30 Days with Mr. T (Published under PSICOM Publishing Inc.)

Chapter 48

MATAAS na ang araw nang idilat ko ang aking mga mata. I heard a soft sound coming from somewhere. And shifted my head to find out I'm sleeping with Mayumi.

I smiled and tuck her hair behind her ears. Nakayakap siya sa katawan ko, ang isang binti ay nakadagan sa gitna ng mga hita ko. Lalo ko tuloy naramdaman ang galit na gustong kumawala sa boxers ko.

This girl. Is the real meaning of polysemy. She's making me mad and the same time, engrossed, distracted. I really don't know the exact words. It's just crazy na maramdaman ko 'to sa sandaling panahong nakilala ko siya.

Truth is, I wanted to get rid of her. Wanted her out of my way. Showed her all my negative sides. But still she's willing to give herself to me. Hindi ko inasahan na sa kabila ng nagawa ko sa kanya noong una kong nahawakan ang katawan niya, magagawa pa rin niyang lumapit sa akin ng ganito. At ibigay ang sarili sa akin. Ng buong-buo.

She moved and I just watched her. She rubbed her nose at nanlaki ang mata ko nang ikiskis niya ang binti sa nakatayong alaga ko. Napangiti ako. Kahit tulog, she's still undeniably amusing. And beautiful.

Shit! Why am I complementing her?

I've slept with different women. Have sex in several places. But I always see to it that I won't give my all. I wear condoms. I don't cuddle. I hate spooning. But what am I doing right now?

If I lay my cards for her, will I still be able to achieve my goals? Of being on top of everything? If I will continue this and just go with the flow, with what I'm feeling right now, and just enjoy this questionable emotions, will I be able to prove myself and to Lolo Emilio that I'm not helpless after all?

My parents died at my early age. Si dad when I was seven, travelling to Bohol for a summit conference caught a tragic plane accident. My mom when I was ten when she was bitten by a killer bee during her visit in Brazil. Parehas silang nawala sa akin na ang nasa isip ay pawang pagtatrabaho. They were both heroes in their own fields. Talaserna became well-known. Mas lalong nakilala sa lipunan, mas lalong naging mataas ang tingin ng lahat kay Lolo Emilio na siyang humawak ng lahat ng naipundar ng mga magulang ko.

And he always told me, I couldn't surpass my parents. He kept on telling me I'm still not enough. That he needed to see more of me, kahit na ginagawa ko naman ang lahat, still my everything is incomplete.

My fingers softly grovel on her smooth, exposed skin. At parang nananaginip, idinikit niyang lalo ang pisngi sa dibdib ko. I sighed. Unang kita pa lang, nagustuhan na siya agad ni lolo. I tried to correct everything but something was always hindering me. I wanted to tell lolo she's not the perfect girl. She's just my stupid office janitress, who is hitting with my caretaker, already taken and full-fledged married. Or is she?

Pagkatapos ng nangyari sa amin kagabi, ano nga ba ang dapat kong maramdaman? Sinungaling ako kung hindi ko aaminin na nag-enjoy ako. That was the most amazing sex I've ever had. At iyon ay dahil sa isang kagaya lang niya. Walang maipagmamalaki. Walang alam. It's hard to accept that I am physically attracted to my janitress.

Marahan kong tinanggal ang kamay niyang nakayakap sa akin. Her naked body is still glowing as the sun pass through the glass window. At kung ipagpapatuloy kong pagmasdan siya ng ganito ay baka hindi ko na naman mapigilan ang sarili ko.

Hindi ito tama. Nakokonsensiya lang ako dahil sa nagawa ko sa kanya. Dahil naaawa ako sa kanya. And I just needed to be forgiven. My conscience is just eating me dahil inakala kong nakikipaglapit siya kay Ben. Dahil nagalit ako sa kanya ng walang dahilan. After this, I can already breathe. Mananahimik na ang isip ko.

Iniwan kong natutulog si Mayumi. I had to make important calls. Isa-isa nang nagno-normalize ang Tee Farm. Inventories were balanced and investors are gradually coming back. Pero habang kausap ko ang isa sa mga empleyado ko ay hinila naman ako ni Lily palabas ng cottage. I saw the rest already enjoying the waterfalls. I grinned of the idea and waited for Mayumi to join me, but did not happen. And I was surprised with myself when I felt disappointed because of that. After what we have done, I expected her to be clingy. But she's not.

Nakabalik kami mula sa Mambukal. Set a date to meet Judge Kruz. The veteran judge who dominated on both cases of my parents. Kaya nga nanalo ang kaso nang dahil sa kanya. He's like an old friend, father to me.

"What is this Lily Suarez talking about, Brixander? A fake wedding? What kind of adjudicator do you think I am? Kailan ka pa natutong gumawa ng baluktot? You're fooling Emilio? The person who stood after you?"

"J-Judge, please let me explain..." nasa labas lang sina lolo at Mayumi. Anytime ay maaari nilang marinig ang pag-uusap na 'to.

"No you listen to me, boy!" galit niyang sabi. I wanted to tell him it's not what he thinks it is but he just wouldn't let me. "She offered me two million pesos for faking a marriage. Your marriage, Brixander! Here we are getting older and older everyday, waiting for your right girl. We wanted you to be happy..." Napayuko ako. Alam kong malapit siya sa mga magulang ko. Maging kay lolo. And he never miss any events in my life. Birthdays, graduations, business launchings... "Spend your lives with someone you can rely on and understands you for who you are..." Sumulyap siya sa pintuan kung saan naroroon sina lolo. "I'm not going to tolerate your excapade. Look for another henchman. I'm not doing this!" matigas niyang pahayag.

I breathe deeply. "J-Judge," seryoso akong tumingin sa kanya. "If I've proven that she's not yet married," kumunot ang noo niya. "Would you promise to officiate us? No playing hard ball. No fooling around." I asked him without a blink.

Tinitigan niya ako pabalik. Tinanggal niya ang suot na makapal na salamin. And answered me back. "Yes. Absolutely."

"M-Mr. T, bitiwan mo na ang kamay ko. Wala na si lolo pogi, oh. Hindi na siya nakatingin."

Pero mas hinigpitan ko ang pagkakahawak sa kamay niya. "Baka bumalik iyon, mahuli tayo. Kaya hindi ko muna bibitawan ang kamay mo." I intertwined our fingers.

I admit. Right now, I'm feeling like lying on a soft pillow. I couldn't feel my feet. I couldn't see the people around us. At hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ganito ang pakiramdam ko.

"Bakit iniwan tayo ni lolo? Akala ko ba tayong tatlo ang kakain dito?" tanong niya. We're here in one of our branch restaurant. "Saka bakit may kandila? May patay ba?" Napangiti ako sa tanong niya. I asked one of my staff to lit a candle for our dinner.

"Kakain lang tayo, Mayumi. Ano ang gusto mo?" Napansin kong natigilan siya. She directly looked at me.

"Namumula ka, Mr. T. High blood ka ba? Huwag ka nang kakain ng baboy. Nakakataas ng dugo iyon. Saka bakit ba kasi dalawa lang tayong kakain dito? Nakakahiya, baka may makakita sayo." She's wearing a simple peach cocktail dress that makes her alluring and elegant.

"Wala kang dapat ikahiya. You're beautiful, Mayumi." I saw she suddenly swallowed. Does that mean my words leave a mark on her?

"H-Hindi ka nahihiyang kasama ako?" Hindi siya makapaniwala sa sinabi ko. Ako man. Am I really doing this? "Ikaw ba talaga iyan?" Saka niya kinurot ang pisngi ko. Hindi ako umilag. I just stared at her when she bit her lip. "Hala! Lalo kang namula. Punta na kaya tayo ng doktor? Baka hindi pa tayo kasal, biyuda na agad ako. Tara na!"

"M-Mayumi sandali." Muli siyang napaupo sa silyang nasa harap ko. I took something from the inside pocket of my suit. "This is for you." She took the piece of paper. And her eyes grew bigger.

"Five hundred thousand pesos?!" Gulat na muli niya akong sinulyapan. "P-Para saan ito? Bakit nakapangalan sa akin?"

"Hinihintay mo iyan, 'di ba? That's all yours." Then when I met her gaze, I said, "But you have to marry me, Mayumi." And she just glared at me, open-mouthed, while nodding her head.