Ragamuffin Royalty

RR_The Woman in the Past

Chapter XXXII:

(Sam POV)

We walked along the pathways. Laid on each side a colorful, breathtaking bed of tulips, azaleas, rhododendrons, dalias, camellas, iris, magnolias, daffodils and fall colors.

Sa kabilang panig naman, nakahilera ang mga bonsai trees. Near it is a manmade pond covered with water lilies.

What amazed me most was the idea of seeing a bravura and resplendent living sculpture. As far as my memory serves me right, living sculpture is a type of sculpture that is created with living, growing grasses, vines, plants or trees. A highly appealing blend of art and science.

Simple lang naman ang design pero wapak na wapak. On a concrete beds  gravel paths was a ball sculptured shrubs. Ang cute niyang tignan. Pag nagkataong kulay-tsokolate ang mga iyon ay iisipin kong ang mga iyon ay choco mallows. ^___^

Naupo kami sa isa sa mga concrete benches na naroon. Namamagitan pa rin sa amin ang katahimikan. Ngunit mas pinili kong basagin na iyon ng mga katanungang naglalaro sa isipan ko.

"Dustin... s-sino si Sicily sa buhay ni Blake?" diretsahan kong tanong. Walang paligoy-ligoy, straight to the point, ika nga.

Mataman akong tinitigan ni Dustin, wari bang inaarok nito ang buo kong pagkatao, ang iniisip ko.

Nagpakawala siya ng malalim na buntong-hininga bago nagsalita.

"Sicily was my cousin's childhood sweetheart. Mahal na mahal ni Insan si Sicily to the point na nag-disappearing act lang ang babae. Walang pasubali itong umalis at tuluyang iniwan si Insan. Blake was so devastated that for a couple of years he was living in retrospect. He even hired a plainclothesman to search for the whereabouts of that woman. Countless search proved to be futile, yet he didn't easily give up. Pasasaan din daw at matatagpuan niya rin ito." Marahang napailing si Dustin sa huling tinuran.

Ngayon lang naging malinaw sa akin ang lahat. Blake was madly in love with Sicily. Saksi ako noon sa paghahanap nito sa babae dahil sa pagkakataong iyon din kami nagkakakilala. Kaya pala medyo pamilyar ang mukha nung babae nang Makita koi tong umibis ng taxi. Kaipala'y siya rin iyong babae na nasa litrato na dala ni Blake nang minsang sinamahan ko siyang magtanong kay Aling Betchay noon.

"The only thing that Sicily left for Insan was the archer's bracer and fingertap. She was quite a good archer. Everytime na sasabak sa kompetisyon si Sicily, Blake was always there supporting for her. She even taught insan how to shoot, ngunit lagi itong sablay. Hagalpak pa nga ng tawa si Sicily." He pauses, stifled a laugh then continued. "Indeed, they really had a good time way back then. Until one day, she chose to leave him without a word. And the rest is history." Pagtatapos ni Dustin sa kwento niya.

Yeah... naalala ko pa iyong archer's bracer at fingertap. Naka-hang iyon sa private office ni Blake. Sa katunayan nga nakuha rin ang atensyon ko ng dalawang bagay na iyon nang minsang makapasok ako sa opisina nito. I thought that gear belonged to him and that he used to play archery. But I was damn wrong.

It just occurred to me. . . kaya pala gayon na lamang ang pagatataka nito nang makita niyang may hawak akong pana at palaso nung pagkakataong ipinasyal niya ako sa hacienda nil. I just found that weapon in a hut and used it upon spotting a venomous serpent ready to dig its sharp, pointed fangs on Blake's arm. He was really flabbergasted and nonplussed that time. He did really asked me if I know how to shoot, so on and so forth, as if his system can't accept that fact.

Now, everything was cleared.

He chooses to be with me that time because I'm reminding him so much of her sweet Sicily.

Wala ka ring pinagkaiba sa kanya. . .

Minsan ko nang narinig na nanulas ang mga salitang iyon sa bibig ni Blake. Wala diumano akong pinagkaiba sa kanya. Heck! The bottomline is, he just used me.