Chapter 22
1393 Words
CONTINUATION
“Now, you can paddle your legs, flap your legs, I’m here so you can float,” ani Matt.
Hindi niya alam kung seryoso ito o hindi but she did as what she said, and she flapped her legs like a kid. She giggled and she felt like a small kid and laughed. She didn’t notice, that their laughter has blended together already as a unison. It chimed like bells in the ear, creating a beautiful merry sound. Hindi nila namalayan na nakangiti na sa kanila na nakamasid ang pamilya ni Heidi.
Matt tried his best to teach her, even guided her back to make her afloat in the water. She can see the sky above her, and it was bluish white. Even if submerged in water, she can feel the warmness from Matt’s palm pressing through her skin.
It was a delectable feeling. She cant just feel it through her veins, it was a new feeling, and even though she cant name it herself, it feels like this was the feeling of what her heroine might feel in her novels.
That blossoming feeling of appreciation, of getting to know each other, of slowly sinking that feeling in her system.
She must be crazy! This is her boss. Mabilis na ipinilig niya ang ulo ng mapaapak ulit sa buhangin ang paa niya. She gently distanced herself away from Matt for a bit, lounging herself in the water. She watched him swim away, frolick in the water by himself and it made him smile. Nakipaglaro ito ng saglit sa bata.
Maya-maya ay nakipagsaluhan na sila para sa lunch. It was indeed a relaxing day. Two more hours later, and they lazed around the mat, under the shade of the coconut trees.
Ngunit matapos niyon ay nagambala sila sa biglang pagkabalisa ni Heidi. Muling lumoblob ang anak nito na si Bitoy, ngunit bumalik ito na namumula ang buong isang binti, na para bang may kumagat dito.
“It’s unusual… but it must be a stingray,” ani Matt, urging Heidi’s husband to immediately take the boat again, together with Heidi and her son. He instructed for them to go to the nearest hospital in town.
“Kayo po sir?” aniya ng nabalisang mga magulang.
“You can come back for us later,” ani Matt, “we will also need to clean it here,” tukoy ni Matt sa mga gamit na naiwan.
Napatango-tango si Chelsie. They were in that moment, in the height of adrenaline rush, and no one really thought of the repercussion of leaving themselves behind in the island. For them, they just wanted the child to have the available medical care as quickly as possible, that’s the most important of all.
They didn’t foresee that one hour later, then two hours later, and then three hours came…there was no sign of a boat coming again for them.
“Marahil ay hindi pa okay si Biboy,” may pag-aalala na sambit niya, “kaya hindi pa tayo binabalikan.”
But the sky was already lining a tinge of orange in the sky. Sunset would soon bear in very soon.
“Maybe we should gather some dry woods,” ani Matt. Looking around. Niligpit na nga nila ang gamit, at nagpasalamat siya dahil may maliit nga na mini kubo cottage. Open ito, pero at least may masisilungan nila kung ano man ang mangyari, kung umulan o anuman. Nilagay nila ang mga gamit sa mesa, good thing they have a flashlight with them as well kung abutan man sila ng gabi. Matt was right, maybe they need to make some fire once the darkness sits in.
She walked behind him, gathering some woods in the little moss of forest in the middle of the island. Ngunit ng may biglang lumundag sa kaniya na insekto ay hindi niya napigilang mapatili.
She huddled close to Matt, who immediately scooped her beside him. Naramdaman niya ang pagpulupot ng bisig nito sa beywang niya, drawing her closer.
She cant help but blush with the whole scenario. Everything felt like a scene in her novels. And she can feel again the warm gush in her heart and stomach, making her felt squeamy inside.
“Are you okay?” Matt asked her, almost leaning towards her, his face close to her, checking on her with those sincere eyes, at kahit medyo nagdidilim na ang ulap, she can still trace how handsome he is.
“I think this will be enough for a night,” ani Matt na may dala-dala nang piraso ng kahoy. Bumalik sila malapit sa kubo, and to her surprise, Matt seemed to know well how to lit a woodfire as well.
He seemed to have many talents then, she thought.
It was timing, when the sun and sky was fighting each other in a closure, that there fire also lit.
At least it made them warm, with the limited clothes that they brought. Sa food naman, may natitira pa silang pagkain sa mesa sa kubo. Matt also suggested that they eat. They sat beside each other, naka-upo sa isang malaking log, nakaharap sa wood fire. In that moment, her worries were eased.
Totoong medyo nakakatakot talaga ang paligid. There were just the two of them in that island. And anything could happen, but with Matt by her side, it seemed like they can overcome whatever has happened to them.
“I just hope Biboy is fine,” she uttered, staring in the fire.
“Me too, and hopefully they can get back to us. I know there’s a valid reason they’re not back. I’m sorry you got stuck in here with me, Chelsie.”
“Oh no,” iling niya. “Lahat naman may dahilan kung anong nangyayari.”
“You think so? That may dahilan ang lahat?”
It seemed like a sudden deep question, and she kinda nodded her head a bit. It felt like that Matt also though of that deeply.
“I guess there is,” she answered. “We never know, yung mga nangyayari sa’tin sa tingin ko hindi naman basta basta binibigay sa ‘tin kung hindi natin malalagpasan.”
“What if you’re given only a last chance, what do you make of it?” his expression was serious, just watching her. She felt her whole system melt in the warmth of that moment.
Matt’s eyes glowed so beautifully beside the fire.
“You make the best out of it,” she whispered. She can already feel the coldness outside of that fire. Everything was pitched back surrounding them. What was left was the sound of the ocean crashing its waves and the insects and birds from far away.
And when she looked up, there were a million of stars looking down upon them. “You make every moment count, you just take everything.”
Napatango-tango si Matt, still eyeing her. “How about you Chelsie, if you’re given your last moment in earth, what do you want to experience?”
It felt like a very genuine question, and she can feel him look her in the eye with sincerity, with such a need for an answer that could wash any anguish and fears in his heart. It felt like that moment, he was fearful, he was so vulnerable, and he was afraid…it felt like he was in need.
She wanted to touch Matt’s cheeks, to caress it.To say to him that it was okay.
“If this was my last time, my last moment on this earth, I wanted to fall in love. To not waste every moment of it. To experience true love.”
Her eyes glistened, she didn’t know why she was moved by her own words. But that maybe was what she truly wanted. To experience what love is. To discover what is there more in life.
Their eyes spoke to each other, the fire ligting up and creating shadows of their silhouette.
She can feel him move, bend his head, slowly, she knew it in her heart what would happen. But she was too mesmerized, too caught, in anticipation. And she knew it was Matt. It was her boss, it was the ‘Matt Vallejo’ but she stood still. She was trapped in a trance.
She knew it, and she let it come naturally.
And there it was, Matt’s lips sealed on her.
- Writer
