanding. You need to understand the situation before you decide for something, pretty girl." Tinapat niya sa aking mukha ang likod ng iPhone na hawak. Sa pag-iwas ko ng tingin, ang pagdinig ko naman ng tunog ng camera. 

"Side view again." Sabay tingin sa ninakaw nitong larawan.

Matalim ko siyang tinitigan. "How much is the cost of my photo?"

Hindi ko talaga gusto ang mga nagnanakaw ng hindi sa kanila.

"Why, you want to buy this from me?" Hulakhak siya at umiling. "Drop it. You can't afford it, anyway."

My lips pursed. "Are you mocking me, Gualin?"

Nilapit niya ang mukha sa akin. "I dare to say the truth."

"Then say the price, honest boy." 

Natigilan siya at unti-unting sumilay ang ngisi sa labi. Inilayo ang sarili, tumayo siya ng matuwid sa aking harapan. "The value of one picture is a sport car, pretty girl. And the fact is," He showed me my photo. "Reu can only afford this, not you."

Hayop.

"Why you sell my picture to young master?" Nagtataka kong tanong.

  "Because he likes dogs? And he is rich. Sports cars are just nothing to him."

Do I look like a dog to him?

Kahit marami mang tanong sa isipan, isinawalang bahala ko nalamang ito at inilahad ang kamay sa harap niya. Tumaas ang kilay niya.

"Give me your phone."

"You want to buy a toy sports car and will give it to me as a payment?"

Nangunot ang noo ko.

Mas lalong tumaas ang kilay niya. "Or you want to delete your picture?"

I snatched his phone. 

Sa tingin ko expert na ako sa bagay na ito.

"Don't make me mad, Ery. You won't like it." Malamig niyang sabi, hindi gusto ang naging akto ko. 

I stopped and looked at him. Ang laro sa mga mata nito ay hindi na makikita, at tanging malamig lamang na mga titig ang mababakas.

Kahit kinakabahan sa biglaan niyang pagbabago, nag patuloy pa rin ako sa ginagawa. I opened the front camera, slightly smiled, and took a selfie on his phone.  

Mabilis akong nag seryoso at ibinalik ang cellphone niya. "If my photo has a value...then give that to the young master for an exchange of Harold...Give that to him if he'll agree to take him back."

Unti-unting bumalik ang mapaglaro niyang mga titig at ngisi."Now, you are the boss?"

"No. I dare not, Gualin." Ngumisi rin ako. "But aren't you the one who's stealing here? You're educated, but you act like a criminal. You are rich, but act like you live in a slum. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Sa halip na magalit ito sa aking sinabi, mas lalong lumawak ang kanyang ngisi na unti-unting naging halakhak. 

"Very well, then."

Tumalikod ako sa kanya at hindi na muling nilingon pa.

"You really got my attention, pretty girl."

That was the last thing I heard before I closed the door.

A day had passed and Gregore was no longer sick.

"Here." Inabot ko sa kanya ang isang binder.

Walang imik niya naman itong kinuha.

Lumipas ang isang araw at bumalik na ulit sa kaayusan ang lahat. 

"You were absent yesterday. You missed Sir Arthur's and Ma'am Shine's quizzes. I already issued a letter so you can take special quizzes later this afternoon." Tinignan ko siya sa rare-view mirror. She was scanning the content of the binder.

Ang kabayaran ng pagiging Maurus ay ang pagiging angat nito sa lahat ng bagay. Walang may maiiwan, walang may mahuhuli sa anong aspeto. Lahat ng kabilang sa angkan nila ay dapat na manguna, dahil dala-dala nila ang imahe ng isa't isa. One small mistake, and it will stain the perfect image of the whole Maurus clan.

"Study all of it. It contains yesterday's lessons and also for advanced learning. You are already left behind." I added. 

"This is too much." Maarte niyang saad. 

I looked straight at the road, not minding her complaints.

"What about your scores?" She asked, pertaining to the quizzes.

"Just the same." 

Padabog niyang inilagay ang binder sa kanyang bag. 

"Drive fast, Harold." Maarte pa rin ang pagkaka-utos.

"It's raining, Gregore." Agap ko. 

Nagkatinginan kami ni Harold. I shook my head.

"I don't care. I want to study in the library now, Ery. So hurry up, Harold!"

"No." Tinignan ko si Harold ng mariin. Don't do the same mistake, you old man.

 He looked troubled.

"Argh! I will tell dad about this--”

"Tell him, then."

"Ery!" Sigaw niya sa loob ng sasakyan. Hindi ko naman inalis ang tingin sa maulan na daanan. "This is for my own good--can't you see? Loosen up. Don't be so nanay, Ery."

"Your safety comes first, Gregore." 

Hindi ito nagsalita muli ngunit lahat ng galaw niya sa likuran ay padabog at nagmamaktol. Alam na alam niyang hindi mababali ang prinsipyo ko lalong lalo na sa trabaho.

Huminto ang sasakyan. Inabot ko naman ang jacket kay Gregore. She rolled her eyes and acted like I was an air.

"Do you want to catch cold again?" I asked coldly. "Sure. Dagdagan natin ang laman ng binder mo. Dagdagan natin ang pag-aaralan mo."

"You evil witch..." Bulong nito at sinuot ang aking binigay. 

Inayos ko ang suot na jacket at nangunot ang noo nang nanguna sa paglabas ng sasakyan si Gregore, hindi na ako hinintay pa.

"Salamat pala, Ery." 

Napatingin ako sa kanya.

"You didn't consider the situation, Harold." Nakakunot pa rin ang noo, ngunit hindi na dahil kay Gregore, kundi dahil sa kanya. "It was the young master Reu. Sino ba ang nagpapa sweldo sa'yo? Sino ba ang mas nakakaangat at bakit mas pinili mong makinig sa akin? You could disregard what I've had said to you. It was young master. Our young master! Ako ba ang mas importante--" 

Mabilis siyang umiling. "Nagulat ako na ang young master ang humarap sa akin...Hindi ako makapagsalita hindi dahil sa mas sinusunod kita...kundi d-dahil..."

Hindi ako makapaniwalang tinitigan siya. 

He was in his mid-20s. Huwag niyang sabihing natinag siya ng bata? 

Ngumisi ako. Oo nga naman. Sino bang hindi matatakot sa anak ng bilyonaryo at makapangyarihang pamilya na kaya kang patayin sa isang salita lamang?

"I hope this won't happen again, Harold. Because I'm no savior. There is no next time anymore...Remember that." Sabi ko bago tuluyang lumabas ng sasakyan at hinabol ang babae.