CHAPTER 12 - EMBARRASSMENT

“Okay lang, sanay na ko. Sanay ka na Thyrone, y-you can just act like nothing happened, right?”

“But.. Hindi pwede, she will think that I'm a jerk.”

“Haist ano na gagawin ko?! Dapat talaga hindi na ko uminom ng madami kagabi e!”

Sa gitna ng pagsasalita ko, biglang may pumasok at nakita ko si Kierra.

“Good morning.” nawala lahat ng iniisip ko, at naalala na may gusto sa'kin si Kierra, at ang mga sinabi niya.

“Morning.” I just responded, at umupo.

“I have hang over soup for you! Alam kong naglasing ka dahil sa nangyari sa inyo ng dad mo. You can have rest day.”

“Kierra.”

“By the way mag shower ka na amoy alak—” napatigil siya when she saw the note that I have on my hand, agad niya itong inagaw at binasa, at agad niyang binato.

“Can't you even look at me once?! Nandito ako Thyrone! Can't you—”

“Kierra! I'm sorry.”

“Why are you saying sorry? Don't apologize! You will be mine!”

“Kierra. I'm sorry, I can't reciprocate those feelings you have.”

“Is this because of her? Shaira? You still love her?”

Napatahimik na lang ako, pero nung binanggit niya si Shaira, wala akong naramdaman.

“Or.. Your secretary who just slept with you?”

Nung binanggit niya si Ms. Raven, hindi napakali ang puso ko. Kakaiba ang naramdaman ko.

“Thyrone, kahit sino pa mahal mo, I'll make you mine. We will get married and—”

“Kierra—”

“WHY?!” agad niyang tinapon lahat ng nasa lamesa.

“Why Thyrone?! I'm here! Simula pagkabata kasama mo ko! I took care of you, stood for you! When you were hurt when Shaira died I was there for you! When you and your father always fight andyan ako para icomfort ka! I was there for the whole time! So.. Why?”

“I'm thankful.. to have you. But, I can only say thank you and sorry. Bukod do'n, wala na kong nararamdaman na iba.”

“So sino? Sino ba? Is it still Shaira who died?! Or is it Lumina Raven?! Answer me!”

“It's Lumina!” bigla na lang lumabas sa bibig ko ang pangalan niya, na ikinagulat ko din.

“Siya? Siya?! Why her?!”

“I also don't know Kierra! But.. My heart says it.” pinunasan niya ang luha niya, at nag iwan ng salita bago umalis.

“Kahit siya ang piliin mo, masasaktan ka pa din, and you will come back to me. Sa oras na malaman mo kung sino ang babaeng 'yon, babalik ka sa'kin at hihingi ng tawad dahil 'di mo ko pinili.”

I feel sorry for Kierra. But, si Ms. Raven na ang mahal ko. I don't know kung bakit. When I'm with her, nakakalimutan ko lahat even the past that I always think of. Nawawala lahat ng sakit pag kasama ko siya, When I think of the word affection, I can imagine Ms. Raven smiling in front of me.

So today, I visited her and my mother's grave. I put flowers on their graves as I sit in front of it.

“Mom, Shaira. I'm sorry kung ngayon lang ako nakadalaw. Maybe you both hate me for being a bad person.” napatingin ako sa libingan ni Shaira, and my tears fell.

“Shaira, I'm sorry. I.. I fell in love with someone else. After what I did to you, I fell in love with someone else. Ang sama ko right? I don't have the right, to love again. After what happened to you and our baby. But.. I want to move on, and be with her. Gusto kong gawin sa kaniya ang mga hindi ko nagawa sayo. Hindi ko makakalimutan ang ginawa mo for me, I will won't.”

Clyde's POV

It's 8:00 PM, Kierra called me here. I guess she wants to drink after maturn down ni Thyrone.

“Hey.”

“Yo.”

“So, why did you called me here?”

“I just, want to talk with you. About Thyrone and Lumina.”

“Ow, so you're gonna make a move now? I thought sinabi mo na sa kaniya na si Lumina ay ang babaeng pinaglaruan niya.”

“No, hindi ko sinabi. I still don't want him to get hurt. Since he said, he loves his secretary.” sa sinabi niyang 'yon, I became angry. I had these funny feelings, that I want Lumina to be mine.

“So, ano gagawin mo?”

“You should make a move on her, you like her right?”

“I liked her first than your Thyrone.”

“Oh? Really? That's interesting.”

“5 years ago, I was the first she met, and I fell for her first. Kung hindi lang ako napunta sa Australia, hindi niya masasaktan si Lumina.”

“Then, become more greedy. Make her yours and I'll make Thyrone mine.”

“I'm not like you. I won't control Lumina. I'll let her choose freely.”

“Is it really because you want to choose, or you're scared to hear that she will choose him?” I stopped drinking my beer when she said that.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Come on Clyde, I've known you, for years. Magkasama tayong lumaki, and I know how coward you are. You can't even ask a girl for a date. So I know na natatakot kang malaman ang totoo na sa oras na mag move ka sa kaniya, itutulak ka niya palayo. You're scared to risk.”

“Shut up.”

“Atleast ako, I will risk everything to have him. But you? You will be left alone, not being able to try anything.” she suddenly stands up and get her bag.

“Risk everything? Alam mo din na hindi ka pipiliin ni Thyrone. Go and risk, para pati friendship niyo, masira. I don't want to do something with you, na padalos-dalos. I will make my own move, on the right time.”

Thyrone's POV

Pagdating ko sa bahay, I saw my dad.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just marry her.”

“Ba't ba kinukulit mo ko about marrying my own friend? Nung una ayaw mo sa kaniya but suddenly you want her to be your daughter-in-law? What are you thinking?”

“You won't understand, it's to save—”

“Save what? Company? I know you have different reason for this. Hindi gano'n kayaman ang pamilya ni Kierra para payagan mong pakasalan ako, tell me the truth, why are you so determined to get me marry with her?”

“She has the evidence, that I killed your girlfriend.”

“What?”

“She has the video from the black box of the car that I disposed when I did it. She said unless I gave her my blessing to marry you, ilalabas niya 'yon.”

“In the end, sarili mo pa din iniisip mo.”

“Kaya pakasalan mo siya, it's to save your own father.”

“My own father? Wow, kailan ka nagpakatatay sa'kin? You manipulated me, you made my mother kill herself, you killed my person.”

“So, wala kang balak na isave ang tatay mo?”

“Don't expect anything from me.”

“Sa oras na nawala ako, you will also vanish. Mawawala lahat, the company will be lead by the greedy directors.”

“Ikaw lang ang mawawala, I can manage my life. Kahit mabuhay ako sa kahihiyan na ginawa ng tatay ko, okay lang. Kung nasa akin nga lang ang video na 'yon, baka ako pa ang nagpakulong sayo.”

“Napaka wala mong kwentang anak!”

“Ako dapat ang nagsasabi nyan, kinakahiya ko na naging tatay kita.”

“You will see, sa oras na lumabas lahat ng baho ng pamilya natin. Mawawala lahat sayo.”

“I don't care.”

Lumina's POV

Kakatapos ko lang ayusin ang new schedule ni Thyrone, when suddenly, someone was screaming my name outside.

“Lumina!! Ms. Secretary!” Binuksan ko ang bintana, and I saw Clyde na nasa gate. Agad akong lumabas, wala pa ko sa kinatatayuan niya pero amoy na amoy ko na ang alak.

“Clyde, why are you here?”

“Luminaaaa! LU-MI-NA!!”

“Hoy shhh ang ingay mo!”

“Kahit gabi ang ganda mo pa din.” halos malaglag na siya sa kalasingan.

“Anak, sino yan?”

“Ah 'pa, pinsan ng boss ko.”

“Gabi na ah, ba't andito yan?”

“Lasing pa.”

“Magandang gabi po!!” tinakpan ko ang bibig niya sa sobrang ingay.

“Shh napakaingay mo, tara nga sa loob.” I pulled him inside at sa kwarto ko dinala dahil nagpapahinga na sina papa.

“Clyde, ano ba ba't ba dito ka pumunta imbis na sa bahay mo?”

“Namiss lang kita.”

“What? Miss? Kakakita lang natin kaninang umaga ah.”

“No, I miss the old Lumina. That smile when you fed the cat near the gate of your university.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Your smile back then, was so bright.” his last words before he suddenly slept on my bed.

“Ano kayang ibig niyang sabihin?”

Dahil sa nakatulog siya sa kwarto ko, sa kwarto na lang ni Luna ako natulog. What does he mean? My smile was bright back then? Mukha bang ilaw mga ngipin ko para mag liwanag?

Kinaumagahan, agad ko siyang pinuntahan habang si Papa at Luna nag hahain ng pagkain.

“Lasing na lasing si loko. Agawan ba naman ako ng higaan.” sa pagsasalita ko habang nakatingin sa kaniya, bigla siyang nagising.

“Hmm..”

“Oh ano? Gising ka na?”

“Lumina? Where am I?”

“Tanungin mo sarili mo kung bakit dito ka umuwi at hindi sa bahay mo, at kung bakit nakahiga ka sa higaan ko.” pagsusungit ko sa kaniya.

“Higaan mo?” tumingin-tingin pa siya at nagulat.

“Hala, hindi ko bahay 'to ah.”

“Yun nga. Wala ka sa bahay mo.” sinipa ko ng mahina ang paa niya.

“Tumayo ka na dyan mag umagahan na tayo.”

“H-Ha? Umagahan?” excited pa siyang tumayo.

“Goodmorning hijo.”

“G-Good morning po.” pare-parehas kaming umupo.

“Wag ka magreklamo kung di masarap ang ulam, di kami mayaman tulad niyo.”

“Uhm, what happened last night?”

“Gabing gabi lang naman sinisigaw mo pangalan ko sa gate namin, napakaingay mo kagabi.”

“H-Hala.. Pasensya na Lumina, sensya na po tito.”

“Kumain ka na d'yan.”

“B-By the way, ano 'to? Is this edible?”

“Kung hindi yan makakain hindi yan nakalagay sa lamesa, fried rice lang di mo pa alam. Anong klaseng pagkain kaya mga kinakain niyo?”

“Ah.. Fried rice..”

“Kumain ka na, late ka na sa trabaho b-byahe ka pa.”

“Hala oo nga.” nagmadali agad siya kumain.

Buti na lang pala dala niya yung kotse niya, kaya sumabay na ako sa pagpunta sa company.

“By the way Clyde, kagabi.”

“Hmm? Ano yon?”

“You said, my smile back then was brighter. What do you mean by that? As long as I know, hindi naman kita nakausap dati or nag smile sa harap mo.”

“Forget it. Lasing lang ako.”

“Siguro napagkamalan mo kong first love mo? Tama na inom ha?”

“Hindi kita napagkamalan.”

“Huh?”

“Basta.”

Hanggang sa makarating kami sa company, I was bothered by the words he said since last night, ano ba kasing ibig sabihin niya do'n?

Pero may ibang bagay pa dapat ako isipin, at 'yon ay.. ang taong nasa harap ko ngayon.

“Ms. Raven?”

“Uhh— sir, you have a meeting in the next—”

“You held the tablet backwards Ms. Raven.”

“H-Huh?” hala, oo nga, nakabaliktad.

Sa sobrang kaba ko, halos wala akong magawang tama.

“Ms. Raven, about that night..”

“Sir, I know po na lasing kayo. I'll just consider it as a mistake of yours.”

“No, don't consider it as a mistake.”

“W-What?” bigla siyang tumayo sa kinauupuan niya, at lumapit sa'kin.

“Consider it, as a memory with me.”

“W-Why should I, sir?”

“Because, I like you.”

“What?”

The words that made me shock back then, he said it again. But this time, with genuine and kind eyes and tone. Without being hypocrite.