My Girl Sunday by Rose Tan

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

HE WAS changing. He was sure of that. The horrible dreams stopped. Dati, gabi-gabi na lamang niyang napapanaginipan na naglalakad siya sa isang kalsada na puno ng mga taong walang saplot. Minsan, pumapasok siya sa opisina na walang saplot and he couldn’t find his clothes. It varied, and then not at all. Iisa ang bottom line, he was naked and ashamed. Pero ilang gabi na siyang hindi dinadalaw ng ganoong panaginip. And the mornings were no longer a torture. Pinakamahirap gumising sa umaga na hindi niya alam kung ano ang gagawin. There was no purpose. No place to go except the lonely sea. Ngunit hindi na ganoon ang pakiramdam niya.

It changed when that maid entered his life. Everything had a purpose now, and he even looked forward to each morning when he would tease and order his maid around. Bakit hindi kaagad niya naisip? He could bring a woman to this place and be his mistress. But he doubted if any woman could be so much fun as his pretty, little maid who kissed like a pro. Napangiti siya, then turned his head towards the door. Pumasok si Sunday, ngunit hindi siya nito nakita. Instead, she was gaping at the painting on the wall. Hindi kumilos sa kinauupuan si Aris, pinagmasdan lamang ang kanyang maid.

HINDI maalis-­alis ni Sunday ang mga mata sa painting. Madilim sa silid, ngunit ang dingding na kinasasabitan nito ay natatamaan ng liwanag na tumatagos sa stained glass na nasa itaas ng bintanang katapat nito. The shadows only made the painting look alive. Parang gusto niyang manlumo. Paano makokopya ni Dorotea ang painting? She could copy the brush strokes, and the colors perhaps, but not the mood of the naked woman. It was probably the mood of the painter. Medyo bilugan ang babae, but her exposed breasts were not big. May takip na kumot ang ibabang bahagi ng katawan, at nakaunan ang ulo nito sa dalawang kamay. The face was cherubic, the cheeks flushed. Hindi niya masabi kung nakapikit at nakadilat, dahil sa mga anino.

And there was another problem. Noong una ay madali siyang nakapagdesisyon na nakawin ang painting dahil naniwala siyang wala namang kuwentang tao ang may-­ari, but everything changed. She knew the truth. How could she steal from a lonely man? I’ll give it back, after my father sees it, aniya sa sarili. Alam na niya kung nasaan ang switch ng alarm at madaling pakialaman iyon. Ang kailangan lang ay pagkakataon. Kapag wala si Aris. Ngunit nahalata niya na simula nang dumating siya ay bihira na itong pumalaot. Mas gusto pa siyang utusan nito, na para bang aliw na aliw sa kanya. She was happy about that. Kaya lang, pabigla-­bigla rin namang tumatahimik ang lalaki. Na parang pinagsisisihan na naging.malapit ito sa kanya. But she knew now. Napalingon siya nang may marinig na umubo.

“I see that you like the painting,” wika ni Aris na natatakpan ng mga anino sa kinauupuang wing chair.

“M-­maganda. Sino ang nagpinta?” tanong niya.

“Juan Luna,” ani Aris.

Pilit na inaaninag ni Sunday ang amo. Ano ba ang ginagawa nito sa dilim? Lumapit siya sa outline ng pigura nito.

“How’s your day ?” tanong ng lalaki. Kita niyang nakade-­kuwatro ito, in his hand was a glass. Alak siguro.

“Okay lang. Maraming tao,” aniya, trying to see his reaction.

He was a social animal, at alam niya nananabik din itong muling makihalubilo sa mga tao. Only that he was afraid. Who could blame him? Wala namang tao na gustong pag-usapan ang natamong kahihiyan. Just a week before the wedding ay pinagtaksilan na ito ng mapapangasawa. Pinarusahan siguro, kaya inatake sa puso.

“Gusto ko sanang manood ng sine, kaya lang wala akong kasama. Ayoko namang kasama si Lagring, lalo naman si Mang Simeon,” aniya.

Tumawa si Aris. “Are you trying to ask me to accompany you to the movies?” wika nito.

“K-kung gusto mo. Naisip ko kasi na baka naman naiinip ka rin dito, wala kang ibang kinakausap kung hindi ako.”

“At naniwala kang sasamahan kita?” he said mockingly. “Hindi mo ba naisip na baka isang katerba ang surot ng sinehan dito?”

“I-­I have a proposition,” aniya. She didn’t know how to say it in Tagalog.

“For a maid, you speak English very well. Tinuruan ka siguro ng Amerikano mong amo,” komento ni Aris. “Anyway, your proposition?”

Mabilis siyang nag-­isip. Bakit ba nagsalita na kaagad siya, gayong wala pa naman siyang naiisip. “I will kiss you again and you will take me to the movies,” aniya.

“You really speak well, my dear maid. But are you sure you want to kiss me? Baka nabibigla ka lang,” anito. Kahit sa dilim ay parang nakikita na niya ang mga mata nitong nakangiti sa kanya.

“Hindi ako nabibigla,” aniya. Damn her. Maybe she really wanted to kiss him, dahil hindi naman talaga niya gustong manood ng sine. Cheap na pelikulang bastos ang palabas sa bayan at puro lalaking walang magawa sa buhay ang mga nanonood.

Naiiling at nangingiti si Aris. This maid of his was really something. Ngunit kahit ano pa ang gawin niya, he couldn’t see her as a slut. It was like she was experimenting with something. Maybe he was the experiment, and it amused him entirely. Once again, he knew he shouldn’t be fooling around with his maid too much. Pero hindi madaling kalimutan ang halik nito. And maybe this time, she would allow him to respond. After all, hindi naman inaantok ang babae.

Muling ngumiti si Aris. “Okay. I accept,” anito at nakita ni Sunday na ibinaba ang hawak na baso.

Patay! It wasn’t her plan to kiss him. But she suggested it. Ipinaglihi nga siguro siya sa bobo.

“I’m waiting,” he said teasingly. At kahit naman kabado at hindi sigurado sa gagawin ay napangiti si Sunday. Tama si Dorotea, I’m nuts!

Kagat-­labi siyang humakbang palapit kay Aris. What is she going to do? Marahan siyang naupo sa kandungan ni Aris. Hindi ito gumalaw. He was letting her do the initiative. Her hands reached up and cupped his face, isang pulgada lamang marahil ang layo ng mga labi niya sa mga labi nito.

In the shadows, he could see her lips trembling and realized he was trembling, too. He was remembering the pain, the pain that drove him almost to madness. But there was something different now. Hindi siya nag-­iisa. He was staring now at her eyes. They were telling him something. God! Does she know? His mind screamed. Her eyes were telling him no. They were almost begging him to let go, and allow her to heal him. The pain was almost physical now, at napagtanto ni Aris na hindi lamang iyon dulot ng nakaraan nito. He was aching to hold her, to let her heal him. Gusto nitong umiyak. And his eyes were aching, too, with the tears he was holding back.

He placed his arms around her, at naglapat ang kanilang mga labi. It was like being drawn into the wind, the ache was relieved. At naramdaman nitong nabasa ng luha ang kanyang pisngi. She felt it and realized that she was crying, too. She was part of his pain, gaya ng gusto niyang mangyari. There and then, she knew. She couldn’t turn back now. Naramdaman niyang humigpit pa ang yakap ni Aris sa kanya, his hands caressing her. The moisture of her mouth was like a medicine that could cure all the pains in the world, his world. It aroused him more than he thought it could. And the pain was replaced by the ache of wanting her. She wanted to think logically, but could not.

Naramdaman niya ang kamay ni Aris na pumasok sa loob ng kanyang T-­shirt, caressing the sides of her breasts and, then tugging at her bra. She gave out a moan when he finally touched her breast. She wanted to stop him. But realized that she didn’t want him to stop. She was giving back his life. Nang itaas nito ang T-­shirt niya, kusa pa niyang itinaas ang kamay upang tuluyan nang mahubad iyon. Kinapa niya ang butones ang polo nito at isa-­isa iyong kinalas, her hand aching to touch him. His mouth slid down to her neck and chest and down her breasts like a hungry child. It brought sensations she had never experienced before. His hand was now caressing her thigh. Then it went up and fumbled with the buttons of her jeans.

He groaned as if he hated their position. Pinangko siya nito at dinala sa leather couch na naroroon. Sinipa niya ang kanyang sneakers at hinayaang mahubad nito ang kanyang pantalon. He showered her body with light, feathery kisses at narinig niya ang sariling tinig na tinatawag ang pangalan nito. He wasn’t a selfish man, for he was giving her the pleasure that she was giving him. He was as if coming out of the earth to feel the sunlight. Still, there were shadows—shadows of fear, but for just a while. But he didn’t care. He would remain in the sunlight, even for only a while, for life was there—with his maid.