TIBC 1 - THE RUGGED KNIGHT

NAPABALIKWAS sa kama si Greg. His bare upper body and his face are wet with sweat. Saglit siyang napatingin sa paligid.  He was disoriented for a while bago naging malinaw ang isip niya. He was in his room, on his unit at the 26th floor of an expensive condominium building in Makati. Malamig ang silid niya dahil sa aircon. It was dead silent and he was alone.           Naihilamos niya ang dalawang kamay sa mukha niya. So, it was all a dream. Mariin siyang pumikit. He tried to determine whether he had a good or bad dream. Pinilit niyang alalahanin ang mga eksena sa panaginip niya. Flashes of scenes came to his mind. It was surreal and blurred and it’s making his head ache along with something on the middle of his chest. Which doesn’t make any sense. Because after a decade, he believed there was nothing there anymore. The first thing he remembered from his dream was the sound of the sea, then the feeling of the cold breeze on his skin. Naalala niyang may kahawak-kamay siya sa panaginip niya habang naglalakad sa dalampasigan. Naalala pa niya ang pakiramdam ng mahabang buhok nitong nililipad ng hangin na tumatama sa gilid ng mukha niya.  In his blurry vision, he could outline her face and her wide smile. He could still remember the warmth and happiness he felt on his heart while holding her hand. Kahit hindi niya nakikita ang sarili niya, he was sure he was smiling widely at her too, laughing in fact. Bagay na matagal na niyang hindi ginagawa. Hindi na nga niya maalala kung paano gawin iyon. But that moment on his dream seemed so perfect he felt he was the happiest man alive that he could not help but laugh. Then in an instant, the scene changed. Nawala ang dalampasigan. Nawala ang kahawak kamay niya. Then he saw himself on a dark room. He was on his knees, wet with his own sweat, tears and blood. He remembered he had bruises on his body. There were few men hitting him from different directions. He could still remember the terror and pain he felt on his dream. Kahit sa mga oras na iyon ay pakiramdam niya nanunuot pa rin sa balat niya ang sakit na tinamo niya sa mga lalaking iyon sa panaginip niya. He remembered that in his dream, he was determined to endure all the pain. Pero bakit? Bakit niya tinitiis ang sakit sa panaginip niya? Siya, na kahit kailan ay hindi pumayag na madehado. Siya, na kayang makipagbugbugan wag lang masaktan ng walang kalaban laban. Why was he letting those bastards hit him to death? He tried to remember hard. Then he saw her.           In his dream, she was on the darker side of the room. Sinusubukan niyang mabistayan ang mukha nito.  Sa una ay malabo iyon, kung dahil sa dilim o dahil halos pumikit na ang mga mata niya sa pambubugbog ng mga lalaking iyon ay hindi niya mawari. Hanggang sa luminaw iyon at makita niya ang mukha ng babae. She has the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Heart shaped face, small nose, full lips, and almond shaped eyes that seemed to be owned by an angel. Only, on his dream, those almond eyes were looking at him coldly. So cold, it’s making him ache more. Far more painful than the physical pain he received.           And when she spoke, he felt like dying. “Let’s not see each other anymore. This will not work. Besides, it’s not as if I really love you. I just want to get loose for a while. But now, it’s all over.” Her words seemed like a distant echo on his ears. Then she turned her back on him. And no matter how hard he called for her, she didn’t look back. Damnit! Marahas na mura niya at umiling upang alisin sa isip ang mga eksenang iyon. Huminga siya ng malalim at tuluyang bumangon. Hinatak niya ang roba niya at walang anumang isinuot iyon upang matakpan ang kahubdan niya. He tied it carelessly, grabbed his pack of cigarette and lighter and went out of his room.           Lumabas siya sa balkonahe at saglit na dinama ang malakas na hangin sa balat niya. He looked down at the bright lights of the metropolis. Nagsindi siya ng isang sigarilyo at hinithit buga iyon upang kalamahin ang sarili. Kahit ayaw niya ay naalala niya pa rin ang eksena sa panaginip niya. Damn, if only it was just a dream, then he could just brush it off easily. Then he could go back to sleep as if nothing happened. Ilang araw siyang walang tulog dahil galing siya sa isang out of town report para sa primetime news program kung saan isa siya sa anchor. Bago pa iyon ay galing pa siya sa alumni homecoming ng college batch niya na ginanap sa Calma Beach Resort na pag-aari ni George. Pagod na pagod siya at wala siyang ibang gustong gawin kung hindi ang magpahinga dahil bukas ay balik trabaho na naman siya.           Only, it was not just a dream. Those were part of his past that he locked away since long ago. Kung bakit biglang ginulo niyon ang utak niya sa panahong hindi niya inaasahan ay wala na siyang balak alamin pa. All he wanted was to brush the memories away as soon as possible. Subalit parang nangaasar pa ang isip niya dahil muling dumaan doon ang mukha ng babaeng nasa panaginip niya.           He smirked bitterly and smoked sharply. Wala itong karapatang guluhin ang isip niya. She was not worth it. He had lived his life for so many years without her. Tapos na ang mga panahong nagpakatanga siya rito. She should not affect him anymore. She should not have the ability to hurt him anymore. He was no longer the Greg he used to be back then. He was now powerful, rich, influential and almost invincible. There is no way her mere memory could make him this restless.           Nagbuga siya ng usok at muling napamura. Hindi pwedeng ubusin niya ang oras buong gabi ng ganoon ang pakiramdam niya. Pinatay niya ang sigarilyo sa ash tray na nasa ibabaw ng maliit na bilog na mesa sa balkonahe niya at muling pumasok sa loob ng unit. He reached for his cell phone and dialed a number. Saglit lang iyong nag ring bago may sumagot. “I've been waiting for your call Greggy darling. Missed me?” anang malamyos na tinig. Naririnig niya pa ang ingay sa paligid nito sa kabilang linya. He could perfectly guess where she is. For sure, she was on some club partying. “Are you busy Sylvie?” tanong niya rito at pabagsak na umupo sa one seater couch niya.           “Oh darling, you know if it’s you I could make myself available. Wait for me okay? I’ll make you feel so good tonight,” she said seductively. Pagkuwa’y nawala na ito sa linya. As usual, he doesn’t have to say anything anymore. Alam na nito ang gagawin nito. Muli niyang ibinaba ang cellphone niya at tumingala sa kisame. He knows she’s just a phone call away. In fact, hindi lang ito ang babaeng isang tawag lang niya ay darating na kapag kailangan niya ng kasama sa kama. No strings attached. Sa totoo lang ay wala iyon sa plano niya para sa gabing iyon. But at that moment, he needs something to fill his mind other than that beautiful face, which turned out to be just a mask. In reality, she was just a b***h who betrayed and left him heartlessly. It was funny. Noon pa mang bago niya ito personal na makilala ay marami na siyang naririnig na sabi-sabi tungkol dito. Maraming nagsasabi na suplada ito, bratinella at matapobre. Na dahil anak mayaman ay mababa ang tingin nito sa iba. Hatid sundo pa ito ng mamahaling sasakyan noon at ni hindi nakikihalubilo sa ibang estudyante. Some of his flings even ranted about her bitchy personality. Ngunit nang makilala niya ito noon ay unti-unting nawala sa isip niya ang mga sabi-sabing iyon. He thought she was just misunderstood. That the woman he saw was the real her. But he was dead wrong. In the end, she lived up with what the rumors say. A heartless b***h. Naipilig niya ang ulo at muling tumayo. Muli siyang kumuha ng isa pang stick ng sigarilyo at lumakad patungo ng balkonahe. He lit it and smoked again while waiting for the woman who would fill his bed tonight. To hell with the past. Matagal na namang nangyari ang lahat. Besides, there is no way he would see her again for sure. It has been ten years and not once did he have seen even a shadow of her. Iyon ay sa kabila ng katotohanang sa loob ng sampung taon ay halos nalibot na niya ang buong pilipinas maging ang ibang bansa dahil sa trabaho niya. Well, not that he cares. He will never care for her again. Hell, he will never care for any woman again. Never.