Deep Slumber

CHAPTER 26: DISAPPROVAL

Last day na namin ngayon sa isla. It's been one week, na naririto kami. At ngayong huling araw na namin, mas lalo naming sinulit ang natitira naming araw dito sa isla ng diyosa. And as usual, gano'n ulit ang routine namin ni Devour. Gigising kaming kayakap ang isa't isa, magpipicnic at maliligo sa dagat then magbabanlaw ng sabay, tapos magkukwentuhan sa hapon at labing-labing sa gabi. Sinulit namin ang mga araw na kapiling namin ang isa't isa dahil pagbalik namin sa mansiyon, sa gabi ko na lang ulit siya makikita. Hindi tulad ngayon na palagi ko siyang nakikita at nakakasama.

"Love, kanino mo nalaman na mate mo ako?" tanong ko sa kaniya habang nagpe-prepare ako ng snacks namin ngayong hapon.

"I just feel it."

"So you're the man visiting me in my dreams? The shadow man?" Tumango lang siya. "But you didn't take me?"

"I let the Balobos deliver you to me."

"Thanks to them. I got the chance to meet you." I smiled at him.

He moved closer and hugged me from behind. "I love you Tamara."

I turned around and faced him. "I love you too Devour." He owned my lips, lifted me up from the ground and sat me on the stool. He parted my legs. Inilingkis ko naman ang mga hita ko sa katawan niya. Not that long, his lips traveled from the back of my ear down to my chest. "May sikat pa ang araw, love."

"Nothing can stop me from owning you, Tamara." Marahan niya akong binuhat at dinala sa kwarto namin. And the rest is history.

***************

Kinabukasan, gamit ang teleportation ni Devour, umalis na kami ng lugar na iyon. Pero bago iyon ay iniwan muna naming malinis ang mansiyon bago umalis. Pagkarating ng mansiyon ng asawa ko, sinalubong kami ng mga maids at ng ilang mga guards. Pagkapasok sa loob ay naratnan namin ang isang babae na sa kwenta ko ay nasa forty lang pataas ang edad at isang teenager, probably she's fifteen or something. Naka-crossed arms at masungit na nakatingin ang ginang sa'min samantalang nakangiti naman ang dalaga sa'ming dalawa ni Devour.

"Mom." Devour acknowledged the woman.

"Don't mom me young man! You've been gone for two weeks! Hindi namin alam kung nasa'n ka at kung saan ka nagsususuot! Araw-araw kang kinukulit ng Tatay mo sa'kin, alam mo ba 'yon?!"

"I worked on something, Mom." depensa ng asawa ko.

"Halata nga." mataray na sagot ng ina ni Devour. "So, siya na ba ang tinarabaho mo ng two weeks? Siya na ba ang ipinalit mo sa'min? Ha? Devour?" mataray at masungit na baling nito sa akin. Napaawang ang bibig ko. Bigla akong tinamaan sa sinabi niya. I bit my inner jaw to suppress my anger and pain. This marriage is going to be tough! That's for sure.

"Don't you dare disrespect my wife like that!" may diin at halong pagbabanta na sabi ni Devour sa Mama niya.

"I'm your mother!" buwelta naman ng kaniyang ina. "And what? Did I heard it right? Wife? Kasal na kayong dalawa?"

"The Goddess Affedyce wed us."

"Wow!" the teenage girl exclaimed beside her mother. "Congrats kuya at ate!" sabay yakap sa aming dalawa ng dalaga.

"Kelan pa?!" Hindi ko nagustuhan ang tono ng Mama ni Devour. Parang tutol siya sa pag-iibigan naming dalawa ng anak niya. Hindi lang parang... totoo talaga na ayaw niya ako sa anak niya.

"A week ago." sagot ng asawa ko.

"Did you mark her?"

"Yes I did." diretso niyang tugon. Walang ekspresyon ang mukha na nakatingin siya sa Mama niya.

"She's a mortal for pete sake!" His mom exclaimed with frustration and disappointment.

Humigpit ang hawak sa'kin ni Devour. "She's my mate and now my wife, Mom! If you can't respect her, then forget that you have a son."

"Out of all women out there, bakit sa kaniya pa na isang mortal?! You could have search for a woman who belong in this world!" The queen obviously oppose me and his son's relationship. "What about Seducia? Does she know....."

"She doesn't need to know."

"She's been in love with you ever since she is a child." Oh! She like that b*tch for his son!

"Well, unfortunately for her. I don't love her. And I will never love a woman who slept with thousand of men every single night."

"That's her nature!" His mom defended Seducia. "She didn't choose to be like that! It's part of her nature!"

"Nature or not, she has a choice! She always has a choice!" sigaw ng asawa ko. Ngayon ko lang siya nakitang magalit ng ganito. "Leave!"

Nagulat ang reyna. "Excuse me?!"

"I said leave!!" Masamang tumingin sa amin ang reyna. Siniringan niya muna ako saka hinila ang anak niya at padabog siyang umalis ng mansiyon. Bigla akong napaupo sa malamig na tiles. Umupo si Devour sa harap ko at inalo ako. "I'm sorry about my mom."

"It's fine." I assured him. "It's that why you left them?" Tumango siya.

"I don't have freedom in the palace." He opened up. "My mom didn't treat me as her own. She was more attach to my younger brother, the one next to me."

"Why is that? From the very start, may favoritism na ang Mama mo?"

"Yes." sabay tango niya. "She has."

"Baka naman hindi ka niya tunay na anak?" Then he went silent. Na-realized ko ang mga sinabi ko. "I'm sorry love, I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine." He assured me. "I also thought that sometimes." He paused for a moment. "Son or not, I don't care anymore. What matters to me is you're here, with me."

I smiled. "You're not alone, Devour... you have me."

I reached for his lips and kissed him. He kissed me back with love and passion. Unti-unting lumalalim ang halik hanggang sa naramdaman ko na lamang ang malambot na kama sa likod ko. Sumalubong sa'kin ang malamig na klima ng kwarto. It's good to be home again. We kissed until we let our body controlled the both of us.

***************

Kinagabihan, nagising akong kayakap ko pa rin si Devour. I moved backwards just to see his handsome face. The moon is so bright. It helped me see my husband's face more clearly. I smiled with contentment. Parang kailan lang nang magkakilala kami, ngayon kasal na kami sa isa't isa. Hindi maiwasang makaramdam ng kaba sa magiging future namin ng asawa ko.

Ngayong kasal na kami at namarkahan niya na ako, ano ng sunod? At isa pa sa nagpapa-worry sa'kin ay ang biyenan ko. Sa una pa lang si Seducia na ang gusto niya para kay Devour at hindi ako. Sorry siya, wala ng habol sa'min ang manok niya. Namarkahan na ako ng asawa ko at kasal na rin kaming dalawa. Wala na talaga siyang habol.

"What's bothering you love?" tanong ng asawa ko nang magmulat siya ng mga mata. "Is it about my mother again?"

I shook my head. "No. It's not."

"What's the matter then?"

I heaved a long sigh. "What will happen to us now, Devour?"

"We will create our own family." I smiled with the thought of having kids with him.

"What about your duties and responsibilities in the palace? Are you neglecting them because of me?"

"Don't worry love, I have them under control."

"I hope life would be easy for us, Devour." I beamed at him, weakly.

"I hope too, love." he agreed. "I love you Tamara. I will never get tired of saying how much I love you."

"And I will never get tired of loving you too, Devour." He moved his body above me and we enjoyed each other's company, the rest of the night.