Chapter 17: The Date 2
1069 Words
Sunog.
Minsan pangyayari, minsan ulam.
Mahinang napamura si Will habang nakatitig sa piniritong isda na sana’y pananghalian nila ni Cassie.
Lumabas siya sandali dahil kinausap niya si Ivan, ang matalik niyang kaibigan mula nang pumasok siya sa The Organization.
He left her with instructions. It was very clear... or so he thought.
"You know what, puwede kang sampahan ng kaso ng mga isdang ‘to sa kabilang buhay. You burned them to the point of unrecognition,Cassie! Hindi ka na naawa.”
Inayos niya ang pagkakasandig sa lababo at sinulyapan ulit ang mga isda na nasa plato. Puwede nang pumasang uling ang mga ‘yon. Hindi niya tuloy alam kung matatawa siya o maiinis.
Piniili niya ang muling bumaling kay Cassie. Cassie just stood at the opposite side of the small table. She was biting her lower lip, her face was red, and her hand was tightly clutching the blanket draped all over her body.
"I-I'm sorry..." kumikibot ang labing sagot nito. Her face crumpled. "I-It keeps on making that scary popping sound everytime I try to get close to it. As if it doesn't want to be flipped or maybe it's getting its revenge! It's so scary kaya!" She chewed her lower lip.
He suppressed a laugh.
"Ah, kaya ka nagkumot?"
Lumabi ito, tumango. Masarap asarin.
"Hindi ka takot makipagkarera pero takot ka sa tunog ng pinipritong isda? You’re such a baby," asar niya rito.
Agad na tumalim ang mga mata nito sa kanya. "I’m not a baby!" singhal nito bago nagmabilis na tinanggal ang kumot at ibinato sa kanya. Imbes na mainis sa ginawa nito, lalo pa siyang ginanahang mang-asar.
"I know princess, my very eyes had seen the evidence that you're not a baby.”
Lalong namula ang pisngi nito. "You keep on bringing that up! Na parang siyang-siya ka pa na napapahiya ako! You are incorrigible and I hate you!" gigil nitong sabi bago siya binirahan ng talikod papasok sa kuwarto.
Susundan niya sana ito kaya lang mabilis itong nag-lock ng pinto.
"Hey witch, open up!" he said in between knocks.
"Go away, Kapre! You're an overbearing infantile egomaniac pervert! Go away!"
"You do know that you are in my room right?" paalala niya, pasigaw.
"I don't care! I am taking over this room. I cleaned it anyway. I will stay in this room!"
"I will kick this door down!" banta niya.
"Suit yourself!" kaswal ang tinig na sagot nito.
Naihilamos na niya ang palad sa kanyang mukha. Nagmamatigas na naman ang prinsesa. And he can't break the door. That would cause too much noise. Maririnig iyon ng mga kapitbahay. At ayaw niya ng atensiyon tungkol sa tunay niyang trabaho.
It was just the second day and she was driving him nuts!
Muli siyang kumatok sa pinto. This time the princess didn’t answer.
Nagpalinga-linga siya at naghanap ng puwedeng gamitin sa pag-pick ng lock. He left his keys inside the room.
May nahagip siyang dalawang paper clip mula sa salansan ng diyaryo sa ibabaw ng ref. Kinuha niya iyon at ginamit na pambukas ng seradura. Matapos marinig ang mahinang click ng seradura, agad niya iyong pinihit pabukas.
There he saw Cassie lying on the bed. She’s covering her face with the pillow she’s clutching tightly. Nakarinig din siya ng mahihinang pagsinghot.
Was she crying again?
Dahan-dahan siyang nagbuga ng hangin bago lumapit sa kama. He saw her clutched the pillow tighter when she felt his presence.
"Get up. We're going somewhere," aniya sa malumanay na tinig.
"No, I'm staying! Iwanan mo na lang ako dito," sagot nito, nakaharang pa rin ang unan sa mukha.
"I can't do that. I'm your guardian, remember?"
"No you're not! You are just here to make my life miserable as if my life is not miserable enough!" sagot nito, nakadagan pa rin ang unan sa mukha.
He sighed.
"Okay, I’m sorry, I went too far, " aniya, bago marahang umupo sa tabi nito.
"I don't need your sorry. Because no matter what I do, I am always bound to make mistakes. Always," puno ng pait na sabi nito. "You just got lucky I didn't burn the whole building," dagdag pa nito.
He heaved a deep sigh. This side of Cassie is new to him. She’s always confident and sure of herself. She's impulsive, alright. Most of the time. But she's never bound to just make mistakes. She just needed to learn on how to do things. Like everyone does.
"I know you're not stupid enough to burn the whole building, Cassie," aniya sa masuyong tinig.
Unti-unti nitong niluwagan ang pagkakayakap sa unan at bahagya siyang sinilip sa ilalim niyon.
She looked at him like he had grown two horns.
'What?" untag niya rito maya-maya.
"That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me since we’ve met," sagot nito na bahagya pang suminghot.
Napakurap siya at bahagyang ngumiti.
"But you're still a witch," he grinned.
Agad itong umirap bago muling itinakip sa mukha nito ang unan. Ewan niya kung bakit naaaliw siya sa pag-irap nito. Kung ipapalista sa kanya kung anu-ano ang gusto niya rito mangunguna sa listahan ang pag-irap nito, sunod siguro and pagsinghal, at siyempre di rin mawawala ang pagdadabog nito. He likes her angry. She's feisty and it's attractive.
Natigilan siya.
Seryoso? Listahan ng kung ano ang mga nagustuhan niya kay Mangku? A list like that exist? And he found all of those things attractive?
Hell!
He seriously needs to have lunch ASAP! His brain is getting f****d up by the second and he needs to fill his gut to recover from those insane train of thoughts.
Tumayo siya.
"Get up Cassie, may pupuntahan tayo," aniya.
Hindi ito sumagot bagkus ay humigpit ulit ang kapit nito sa unan na nakatakip sa ulo nito.
Nagbuga siya ng hininga bago may kinuha sa bulsa at muling nagsalita.
"I am making a deal again with you and the price is this."
Marahan nitong inalis ang unan sa mukha nito at muling sumilip gamit lamang ang isang mata.
Para itong jack-in-the-box at mabilis pa sa alas-kuwartong bumalikwas sa kama at agad na tumayo, pilit na inaabot ang hawak niyang locket.
"Ibigay mo sa akin 'yang kuwintas ng Mommy ko! Akin ‘yan!" singhal nito sa habang pilit na inaabot ang kuwintas na pilit naman niyang nilalayo. "Bakit ba nasa 'yo yan? Ano ba kasing gusto mo?" mangiyak-ngiyak na sabi nito.
He looked at her and said, "Have lunch with me."
- Writer
