As Pure As The Driven Snow

Chapter 14

He seems so amused and his eyes were all glued to my artworks. He wanted to touch them but then he's bewildered. Parang inosenteng bata na tuwang tuwa sa iniregalo sakanya.

"Beautiful..." he said

I smiled and let him see more.

"Is this like, lavender?" he asked me pointing out on my canvas

I nodded, "Yes, I made them out of white shells powered and physical petals from lavender."

"You're so talented wife."

Pinamulahan ako roon kaya agad na iniwas ang paningin sakaniya.

"Why did you choose you hide all of your artworks?"

Nagkibit balikat ako. Ayoko kasi talagang makita iyon ng iba. I'm not used to share my things with anyone else. Maski man ang kuya at tatay ko ay walang pahintulot mula sa akin. I often get mad whenever they tried to sneak here.

Para sa akin ay lugar ko ito, dito ako nakakaramdam ng seguridad. Ngayon lamang ako nagbigay ng pahintulot na may makapasok rito. At si Alejo iyon, I'll lie if I don't say I feel secured whenever he's around. Na miski kaluluwa ay kaya kong ipagkatiwala basta siya.

"Can I eat grapes here?"

"Sure tara dito."

Tinapik ko ang lapag at pinili namin na roon na lang kainin ang mga prutas na dala niya. That's his favorite, sa rami ng prutas ay iyon talaga ang pinilit niyang hanapin kanina. Dahilan niya ay gusto nyang kainin ang paborito niya ng kasama ako sa paborito ko ring lugar.

I looked at him while he's looking at my painting.

"Alejo."

"Hmm?" he looked at me.

I handed him over a key.

"Before... If something ever happen to me, I don't think I could ever trust my own place to anyone, nor I ever think of sharing this place to someone. This is the first time I entrusted my security to someone.. someone who became my human security. Please, take care of that spare key, so when I needed my security you'll be here with me."

I couldn't bare to fight his gaze, alam ko lang ay mas malakas ang tapang ko na sabihin kung ano ang isinasapuso ko. He said that he promised not only to care of our place, but to take care of me too.

We plotted things. Kung ikakasal kami ay gagawa kami ng bahay na mayroon akong sariling studio, my paintings were all be there, displayed. Sumang ayon ako roon dahil kung ikakasal ako sa binata, wala na akong dapat na itago pa, miski ang lugar kung saan ko madalas itinatago ang sarili ko dati.

Malugod kong tatanggapin kung ibabalandra namin ang mga pinta ko sa bahay namin. Because aside from him, and my paints, our soon to be home will become my security too.

We talked a lot that night, he's other dream than being engineer, he wanted to become a father with a house wife.

Nasali pa nga ang pinag talunan namin kanina lang, ang paglilihim namin.

After that night ako pa rin naman ang nasunod siguro ay nirerespeto lang rin ni Alejo kung ano man ang desisyon ko. I wanted to keep this as a secret para na rin sa amin dalawa. I don't want to hurt other people, specially Islana.

Hindi naman niya sinasabi sa akin kung may gusto ba siya sa binata, pero nararamdaman ko. Sobrang interesado siya sa binata.

Nakahiga ako sa kama ng marinig kong tumunog ang cellphone ko.

Alejandro's Calling

"Hey." he said using huskily voice halatang pagod

"H-hi!" I tried to be lively.