Chapter 18: ARGUE

The moment we get out of that room, a sudden flash of lights hit us, ang sakit sa mata nung ilaw kaya napatakip kami pareho ni Krio while both of our other hands are still holding each other. Then we heard the crowd clapping for us. Nang medyo okay na, we faced the crowd. We are at the clubhouse.

“This isn’t good. We really need to get out of this place now!” Krio exclaimed while still looking at the crowd.

“What’s happening?” I asked him, he looked at me and he looks mad.

“Let’s just get out of here,” he said at dumiretso na kami. While passing the crowd, we heard them shouting, “SO LUCKY!” “WHAT’S THE PRICE!?” most of them are cheering and whistling. Habang patuloy kami sa paglalakad may biglang humablot sa’kin at medyo nasaktan ako do’n, buti na lang I didn’t let go Krio’s hand and he took a picture of me.

“HEY! HEY! DON’T DO THAT!” Krio yelled at him, he put his hands on my head and protected me, it looks like I was hugging him now. He’s pissed off now and get the guy’s phone and throw it.

“WHAT THE F*CK MAN! THAT’S MY PHONE!” the guy angrily shouted. Krio grabbed something in his pocket.

“HERE’S MY PHONE, TAKE IT! AND, GO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! DON’T F*CKING GRAB A WOMAN LIKE THAT AS IF YOU OWN HER!” he yelled at him and threw it in the guy’s chest. At nagpatuloy na kami sa paglalakad hanggang sa makaakyat na kami sa taas. And, finally nakalabas na rin kami ng…wait a cabin?

“Leyra, go get inside,” Krio said to me while pointing to the car. Bago pa man ako makapasok sa loob ng kotse I heard someone calling my name.

“LEYRA!” It was a girl.

“Where are you taking her?” she asked, talking to Krio.

“Who are you?” I asked her.

“Leyra, it’s Sadi. I’m your friend. You’re staying at my house. We were in there looking for someone and then you suddenly went gone. I was looking for you the whole time, then to my surprise, I saw you end up in that game. What happened? Are you okay?” she explained and questioned.

“I have your stuff, your camera, photos and notes, I got this from the securities,” she added

“So you’re the one who brought her to this stupid place?” Krio asked her.

“She asked for this, I’m just helping her,” she insisted.

“Wait you’re…that guy?” she astonishingly question and looked at me.

“What?” Krio asked

“You look expensive,” she said, I look at this girl at ang lagkit ng tingin niya kay Krio.

“Excuse me?” Krio said.

“I love your car, it’s a 1979 Porsche right?” Pag-iiba niya ng usapan. Ano ba ang trip nang babaeng ito? Krio sighed.

“Nevermind! Let’s get out of here.” Krio said and sumakay na sa kotse while Sadi is driving her own car. We just followed her.

After a few minutes we arrived at her house I guess. Agad na bumaba si Krio and opened the door of his car for me.

“Leyra, come on!” usal nito sa akin at bumaba na ako. Pumasok na kami sa loob, since Sadi gave me back my stuffs I saw sa photos yung bahay nila. So I trust her now.

“You’re living alone?” Krio asked Sadi.

“Yeah, family in states, I already told that to Leyra,” she said

While Krio was looking around he noticed the picture on the wall.

“Who’s he?” Krio asked Sadi.

“Oh, nevermind. He’s my brother,” she said and smiled at us

“Where is he?” he asked again, Sadi smiled at us again.

“You can stay here if you want, there’s an available room upstairs, next to mine.” She offered. Krio looked at her seriously, of course me too. Mukhang type niya talaga itong doctor ko. Ang hangin mo Sadi ah.

“No!” Krio said, medyo natawa ako sakanya nang sabihin niya iyon.

“We are leaving,” he said, kaya naudlot ang tawa ko.

“What?” I interrupted.

“Where’s her room?” Krio asked.

“Th-there.” Turo ni Sadi, agad-agad itong umakyat. I followed him. Nang makapasok sa kwarto, niligpit niya ang mga gamit ko.

“What are you doing?” tanong ko sa kanya, ‘di niya ako pinapansin patuloy lang siya sa pagligpit ng gamit ko at nang matapos ay hinila niya ako pababa.

“Sadi, right? Thank you for accommodating her,” he said at lumabas na kami ng mansion.

“ANO BA!? BITAWAN MO AKO!” sigaw ko sa kanya.

“Leyra, whether you like it or not we’re leaving,” he insisted.

“I’M NOT LEAVING!” sigaw ko ulit sa kanya at binitawan niya ako. He look at Sadi na nasa pintuan at nakatingin sa amin. Nang marealize ni Sadi pumasok siya sa bahay.

“WHO ARE YOU TO TELL THAT!?” I added.

“I’m your Doctor, Leyra. I know what’s best for you. You’re supposed to be treated and not be here,” giit nito sa’kin.

“Will that treatment you said would brought me back my normal life?” sabi ko sa kanya.

“Leyra, please stop this. What you’re doing wouldn’t help you. You’re making things worse.”

“WHAT’S WORSE MORE THAN THIS LIFE HUH?” And my tears started to fall down

“There’s a new world for you out there, Leyra. Hopes and Chances. A lot of chances. That life you have right now is more than you could’ve imagine, you just make it worse for yourself,” he said.

“It’s easy for you to say that because we’re not in the same shoes. You don’t feel what I feel!”

“I know but we can make change if you let me help you… but I can’t make that possible if you couldn’t help yourself. So, trust me Leyra.

“I’M NOT GONNA GET TREATED! OKAY? YOU KNOW THAT!” sigaw ko sa kanya.

“LEYRA, PLEASE STOP THIS! ALL I WANTED IS FOR YOU TO TRUST ME,” he said at medyo teary eyed na rin siya.

“YOU’RE RIGHT! BUT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME AND I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT YOU! SO, WHY WOULD I TRUST YOU? HOW CAN I TRUST SOMEONE WHO I CAN’T EVEN REMEMBER?”

“Sadi? Do you trust her?” he asked.

“It oesn’t matter!” I said

“Just answer me. Do you trust her?”

“YES! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR?” giit ko sa kanya. Bakas sa mukha niya ang panlulumo ng marinig ‘yon.

“Why is it easy for you to trust someone like that but so hard for me?” he said calmly and I can see his tears now falling.

Tumalikod siya sa’kin at iniangat ang ulo niya, looking above the sky, maybe to hold back his tears, habang nakahawak ang dalawang kamay niya sa bewang niya.

A moment of silence for awhile and then he turned to me again.

“I promised your Mom that I will look after you. If she know about this, I’m not the only one who will be screwed.”

“I get it. You care about your job, but I care about my husband,” I said and he stopped for awhile and looked at me seriously again, I saw the tears in his left eye fell.

“Husband? I wonder what kind of husband you have to deserve a woman like you? Willing to risk her life. So lucky!” wika nito.

“STOP QUESTIONING MY HUSBAND’S WORTH! YOU DON’T KNOW HIM! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT US!” I yelled at him at medyo naiinis na ako sa kanya. How dare he is to question Kliosate’s worth, when he know nothing about us at the first place!?

“I’m just wondering, Leyra. Because I hope I was worthy as him to the woman I love,” he said calmly at medyo nacucurious ako sa mga pinagsasabi niya.

“It’s not my responsibility if the woman you love doesn’t see your worth as much as I see Kliosate’s!” I harshly said to him. The tears in his eyes continue to fall and I saw his jaw dropped after I said that.

“Harsh,” he said and smirked

“Anyway, it’s not about the job, Leyra. It’s about y—” he added but I interrupted him

“Don’t worry I’ll explain everything to Mom. You’ve done your job. You can leave me now.” As I interrupted and get my stuff from him

He look up to the sky again.

“Okay, do what you want,” he said. It made me stopped for awhile and looked at him.

“But, I won’t leave you. I’ll never,” he said.