Chapter 22

Nakatanggap siya ng tawag kay Richard na kailangang pumunta siya sa restaurant para kunin ang huling sweldo niya. Noong gabing sumama siya kay Langdon ay tinawagan din niya ito kinabukasan para sabihin na ligtas siya. Hindi na ito nagtanong pa. He knows how their lives have been in hiding.

Nagpaalam siya kay Langdon na hinatid pa siya dahil may pupuntahan din ito. Pagpasok niya sa nagsisilbing office ng manager ay natigilan siya ng imbes na si Jojo ang makita ay iba ang taong nakatayo sa harap niya.

"Ate Lucindra?!"

The woman's nose crinkled at the mention of her full name.

"How many times do I have to tell everyone of you not to call me that way? It's Lucy, baby. It's Lucy for fucking's sake!"

Hindi niya napansin ang pagkairita nito. She run towards her and threw herself to her. Tumatawang hinagod nito ang likod niya nang magsimula siyang umiyak.

"Oh easy, baby. Easy, Cin."

"Ate Lucy, you're here. You're really here." The sound of her loud crying filled the entire room. "I can't believe someone from my family is here again to see me."

"Oh my baby, Cin. Our baby Alcindra."

Gumanti ito ng yakap sa kaniya at hinalikan ang ulo niya. Lucindra Alcantara is the older sister she never had. She's been her tough mother figure whenever her own mother gives in to her wants. Ito ang pinaka-disciplinarian sa lahat ng magpipinsan, ang tanging tao na pinakikinggan kahit ng mga pinsan nilang lalake and even Femella. Kahit dalawa na ito at si Nathan sa panghihigpit sa kaniya, she doesn't mind. She loves having her around.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me? Alam mo na ba ang nangyari kay Kuya Nathan? Is that why you're here, ate? Have you found him na? Tell me kuya is safe, please."

Tumigas ang mukha nito. "I am aware of what's happening but I'm not here for Nathan. I'm here because of a much more important thing." She pulled her hand and let her settle on the seat. "Nakita ko kung sino ang naghatid sa iyo rito. Not a sleek car for a man so rich I must say. So tell me Alcindra Alcantara, daughter of the great Alvina and Bernandino," sabi nito at umupo sa kaharap niya na silya at inilabas ang gintong pamaypay na palagi nitong dala kahit noong bata pa sila at sinimulang paypayan ang sarili, "Why are you enjoying the company of an enemy, more so the son of the man our family loathes so much?"

Her face instantly turned ashen. Nawala ang ngiti sa labi niya. Pumalit ang takot at pagkapahiya. Agad siyang nagbaba ng tingin sa magkahugpong na kamay sa kandungan at parang nalulon ang dila na hindi nakapagsalita.

Ano ba kasi ang maari niyang isagot? Isa siyang Alcantara at mortal na kaaway nila ang mga Asturia na dapat na kinamumuhian niya pero heto siya at masayang kasama ang isa sa mga kauri ng angkan na iyon.

"I-I'm sorry." She found her voice. "I'm sorry, Ate Lucy."

"I came here to put a stop to this insanity. Kukunin kita ngayon din. Bakit mo kasi hinahayaan ang sarili mo na manatili sa balwarte ng kalaban, Cin. You're better than this unless..."

Ipinikit niya ang mga mata nang umahon ito sa upuan at naglakad papunta sa kaniya. Naupo ito sa sahig at itinaas ang baba niya at inutusan siyang tingnan ito sa mga mata.

"Hindi ako naniwala nang unang marinig ko ang balita mula kay Richard. I thought it's a crazy theory. I don't believe history repeats itself. People repeat history. I don't believe that shit Cin but looking at you now, I can tell that the shit is bigger than I thought."

Breathing hard, she slowly opened her eyes and met hers.

"Tell it to my face Cin. Tell the truth to your Ate Lucy."

Tumulo na ang mga luha niya. Kitang-kita niya kung paano sumungaw ang disappointment sa mga mata nito.

"I'm sorry, Ate Lucy. I'm sorry for being so weak." She stopped to gather her senses. "I love him so so much. I love Langdon Asturia." She spilled it out like an acid to her throat.

"No, you don't," Lucy whispered. "No, you don't," she repeated. "You can't possibly love an enemy! An enemy Alcindra!"

Nanahimik siya habang nananangis. She has predicted it would come to this part if they know.

Frustrated na tumayo si Lucy at itinodo ang pamamaypay.

"You should know the man more than we do! The reason why he's letting you in his life for now. Hindi ka ba nag-iisip? Ginagawa niya lang ang lahat ng ito dahil naaalala niya ang unang minahal niya sa katauhan mo. You look so much like her... Your face resembled Casindra. Pati ang ugali mo ay katulad din ng sa kaniya."

"He didn't know my identity," putol niya rito. "He doesn't have an idea that I'm an Alcantara."

"Not just an Alcantara, Cin. You know that." Tinitigan siya nito ng may halong pagdududa. "Did you give yourself to him?"

"Yes, I did," she whispered.

"Fuck that man!" malutong nitong mura. "What are you, Cin? A rehabilitation center? Do you think you will make him love you by being his tramp? If you do then stop putting it in your head, my innocent cousin. Langdon is no tolerant for women who wanted to be loved by him. Alam nating dalawa kung sino ang mahal niya mula noon hanggang ngayon. You will always be in her shadow forever. 'Wag ka nang maging tanga. Tama na ang pagbubulag-bulagan. Remember what happened back then. Sa tingin mo ba, mamahalin ka pa rin niya kapag nalaman niya ang tunay mong pagkatao? An Alcantara will never be with an Asturia. Nangyari na iyan noon and look where we are now. What you're feeling for him is a curse that will get us doomed again for the second time kaya kung ako sa iyo, magbabalot na ako ng mga damit at sasama sa akin."

"I'm afraid I can't for now, Ate Lucy." Her eyes were filled again with tears. "I'm sorry if I have to say this but please, give me some time to be with him," pakiusap niya. "Kaunting panahon na lang ang natitira sa akin."

Nagbalik ito sa upuan at napailing na lang. "You think you can change his heart? You think you can change Langdon for the better? Sweetie, you can never change a man like Langdon. Imprisoned by the past, chained by the death of his beloved. Our sweet little Cin doesn't deserve a half-alive half-dead man like him."

She fell silent for a moment. "But what can I do, ate? Even though I know he can't love me, I still wanna be with him."

Sa pagkakataong iyon ay lumambot ang ekspresyon sa mukha ni Lucy. She stood up and went to her to wipe her tears away.

"Alcindra, mabait ka, masunurin, at sobrang inosente pero bakit sa isang lalaki lang, nabobobo ka na, nagiging makakalimutin ka na? My poor cousin, you don't even know your own family's history. You're so busy making Langdon happy that you forgot about yourself, Alcindra. Cousin, you are so precious to us, to our family, to the whole of Alcantaras. But why are you letting an Asturia treat you like a rag? Have you forgotten what they did to our family? Sila ang dahilan kung bakit tayo parang mga daga na nagtatago! Please Alcindra, wake up!"

Nagpatuloy ang pag-agos ng kaniyang mga luha. Niyugyog siya nito sa balikat sa pag-asang mahihimasmasan pa siya.

"Let go, Alcindra. Bitaw ka na, please. Tama na. 'Wag ka nang humawak pa sa taong alam mong kayang-kaya kang bitawan sa isang kisapmata lang."

"I can't," she breathed out and sternly moved her head. "Hindi ko kaya, ate. I love him. I love Langdon so much I'm willing to die for him."

"Preposterous! If only our ancestors could hear you, they'll be rolling in their graves!"

"Ate Lucy, just this once. Just this once, please. Langdon is getting married not to me..." She gasped for air. Saying it feels like stabbing herself in the gut, "Even if I wish to all our ancestors to give him to me... Ikakasal na sa iba ang taong minahal ko simula noong bata pa ako hanggang ngayon." Tumitig siya sa sahig at nalukot ang mukha dahil sa sakit. "All I wanted is to be with him for now. Just for the remaining days that I'm still free to imagine that he can be with an enemy. That it's possible even if it's not."

"Your brother will be so disappointed, Cin." Lucy paced across the room impatiently. "He will not just be disappointed. He will be ripped into pieces if he finds out."

I'm disappointed with myself too, she thought.

Itiniklop ni Lucy ang pamaypay at walang kangiti-ngiting tinaasan siya ng kilay.

"Don't you ever let Nathan know about your betrayal to the family. I've heard about the marriage. After that, you're going to pack up your bags and leave without revealing anything to that fucking Asturia. Am I loud and clear, Alcindra?"

"I understand, ate."

Niyakap niya ito pero hindi ito tumugon. Alam niyang galit ito sa kaniya, lahat ng mga Alcantara ay isusumpa siya kapag nalaman nila ang lahat.

Umuwi siyang parang bangag. Everything is in chaos she just wanted to cry but even crying has become a toil now. And there's only one who can calm her, who can make her feel okay right now. Kumuha siya ng dalawang chocolate drink sa ref at kumatok sa pinto. No answer.

Lumabas siya ng bahay at gumilid para pumunta sa garden. Doon niya nakita si Langdon na naninigarilyo habang nakaupo sa barandilya ng nakabukas ng bintana.

She adjusted her glasses and fixed her smile before walking to him and offering him the drink. Tahimik na tinanggap nito iyon, pinatay ang sigarilyo, at ininom. Sumandal siya sa dingding sa gilid nito at magkasama nilang tinitigan ang papalubog na na araw.

She closed her eyes when the sun finally sets in the west. It's like the weight of being with Langdon. It's finally setting in. Ibinuka niya ang mga mata at itinutok ang paningin kay Langdon na nakatingin din sa kaniya. His blue-green eyes smiled at her as he extended his hand and brushed her hair to her ear.

Tumigil siya sa pagsipsip sa straw at animo namamagnetong tiningala ang lalaking nakadungaw pababa sa kaniya.

"Be my woman, Cin. Live with me," he uttered.

Kulang ang sabihing nayanig ang pagkatao niya. Her world rotated again on its axis. The planets aligned again in her solar system and she resumed revolving around the sun.

Umihip ang malakas na hangin sa pagitan nila kasabay nang imboluntaryong pagtango niya.

"O-Okay, Lang."