Poisonous Love (Keanna & Gavin Story)

Chapter 16

"Sigurado ka ba't hindi ka pa napapagod magmaneho? Puwede namang ako na muna," alok ni Papa kay Gavin ng mag-stop over muna kami upang kumain ng merienda sa isang sikat na fast food restaurant.

Gavin actually paid for all the food we ordered. Even if we didn't want him to, he still insisted.

Sobrang nahihiya na nga ako kay Gavin dahil hindi na niya kami pinagbayad ng gas ng sasakyan at ang bahay pa nila ang gagamiting bakasyunan pagkatapos ay siya pa ang nagbayad ng meryenda namin ngayon. Well, I'm aware that they're really filthy reach, however, I'm still so reluctant about letting him pay for myself and family when I should be the one providing it.

"Dapat ay hinayaan mo nang ako ang magbayad," bulong ko kay Gavin habang hinihintay naming maayos and inorder na mga pagkain. "Tuwing bumibisita naman sina Mama ay ako ang gumagastos."

"Wala lang 'to, Keanna," sabi niya. "At saka gusto ko talagang may ibigay sa kanila kahit papaano."

"Letting us stay in your rest house for this trip is already enough, Gavin. Pagkatapos ay sasakyan mo pa ang gamit papunta roon. Malaki na ang natipid ko nang dahil sa pagmamagandang loob mo," nahihiya kong sabi sa kanya. "Sana ay inipon mo na lang 'yang pera mo."

He leaned on the counter, but he still looking at me."Don't worry too much," he said and gently pinched my cheek. "My mom gave me an extra alowance for this trip. I'd rather spend it for you and your family. And besides, it's not like I can see and treat them from time to time."

I pursed my lips before I sighed and smiled. "Thank you."

He smiled back at me. "Anything for you."

Pagkatapos naming kumain ay agad kaming nagpatuloy patungong Pagudpod. Nahihiya pa nga ako kay Gavin dahil nakatulugan ko ang biyahe. Nang magising naman ako ay malapit na kami sa kanilanf rest house. Nilingon ko ang labas at nakita ang ganda ng dagat na aming nadadaanan.

I smiled as I suddenly remembered the beautiful of Cagayan Valley. Ngunit sa nakikita ko ngayon, kung ako ang tatanungin masasabi kong mas maganda pa rin ang Cagayan Valley. It's an unbiased opinion. I was simply evaluating based on its visuals.

Isang liko ang ginawa ni Gavin at natanaw ko kaagad ang nag-iisang malaking bahay na nakatayo sa 'di kalayuan. Hindi pa man nakakalapit ay namamangha na ako. I didn't know how to describe its architecture.

Naalala ko tuloy ang kabahayan ng mga pamilya Mamba at Antonio sa amin. I wasn't even exaggerating because it's that huge and even the style was somehow similar. However, this rest house took a white motif. It looked very clean and classy.

Galing sa mabatong daan ay kita kong unti-unti na itong nagiging buhangin. Bigla tuloy akong na-excite na makalabas ng sasakyan at tumapak doon sa buhangin kaya nang itinigil ni Gavin ang sasakyan sa harap ng magarang bahay ay hindi na ako nakapaghintay. Agad na akong lumabas na sasakyan at hinubad ang aking tsinelas upang maramdaman ang pinong buhangin sa aking mga paa.

Narinig ko ang pagbukas ng pintuan ng sasakyan at ang baritong tawa ni Papa. "Mukhang miss na miss mo sa atin, ah."

I just smiled because it's true. I really do miss my hometown where I could go to the beach whenever I wish or to feel like swimming.

"Ayon 'yong court!" dinig kong sigaw ng aking kapatid at agad na tumakbo patungo sa half-court na nasa harapan lang din ng bahay.

Dala-dala ng kapatid ko ang bolang ibinigay na sa kanya ni Gavin. He tried dribbling the ball and I was amazed because he could actually do it pretty well. He also shot the ball in the ring. I slightly gasped when it went through.

Dinig ko ang pagpalakpak ni Gavin nang tumabi sa akin habang pinapanood ang kapatid ko. "You're doing great!" sigaw niya sa aking kapatid.

Nang dahil doon ay mas lalong ginanahan ang kapatid ko at nagpakitang-gilas pa lalo. He continously dribbled the ball in between his legs before he threw it again in the ring and make another point.

"Your brother is good at this," bulong sa akin ni Gavin. "He's talented. Sa tingin ko ay magiging magaling na manlalaro siya."

"Huwag mong sabihin 'yan sa kanya at baka lumaki ang ulo niyan. He's kind of conceited." sabi ko naman.

Humalakhak si Gavin at saka umakbay sa akin. "You're a bad sister," sabi niya. "Buti na lang at mabait ang ate ko."

I rolled my eyes at him and elbowed his stomach. He lightly groaned and chuckled. He even pulled me closer to him. Wala na akong magawa kundi ang mapangiti.

"Gavin, ayos lang ba talaga sa mga magulang mo na mag-stay kami rito? Nakakahiya..." nahihiyang tanong ni Mama nang makapasok na kami sa loob ng mala-masyon na rest house.

Now that I saw the rest house's interior, I couldn't help but to look around in awe. The white motif and theme made it looked so timeless. There were some shades of black and brown but the color white was taking up the majority. I think minimalist individuals would like this house so much. Idagdag mo pa na nasa tabing dagat ang bahay. Mas lalong naging maaliwalas.

"My mom is very willing po. Kahit ilang araw pa nga po ay ayos lang sa kanila. Hindi rin naman po namin 'to masyadong mapupuntahan," sagot ni Gavin. "Gusto niya lang po talagang magkaroon ng bahay sa tabing dagat kaya nila 'to pinatayo ni Daddy. At saka, mayroon kaming mapuntahan kapag naisipang lumayo sa maingay na kapaligiran."

"Baka magustuhan pala ng mommy mo ang bahay namin sa Cagayan Valley," sabi ni Papa. "Hindi kasing laki nitong rest house niyo at tamang-tama lang para sa pamilya namin pero nasa tabing dagat. Madalas na nanonood si Keanna roon pagsikat at paglubog ng araw dahil talagang maganda ang tanawin. Kung 'di naman nanonood ay naliligo sila ng mga kaibigan at mga kapatid niya sa dagat."

"Sanay po si Mommy sa simpleng buhay. I think she'll like it," nakangiting sabi ni Gavin.

Manghang-mangha ako sa glass walls at sliding door kung saan ang daan patungo sa dagat. Kitang kita ko ang kagandahan ng dalampasigan. Just by looking at it, it felt like the sea was inviting me to play in its water.

I slowly unlocked the door and slid it to the right in order to open it. I was immediately welcomed by the cold sea breeze. The pleasant smell of the sea water enveloped my nose that brought me thousands of memories back when I was in Cagayan Valley. The nostalgia was too strong.

Sa mga sandaling 'yon pakiramdam ko ay mag-isa lamang ako. Tuloy-tuloy akong naglakad palabas at pababa ng dagat. Nang manuot ang pinong buhangin sa pagitan ng aking mga daliri sa paa ay mas lalo akong nanengganyong lumayo upang mapag-isa.

Huminto ako sa paglalakad nang maramdaman kong basa na ang buhangin dahil inabot na ito ng alon. Ibinaon ko ang aking mga paa buhangin. Ilang segundo lang nakalipas ay inabot na ito ng alon.

I never thought that feeling the sea water on my skin would make me so happy. I really missed Cagayan Valley and being here made made the longingness subside somehow.

"You look so happy..."

Bago pa ako makalingon sa aking likuran naramdaman ko na sa aking tabi si Gavin. Nagkadikit pa nga ang aming mga braso.The warmth of his skin made me feel somehow warm from the blowing cold sea breeze. Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa ganda ng dagat at nakitang malapit nang bumaba ang araw upang mamahinga.

"Namimiss ko kasi ang dagat. Alam mo naman... lumaki akong nakatira sa dagat," sabi ko sa kanya. "It's like a part of my life already. Ngayon tuloy ay napapaisip ako kung paano ako nakatagal sa Norte."

"Kung ganoon, bakit hindi ka umuuwi tuwing mayroong bakasyon? Lalo na tuwing summer break," nagtataka niyang tanong.

"'Di ba nga't mayroon akong part-time job tuwing bakasyon?" paalala ko sa kanya. "Gusto kong mabawasan ang gastusin nila Nanay sa pagpapaaral sa akin kahit alam kong kayang-kaya nilabg tustusan ang lahat ng mga pangangailangan ko na hindi limitado. At kahit papano gusto ko ring makatulong kina Mama at Papa kaya sinusubukan kong magtrabaho para hindi ako hihingi sa kanila kung nagigipit ako sa mga gastusin sa eskwela. 'Yong hihingiin ko ay para na lamang sa kailangan din ng mga kapatid ko. I also want to train myself to become independent. Pagkagraduate ko ay susubukan kong sa Maynila ako makipagsapalaran."

Napangiti ako habang iniisip ang mga plano sa buhay. I know it'll be hard and there's still a long way to go, but I have high hopes for my future. The more your dreams or goals seem impossible to achieve, the more you should work for it. May mga tao kasi na kapag naisip nilang mahirap makamit ang isang bagay, kahit hindi pa nila nagagawa ang lahat para makuha ito, susuko na lang sila at sasabihing hindi iyon para sa kanila.

"You just made me fall for you even more..."

My heary pounded crazily that it felt like it was about to burst out from my chest. And then Gavin hand claimed mine as gentle as possible. It made me look at him who was sporting a hopeful look.

The setting sun's rays illuminated his face. He looked like a model straight from the magazine when in reality, he's just in front of me. The sea breeze was slightly blowing on his hair that it became kinda messy, but that only made him more attractive.

"When I first saw you after our game that time, I have to admit that you already caught my attention. You were looking so simple and yet, you still managed to stand out," he confessed. "To be honest, before I met you, I haven't considered getting to know girls and becoming attached to them. That's why I was feeling regretful when I thought that you're in a relationship with your friend. I kept on thinking and ssking myself, where have you been all this time and why didn't I met you first?"

My treacherous tear ducts betrayed me by forming tears in my eyes. I didn't want to be so emotional but all my feelings were naturally flowing out.

"But when I finally got the chane to know you better, knowing that you're not committed to anyone, a spark of hope appeared and encouraged me to pursue you more," he said. "I know that I may not have been very vocal about my feelings, but I hope my actions are enough to make you feel how special you are to me."

Inayos niya ang pagkakahawak sa aking kamay. Mas lalo niya pang hinigpitan ang kapit sa akin.

"And since I finally got permission to your real parents as well, I can now ask you the question that I've been wanting to ask you from the moment you let me into your life..." he trailed and brought my hand to his chest. My lips parted whenI felt it beating like mine. "I may not know how you really feel about me, but I just want to tell you in front of the beautiful sea, it's horizon and the setting sun, I love you."

Hearing those three words from him were like a cue for my tears to start falling. My eyes were blurry, but it was like a magic that I could still see him clearly.

"Keanna, will you be my girl?" he asked me in his husky voice. "Please?" he added in a very cute way.

In the middle of crying, I chuckled and nodded before pulling him into a tight embrace because I can finally do it without any hesitation.

"Is that a yes?" paninigurado niyang bulong sa akin habang nakayakap ako sa kanya.

Muli akong tumango at mas hinigpitan ang aking yakap sa kanya. "Yes..."

I thought my embrace was already very tight, but when he hugged me back, I never knew that there could be a tighter embrace than mine. The way his arms were wrapped around my body was claiming me in a very possessiive way.

It's ironic because as the day began to end with the symbolism of the setting sun, our relationship as a couple was only about to start, and I think that's beautiful.

"Napa-oo mo ba?" pambungad na tanong ni Papa nang pumasok kaming muli sa loob ng rest house.

From our intertwined hands, Gavin wrapped his arm around my waist to pulled me even closer to him. "Mission accomplished," he told my father.

Humalakhak si Papa at saka pumalakpak habang papalapit sa amin. Si Mama naman ay mas naging emosyonal pa sa akin nang makita kong nangningning ang kanyang mga mata para sa nagbabadyang luha. Kung maka-react sila ay kala mong pagpapakasal na ang inaya sa akin ni Gavin. Though, I couldn't blame them because I was feeling the same way. It was a dream come true for me. It was too overwhelming.

Naging mabilis lamang ang aming bakasyon. Marami kaming nagawang mga water activities noong sumunod na araw kaya mas lalong bumilis ang takbo ng oras. Madalas ay kami ni Gavin ang magkasama sa mga water activities. Angkas-angkas niya ako sa jetski na mukhang sanay na sanay niyang manipulahin. Pagdating naman sa pagsisid sa kagandahan ng dagat ay doon ako nakasabay sa kanya.

Mag alas-kwarto na kami ng hapon nagsimulang tumulak pabalik ng Norte. Kapag may pagkakataon ay hawak-hawak ni Gavin ang aking kamay habang siya ay nagmamaneho. Kinakantyawan pa nga kami ng pang-iinis ni Papa na agad namang sinusuway ni Mama.

I was busy viewing our photos on his phone when I was already done checking mine. Napalitan na nga niya kaagad ang lockscreen na ang kapatid ko pa ang kumuha. It's a silhouette photo of us facing the endless horizon. Mayroon ding picture namin nila Mama, Papa at ang kapatid ko na kasama siya. We asked the care taker of their rest house to take a picture of us.

Alas sais na ng makarating kami ng Norte. Nagtake-out muna kami ng makakaing dinner bago dumiretso sa aking apartment.

"We're here," Gavin announced the momemt he stepped on the brakes to stop the car.

I smiled at him and faced front just to be surprise when I saw a familiar figure standing in front of my apartment. Napaawang ang aking mga labi nang makitang tumigil ito sa paglalakad palayo upang lingunin ang dumating na sasakyan. Bumilis ang pagtibok ng aking puso. Hindi ko malaman kung ano ang gagawin ko.

"Oh! Hindi ba't si Jethro 'yon?" gulat na sabi ni Papa nang mukhang makita rin ang aking kaibigan sa harapan.

Bumaba si Papa sa sasakyan at agad na sinalubong ni Jethro na mukhang nagulat. Sumunod din agad si Mama at nagmano sa kanya si Jethro. Ang kapatid ko naman ay dire-diretso lang patungo sa pintuan ng aking apartment at hinihintay na mabuksan ito upang makapask na siya at makapagpahinga mula sa nakakapagod na araw at mahabang biyahe.

"You're friend is here," Gavin suddenly said.

Tumango naman ako at saka siya nilingon. "Uuwi ka na ba agad?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Yes. May cousin's are expecting me to come home tonight. We're going to this bar in Mabini... I'll text you the details," he answered.

"Oh, sige..." sabi ko na lang. "Bababa na ako."

He nodded. "Sasamahan na kita. Magpapaalam ako ako kina Tito."

Wala na akong magawa kundi ang tumango. Ipapaliwanag ko na lang kay Jethro ang lahat pagkaalis ni Gavin.

Mukhang kanina pa inaabangan ni Jethro ang aking pagbaba sa sasakyan dahil nasa akin kaagad ang atensyon pagkalabas ko. Nalipat nga lang ang kanyang tingin kay Gavin na agad lumapit sa akin. Dumako rin kalaunan ang kanyang mga mata sa pinagsiklop na kamay namin ni Gavin habang papalapit sa aking mga magulang.

"Tito, Tita mauuna na po ako. Babalik na lang po ako bukas ng maaga para ihatid kayo istasyon ng bus," pagpapaalam ni Gavin kay Papa.

"Nako! Huwag ka nang mag-abala, Gavin. Nakakahiya at noong isang araw ka pa namin naabala," nahihiyang sabi ni Mama.

Ngumiti naman si Gavin at umiling. "Wala pong problema sa akin. Gusto ko naman po 'tong ginagawa ko," sabi niya.

"Oh, sige... Ikaw ang bahala," sagot na lang ni Mama at hindi na maalis sa kanyang mga mata ang adorasyon kay Gavin.

Nilingon ni Gavin si Jethro na halos dumikit na ang mariing titig sa kanya. Nginitian at tinanguan siya ni Gavin bago ito lumapit sa aking kapatid upang magpaalam. Binuksan ko na no'n ang pintuan ng apartment para makapasok na sila Mama.

'I'll go home now," Gavin told me once he was done bidding his good byes to my family.

I nodded and smiled at him. "Drive safely. Text me once you're home," I told him.

"No problem," he said and leaned forward to kiss my forehead like he always does before going to his car.

Bahagya akong umatras upang makadaan ang kanyang sasakyan paalis. Nang mawala na ito sa aking paningin ay saka ko hinarap si Jethro. I almost trembled in fear when I saw the feelings of betrayal lingering inside his eyes.

"Jethro..." I called him in a very soft voice. I wasn't even sure if he was able to hear it.

"Kayo na?" diretso at walang pag-aalinlangan niyang tanong sa akin.

The silence stretched between us as I gathered all the courage I have. With a determined soul to tell him the truth and apologize from keeping things that he should know, I looked up to Jethro once again and nodded to confirm his thoughts.