Fit Her Shoe [Gottfred & Lorin]

Kabanata 29

Everything was not feeling real and right. But here I was, back in the house again and would be working with my husband, I meant ex-husband who I should be moving on and staying away from.

Tinawagan ko si Mikel na puntahan ako sa bahay. I told him everything and he was expectedly so furious. But we could not do anything about the project aymore. It was now officially at the hands of the Figuerroa Engineering and whether we liked it or not, we had to let it go. I meant, them to let it go. Dahil ako ay nakatali pa roon sa kontrata ko.

Nang gabing iyon ay nagpaalam na rin siya sa akin na babalik na sa New York. His flight back here was an urgent one and he could not stay for long. We talked about Gottfred and I and how he hated my situation, but again, we also could not do anything about that thing anymore. He asked if I wanted to go back with him since I was already divorced, but we both knew that New York wasn’t for me. There wasn’t my place and besides, I did not want to get in between him and Elizabeth.

After saying our goodbyes, I collapsed onto my bed, utterly drained and weary from the events of the day.

Hilong-hilo ako nang gumising kinabukasan. Pakiramdam ko rin ay hinahalukay ang sikmura ko at walang kalakas-lakas ang katawan. I wanted to just stay in the bed all day but I had work waiting for me. Kaya naman alas singko pa lang ng umaga ay gumising na ako para maghanda. Gottfred told me to come to work at seven in the morning. Not before or after. Just seven sharp or else, I would not like the consequences. Ngunit quarter to seven na ay nakahiga pa rin ako sa kama, nakabalot sa kumot at tamad na tamad bumangon at kumilos.

I felt sick. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit bigla na lamang na sumama ang pakiramdam ko. I was fine yesterday but I suddenly felt ill right now. Maya’t maya ang punta ko sa banyo para sumuka.

Did I eat something wrong?

But I hadn’t eaten anything yet to begin with!

Nang pumatak ang alas siete ay pinilit kong bumangon sa kama. I ate cereals only to spit it out in the sink, the taste of milk was so horrible in my mouth.

In the end, I just took a bath and dressed myself to leave for the office. 

I phoned the security guard of our subdivision and asked him to call me a taxi. Alas otso y media na ng umaga nang makaalis ako sa bahay.

But what could I do? I felt horrible. Something was strange in my body. It felt like it changed drastically overnight. Bukod sa hilo at pagsusuka, pakiramdam ko’y bumigat din ako. Muntik ko na ngang iyakan iyong hindi nagkasyang palda at blouse ko kanina. At parang hiwaga na biglang lumaki ang mga dibdib ko na hindi ko na maibutones pa ‘yong blouse ko.