ISLAND AFFAIR

CHAPTER 20

...the next day has arrived......

         I woke up in the arms of Vierre. As the broad daylight slowly inhabits the darkness in this bedroom, I only stared at Vierre still in a deep sleep.

"You sleep like a baby Vierre--' I asserted turning to him.

I pinched his nose kaya naman ay napagalaw siya opening his one eye in an irritating way.

"What... I am still sleeping Am, you should sleep too. It's still early." he mumbled before turning his back from me.

I stayed still looking at him, este his back pala. Something came up circling on my mind.

"Why I am feeling this way...no, it can't be, may asawa ka Amanda, and s-siya din!" I mumbled refraining myself from the thought that I am enjoying Vierre's company. That I liked the way how we are now.

"Hindi ka ba titigil?!" I've got startled when Vierre suddenly talked twisting his head to see me before he moved his body as he lied down straight facing the ceiling just like my position.

Natigilan lamang ako dahil dun.

"Oh...bakit parang gulat na gulat ka na naman Jan? Yes I've heard you, ang likot mo hindi na tuloy ako makatulog." he said frankly nung nakita niyang nakatulala lang ako. Hindi kasi ako nakapagsalita agad dahil akala ko tulog siya.

"Eh kasi naman umaga na." I also said frankly before glaring at him.

"You've consumed all my energy last night so--' I deserved a comfortable sleep to be recharged!" He said arrogantly kaya nman napatawa ako hanggang sa magkatinginan kami at mamayani ang katahimikan sa silid.

A few moments later, hindi na ako nakapagpigil at natanong ko siya.

"Vierre' d-o you l-like me?!" I asked him straightforwardly that caused him to stare at me with his questioning eyes.

"What do you mean by that word 'like'? What kind of like you're referring to?" He asked me back before he scratched his temple using his thumb.

"Depende kung anong klasing like ang meron ka para sa akin." Ngiwi ko lamang na saad.

"Why do you wanna ask?"

"Nothing-' I j-just want to know." I said in between heavy breaths.

"It doesn't matter what I have for you, you're a married woman anyway." he replied.

"I-ikaw din naman ah..." I said bluffing him when he looked at me again.

" What is your point Amanda?" Ito lamang ang sarkastiko niyang tanong.

" A-ang ibig kong sabihin....we know that we are both married  but still we're doing stuff that we shouldn't be doing so--' I w-wonder if you like me k-kasi ako  O--'   Hindi ko na naituloy ang sasabihin ko nung bumalikwas na siya mula sa kama revealing his nakedness tsaka siya patalikod na naglakad papunta sa pinto ngunit tumigil siya doon ng bahagya.

"You should take a bath now Amanda, I'll go and prepare us food." Walang emosyon niyang wika na hindi manlang ako tinapunan ng tingin bago siya tuluyang humakbang papalabas ng silid.

I was left thinking deeply about things, about his attitude when it comes to his wife.

"Anung tinatago mo Vierre-' what's with your wife, bakit lagi ka nalang nagagalit kapag napag-uusapan natin ang wife mo?" I curiously mumbled bago din ako bumangod at tumungo agad nang shower room.

I chose again the bath tub. Pinuno ko iyun ng lukewarm na tubig and some bathing scents tsaka ko pinabula at inilublob ang aking katawan roon.

          Still, I was preoccupied by the thoughts regarding Vierre and his wife habang napapikit nung hindi ko namàlayang tuluyan nang naglaho ang aking consciousness at hindi sinasadyang malubog ko ang aking ulo sa tubig for quite long time  drowning myself.
.........

***
"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday-- please brace yourself for impact! The plane is crashi--' BOOMMMM!!!"
_____________!

"H-hey b-babe hold on! I've got you!

"Babe no I can't... my feet got stuck and I-I am drowning...please just go! The plane is about to sink- go save your life a-and f-forgive m--'

"No! Safaia!! Hold on...here- I've got your hand! Let me pull you out from this fvcking p-plane--'...
***

...........

             This are the thoughts that occupied my sub-consciousness as I get back to my senses kaya  agad akong nagpanic at agad kumapit sa bath tub's edges para umangat mula sa pagkakaloblob ko sa tubig habang habol habol ang aking hininga.

"m-muntikan na ako dun ah!" I exclaimed as I breathed in haste holding my  breast.

Muntikan na anong tuluyang malunod sa tub. Buti na lamang at nagising ako agad.

       Agad na akong tumayo mula sa bath tub at drinain iyun bago ako magtungo  sa shower room para paliguan ang sarili ko ng malamig na malamig na tubig because I didn't open the heater.

"Pumikit ako habang dinadama ang pagtama ng tubig mula sa shower bulb sa aking ulo at katawan nung isang alala na naman ang sumilay as aking isipan.

***
"A-anung ginagawa mo sa akin?! Bastos!!!"

"A-ako? Bastos? Hoy!! You should be  grateful instead of calling me bastos because you don't know what I've lost in saving your life! "
***

Napadilat ako ng aking mga mata at natutop ko ang aking bibig sahil sa isiping iyun.

"Oh my gosh! W-was it h-his wife?! N-no..., that can't be! No...." I mumbled opposing my own thoughts.

Habang nagpapalit ay okupado parin ng isip ko ang mga alaalang nagsisibalikan sa aking isipan.

        Tila naririnig ko ang mga hiyawan at iyakan ng mga kapwa ko pasahero nung plane habang itoy unti unting lumulubog sa kailaliman ng dagat. Beside my seat is  a woman who got stuck in her feet dahil sa pagkaka-ipit nito sa upuan dahilan para hindi ito mailigtas nung lalaking pilit inaabot ang kanyang kamay kasabay ng paglubog ng plane.  However, the plane eventually sunk and that's when I also lost my consciousness.
.......

"KNOCK! KNOCK!"

Natigil ang isipin kong iyun dahil sa dalawang magkasunod na katok.

"Hey Am-- not done yet? You better hurry, lalamig yung pagkain!" Ito ang sigaw ni Vierre kasunod ng kanyang pagkatok.

I just opened the door at tinignan siya with my face blank before I started to walk towards the kitchen.

He just shook his head and released a deep sigh before he followed me and sat down  on the chair in front of me.

I expected him to talk to me and ask me why I was quiet pero wala akong mahintay na ganun.

I wanted to ask him about the things that just resurfaced in my head a while ago ngunit hindi ko magawa. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm afraid sa isasagot niya sa akin or I am just not ready for all of this.

Natapos ang pagkain namin with just peek stares from the both of us and a pure silence.

"A-ako na ang magliligpit." I suggested nung matapos kaming kumain.

"Okay..." he just answered shortly at naglakad na papalabas ng kusina with a tipsy walk with his hands inside his pockets while his eyes were heavy at nakayuko lang din siya.

Tanging tingin na lamang ang nagawa kong igawad sa kanya dahil doon.
.......