He Who Owns Me DLC 1

Kabanata 31

"O sige," nginitian niya ang bata.

Hinila siya nito papunta sa bahay. Lumabas ang Tatay nitong si Manong Banog at ang Inang nitong si Manang Ayin.

"May hinanda kami para sayo Mam Reyna," masayang pahayag ni Manang Ayin.

Sunundan niya ang mag-asawa at ipinakita nito ang magandang bahay na yari sa pawid at kawayan.

"Para sa inyo po iyan Mam habang naririto kayo. Sana po nagustuhan niyo ang aming munting handog," may pagmamalaki sa boses ni Mang Banog habang nakatingin sa bahay.

"Maraming salamat po," masiglang sagot niya.

Iniwan na siya ng mga ito pagkatapos at dinala ang bag na may lamang damit sa bahay. Mataas ang silong ng bahay kaya mataas din ang hagdan. Inilapag niya ang dala sa isang munting kwarto. May bagong banig na nakalatag at unan na may nakabalot pang plastic.

Hindi niya napigilan ang makaramdam ng saya. This kind of simple life was somewhat a bliss. We don't need to be very rich to be happy. Because sometimes, happiness lies on the things we thought so simple.

Napasarap ang tulog niya dahil sariwa at malamig ang hangin paggabi. Nag-unat siya ng mga braso habang nakapikit parin ang mga mata. She should get up dahil umaga na. Bumangon siya at muling nag-unat.

Nagtataka siya kung bakit maingay sa labas ang mga bata. Kaya wala sa sariling tumayo siya at lumabas. Hindi alintana kung ano ang itsura niya. She wore a big white shirt na halos umaabot sa kalahating bahagi ng hita niya. May suot naman siyang maikling shorts sa loob.

Papikit-pikit ang mga mata niya habang humahakbang sa hagdan. Huminto siya sa ikatlong baitang at humikab. Shit! Inaantok pa talaga siya.

"Ate Reyna!" tawag ni Ambo sa pangalan niya.

Nagmulat siya ng mga mata at akmang hahakbang sa susunod na baitang nang may mahagip ang mga mata niya. Sa gitna ng kumpulan ng mga bata ay may mataas na bulto.

Her sleepy eyes snapped wide open when her gaze fixed to the masculine back of a man. His wearing a rugged jeans and his upper body was naked with sweats dripping from his ripped back.

Napalunok siya ng wala sa oras at ang pinagtataka niya ay biglang tumalon ang puso niya. Mas lalo siyang nabingi sa lakas ng tibok ng puso niya nang lumingon ito at hinuli ang mga titig niya.

Right there, her heart seemed to stop beating from her chest. She could feel her knees tremble and something inside her stomach tighten at the sight of him.

"What the heck is he doing here?" hindi makapaniwalang sambit niya sa sarili.

Nawala na siya sa pukos kaya nang humakbang ang isang paa niya ay nawalan siya ng balanse at napatili. She was about to fall and she knew it would really hurt.

Mariin niyang ipinikit ang mga mata at inihanda ang sarili sa paglanding sa matigas na lupa.

Her eyes were tightly closed. She was holding her breath as she felt her body pressed into something hard and warm, not the solid ground she was expecting. She was so scared that she hold on tight and mindlessly snaked her arms to his neck. She felt a tingling sensation at the contact of their skin.

Naramdaman niyang binaba siya nito pero nakakapit parin ang mga braso niya sa leeg nito. Her feet touched the ground yet her knees were still shaking from fear.

Narinig niyang tumikhim ito.

"Pwede ka ng bumitaw," kapagkuwan ay sabi nito.

Parang binuhusan si Queennie ng malamig na tubig at dali-daling kumalas at humakbang paatras. Shit! Nakakahiya! Pag-atras niya ay napaimpit siya nang sumakit ang kanang paa niya at muntikan na siyang matumba, buti na lang ay napakapit siya sa kahoy na hagdan.

Tutulungan sana siya nito pero nakita nitong nakakapit na siya sa hagdan kaya hindi na ito nagtangkang lumapit.

Umupo siya sa hagdan at ipinatong ang na sprain na paa sa ibabang baitang. Bahagya siyang yumuko at inabot ang paa para hilotin. Naiilang siya dahil ramdam niya ang mga titig nito. She winched in pain as she massaged her right foot.

Nagtaas siya ng tingin at nahuli niyang tinitigan siya nito. No scratch that. He was staring at her damn exposed legs. She tried to hide her blushed and irritation filled in her eyes.

"Stop eye-raping me Mister!" inis na sambit niya.

She saw him curve his damn good lips into a smirk and he crossed his arms. Her eyes fixed into his ripped biceps and freaking sinful abs. His muscles became more defined as years passed. She gritted her teeth when he caught her staring at his half-naked body.

Nanunuya ang tingin nito na mas lalong nag-pairita sa kanya.

"So? If you didn't wear that damn clothes, then your legs won't get exposed and I don't have something to stare at."

Inirapan niya lang ito at binalik ang atensiyon sa paa. She was pissed because somehow he was right. But what did he think should she supposed to wear? Saya na kasing taas hanggang kalingkingan ng paa niya? Tsk, jerk!

She gasped when he sat in the last step of the wooden stairs and took her right foot. Her heartbeat tripled as his hands touched her skin. Parang may mumunting kuryenting dumaloy sa paa niya. Ipinatong nito ang paa niya sa hita nito.

Ipinilig niya ang kanyang ulo. This was stupid! This wasn't right!

"I c-an manage. Y-ou don't have to..." she tried so hard not to stammer, at akmang babawiin sana niya ang paa nang humigpit ang hawak nito at pinirmi sa hita nito.

"Stay still," his voice was calm yet dangerous.

Hindi niya alam kung paano nagagawa nitong maging kalmado sa sitwasyon ngayon. Maybe she was just over thinking.

Wala siyang nagawa kaya hinayaan niya lang ito. Napaigik siya sa sakit nang pinaikot nito ang paa niya.

She bit the inside of her cheeks as her eyes diverted to stare at his face. He matured a lot. His jaw line became sharp and dangerous, his perfect straight nose stood proud, his dark eyebrows made his eyes more intense and dark and his muscles were like being sculpted by a well-known sculptor. He has grown taller and that made her look shorter.

Damn! It doesn't matter anyway.

As she stared at his face, her anger and frustrations aroused. He helped her like there was nothing happened in the past. Like she wasn't get hurt and used. She made herself a fool for believing his lies.

She went away to move on and forget. If moving on was as easy as you say it, she had succeeded long time ago. She thought she did... after years of trying.

But when she saw his face, there was still some part of her that ached and scarred... and it angered her.

It angered her because she thought she was okay, that her heart was now at peace. Bakit pa sa lahat ng lugar ay dito pa niya ito makikita? Crap! This life is full of shit!

She winced in pain again and this time Lutian glanced at her face. He stopped on what he was doing and looked at her. The creased on his forehead has gone and his eyes worriedly stare at her eyes.

"Does it still hurt?" his voice was a soft whisper that it almost melted her anger.

He glanced at her feet and back again to her face. He reached for her face when he saw a tear dropped from her left eye.

Tinabig niya ang kamay nito at mukhang nagulat ito sa ginawa niya.

"Yes, it still hurts..." mapait na sagot niya sabay kagat sa nganginginig na pang-ibabang labi.

It still damn hurts...

Mas masakit pa ang nararamdaman niya sa puso kaysa sa sprained foot. Ang puso yata ang nasprained at hindi ang paa niya.

She stood up and she put her full weight in to her left foot. Walang lingon na bumalik siya paakyat sa bahay. Hindi iniinda ang sakit ng isang paa niya. She just wanted to get alone and to stay away from him.

Bakit kailangan pa nilang magkita muli?