Chapter Five

"Good morning, Pa," nakangiting bati ni Darren Ramirez sa kanyang nag-iisang ama nang naabutan niya ito sa garden.

Tinapik nito ang upuan. "Halika dito sa tabi ko, Anak."

Without saying anything ay umupo si Darren tabi ng ama.

"Pa. How's the company?" he asked him.

"Nah. Let's not talk about the company pero kung gusto mo talaga malaman ay nakatayo pa naman ang kumpanya natin."

He smirked and laughed.

Mr. Luther Ramirez is Darren's coolest and ideal father; no one can replace him. That's why Darren was wondering why his mother left them. He never heard that they argued about anything; their father was kind not just to his son but to everyone, even to the workers. Every time Darren asked his father why his mother left them, Mr. Luther always answered his son indirectly. He always reminds Darren that he should not hate her because she may not be here with them, but she is still his mother.

"Pa, how about you?" Masakit maiwan ng magulang pero alam ni Darren na doble ang sakit nararamdaman ng ama niya.

"When I see you happy, it makes me happier."

Nasaktan si Darren sa sinabi ni Mr. Luther. Hindi ba pwedeng maging masaya ang kanyang ama para sa sarili nito?

Never nang babae si Mr. Luther. Para rito ay ang ina ni Darren ang nag-iisang babae na mamahalin niya. Hindi naman ni Darren sinasabi na maghanap na itong iba, ang para sa kanya lang naman ay maging masaya ang ama niya. Mag-enjoy sa sarili nitong buhay dahil laging na kay Darren lang atensyon nito at sa kumpanya.

Sa oras na usapang pamilya na ay hindi ni Darren mapigilan na maging iyakin. Lalaki siya pero hindi naman nakakabawas ng p*********i ang masaktan at umiyak. May puso rin naman ang mga lalaki katulad ng mga babae. Marupok din ang puso nila, hindi lang nila pinapakita dahil kailangan nilang maging malakas alang-alang sa mga nakapaligid sa kanila.

"But looking at you right now makes me sad. I can see that you are suffering from sadness and because of something or, I must say, someone."

Pumasok sa isip ni Darren si Eleuthera. For Eleuthera, Darren is just a best friend, and it's okay for him.

"Hmm. I am sure na ang Prinsesa ng mga Augustine ang kinababaliwan mo, Son."

Nagtatakang napatingin siya sa ama. Hindi niya mawari kung kailan pa ito nalaman ni Mr. Luther.

Ganun na ba siya ka-obvious?

"Nagtataka ka ba kung bakit ko alam? Siya lang kasi ang babaeng lagi mong binabanggit sa akin. Eleuthera is your best friend, but you love her more than that. Hindi naman kita pagbabawalan sa nararamdaman mo sa kanya.

"Sana nga lang 'wag mong hayaan na malunod ka. Mahirap makaahon lalo na kung walang hahawak sa iyo paitaas."

Darren doesn't know what he's going to say to his father. He did not want to stop his feelings, and he was not expecting Eleuthera to love him back.

Loving a person, especially your own best friend, is a gamble; there's a small chance that you will win, so you must not wait for it. You will die waiting for something that will never come. But if you win, you are lucky. Don't waste your time and grab the chance.

Masakit umasa kaya mas pinili niya na lang na mahalin si Eleuthera nang walang hinihinging kapalit. Masasaktan siya o magiging masaya—he does not give a damn as long as he loves her. He's going to love her.

Naputol ang pag-uusap nilang mag-ama nang may tumawag kay Mr. Luther. Darren was certain that it was about business.

Nanatili si Darren sa garden. Kinuha niya ang phone, at tiningnan ang wallpaper na naglalaman ng stolen shot niya kay Eleuthera.

If he's going to describe her, she was a simple person covered by shiny stars. She is extraordinary in his eyes.

Hindi maaaring ikumpara si Eleuthera sa mga babaeng nasa mga telebisyon. She has a unique beauty, and Darren doesn't love her because of her face; he loves her because she is Eleuthera. She is uniquely beautiful but secretly dangerous.

If someone asks Darren what kind of work Eleuthera does, he will just simply say she is not a gangster nor an assassin; she is unknown. Like Eleuthera, Darren is also an unknown. People should not know their real world. It is already clear that they are not everyone's hero, but they are not too vicious. They are just neutral.

"I think it was rude when you were eyeing my best friend's picture with a weird smile on your lips. Are you having a bad fantasy about her? Do you have a death wish?"

Muntik nang mahulog si Darren sa gulat nang magsalita ang babaeng may malamig na boses sa gilid niya.

"What the fudge?" bulyaw niya sa pagkairita bago lumingon sa babae.

"Oh," she said plainly.

Nakatingin lang si Heavenzy kay Darren na may inaantok na mga mata. She's telling him silently na isa siyang lalaki na kailanman ay hindi niya pagkakainteresan.

"Ano ang ginagawa mo dito sa bahay namin sa ganito kaaga? Alam ba 'to ni Eleuthera?"

Hindi na nag-abalang sumagot ang dalaga. Naramdaman niyang paparating na ang ama ng binata.

"Good morning, Hija. Nandito ka na pala. Pasensya na kung ngayon lang ako,"

nakangiting pagbati sa kanya ni Mr. Luther.

Walang katiting na ngiti ang sumilay sa labi ng dalaga. Walang makakasabi kung sino sa kanilang dalawa ni Eleuthera ang mas malamig. Si Eleuthera kasi ay paiba-iba ang ugali pero sa oras na mawalan siya ng gana ay sobrang lamig niya rin. They are really best friends. They are all odd, but cool. Also, their presence screams something that an ordinary person could flinch at.

"Ren, Anak. Alam mo naman na magkaibigan ang mga Nakamura at Ramirez kahit sa mga negosyo natin. Ikaw bilang heir ng Ramirez Company at si Heavenzy bilang heiress ng company nila ay napagkasunduan namin ng parents niya na sanayin na kayo sa business ngayon pa lang."

For the first time, Darren does not understand his father. Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit kailangan pa ipadala si Heavenzy sa bahay nila. Kaya niya matutong mag-isa.

They are both friends of Eleuthera, but they never had a chance to have a talk, like they were born to be strangers to each other, not until this day came.

Sinadya nga ni Darren na 'wag magkita ang landas niya at ng mga kaibigan ni Eleuthera. Ayaw nila ni Eleuthera na hayaan ang mga ito na may malaman kahit kasing liit ng kaliskis ng isda tungkol sa pinaggagawa nila ngayon. Iniiwasan nilang dalawa na magdulot ng lason na ikakapahamak ng mga ito.

"And we want you two to be close friends for the future's sake."

Close friends? Why all of a sudden? For the future's sake? Darren hissed to himself. He has a bad feeling about this.

Tumingin si Darren kay Heavenzy na may nakikiusap na mata na 'wag pumayag ang babae. Ang hindi niya inaasahan na magaganap ay nilihis nito ang paningin na pawang walang pakialam sa kahit na anumang bagay.

Darren was fully conscious that Heavenzy feels hostility toward his existence; she loathes him because of what she speculates. Para rito ay inaagaw niya ang atensyon ni Eleuthera mula sa kanila.

"Pa," he called his father's attention.

Kung walang balak na humindi si Heavenzy sa plano ng mga magulang nila, si Darren na ang gagawa ng paraan para hindi matuloy ito.

"Yes, Son? Hindi ka naman siguro aayaw sa offer namin. I am counting on you. I know you can do this for our company and your future," anito.Hindi na binigyan ng pagkakataon na magsalita si Darren.

Darren loves his father so much, and the company immensely matters to him. That is why, left with no choice, he's now going to take the risk..

"Yes, Pa. I will do my best for you not to be disappointed. "

Hindi niya akalain na ang simpleng 'yes' lang ay magpapabago sa takbo ng mundo niya.

Pumunta si Heaven at Darren sa park ng subdivision. Pinakiusapan siya ng ama na gumala kasama si Heavenzy. Katulad ng dati ay tahimik na naman ang babae. Walang alam si Darren kung bakit naging ganito si Heavenzy, hindi naman kasi pala-kwento si Eleuthera lalo na kung personal.

Diretso ang tingin ng babae, halos hindi na kumukurap.

"What are we going to do here?" Nabigla na naman si Darren nang biglang nagsalita si Heavenzy.

Kung may sakit siya sa puso ay baka inatake na siya. Para kasing multo ang kasama niya.

Binuka ni Darren ang bibig. Nag-iisip kung ano ba ang dapat niyang isagot dito.

Nahalata ni Heavenzy na hindi rin alam ni Darren kung ano gagawin. She sighed and looked at him with her famous blank face.

Darren is not comfortable with her. He thinks any minute she's going to do something to get rid of him.

"You are my best friend's slave, right?"

Kumunot ang noo ni Darren. Kailan pa siya naging alila ni Eleuthera?

She smirked when she saw his reaction.

"Lagi kang sumusunod sa kanya or if you are not her slave, maybe you are her new dog."

She is getting on his nerves.

If only she were not the best friend of Eleuthera, Darren would have already made her taste her words. But she is also a girl, and he has Goddamn respect for them, for the mother's sake.

Darren never thought it was going to be hard to be close to her.

"I am not her slave nor her dog, Miss." He really stressed the word "miss," so in that way, she would know her restrictions.

He saw some glimpse of her emotion.

Nabigla si Darren sa mga sumunod na kilos ni Heavenzy. Hawak na nito ang collar niya at may nakatutok na kutsilyo sa kanyang leeg.

"Damn! What are you thinking? Let me go," naiinis na ani ni Darren. She seems to enjoy playing with the knife.

"What do you know about Eleuthera?" Tumingin si Heavenzy sa mga mata ni Darren She is not blinking nor hesitating.

Her face was a few inch away from his face.

Hindi ni Darren alam kung ano meron sa mga mata ng babae at bigla na lang siya napatitig doon. He can see a sadness in her eyes, na nagpalunod sa kanya.

Darren, come back to your senses, he warned himself. Work outward; you need to get out of here.

"Answer me, hmm?" With her soft voice, Darren loses himself.

"What do you want to know about her, Heaven?"

Heavenzy grinned. Finally, her plan worked. Ah, she disgusts herself for using a soft voice.

From a hidden spot, Eleuthera tiredly sighed. She's been secretly watching the two.

Heavenzy sweetly said to Darren, "Tell me everything you know and I'm supposed to not know."

When Eleuthera heard that, she started to walk away. She does not want to hear what Darren could possibly say, because she might feel betrayed.

And watching them together, already makes her ache.