TAHIMIK akong nakaupo na sa sala. I was pacing back and forth a while ago until I've grown tired. Dalawang oras na siguro ang lumipas sa pag-uusap ni Damon, Mama, at Papa sa study. Pinalabas nila ako dahil pag-uusapan ang leave ni Damon.I know it will the a tedious process. Hindi ordinaryong empleyado si Damon. He is an executive, and more than that, my father trusts him with many projects.Hindi siya pakakawalan ni Papa, hindi ba? Imposible 'yon. At isa pa... he climbed to where he is now. How can he just resign like that in a blink of an eye? Baka gusto pa ni Papa na pag-isipan ni Damon iyon at huwag na munang mabilis na magdesisyon?I don't know. But I guess what really bothered me is that unexpected... confession. In front of my parents. Was he for real?Ngumuso ako at pilit na iniisip na baka pakulo lang 'yon. But then he's giving up his position... pakulo pa ba 'yon? Then where will he work? IHG? Malamang. He had offers there so he must have plans to work there. Thinking about
I REALLY thought that it would be the same. Nakita ko siya sa linggong iyon na pumunta sa opisina niya, so I expected that I'll see him every now and then despite him resigning but I didn't see him the rest of the week.May mga damit at ibang gamit pa naman ako sa bahay kaya iyon ang dinala ko papuntang bagong condo ko. I am still contemplating on whether I should get my things from his condo or not. I mean, I should. Those are my things but... how?Ipapadala ko na lang ba? I should get Damon's offer. Ipapadala niya raw sa bahay. Kaya sabihin ko na lang ang address ng condo ko rito para mapadala niya rito. But then I remember I have clothes and things in his cabinet and even in the gym. Alam niya kaya? O pinalinis niya iyon sa kasambahay? I should be the one getting them since I don't think he knew where I put all of my things.Tulala akong nakatingin sa inumin habang kinikuwento ni Mr. Vera ang mga nalaman niya. It's been two weeks and this is the only time I saw him again. Naging ab
LUMIPAS ang dalawang buwan, hindi pa rin kami nagkita ni Damob. I go home and go to work like a robot the past few weeks."Pressure her!" I said annoyed at our family dinner.Kaming tatlo ni Mama at Papa ang kumakain ng hapunan sa bahay ngayon. Hindi pa rin ako gaanong kumbinsido kay Papa at bumibisita lang talaga para makibalita para sa DNA test.Naging abala si Papa sa mga kapatid ko nitong nakaraang linggo. May iilang trip din sila ni Mama sa ibang bansa, resulta ng pag-alis ni Damon sa kompanya. At nag di-dinner kami ngayon dahil aalis na naman sila bukas para roon."She's coming back next week and I won't be there, Ysa," si Papa.Aniya'y may pinuntahang trip si Fiona para sa trabaho kaya hindi pa sila nagkakausap. Hindi pa rin daw nagsasabi si Fiona kung papayag ba siya sa test at nangako siyang pag-uusapan sa susunod na pagkikita, kaya lang dahil busy na si Papa ngayon... hindi na sila makakapag-usap.I closed my eyes frustratingly when I realized that the truth is elusive."Bak
"WALA NGA SIYA RITO..." sabi ko sabay sunod ng tingin sa kanya, bukas pa rin ang pintuan dahil gusto ko na siyang umalis."Ba't ka nandito kung wala siya?" nagtaas siya ng kilay at binalingan ako.I realized that I wanted to confront him the past few months. Wala nga lang akong alam kung saan ko siya makikita bukod sa workplace niya. Kaya naman, imbes na makipag-away tungkol kay Damon, gusto ko nang samantalahin ang pagkakataong iyon para malaman ang dahilan niya."Kinukuha ko ang mga gamit ko. Aalis din ako, huwag kang mag-alala.""Hm. Tagal mong kinuha, ah? llang buwan na ba-" she smirked but I cut her off,"Ikaw? Ang tagal mong pumayag sa DNA test, ah? Ilang buwan na ba ang lumipas nang pumayag ang Papa ko?"She looked annoyed at the emphasis of my last words."You really think you can fool me? I know why he's agreed. Cuz he will tamper it."I cannot believe her."He will tamper it?" Natawa ako. "Are you out of your mind?""I know these things more than you, Ysa. Of course he'd wan
PAULIT-ULIT kong pinindot ang elevator para lang magsarado. When the doors move to close, my tears fell. I cursed under my breath. Nang kaunti na lang magsasarado na, nakita kong pumagitna si Damon. Nagkatinginan kami bago sumarado.I frantically searched for my keys. I know it's impossible that he'll run after me hanggang basement pero sinigurado kong nakaalis agad ako roomI successfully got away. O baka hindi naman siya sumunod. I gritted my teeth as I drove on the road. I parked in a crowded place near malls and restaurants. My tears kept falling as I harshly pulled more and more tissue for myself.What the hell?Alam kong dati pa man sinasabi ko lang na niloloko lang ako. Kaya dapat hindi ko na iniisip iyon. Na dapat hindi ako nagpapadala. Pero ang totoo, sa likod ng isipan ko tumatak iyon. A part of me believed his confession. He confessed in front of my parents! He resigned after that confession!Kahit anong isip ko na may binabalak siya, pero sa nagdaang ilang buwan na wala na
"WHAT are you doing here?" was my first questions.Gulat ako kaya matagal ko bago nabigkas iyon.Nakapagtagal na ang mga mata niya sa loob, partikular na sa banda ni Mr. Vera. He looked annoyed, his eyes were piercing."Damon," I called when he wasn't attentive.Isasara ko na sana ang pinto. He has no business here and I'm not even sure how he found my condo unit. Is he stalking me? Pero ano pa man iyon, hindi ngayon ang panahon para magkasagutan kami dahil may bisita ako.My door was half closed when he put his hand on it and pushed it. Hindi ko inasahan na gagawin niya iyon kaya madali niyang nabuksan ulit. He even stepped inside. Nagulat ako."Damon, this not the time. I have a visitor-""Sino 'yan?" tanong niya kahit na nagtagal ang tingin kay Mr. Vera bago bumaling sa akin.My face heated when I realized how bad the set up was. Hindi ko agad iyon naisip dahil wala namang malisya para sa akin si Mr. de Vera. Kaya lang ngayong walang pagaalinlangang pumasok si Damon sa condo ko at
"WALA ka namang nararamdaman sa akin, Ysa. Hindi ba?"Napakurap-kurap ako sa gulat. It was all over my face. I had to regain my composure back after a while.He's wearing his usual white dress shirt and slacks. Gaya ng suot niya kanina nang pumasok sa condo niya. Hindi siya nagbihis. Does this mean that when he ran after me, he didn't go back to his condo?"Are you justifying your outburst just because you have feelings for me? If he's my lover, then so what, Damon?""If he's your lover, then I want to know why were you crying inside that elevator when you left my condo a while ago, Ysa..." he said and slowly closed in our distance.Napatingin ako sa distansiya namin at sa gulat ay muntik nang naibaba ang nakahalukipkip na braso. I hoped that he didn't see my tears. After all, it was only a split second but I guess he saw it."I was worried about you. You didn't seem okay when you left. Why were you crying?"Nangapa ako ng isasagot. Fiona hurt me with her words but I was more angry th
HINDI ko alam kung paano ko nalagpasan iyon. I didn't say a word. I just wanted to go to my room and rest. Damon didn't say a word, too. Nagpadeliver pa siya ng dinner habang nagkulong ako sa kuwarto.Kinatok niya ako. Kahit ayaw kong lumabas, nagsabi siya na may dinner ako roon at na uuwi na siya pagkatapos. Ayaw ko sanang maniwala. I felt like he's just saying that to make me go out but after a while, I heard him leave.Matagal pa bago ako lumabas ng kuwarto. At nang lumabas na ako, dim na ang mga ilaw at malinis din ang kusina. Sa counter natanaw ko ang pagkain. He scribbled a note that read: Sweet dreams, Ysa. I'm going back to my condo alone.Tiningnan ko ang katabi nitong pagkain. I heard him order food but I couldn't really imagine it. May taco kaming hindi pa nagagalaw ni Mr. Vera. Naglakad ako patungo sa living room para tingnan kung naroon pa ba pero kahit ang wine ko, wala na.It's all clean now. He cleaned up. Bumalik ako sa kusina at tingnan ang basurahan. The taco was th