I knew you were trouble

Chapter Ten

Exposed

Orion's

"Ano bang ginagawa ninyong dalawa diyan?!"

Lumapit ako sa pond para tingnan kung anong ginagawa noong dalawa. Nandoon na, may moment na kami ni Victoria, malalaman ko na kung anong iniisip niya tapos bigla na lang makikita niya si Eli na lumulusong sa pond na suot pa ang bestida niya.

"Hoy! Si Uncle Orion! Kamukha tayo buhok!" Sigaw ni Eli.

"Vulcan, ano bang ginagawa nito?!"

"Manghuhuli daw siya ng palaka tapos ipapakita kay Adaline. Hindi pa daw kasi nakakakita ng palaka si Ada in person. Kaya reregaluhan siya ni Eli ng palaka." Sabi pa ni Vulcan. Ipinakita niya pa sa akin iyong box na may ribbon na paglalagyan yata niya ng palaka.

"Siraulo kang bata ka." Sabi ko kay Eli. "Bumalik ka nga dito!" Sigaw ko. I looked at Eli. She's in the middle of the pond but my attention wasn't on hers anymore. I was looking at Victoria who by that time, was standing in the middle of the bridge while looking at Eli. She had this smirk on her face. Mukhang hindi siya natutuwa sa nakikita niya.

"Found one! Vulcan, i-ready mo na iyong box!" Sigaw ni Eli. Naglakad na siya papunta sa pampang. Basang – basa iyong bestida niya habang papalapit siya sa amin. I was shaking my head. Kababaeng tao, sa ama nagmana. Pinanood ko siyang ilagay iyong palaka sa box.

"Lika na! Nasa Danielle's park si Ada! Oh she's gonna get the surprise of her life!" Sabi pa ni Eli habang tumatakbo palayo.

"Hindi kaya umiyak si Ada?" Narinig kong tanong ni Vulcan.

"Bakit naman siya iiyak? Palaka lang iyan. Tara na, Vulcan! Ang bagal mo! Susuntukin kita!" Sigaw ni Eli. Napapailing ako habang sinusundan silang dalawa. Binalikan ko si Victoria sa gitna ng bridge. She was smiling relucntantly at me. Habang naglalakad pabalik sa kanya ay naalala ko iyong empty frames sa bahay niya. I now wondered why it's empty. I had to ask.

"Why is it empty?"

"Ang alin po?"

"The frames in your house?"

Kaagad siyang nag-iwas ng tingin sa akin. I knew that she didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't ask again. I just sighed.

"Lakad na tayo? Doon sa may golf course, mainit lang pero tatawag ako ng golf cart."

"Okay, Sir..."

Nakapamulsa akong tumalikod sa kanya. She is really complex, parang kakaiba ang nasa isipan niya and yet... I do understand her. I know that she has fears. Lahat naman ng tao may kanya – kanyang takot and just like what Andy had told me, Victoria has OCD and her brain is program to work in a different way.

I stopped at the end of the bridge and looked back at her. Nakatanaw lang din naman siya sa akin. I nodded at her and then smiled.

"I really like you, Victoria." I said and it came out of my mouth like I am a little boy gushing over his crush – it was so wrong but I couldn't think of anything that moment – not the fact that I sounded like a fourteen-year-old, or the fact that after almost twenty – years, I felt my cheeks blushed and it is just unacceptable!

xxxx

Victoria's

What's that supposed to mean? He likes me? What does that mean? He likes me as a person? Ganoon ba iyon? Hindi ko siya maintindihan. Paanong gusto? Wala pang nagkakagusto sa akin dati kas inga kapag nakikita nila iyong mga quirks ko, para bang nwiwirduhan sila. Iniiwan agad nila ako o kaya man, pagkatapos ng date ay iniiwasan agad na para bang ako iyong pinakamasamang tao sa mundo na nakilala nila.