Kristine Series 55: MONTE FALCO - Island In The Sun

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

HINDI niya maiwasang mahawa sa tawa ni
Alana kahit na nag-init ang mukha at hiyang-hiya ang pakiramdam niya.

"Hypothermia be damned!" dagdag nito nang
huminto sa pagtawa.

"You are as bad as Marge."

"And wait till she hears this."

Nagkangitian silang magkaibigan. Then her smile faded slowly. "I-I am not just attracted to
him, Alana. I think l am falling in love with him."

"Oh, don't be silly," saway nito sa tonong tila
isang old maid professor. "One-night stand won't make you fall in love with someone no matter now gorgeous he is."

"Was it really just a one-night stand?" she asked wearily, more to herself. Ibinalik niya ang mga mata sa kaibigan. "I love him, Alana," she said softly.

Alana shook her head, "Gusto mo lang bigyan ng justification ang nangyari sa inyong dalawa sa pagsasabi niyan. Na kaya nangyari iyon ay dahil in love ka kay Tristan. Forget him, Meredith. Marry Edmond, He is as handsome."

"But not as gorgeous," she said smiling.
Sinisikap na haluan ng biro ang usapan.
"Besides, I don't love Edmond, my friend, Alam
mo iyan. Sa palagay mo ba ay mangyayari ang
nangyari sa amin ni Tristan kung may pag-ibig
ako kay Edmond?"

"Kung hindi ka in love kay Edmond, gayong
matagal na kayong magkakilala at kabisado
na ninyo ang isa't isa, paano ka mai-in love sa
isang tulad ni Tristan? lsang estranghero?" She
paused for a moment, at saka idinagdag, "Hindi mo ba gustong hulaang baka may affair sila ni Grace?"

Natigilan siya pagkarinig sa pangalan ni Grace. And then sighed helplessly. "Love is the most illogical and irrational thing in this world, they say. At kahit pilitin ko ang sarili ko ay hindi si Edmond ang gusto kong maging asawa."

"No," maring kontra ni Alana. "It isn't love
that is irrational. It is you. Did he tell you he loves you?"

Malungkot siyang umiling. "No."

"Smart he is. Love doesn't grow overnight, my dear."

"He didn't even talk to me on our way back
here," she whispered, feeling like a fool. She
tied to ignore the pain that seemed to slice her
through heart. Magkasing-edad lang sila ni Alana and yet her friend couldn't be more wiser.

"That was three days ago and he is nowhere
in sight. So there. He probably got scared that he took a virgin. What happened between the two of you was a means to survival. Period. He was a good lover... a tiger in bed. No. Not in bed. Sand and rock for that matter," she amended and then smiled impishly.

Hindi malaman ni Meredith kung matatawa o
maiinis sa kaibigan sa hantarang pagtukoy nito
sa mga pangyayari.

"And for a novice, you are very lucky. But he
doesn't love you. We are leaving this paradise
in a week's time as scheduled. Forget him."

"That hurts."

"Truth always hurts."

PAGKATAPOS ng hapunan ay pumanhik na sila sa itaas. Sumama si Meredith sa dalawa sa attic at nakipanood ng television sa kabila ng may TV Set din sa silid niya. Pero nainip siya at makalipas ang ilang minuto ay ipinasyang lumabas.

Sa halip na magtungo sa silid niya ay
nagtuluy-tuloy siya sa ibaba. Gusto niyang
dalawin si Don Claudio. Mula nang ma-stranded siya sa isla ay hindi pa niya nadadalaw ang matanda.

Si Grace ang nagbukas ng pinto. Umangat
ang mga kilay nito pagkakita sa kanya. "May
kailangan ka?"

"Gising pa ba si Don Claudio? Maaari ko bang silipin?"