Chapter 94

Artemis’ POV

Zelo: I did. What about you and the kids? Have you eaten? Can I call?

Agad kumurba ang ngiti sa mga labi ko nang mabasa ang mensahe mula kay Zelo. Agad akong napaayos sa aking pagkakaupo bago ko binasa ang text nito sa akin.

Ako: Tapos na work? Alright…

Wala pang ilang segundo’y tumatawag na ito. Para naman akong nalulusaw sa pagkakaupo ko sa sofa.

“Are you done with your work?” tanong ko sa kaniya. Nasa Manila si Zelo ngayon. May inaasikaso lang panandalian patungkol sa pinapatayo niyang law firm dito sa Cebu. He’ll start to work again but this time with the job that he really likes. Noon pa man pagiging Judge na ang gusto niya and he’ll start being a lawyer first. I’m just glad that he will pursue what he loves now.

“I’m done now... How about you? How’s your work?” he asked. I just told him what happened to my day. Ang ngiti sa aking labi ay hindi na naman mapawi habang nagkukwento. I use to dream of this. Just us talking with each other on the phone and just talking about random things. About us.

“I miss you…” mahina kong bulong. He didn’t say anything from the other side kaya napatawa na lang ako. Well, I just really want him to know that I’m missing him. I didn’t say it at all for anything.

“I’ll go home after I’m done with this…” he said from the other line.

“Hmm… do you want to talk to the kids?” I asked nang makita ko sina Athena at Hades na naniningkit ang mga matang nakatingin sa akin. Tinawag ko lang sila to talk with their father. I let them have their talk with him habang si Seb na narito sa bahay ngayon ay napatingin sa akin. Pinaglilihian niya si Athena kaya tumatamabay sila ni Ruiz dito samantalang ang kapatid ko’y hindi magawang tumapak dito dahil ayaw siyang nakikita ni Seb.

“You look so inlove, Artemis. Ngiting-ngiti ka na naman,” sambit sa akin ni Seb kaya hindi ko mapigilan ang matawa bago mapanguso.

“Noon pa. I just learn to conceal what I really felt,” natatawa kong sambit.

“By the way, do you already know that Ms. Tourism Ambassador will have a vacation here in Cebu?” tanong niya sa akin kaya agad akong napatingin sa kaniya.

“Aria Brown?” tanong ko. Tumango siya sa akin doon habang tila tinitimbang pa ang magiging reaksiyon ko kaya isang tipid na ngiti lang ang pinakawalan ko sa kaniya.

“Oh, that’s nice. Eh ‘di more vacationer niyan,” ani ko na ngumiti sa kaniya.

“We had a talk and now, I’m looking for someone who can tour while can also protect them,” ani Seb sa akin.

“Do you want to take the job being their tourguide, Artemis?” tanong sa akin ni Seb kaya agad akong napatingin sa kaniya.

Kapag ganito namang may ibinibigay na trabaho, agad ko rin namang tinatanggap kaya sumang-ayon lang ako. Well, si Zelo rin naman ang nagsabing wala siyang girlfriend kaya paniguradong walang namamagitan sa kanilang dalawa.

Hindi ko nga lang inaasahan na sa pag-uwi ni Zelo sa amin ay kasabay niya ito. He rode his jet with the tourism ambassador team.

Nagtungo kami sa field kung saan lalapag ang eroplano. The kids are excited dahil may pasalubong na naman ang ama nila sa kanila kahit isang linggo lang naman ito sa Manila. Naimbitahan pa siya sa ilang events doon at gusto niya nang tapusin ang lahat para hindi na raw babalik lalo na’t magiging abala na siya rito sa firm na gagawin niya.

We also have a vacation that we are planning kapag sembreak na ng mga bata. Ilang weeks na lang din ang hihintayin namin para roon. We will go to Europe first then after that asian country naman. Most probably in Hongkong dahil gusto nilang bumisita sa disneyland.

Ang ngiti ko’y unti-unting napawi nang makita kong magkasabay na lumabas si Zelo at Ms. Brown. They are talking with each other but Zelo’s eyes are already on our side. As usual, our kids run towards him habang ako’y unti-unti ring lumapit sa gawi nila. I tried to smile and greeted those people who’s with him formally.

“Oh, is she your kids’ mom?” tanong ni Ms. Brown na nilingon ako. Her question doesn’t have any malice subalit mukhang ako lang ang nagbigay ng malisya roon. Ngumiti lang ako rito habang siya’y naglahad sa akin ng kamay.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Artemis, right? Mr. President talk about you a lot,” nakangiti niyang sambit sa akin kaya napatingin ako kay Zelo na siyang abala na sa mga bata ngayon.

“Oh, I hope it’s nice. Nice to meet you too, Ms. Brown,” ani ko na ngumiti rin sa kaniya bago tinanggap ang kamay niyang nakalahad sa akin. She looks friendly. Hindi katulad ni Ms. Angel noon. Well, I got to know her reason why.

Kumaway rin ako kay Juan Cloud nang makita siyang kumakaway sa akin. Kasama niya ang kaniyang asawa. Looks like they are planning to have their vacation here too. Agad kong binesohan ang kaniyang asawa at bebeso na rin sana kay Juan Cloud but someone already cleared his throat. Agad akong napatingin kay Zelo na nasa gilid ko na.

Napatawa na lang si Juan Cloud pati ang kaniyang asawa. Napailing na lang sila habang nangingisi.

“Hey, how’s your flight?” tanong ko sa kaniya bago ako ngumiti. He just stare at me before I went to his side.

“I miss you. It took you so long to come home,” nakanguso kong bulong. Nawala na ang kunot sa kaniyang noo at hindi ko alam kung nakitaan ko ba siya ng multo ng ngiti.

He just held my waist kaya hindi ko alam kung palabas niya ba ito o ano. We went to the people with them kasama ng mga bata while he introduce us to them.

“My wife, Sir…” pakilala niya pa sa akin sa team ni Ms. Brown.

“You really have a pretty wife, Mr. President. Magaling ka nga talagang mamili,” anila. Looks like masiyado na nga silang nasanay na tawagin ito sa ganoong paraan.

“You got it so bad, Man,” ani Juan Cloud habang natatawa kaya sinamaan lang siya ng tingin ni Zelo.

The kids formally introduce themselves too kaya tuwang-tuwa rin talaga sila sa kanila. Napangiti na lang din ako roon.

Hinatid lang din muna ang mga ito sa 5 star hotel dito sa Cebu. Bukas magsisimula ang pamamasyal, ‘yon ang sabi ni Seb.

“You didn’t say that they will come here, sana’y nakapaghanda ako kahit paano,” sambit ko kay Zelo na napatingin pa sa kaniya.

The kids are on the backseat habang si Zelo naman ang nagmamaneho ng sinasakyan namin. Sina Ares ay may sarili namang kotse at may family bonding din.

“Biglaan lang din. They are supposed to come here the next day…” aniya kaya napatango ako.

“The new tourism ambassador looks pretty,” hindi ko mapigilang sambitin.

“She is,” aniya kaya ngumiti ako. Well, she really is. Talaga namang maganda ito at mabait pa.

“Right, she fits the description you said when I’m still coaxing you noong mga bata pa tayo. She have sexy brain like you want too,” ani ko na napaisip pa roon. Now, that I think of it, she really fit his description noong mga panahong sinusubukan ko pang kunin ang kaniyang loob.

“Right,” he said habang pabalik-balik ang tingin sa akin at sa daan. He looks amused but didn’t say a word. Bahagya akong nakaramdam ng iritasiyon but right, ginusto ko ito. I was the one who remember it kaya bakit ba ako nakakaramdam ng yamot ngayon.

Mayamaya lang ay nakarating kami sa resto na pagkakainan naming mag-anak. The place is pretty. May mini garden din ‘yon.

I tried to act normal and ask him about his work in Manila. I don’t know if he was watching me or what subalit ramdam ko lang ang titig niya. Ang dami ring kwento ng mga bata kahit isang linggo lang naman siyang abala at kahit nagkukwentuhan naman sila.

I was a little bit silent while giving them food. Napanguso ako nang magbigay si Zelo ng tissue. The kids when to go to the garden when they are already done kaya hinayaan ko na rin sila. I was about to follow them when Zelo took my attention. He was just staring at me kaya napatikhim ako.

“By the way, I would like to tell you that I’ll be the one touring Ms. Brown and her team tomorrow. Do you have any suggestions about her taste?” tanong ko.

“Her team like island hopping,” aniya kaya napatango ako.

“What about Ms. Brown? Is there any type of food she likes?” He just stare at me.

“You can ask her that. I don’t know about it,” aniya. Napataas naman ako ng kilay roon.

“You should know. She’s your type,” I said without even thinking what I’m saying. He looks amused by my expression.

“Who said so?” he asked, raising his brow now.

“You said so.”

“You are right. That’s the description I said years ago. However, I never said that she was my type. And my type changed when I met a certain woman. I already like someone who has gray eyes with gray hair, with a black mole in beside her patilya, a pretty smile, and a fascinating mother to our children,” he said. Bahagyang nag-loading ang utak sa kaniyang sinabi. I don’t even have to be smart to know that it’s me he was talking about. Pwera na lang kung may anak siya sa iba.

“You find her pretty.” Hindi ko mapigilang sambitin bago napataas pa ang kilay sa kaniya.

“I said that because you talk about her first rather than saying you miss me. I’m sorry for making you think about it,” aniya na pinigilan pa ang mapalabi.

“But yeah, valid. She is indeed a beauty and it’s normal to be attracted to other people too,” ani ko na napatango pa. Pampalubag loob sa sarili. Hindi naman na rin kami bata para gawing big deal pa ‘yon. It's completely fine to find other people good-looking.

“What? Are you getting attracted to other people? I shouldn’t said that,” sambit niya napasimangot pa. Napatawa naman ako nang mahina roon.

“No seriously. It’s normal to find other people good-looking,” ani ko na napakibit ng balikat.

“Getting attracted to other people is not normal,” he said annoyed.

“Yeah, I worded it wrong. But normal to find them pretty and good-looking,” ani ko. Tila ba gusto niya pa umalma roon. I don’t even understand why we are getting so worked up for this.

“Like I find a lot of hot guys in the Hatty resort but since my mind is already tied to you, I can’t even afford to look at them twice,” ani ko na napatango-tango ko tila ba pinag-iisipang mabuti ‘yon. Nang lingunin ko siya’y nawala na ang pagkalasalubong ng kaniyang kilay at kita ko lang ang pagnguso niya para pigilan ang ngiti sa labi.