MEN OF OLYMPUS: APOLLO

THE DAWN TO HIS DUSK

Marahas kong inunat ang kanina ko pang nangangalay na braso dahil na rin sa ilang oras na akong nag-iikot sa buong venue habang dala- dala ang tray na puno ng iba’t ibang klaseng inumin na ise-serve sa mga guest ng after party lang naman ng nag-iisang Sinag Tala Academy Awards.

The whole venue is shining not just the glimmer lights that surrounded the place or the grandeur chandelier that place on the middle of the hall taking a great view of the whole place a little fancier and grander. Plus, the this is held to one of the five star hotel in the Philippines that owned by the Villaruz family that have numbers of five hotel not just here in the country but also some part of Asia, Europe and America.

But of course, this night shines not just because of the pretty lights that this extravagant hall offers but also because of the stars or the actors and also some biggest name on the film and production industry.

I just encountered a while two of the brightest star here, while being a waitress and serving them drinks. Una, is the renown fashion designer Matt Vallderama that is well known to his masterpiece couture and the Best Actor of the night Apollo Callixto, that true to his his name that he is a star. I can’t help but to swoon by those two men. Matt Vallderama has this stoic kinda cold demeanor to him with his strong jaw, piercing gray eyes that stunning built, di mapagkakaila na marami ang humahanga at naghahabol dito. Di lang sikat ito at napaka-galing nito sa kanyang larangan but also, he is man that really to look at.

Ngunit noong madapo ang aking paningin sa nag-iisa Apollo Callixto, ang Papa A ng bayan kung tawagin ni Aling Luring sa may kanto. Speechless, hindi ako yung tipo ng babaeng agad-agad nagpapadala sa panlabas na kaayuan laman pero noong nakita ko itong dalawa, lalo ni si Apollo parang nagging ibang tao ako. I can’t help but to be drown on those beautiful amber eyes of his with specks of green on it. Those warm smile that he generously gives to anybody, though he is an actor I think that is normal to him to be presentable and be nice at always o baka patamaan sya ng mga over-sensitive ng mga tao ngayon.

At wag mo pang isali ang unat na unat nitong mahabang buhok na kumikinang kapag tinatamaan ng ilaw dahil narin kulay itim nitong kulay na kasing itim ng gabing pinagkaitan ng buwan at mga bituwin. Sa aking pagkaka-alam ay wala itong ni katiting na dugong Pilipino, ngunit lumaki ito dito sa Pinas kaya itunuring narin itong isa.

Though me as Milagros Sangrel or Millie sa mga nakakakilala sa akin, ang reyna ng mga raketara, ay mas nangingibabaw pa rin sa aking paningin ang mga pagkain na nakahain sa mga bisita sa gabing iyon. Sorry Papa A but mas sexy sa aking paningin ang mga pagkain. Palihim na lang akong natawa sa aking iniisip.

But men, those lamb chop with red wine reduction sauce and cauliflower cuscus, isama pa dito is the heartwarming, buttery, flaky and meaty chicken pot pie that top with generous amount of Italian black truffles on it. Di rin mapag-iiwanan ang mga kapatid nating vegan at vegetarians na naroon nang gabing iyon, we are serving them some vegan gyro made up with pistachio and cheek peas falafel with a vegan greek yogurt and also spicy pesto pasta that the pasta itself was made of different kind of vegetables like zucchini and squash.

Di rin mawawala ang soup nakita ko kanina na nagse-serve sila ng I think squash soup with or without the cheesy toasted brioche on it depends on your liking but when I go back to the kitchen narinig ko na squash and sweet potato soup pala, at least I got the other one ingredient right.

And of course, you can’t eat without a dessert just my only opinion but the chefs offered the guest a tons of dessert from confections, cakes, cupcakes up through all of pastries, my eyes just pop when I just see a tower of croquembouche across the dessert section, that is glistening because of the sweet caramel that surround it.

Sa palagay ko kung nakakapag salita lang mga pagkain na ito kanina pa nila ako inakusahan at kinasuhan ng s****l harassment because of how a lust and crave for them.

Mas kinikilig pa ako nung makita ko ang pagkain kaysa nung makita ko ang mga artista na ngayon ay kinakain na ang mga pinag-nanasahan kong pagkain. Sayang at hindi ako nakatoka sa pagkain. But I guest mabuti na rin iyon at baka mas lalo akong magpalamon sa temtasyon at makagawa ako ng di maganda. Kinubli ko na lang ang mga bungisngis na gusting lumabas dahil narin sa aking pinag-iisip.

But again, I still can’t get over with, that I know I can’t runaway of that I’m so shock, or should I say star struck on one of the actors that I’ve met this night. Dahil hindi nga naman ako yung tipo ng babaeng that will gush or idolize someone because of the astonishing looks and physique. But I know how to appreciate looks, lalo’t na ang actor na iyon ay si Apollo Callixto.

Yes, he far more beautiful than the billboards that he is in or sa tv teleserye na pinapanood at sinusubaybayan ng aking ina’y gabi-gabi at ni Aling Luring. Those doesn’t give him the justice. Because he is utterly, heavenly gorgeous mula sa makalunod  na mga mata nito na kung tumingin ay tila hinihigop ang lakas mo. Di pa kasama ang mga mahaba nitong pilikmata na tsak ay kaiingitan ng bakla kong kaibigan na si Vengy.

Those thin wide pinkish lip that the upper lip shaped as a perfect bow that create a perfect smile every now and then, and those Oh god that body really made to cling for. From its muscular and wide shoulder to its biceps that clearly shows to it outstanding suite that only made from him by the one and only Matt Vallderama. Yeah, alam kong paulit-ulit na lang ako, na sa isang babaeng tinuringan ang sariling hindi nagpapadala sa masisilaw na panlabas na bagay ay sya ngayon ang parang isang gamu-gamong nasisilaw at na-akit dito.

But I can’t resist it. Specially even though I can’t see it right now, but I’ve seen that he got some perfect abs. Nakita ko narin sa billboard ng isang men’s ware na ini-indorse nito sa may EDSA isinisi ko pa nga sa billboard na naroon ito dahil narin sa sobrang traffic. At hinala ko na dahil sa kagandahang lalaki nya ay pati ang brusko, sweet love ay este driver ay napapatingala sa eight defined abs na meron ito at define na define rin na v-line nito na animo’y itinuturo ka sa lugar na sya lang ang nakaka-alam.

And those strong thighs, he stands like six foot and three inches on my guess and based on what I have seen and heard that he is not just a man that good to look at he really nice person. Akala ko noong una ay pakitang tao lang ito lalo na ay isa itong artista ngunit ngayong gabi ay kita ang kagandahang asal na meron ito. Katulad na lang na nagpapasalamat ito sa lahat ng nagse-serve sa kanya at is ana ako doon. Dahil kadalasan o karamihan sa mga taong naririto ay di yata alam ang salitang iyon, na nababasa lang yata nila sa script nila at hindi naibabaon sa kanilang kalooban. At isa pa noong tinulungan nya na wag madulas at matapon ng tuluyan ng isang babaeng server nang muntik na nya matapon ang dada-dala nitong mga appetizer.

But may narinig pa akong chika blonde daw ang tunay kulay ng buhok nito. I think di na rin ito lingid sa kaaalaman nang marami tulad ang ng sabi ko kanina ay hindi ito native na Pinoy. Nonetheless, I something weird when I see him specially when I serve his drink and thank me with accompany of his warm smile. Na parang bang nag-aaway ang small ang large intestine ko sa tyan. Basta hindi ko maipaliwanag like his presence give such an unknown impact that in my twenty-three years of existence I have never encountered.

I just shrugged it off baka kasi ngayon lang ako nakakita in person ng napaka-gwapong lalaki. But that is not what I’m bothered the most when I saw him because out of a sudden, I feel lust that covers me. Nasanay akong pagkain lang ang pinagnanasahan dahil ang pipangarap ko ay isang maging magaling na chef at magkaroon ng sariling restaurant.

At sa uulitin hindi  ako basta-basta nagkakagusto o naakit kung kanino man gaano man sila ka-gwapo. But that just something inside of him that wake up the goddess in me that left in her sleep for years.

I get back with my reverie when my Vengy or Vergilio but he doesn’t want to call him that name, di raw bagay sa magabang buhok nito na hinahalintulad nya kay Naomi Campbell, na nakapusod in a tight bun.

Napahawak tuloy ako sa aking kulot na kulot at may sariling buhay na buhok, na ngayon ay pinapilitan kong ipagkasya sa isang bun. Na pinaliguan ng sankaterbang hair spray. May lahi kasi akong Afro-American na nanggaling sa tatay ko na kasamaang palas hindi ko naman nakita ngunit makikita sa akin ang lahi nito na naiwan nya. Mula sa buhok kong kulot na kulot kong buhok, sa height kong 5’10” at sa kutis kong kapeng binudburan ng kaunting gatas. Pang model raw at pang beauty queen daw ang peg ko, sabi ng mga bakla sa kanto namin at syempre sabi na rin ng nag-iisa kong kaibigan na bakla na si Vengy.

Kaya nakasama na sa mahabang raket ko sa buhay para kumita ng pera ang pagsali ko sa mga beauty pageants na minsa’y nanalo at natatalo. At di ko rin aatrasan ang pagmo-model.

“Huy ano na teh? Bakit ka nakatunganga dyan?” tanong ni Vengy sa akin I think nag break na rin ito sa pagbibigay ng mga inumin dahil karamihan ng mga guest ngayon ay kumakain na at may ilan na lang nalumilibot upang lagyan ang mga inumin nilang wala ng laman. Pareho kaming mapalad na nakuha ng part time job sa gabing iyon dahil nagkulang ang mga staff ng nasabing catering company na nag-serve sa gabing iyon.

“Sabi ko na nagwa-gwapuhan ka rin eh..” Nanunudyong sabi nito ng tignan nito kung kanino nakadako ang aking mga paningin.

“Ang gwapo talaga ni Papa A no? Ang sarap iuwi!” matinis nitong sabi habang ako naman ay natatwa nalang at pasimple paring sumusulyap dito.

“Psst… baka may makarinig sa iyo.” Sabi ko na lang dito para pagtakpan ang umiinit ko ng mukha.

“Hmhp! Pake ba nila! Hindi lang naman ako ang nagnanasa sa kanya ah! Kung tutuusin I think buong populasyon ng babae at pusong babae sa bansa ay humahanga sa kanya. Buo kasi kasama ka na roon ngayon.” Mahaba nitong pasaring, na ikina-iling ko na lang.

Though she is right and right I still can’t take my eyes from him. I see him laughing while he is talking to someone and congratulating him. Seeing him like that just immerse the unknown feeling that I’ve got when I met him. And I think he feels the weight of my stare because lumingon ito sa gawi namin at ng magtama ang aming mga mata para akong kinapusan ng hininga.

“Ayyyy… girl lumingon sya dito, Oh! Hi Papa A!” Tiling bati nito sa lalaki kahit alam nitong bawal makipa-usap o makihalubiho sa mga artista at mga taong nasa after party. Though the man, Apollo just smile at as and wave back to my friend and again with that I felt my heart race faster, cruel than what I’ve experienced before. Tila mo ay tumigil ang oras at ang gwapong mukha lang nito ang aking nakikita. Ngunit segundo lang yata ang tinagal at lumingon na ito pabalik sa kanyang kausap. Kahit na saglit lamang iyon ay nayanig parin nito ang aking mundo.

“Girl! This is it! Magiging Mrs. Apollo Callixto na ako.” Hirit pa ni Vengy na hindi maka-get over na tulad ko sa nasabing artista.

“Uyyy… may nagje-jelly yata okay na kay Papa Matt na lang ako.” Tudyo nito na sinamahan pa ng tawa.

“Kahit sino man sa kanila ang gustuhin wala namang future.” Balik ko rito, though nakaramdam nga ako ng kaunting selos. Dear God this is not me!

“Ay! Ang harsh naman nito! Alam ko the! Pero di naman masamang magaram.” Pagkasabi nito ay bigla nalang nito akong tinalikuran. Though I know that she knows that I’m only joking. I’m still annoyed by myself for letting him make me feel this way. 

Natapos na ang fifteen minutes naming break at pareho kami mi Vengy na lumarga na ulit sa pagse-serve ng inumin sa mga guest. Mga ilang minuto rin akong naging busy at nang ilibot ko ang aking paningit upang hanapin ang nakakasilaw na pigura nito ay hindi ko na ito makita

I think umalis na ito at may kasamang umuwi lalo na at napapalibutan ito ng mga magagandang artista at modelo sa industriya, kaya hindi na nakakapagtataka kung may kasama na itong umalis sa party. And again I don’t like the jealousy that just envelope me because of the thought of that he went off with someone else.

It just a crush Millie nothing more nothing less you just get swoon by his looks so straight up, meron kapang pangarap na dapat matuunan at abutin.

Just a little pep talk to myself, before I held up and finish my work today.

Isang nagbabagang balita, isang van at mixing truck nagsalpukan.

I woke up with the sound of a television, I guess. When I try to open my eyes it’s so hard and when I open it, it gives a blurry sight. Ilang beses kong binukas ‘t sara ang mga ito ng sa wakas ay tuluyan nang luminaw ang aking paningin ay doon naman ako nasilaw sa liwanag na naggaling sa isang malaking flat screen tv na nasa aking harapan. I see my face there, but I can’t comprehend what the news actually said.

I try to move my hands and my feet, but I can’t, because is so painful. And when I search if there is someone in the room, I saw my little brother Hermes seating while his head is face sliding up and down na halatang nakatutog sa pagbabantay sa akin

I try to get his attention by calling his name but only some blurred sh*ts just come out. Like I can’t move my whole body because of scrutinizing pain.

But my brother heard my moan and slurry words of plea and bigla biglang tumayo sa kina-uupuan nito at mabilis na lumapit sa akin.

“Hey bro! can you hear me?” rinig kong sabi nito habang nakatutok sa akin ang nag-aalalang mga mata nito. Pagktapos noon ay may pinidot ito sa may bandang itaas kanang ulunan ko.

At maya-naya lang ay dumating ang mga tao at base sa mga suot nila ay doktor at dalawang nurse ang mga dumating. They check my vitals and everything that I didn’t know of. After that I hear one of them talk that I think he is the doctor.

“He’s safe from the critical conditions, his vitals are good and base through the results of the test you have requested Mr. Castellano. Your brother is good and there is no hemorrhage or clotting of blood in his brain. It just that he is luck that for that kind of accidental he just gets outer damages and some bone fractures both in legs and some part of his ribs and right arm and that large wound in his head. That in time will heal.” Mahabang sabi nito na hindi ko na nasundan dahil sa sakit na nararamdaman ko ngayon.

“We give him some shot pain reliever because the anesthesia that we injected to him is totally worn of and he can finally feel now the undying pain of his fractures and wounds.” Marami pa itong pinaliwanag ngunit di ko na napakinggan dahil na rin sa nakaramdam ko ang biglaang pagka-antok at ng hindi ko na ito napigilan ay tuluyan na akong nakatulog.

I don’t know how many hours went by when the first time that I wake up but noong nagising ako noon ay si Hermes lang ang kasama ko, ngayon ay nandito narin ang nakakatanda kong kapatid na si Hades at ang bunso namin na si Dionysus.

Hades saw first that I finally wake and walk on to my side. I try my best to open my lips and say a word.

“Wa-ter.” At last, I said something, at mabilis naman itong hinagilap ng aking mga kapatid and when the metal straw hit my dry lips mabilis akong humigop doon. I stop drinking, when almost finish the whole glass.

And I take a look to my brothers again and try to ask something.

“What’s ha-ppend?” The question that I’m dying to ask to them.

Dionysus the one who answer.

“You f*ucking hit a truck, or you are hit by a truck” he half shouted at me.

And because of that everything comes washing out of me the awards night, the after party and the travel way back to home. The fear because of the fast moving of the van that I’m in and lastly the light of now the truck that have crush to us.

“Where the f*cking hell did you get that driver that you have and that guard?” I get back to my senses when I hear my eldest brother Hades talk. And base on his tone I know that he is really pissed. I can’t blame him, kung ako rin ang nasa kalagayan nya ay ganito rin ang aking mararamdaman.

Hirap man sa pagsasalita ay sinagot ko parin ito.

“He is— hired by— the manage-ment.” I painfully answer his question.

The gloom on my brother face gets a little darker when I said that and just walk out of the room. I’am not shock cause Hades have act. But I’m not also dumb because I think that the driver that I’ve just got is the culprit base on the scene where I ask him to slow, he didn’t do it and even if he hears me. Is like he heard the opposite and drive faster than we are and also that body guard, I know that I still have the same one but the one that I have together inside the van is not my body guard.

“That driver that you have is dead on arrival, but not because of crash. But with the gunshot and base sa CCTV he killed himself kasi wala namang lumapit na kung sino man sa pinangyarihan ng salpukan” Mahabang paliwanag ni Hermes habang nakaupo sa isa sa mga upuan sa kwarto. Halata sa mga mata nito na sya ang nagbantay sa akin dahil bakas dito ang pagod, kasama narin ang galit at pag-aalala.

“An--d the body--guard?” I ask him.

“What bodyguard?” He asks me back, what surprise me the most is his reaction.

“Meron ka pa bang ibang kasama sa loob ng sasakyan?” Dahil doon ay napatayo na ito sa kinauupuan nito. Marahan na lang akong tumakbo dahil hindi ko kaya ang sakit na aking nararamdaman.

Narinig ko na lang napamura ang aking kapatid at marahas na kinuha ang phone nito at tinawagan kung sino man ito hindi ko na inalam pa.

“What the hell? Who the f*ck he is and why the hell he is not on the crime scene or even in the CCTV footages?” naguguluhang tanong ng aking bunsong kapatid na si Dionysus.

And that is what I actually felt on this moment. I’m lost, scared, and mad on whatever, or whoever did this to me. And something hit me, I remember my fiancé, Lora. I ‘am sure that she is so frightened and worried about me. Lalo na sa mga nagliparang balita tungkol sa akin ngayon.

“Did you call Lora?” I finally said without stuttering.

“I’ve haven’t, I just caught up on you.” Sagot ni Hermes.

“When I got a call from your management, I drive straight fast to you” Dugtong pa nito.

“You want to call her? I’m sure she can’t get through with this tons of reporters camping outside the hospital” Tumango na lang ako sa suhestsyon ni Dionysus.

But after five calls nobody answer the phone. And it started with five calls and a moth passed by, a month becoming a year and a year becoming years, still no answer on the phone.