Dedicated to  Vca Ikalabintatlong Konseho "Trece"

Chapter 25: News

I've been dreaming of having different types of steamy scenes with Seiji, kahit sa umpisa pa lang ay alam kong hanggang teen fiction lang siya. I never imagined that he'd actually swayed all those documents on his desks just to give me a convenient place, like who would have thought?

I've witnessed this kind of scene in some movies, but I never thought that Seiji would do the same. Iyon nga lang, kung sa mga movie ay ipinakikita lang kung gaano kaiinit ang mga bida sa isa't isa, ngayon ay nakikita ko na ang realidad.

The expectation and the reality, of course.

Kasalukuyan na akong nakaupo roon sa swivel chair ni Seiji habang nakapangalumbaba at pinapanuod siya sa ginagawa niya. He's now busy picking up his documents and sorting it on his table.

Ikaw ba naman ang hawiin ang mga papeles sa lamesa, hindi ba? Sino naman talaga ang mag-aayos niyan kundi siya?

Hindi ko na napigilan ang pagtawa ko. I bit my lower lip to suppress it, but I couldn't just make it possible. Sobrang natatawa na talaga ako. Bakit hindi ko man lang ito napanuod sa mga movie? Sino ang nag-aayos ng mga papel at gamit na pinatatabig ng bidang lalaki pagkatapos niyang hawiin iyong lamesa niya para sa babae?

Natigil sa pagtingin sa hawak niyang papel si Seiji at nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin.

"Nani?"

Mas lalong dumiin ang pagkakakagat ko sa aking pang-ibabang labi habang nakikipagtitigan sa kanya. Nahihirapan na talaga akong pigilan ang pagtawa ko.

"This is really funny, Seiji. Dapat ay naroon na tayo sa sofa, but right now—" but he cut me off.

"It's your fault," tipid niyang sagot bago niya ibinalik ang atensyon sa dalawang papel na hawak niya.

"W-Wow! Yabang mo na yata, Mr. Matsumoto!" ganda hair style niyan? Guwapo?

Tumawa siya habang nakatungo pa rin doon sa papel na hawak niya. "You can't breathe, right?"

Hindi ako nakapagsalita sa sinabi niya. Sa unang pagkakataon ay wala akong nahanap na isasagot sa kanya. All I did was watch him finish his paper sorting.

Asar na asar pa ako kay Seiji nang nasa loob pa kami ng opisina niya pero nang lumabas na kami ay nakaangkla na ang braso ko sa kanya. Tawa lang siya nang tawa sa akin dahil kureiji na naman daw ako.

Seiji and I stayed inside the safe house for one week. Ilang beses kong sinabi sa kanya na ihanap na niya ng ibang safe house iyong mga pinsan niya, but he insisted that he needs his cousins' presence.

At dahil si Seiji ay isang malaking kill joy, para lang naman kaming mga bida sa isang lumang palabas sa tv at may tema ng bawal na pag-ibig. Dahil sa tuwing may presensiya ng kahit isa sa kanyang mga pinsan, ayaw na ayaw ni Seiji na naglalambingan kami.

"They're aware! Alam nilang mag-asawa tayo. So what?!" gigil na sabi ko kay Seiji. Hindi ko na natapos ang pagsusuklay sa harap ng salamin dahil nakatutok na iyon kay Seiji.

"Ibu. . ." he awkwardly scratched his left cheek.

Seiji's now sitting on our bed, with his white cotton pajamas. Lalong nag-iinit ang ulo ko sa kanya.

"Tell me a very good reason."

"They're envious of me, bebe."

"I know! Alam ko naman na insecure ang mga pinsan mong iyan sa 'yo dahil nauna ka pang mag-asawa sa kanila. And me? Sidra Everleigh Rosilla? One of the top 100 sexiest women alive?"

Seiji scratched his right cheek. I saw him grimace as well na para bang binging-bingi na siya sa one of the top 100 sexiest women alive.

"But we could just respect them? Respect the singles? I remember someone told me about this," nakakunot ang noo niya habang inaalala kung sino ang nagsabi sa kanya noon.

Sino bang bitter iyon?

"Excuse me? We're loving each other. Hayaan mo na ang mga iyan. I am sure, kahit hindi mo aminin sa akin ay binu-bully ka ng mga iyan dati. This is my way of getting even with them. Hindi lang nila matanggap na iyong pinabibili nila ng tinapay at mineral water ay may very beautiful wife na. Tapos sila wala."

Umiiling na sa akin si Seiji. Bumuntonghininga na ako at tumayo na ako sa harap ng salamin. I walked towards our bed and sat beside him.

I cupped his face. "Bebe, masanay ka na. Do you think those Ferells that you called friends? They are also as insecure as your cousins. Hindi mo ba nararamdaman iyon? Sa sobrang haba ng pila sa akin, ikaw iyong pinili ko. Pumila rin sa akin iyong mga Ferell na iyon, hindi ko pinagpapansin. Hindi ko mga type! Pinaka hansamu ka talaga."

Hindi na makapagsalita si Seiji. Iiling pa sana siya pero hindi na niya magawa iyon dahil pinipilan ko na ang mukha niyang gumalaw.

"Kaya kung sino man ang nagsabi sa 'yo ng single whatsoever. Bitter lang—"

"Troy. I think Troy mentioned it—"

"Hayan na nga ba! Hayan na nga ba ang sinasabi sa hula! Huwag ka magsasama-sama sa Troy na iyon! Gosh! My innocent bebe. . . huwag ka sumama sa mga iyon. Sinungaling iyang mga Ferell na 'yan, Seiji."

"No. They're quite helpful."

"Ha! Then tell me something. Bigyan mo ako ng bagay na ginawa nilang matino—"

"They sent you to the garden before."

"Huh? Anong garden?"

Wala yata akong matandaan na dinala ako ng mga iyon sa garden.

I saw how Seiji's eyes suddenly widened na para bang may mali siyang nasabi o naalala. "Oh, gomen. What I mean. . ."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Alam mo, Seiji? Ang natatandaan ko ay binulungan ako ng mga pesteng iyon na puntahan kita sa loob ng banyo. Not a fucking garden! See? Garden naman pala ang usapan n 'yo!"

Papagalitan ko pa sana si Seiji at ang pakikipagkaibigan niya sa mga Ferell nang ibahin na niya ang usapan.

"Let's sleep, Ibu."

"Hmp."

Akala ko ay maglalaro pa siya ng ML bago siya matulog pero nahiga na rin siya sa tabi ko. He offered his right arm that I willingly accepted. Alam na niyang mangangalay na naman ang braso niya dahil sa ulo ko pero dahil alam niyang gusto ko lagi ng ganoon posisyon ay tinitiis niya.

That's one of Seiji's characteristics that I both love and hate. He's never direct or willing to admit that he's in pain. He may be improving in expressing his affections and concern through actions, but Seiji's not really good at words.

I should read him carefully, deeply. . . like a poem.

"Tell me a story," he said as he caressed some strands of my hair.

"What story? Panahon ba ng pananakop ng mga hapon? Our first love?"

"Are you really serious about that story, Ibu?" natatawang tanong niya.

I rolled my eyes. "I know that we're hiding right now, Seiji. But these days, everything seems surreal. Kahit may asungot na pinsan mo. I am happy right now— to be with you."

"Me too."

Halos isang minuto siguro kaming kapwa natahimik at nakatulala lang sa kisame nang magsalita ulit si Seiji.

"I have a story."

"Ikaw naman pala ang mayroon, e."

He chuckled. Seiji pulled me closer. "It happened inside one of the islands in Japan."

"Oh, come on, I am all aware of our story, Seiji."

"I forgot to tell you that we were filmed when we were on the island."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at marahas akong napabangon sa narinig ko. Agad kong nahampas si Seiji.

"W-What? Seiji! Naghuhubad ako roon! Saan nakalagay ang camera?! P-Pumayag ka?! Sino ang mga nakanuod?"

"Calm down, Ibu. Remember the woman who rescued us on the island? She's the first one who watched the footage. She erased all those unnecessary parts."

Mapapahinga na sana ako nang maluwag nang mas lalong nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Nasapo ko na lang ang bibig ko habang nakatitig ako kay Seiji na nagpipigil na ng pagtawa.

"Did you remember something, Ibu?"

"T-That was an accident, Seiji! H-Hindi ko talaga hinawakan! Gosh! Bakit kasi may camera! It should be our privacy!"

Umalis na muna ako sa kama at humiwalay kay Seiji. Ramdam ko ang tindi ng pag-iinit ng pisngi ko. Ilang beses kong pinaypayan gamit ng palad ko ang mukha ko pero ramdam ko pa rin ang tindi ng pagkahiya ko.

"They want to monitor us."

"Hindi ko talaga sinasadya iyon, Seiji! That was an accident."

I know that we're already married and we've done a lot of things together, with heart, body, and soul. But we were still in the flirting stage back then! Ano na lang inisip niya nang una niya iyong pinanuod?

Nakaupo na siya sa kama at nakasandal na sa head board. Parang natutuwa pa si Seiji sa nagiging reaksyon ko.

"At least, it wasn't just me who had the secret on the island before, bebe."

Bigla kong naalala ang inamin niya sa akin noon. He gave me CPR the first time he saw me on that island and he pretended that he was not even bothered or concerned with me!

"Now we're even, Ibu."

"No. . . hindi ko talaga sinasadya, Seiji. That was an accident."

"Okay."

Seiji tapped the space beside him. "Come back here. Let's get back to sleep."

"Bakit kasi kailangan mo pang sabihin? You should have kept it as a secret."

He chuckled again. "I thought no secrets at all?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Mr. Matsumoto!"

***

Seiji and I had simple bickering at night, sharing our stories, and opinions about every topic we talked about.

Our life inside the safe house was quite unbelievable for a couple who had a death threats. Na halos makalimutan ko na ang dahilan kung bakit kami nagpagkalayo-layo ni Seiji.

I thought I'd continue to hate these sneaky scenes with Seiji, my husband. But as days passed by, I'd learned to enjoy these silly things with him.

We were left inside the dining area, I was just busy looking for fruit juice inside the refrigerator when Seiji abruptly pulled me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He'd kiss me on my lips, down to my neck and when I started to giggle he'd stop and press his forefinger on my lips.

"Napakalandi mo, Seiji. . ."

He'd just hold my hand and pull me outside his crime scene.

When I was busy browsing his books inside his library, Seiji was already behind my back, arms around me, with his face buried in my neck. When we were on the terrace, behind the curtains, and in every corner of his safe house without his cousins' eyes. I just realized that Seiji's too addicted with his arms wrapped around my waist.

Well, it's a different matter at night. Wala pa rin tatalo sa favorite eyes ni Seiji Matsumoto.

"Seiji, you're like a cat," natatawang sabi ko nang bahagya kong itulak ang mukha niyang nakasubsob na naman sa leeg ko.

"Neko?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Like this? Akala mo naman talaga hindi gusto. Cats are like that. You'd never expect them sweet at all. But when they're into their masters already, hindi na talaga siya humiwalay."

"Have you had a cat pet before, Ibu?"

"M-My brother. . ."

Natahimik si Seiji sa sagot ko. Seiji knew about my experience with my brother. Alam niyang grabe ang dagok sa akin nang sandaling nawala si Sideon, it was the most devastating part of my life.

May inabot akong isang libro at sinimulan kong buksan iyon. Hinayaan lang naman ako ni Seiji habang pinapanuod ako, hindi pa rin niya tinatanggal ang pagkakayakap niya sa akin mula sa likuran.

"We can name our first child with your brother's name, Ibu. Sideon Matsumoto would be great."

Halos mabitawan ko ang hawak kong libro sa narinig ko mula kay Seiji. I am all aware that he's still sensitive when it comes about us— having a child. At marinig iyon ngayon kay Seiji. . .

"W-What?"

"Sideon Matsumoto would be great if it is a boy."

Umawang ang bibig ko. "H-Hindi ka na takot sa gastusin, Seiji?"

Muli siyang natawa sa sinabi ko. Namulsa na lang siya at umiling sa akin. He's smiling that made his eyes got smaller.

"You're not afraid anymore? Hindi ka na nagdadalawang isip, Seiji?"

"I think we're about to get late to make it ten?"

"Seiji!" naiiyak na ako sa mga sinasabi niya.

Lumapit na akong muli sa kanya at nahampas ko na ang dibdib niya. Nagiging emosyunal na naman ako dahil kay Seiji.

He knew how I love my brother so much, and Seiji telling me these words and how he appreciates the memories of my brother. . .

I married the right man.

"T-Thank you. . . Thank you so much, Seiji."

He pulled me closer and his familiar arms wrapped around me. "It should be my words, Ibu. Thank you," he gently held my chin with my eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you for giving me something I thought I couldn't embrace. Now, we'll have Sideon. . . probably Sideon," ilang beses pang tumango si Seiji habang pinupunasan ang luha ko.

"H-Huh?"

"Ibu, you've been giving me symptoms lately. . . I think you have our first child."

My eyes widened. "One out of ten?!"

Seiji laughed and he gently bumped his forehead with mine. "Yes. One out of ten. You silly wife."