My Love In Her Past (3rd Book Of 'In Her Past' Series)

Chapter 21

"Sabihin mo nga sa akin Isabel kung bakit hindi ka marunong magsulat?", tanong ni Celso sa kaniya habang kumukuha ng papel at quill pen sa isang cabinet ng bahay na bato nito.

Nakaupo lamang siya sa harapan ng lamesang katabi ng nakadisplay na  uniporme ng lalake. Pinaupo kasi siya nito doon.

"Iba gamit kong pangsulat. Mostly electronic. Computers, laptops, iPad and the likes.", ika niya habang pinaglalaruan ang sculpture ng mukha niya na nakapatong rin sa lamesa. Natutuwa siya doon dahil kamukhang-kamukha niya iyon.

Going back to what she just said, totoo namang mga electronics na ang gamit niya mostly. From contract signing, to-do list and even the simplest notes are all done using her gadgets. Malimit na lang siyang gumamit ng lapis o ballpen pwera na lang kapag may nagpapa-autograph sa kaniya o di kaya'y needed talaga niyang gumamit ng ganoon.

"Hindi kita maintindihan.", mahinang saad ni Celso kaya naman napatigil siya sa paglalaro ng sculpture niya. She glanced at his towering stature next to her and saw how his forehead creased in confusion.

Pigil siyang napatawa habang winawagayway ang kaliwang kamay na parang nagsasabing huwag na lang nitong pansinin ang sinabi niya.

"Ang ibig sabihin ko... ibang pangsulat ang nakasanayan ko. Hindi itong balahibo ata ng manok na sinasawsaw sa itim na ink.", nagpipigil ng tawa niyang pagpapaliwanag.

She tried using it before when Jose lend her one. Akala niya madali lang gamitin kasi parang ballpen rin lang naman kapag ipwepwesto na sa mga daliri niya pero iba ang feeling ng ballpen sa feeling ng quill pen. Parang isang diin niya lang ay mababali na ang feather ng quill pen.

Nawala kahit papaano ang kunot sa noo ni Celso pero kita pa rin sa mata nito ang pagkalito.

Since he's already standing next to her seated form, it was easy for him to just slide beside her. Sinundan lamang ng mga mata niya ang bawat galaw nito habang maingat nitong nilalatag ang papel at pangsulat sa lamesang nasa harapan nila. 

After he's done setting up, he glanced towards her and said, "Manood ka ng mabuti."

He then carefully dipped the quill pen on the small bottle of ink and expertly wrote his name on the paper. The way his hand moved is so satisfying to watch. Walang hinto-hinto kasi ang pagsulat ni Celso ng pangalan nito kaya naman dikit-dikit ang kada letra ng pangalan nito.

That's one of the things that she found hard about the quill pen.

Dapat kasi maging careful ka sa pagdala nito kasi may tendency na tumulo at madumihan ang papel na gamit mo o di kaya'y ang damit na suot mo.

His handwriting looked so good as if a master calligrapher made it but her attention isn't on the paper but on his face.

He has this kind of unexplainable appeal.

Pure Spanish ito sa pagkakatanda niya pero hindi iyon nahahalata dahil kayumanggi ang balat nito na parang pang-Pilipino.

Honestly, she doesn't really like pale-skinned guys. Kaya naman pasok na pasok si Celso sa panlasa niya.

But she now feel ashamed that he is more tan-looking than her. Mas Pilipino pa itong tingnan kaysa sa kaniya dahil napakaputi niya.

Alagang Derma kasi siya at dahil na rin sa influence ng beauty standards ng society kaya naman mas pinili niyang maging maputi.

Nowadays, people would only consider you beautiful if you're pale-skinned. Parang naging surefire way sa pagiging maganda ang kulay ng balat.

She can remember a sentence that can be both a compliment and an insult at the same time that is connected to beauty and skin color.

'Maganda ka lang kasi maputi ka.'

It's like complimenting someone that they are beautiful BUT only because they have paler skin.

Ewan nga lang niya bakit parang insulto na sa iba ang pagiging itim but looking back to herself, she would confess na isa siya sa mga natangay ng ridiculous standards ng society.

For the first time in her life, nahihiya siya dahil doon.

Lalong-lalo na dahil katabi niya si Celso na purong Espanyol pero mas Pilipino pa kaysa sa kaniya.

"Nakikinig ka ba?", biglang saad ni Celso na nagpatigil sa iniisip niya.

Instead of being flustered because he caught her, she just smiled widely and said, "Ang gandang lalake mo."

Indeed, just how she predicted, ito pa ang namula at agad na tinanggal ang pagkakatingin sa kaniya.

Years of practice on dealing with men. Wala pa rin siyang kupas. Kaya ang dali-dali niyang magka-boyfriend.

Mahina siyang napatawa at tinuon na ang pansin sa sinulat ni Celso.

On top of the paper is his full name. The alphabet is written underneath it. Para siguro may guide siya.

Napamangha siya kasi ang ganda ng pagkakasulat ni Celso sa mga iyon.

Inabot niya pa ang isang papel at nilapag iyon sa harapan niya. Celso then handed the quill pen to her and watched intently how she would do it.

She took a deep breath before dipping the tip of the quill pen into the small jar of black ink. Dali-dali niya iyong inilapit sa papel pero may ink na biglang tumulo. Just like her first few times, a huge blob of black ink scattered on the clean surface of the paper.

"Goddamnit!", nanggigigil niyang sabi habang kinukumo ang kamay niya.

Ang hirap nito!

Suddenly, Celso stood up a little bit and leaned towards her. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and held her right arm that was strongly holding the quill pen.

"Huwag mo kasing hawakan ng mahigpit.", he softly said while caressing her right knuckles that was wrapped around the quill pen as if she has a plan on murdering it.

Her body instanly responded to his light touches and she immediately loosen her grip on the quill pen.

Her entire being jolted awake when he wrapped his strong big hands on her small, dainty ones. Despite the undeniable masculinity of Celso, his touches are so soft. Just like fluttering feathers of a butterfly on the skin.

"Anong gusto mong sulatin natin?", mahinang bulong nito sa kaniya. His mouth is hovering close to her ears that's why she can feel his breath. It stirred her into yearning something more than writing stuff.

She wanted something more...

Something carnal.

She breathlessly said, "Beatrice Isabel Ramirez. Pangalan ko ang sulatin natin."

Celso heeded her request and guided her hands on writing her full name. She watched as her name slowly emerged on the paper while Celso was  saying every syllable.

Her name sounded so good coming from his voice.

Oh how the tables have turned. Siya naman ang namumula ngayon.

Pagkatapos sulatin ang pangalan niya ay tatanggalin na sana ni Celso ang pagkakaakbay nito sa kaniya pero agad siyang nagsalita.

"Pangalan mo naman.", mabilis niyang wika. "Pangalan mo naman ang sulatin natin."

She doesn't want him to let her go. It feels comfortable having his arms wrapped around her.

Wala siyang narinig na reklamo kay Celso bagkus ay hinawakan nitong muli ang kamay niya at ginabayan siyang sulatin ang buong pangalan nito sa ilalim ng pangalan niyang sinulat nila kanina.

Just like earlier, she felt all of these unexplainable feeling surround her. Kaya naman nang matapos nilang sulatin ang pangalan nito ay agad siyang sumabat na ang pangalan ng bayan nila na San Jose ang sulatin nila.

She doesn't care what they would write. As long as his arms are around her then she would write anything. Ngunit biglang binitawan ni Celso ang kamay niya.

She instantly felt the coldness surround her when he let her go but it instantly came back when Celso guided her cheeks towards him and instantly kissed her.