Finding Avie's body

Chapter 28

I was still busy roaming around Drake’s office when I heard a noise outside it was followed by begging. I decided to go out and look for myself.

I saw a man begging at his knees, he was begging for Drake’s mercy.

I look at Drake and saw his cold eyes that almost made me shiver.

He was looking at the man without any emotions. Napakarami ng empleyado na nakaka-kita ng nangyayari.

“Please Mr. Lacson please give me another chance nagawa ko lang yon dahil kailangang kailangan ng pamilya ko yung pera kaya ko yon nagawa. But I am planning to give back the money, just please don’t do this to me.” Paki-usap ng lalaki kay Drake.

“I don’t give chances Mr. Ramirez you should have known that from the very beginning. Hintayin mo nalang yung warrantn mo bukas. I’ll put you behind bars. Hindi ko hahayaan na makalaya ka pa. Pagsisisihan mo lahat ng ginawa mo, pero sa loob na ng kulungan.” Drake said with finality.

He didn’t bother looking back and just went inside his office.

The security immediately took care of Mr.Ramirez, nagmamakaawa pa din sya habang patuloy syang kina-kaladlad ng security.

“Anong nangyari don?” usyoso ko sa kanya.

Minasa-masahe nya muna muna yung sintido nya bago tumingin sakin at saka ako inirapan.

“Aba bakit mo ko iniirapan jan, anong kasalanan ko sayo?”inis na tanong ko sa kanya.

“Wala, ikaw kasi tinatamad pa kong pumunta sa board pilit ka ng pilit sakin pagdating ko tuloy don badtrip na ako, imbis na makaka-usap ko ng maayos si Mr.Ramirez I just lost it,” paninisi nya sa akin.

Hah he acted high mighty earlier and now he’s blaming me?

“Oh eh bakit ako ang sisisihin mo? Ako baa ng sumisante at nagtanggal ng board member? Why point your finger on me?” naiiritang sagot ko sa kanya.

He just shrugged and browsed through his phone.

“Why did he have to beg? Bakit mo ba sya tinggal?” pag-uusisa ko pa ulit.

Drake doesn’t seem to be going anywhere so I just decided to ask him about what happened earlier.

“The man embezzled money from the company, it was amounting to 15 million already,” he said non-chalantly

I was shocked to know about the amount of money, kung ano yon talagang ora mismo talagang  ipapakulong ko yon.

“But that wasn’t the main reason why I want to put him behind bars,” he said as he light up a cigarette.

Tinignan ko sya ng masama nung makita ko na nag-sindi nanaman sya ng sigarilyo.

“Ngayon lang, sobrang stressed ako.” Paki-usap nya sa akin habang ipinagpatuloy yung paghitit nya ng sigarilyo.

I gave him a warning look and then he surrendered, he threw his cigarette in the trashcan and heaved a sigh.

“You know what he did with the money? Ginamit nya sa casino tapos ipinatalo. Napag-alaman din nila Erik na ibinenta nya sa isang mayamang intsik yung isang anak nya na babae para lang matustosan yung bisyo nya,” nalulungkot na kwento nya.

“Mr. Ramirez is one of the most efficient employee of my dad, kaya nga he really trusted him. Sa totoo lang nag-umpisa sya bilang isang empleyado lang sa kompanya na nakitaan ni Dad ng abilidad at puso para sa kompanya, I was willing to let the embezzlement slide pero yung nalaman ko na pati yung anak nya nakuha nyang ibenta para lang sa bisyo nya,” kwento ulit nya.

Drake didn’t look like this earlier, he looked sad.

“Why did you have to put him into jail kung nalulungkot ka naman jan, baka di kaya ng sikmura mo yon?” biro ko sa kanya trying to lighten up the mood.

“Hindi ko maiwasang isipin na baka hindi lang ganon yung gawin nya kapag hindi sya nakukulong. May mga anak pa syang menor de edad na mga babae din.”

I looked at him and realize that Drake never really changed his been emphathetic and synphathetic ever since, and up until now ganito pa din sya. He is really a good man.

“Tama lang yung ginawa mo kesa, bigyan mo nanaman sya ng pagkakataon tapos ulitin nya lang yung ginawa nya.” Sabi ko naman sa kanya.

He looked at me in the eyes and asked the question I never thought he would ask in this moment.

“Kaya ba hindi mo ako pinatawad noon? Kasi natatakot kang ulitin ko yon? Kaya ba hindi mo ako binigyan ng pagkakataon?” tanong nya sa akin.

I really didn’t know what to answer him.

Noon kaya hindi ko sya pinatawad at binigyan ng chance hindi lang dahil sa kasalanan nya sa akin. Hindi lang yung tiwala yung naging dahilan ng hindi ko pagpatawad sa kanya. Nong niloko nya ako, I questioned myself, I questioned everything about me.

Isipin ko palang, na yung tao na mahal na mahal ako na kayang ibigay yung buhay nya para sa akin tapos niloko ako, para akong natatawa na naiiyak.

Nung niloko ako ni Drake hindi lang ako sa kanya nawalan ng tiwala.

Pati sa sarili ko, sa kakayahan ko, sa pagkatao ko at lahat ng tao na nakakasalamuha ko.

He made me think that everyone that enters my life will only pass by just like what he did. Kaya kahit pa nagkaroon ako ng relationship wala din talaga akong sineryoso.

I just wanna go with the flow, kapag may nanligaw and he feels nice I give it a try but at the end of the day, the word nice and like is very shallow for me.

I looked at him in the eyes and I felt like I was being mesmerized

“Hindi, hindi lang yon ang dahilan ko kaya hindi kita napatawad noon.” Sagot ko sa kanya while trying to avoid his gaze.

Drake looked pained with what I said.

“Eh bakit mo pa ba kasi tinatanong? Don’t tell me di ka pa nakaka-move on? Nako wag ako ha, kung di ko pa narinig kanina sa soon to be biyenan mo na ikakasal ka na baka sakali na mapa-paniwala mo pa ako hahaha!” sabi ko kay Drake matched by my fake laugh.

Ugh! Ang hirap talagang maging sinungaling kapag prangkang tao ka.

Bakit ba kasi si Mr. Ramirez nagwala-wala pa kanina?! Nadamay pa tuloy ako haynako!!!!

“What if I wasn’t really going to be married? Would it change anything?” Drake asked me seriously.

Ayan nanaman yung tingin nya na parang gustong pasukin yung utak at pagkatao ko.

I was stucked with his question, hindi ko alam yung isasagot ko kasi sa totoo lang kung hindi naman nagka-ganito yung sitwasyon ko I don’t think magkikita pa kami ni Drake. Oo baka magkita pa pala kami sa kasal nila ng kapatid ko.

“Bakit mo naman yan tinatanong? Seryoso ka ba sa lagay nato naiisip mo pa yan?” I joked at him.

Hindi ko masabing oo kasi kita naman nya yung sitwasyon ko, ni hindi ko alam kung nasaan na ba yung katawan ko, kung buhay pa ba ako kung maayos pa ba yung katawan ko o ano.

Hindi namin alam parehas kung hanggang kalian nya ako makikita kasi kahit anong oras pwede akong mawala, hindi naming hawak yung panahon. At sa palagay ko mas mahirap na magkaroon pa kami ng commitment ngayon.

Kasi walang kasiguraduhan yung buhay ko, ayokong iwanan sya ng malungkot at nasasaktan.

Ayoko na nung katulad noon.

“I just want to know, kung may mag-babago ba, I guess wala, haha” he said as he fakely laughed.

“Baka pag-nahanap na natin yung katawan mo kalimutan mo na ako ha?” he kid.

I don’t know pero sa sinabi nya na yon parang may sumuntok sa sikmura ko hahaha ang panget ng term pero parang ganon.

“Bakit ko naman gagawin yun sayo? Eh utang ko sayo yung buhay ko, sa inyo actually. Pagkatapos ng lahat ng to, I want to start my life again.” I told him honestly.

“Kasama ba ako sa start na sinasabi mo?” he asked like a boy hoping for a yes from his girlfriend.

I look at him and meet his gaze, this time I won’t avoid it. I want to see his reaction with what I was going to say.

“Why do you badly want to be part of my start? Don’t you have Alanna to think about? What is this really Drake? Tell me. Enlighten me.” Paghahamon ko sa kanya.

Drake looked at me as if he was expecting my question his gaze didn’t changed. The intensity, the fire and the passion is really evident in his eyes. I couldn’t help but be lost in it.

“Do you really wanna do this?” he asked me.

I gave him a nod to tell him to continue.

Drake was about to say something but then he decided to just close his mouth and then closed his eyes.

Hindi ko na sya pinilit pa na kausapin ako o ipagpatuloy yung pag-uusap naming dahil ayoko na ding pahabain yung pinag-uusapan naming dalawa.

Ayokong i-risk yung mga bagay nab aka masabi ko o baka malaman ko kasi baka hindi ko kayanin. Right now I want to focus on finding my body, yun muna kasi hindi ko kayang mag-invest ng sobrang emotions sa sitwasyon ko ngayon.

Ngayon na hindi ko alam kung hanggang kalian mag-eexist tong kaluluwa ko, kahit pa sinabi ni Mama Eya na I have until the next full moon before I totally die, hindi ko pa din mapigilan na mag-isip na mag-worry at matakot nab aka isang araw magising nalang ako na wala na.

Wala ng pag-asa. Kaya din siguro ngayon bawat umaga na iminumulat ko yung mata ko napaka laking pasasalamat ko na non sa Dyos dahil sa totoo lang hindi ko naman alam kung hanggang kelan ako nandito.

Pano kung yung kumuha ng katawan ko mapagdesisyonan na patayin nalang ako bigla at i-dispose ng wala na syang iniintindi?

Pano? Pano ako?

Hanggang kaya ko, pinipilit ko na wag nang pagtuunan ng pansin yung mga biro at pagpaparamdam ni Drake kasi ayoko na mas mag-invest pa sya akin ng emotions at ng memories.

Ayokong umalis ng iiwanan ko si Drake na hindi maayos. Sa totoo lang walang kasiguraduhan na mahahanap pa yung katawan ko pero umaasa pa din ako.

“Wag ka ng masyadong mag-isip. Kalimutan mo na lang yung mga sinabi ko. Let’s just take a nap. I’ll take a nap. Mga alas tres ng hapon o alas cuatro pupunta na tayo ulit kay Mang Cando. I’ll turn the tv on incase na hindi ka makatulog, pwede kang manuod ng tv.” Sabi ni Drake bigla at saka sya tumayo para i-on yung tv.

Tumawag din sya sa intercom at ininform si Erik na matutulog sya.

“Drake salamat,” yun lang yung nasabi ko sa kanya dahil sa totoo lang hindi ko na alam kung ano ba yung pwede kong sabihin sa kanya.

Oh God.

Napaka-hirap talagang pigilan ng puso.

It’s been 15 minutes and still gising pa din ako unlike Drake who is now sound asleep.

Iniisip ko pa din yung mga pinag-usapan naming kanina.

Tumayo ako para magtanggal ng inip. Nag-ikot ikot ulit ako sa office yung paa ko parang may sariling buhay na naglakad papunta sa natutulog na si Drake.

I looked at him while he was peacefully sleeping.

Noon nung hindi pa kami naghihiwalay, hobby ko yung ganito everytime na makakatulog sya pinapanuod ko sya at nilalaro ko yung mga buhok nya.

I didn’t know what pushed me pero I started playing with his hair.

Hindi naman nya ako nararamdaman dahil hindi ko naman sya nasasalat. I was actually having fun doing it. I suddenly looked at his lips.

Ugh! Avrielle what were you thinking?! Tulog naman sya eh saka hindi naman nya mararamdaman?

I gave him a smack on his cheeks.

I was about to give him another one when he suddenly opened his eyes.

“Anong ginagawa mo?” tanong ni Drake habang nagkukusot kusot sya ng mata.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!! I shouted in the inside!

“I- I was uh trying to ahm l-look at your face.” I said nervously.

HALAAAA!!! NAHULI BA AKO?!

Ang hirap palang maging mag-nanakaw T_T

“And what did you see in my face?” he asked obviously taking advantage of the situation.

“I saw your ahm uh I saw your pores! Yeah! I saw your pores! I noticed that they are quite large. Alam mo you should really go to the derma clinic! I know a good one! Look at your pores oh! And your skin may mga visible blemishes ka and medyo dry yung balat mo,” mahaba kong sabi sa kanya habang itinuturo ko yung mga pores  nya.

UGHHHH WHY AM I NOT GOOD WITH LYING?!

“yeah yeah hahaha if you say so,” he said while fixing his polo.

“Anong-anong if you say so ka jan?! talaga namang tinitignan ko lang yung pores mo?! Wala na kasi akong magawa hindi ko naman mailipat yung channel ng tv, tapos napagod na ako sa kaka-ikot sa office mo, kaya napag-desisyonan kong inspeksyonin ng kaonti yang pagmumukha mo kasi narealize ko lang, eto naman ay napansin ko lang wag mo sanang masyadong damdamin ha,”

“alam mo ba na mukhang tumanda yung itsura mo? Ahm hindi kana ganoon ka gwapo kumpara noon. Ghad look at your skin and your lips?! They look terrible my ghad!” palusot ko pa.

He just laughed his ass off and act like it was the most impossible thing to happen in this world.

“Oh? Anong tinatawa tawa mo jan? Mukha ba akong nagbibiro sa paningin mo? Seriously sa palagay ko talaga you need skin treatments na.” I said while rolling my eyes at him.

Patuloy lang sya sa pagtawa inis na inis ako habang naririnig ko yung mga halakhak nya.

“Will please stop laughing?! Nakakainis ka na sa totoo lang! ano ba kasi yung tinatawa mo jan ha?” inis na inis na singhal ko sa kanya.

Hindi pa din nya ako pinapansin tawa pa din sya ng tawa na akala mo ay end of the world na.

“Pag hindi kappa tumigil sa kakatawa mo aalis talaga ako dito,” pagbabanta ko sa kanya.

UGH! Bakit ba naman kasi ang bobo bobo kong gumawa ng palusot?!

Anong ba naman kasi ang naisip isipan ko at hinalikan ko tong hudas na to?! Mamamatay na ata talaga ako baka premonition ko na to?!

He stopped laughing and looked at me as if I really made him happy.

“Yeah Avrielle Akiesha continue convincing yourself, we both know the truth. HAHAHA!” he said again then closed his eyes again.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! NAKAKA-INIS!

NEVER AGAIN AVRIELLE AKIESHA! NEVER AGAIN!