Chapter 14

Blame

"H-Hello, Hale..." Tinawagan ko na siya para malaman din niya na nawawala si Angel... Nanginig ang mga labi ko at bubuhos na ang mga luha ko.

"Yes, hon?" Parang natigilan siya sa kabilang linya. "Hey, is something wrong? Are you all right?"

"Liz? Nasa mall pa rin ba kayo ng mga bata?"

I can immediately sense his worry. Siguro ay nararamdaman na rin niya na nasa panganib ang anak niya... My tears fell. "Hale, nawawala si Angel... I'm sorry..." I cried.

"What? Liz, where are you? Nasa mall pa rin? What are the guards doing?!"

"N-Nandito sila... Hinahanap na rin nila si Angel..."

"Tell me what happened? Papunta na ako d'yan."

"Hale..." I was crying while talking to him on the phone.

"Hey, Liz, calm down, okay? It will be fine. I'll be there. Wait for me. Don't go anywhere. Leave it to the security."

"Okay..."

"All right."

And then we put down the call.

I was really scared. If something's to happen to Angel, hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko. I will accept all the blame that she's missing now. Dahil kasalanan ko naman talaga...

Nang dumating si Hale ay agad siyang dumeretso sa akin. Nasa isang private room na kami ng mall kasama ko sina Manang at Gelo, at may naiwan ding security na nagbabantay pa sa amin doon. Agad akong napatayo mula sa kinauupuan ko doon nang makita ko si Hale.

"Hale..."

Agad niya akong niyakap at inalo. "It's all right. We'll find her, don't worry." He gently rubbed my back.

Nang kumalas kami sa yakap ay agad niyang pinagalitan ang bodyguards. Pagkatapos ay bumaling siya kay Gelo. "Gelo, what were you doing? You can't look after your sister?"

"Hale..." agad kong pigil sa kaniya na huwag pagalitan ang bata. Dahil hindi naman kasalanan ni Gelo...

"It's not my fault, Dad. We were just fine at home. Liz brought us here!"

"What did you say? And what did you just call your mother?" Nagagalit na na lumapit si Hale sa anak niya.

"Hale!" Agad ko naman siyang nilapitan at hinawakan sa braso niya.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Gelo. I saw hatred in his eyes when he looked at me.

"Angelo!"

Natuon kay Hale ang tingin niya nang sigawan siya ng dad niya. Nakita ko rin na natatakot na si Gelo kay Hale.

"Hale, tama na..."

"She's not my Mom..." mahinang ani Gelo pero narinig namin. He also gulped after what he said.

"You!" Hale grabbed Gelo.

"Hale!" Naalarma ako at halos pumagitna na sa kanila ng anak niya! "Tama na! Nawawala na si Angel... Please, huwag nang ganito..."

Binitiwan ni Hale si Gelo. Kinalma niya na rin ang sarili niya.

"Nandito na po si Angel, Sir!" Isang bodyguard ang dumating at nagbalita sa amin nito.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "N-Nasaan..."

And then Angel was shown to us from behind that guard.

"Angel!" Agad ko siyang nilapitan at niyakap. I still cried. I was so worried and I got scared of something bad might have happened to her. Now that she's here I'm just so relieved.

"Angel, where have you been?"

Angel looked up her dad. "I was... I was just in the washrooms, Daddy..."

"Ito kasing si Eren, Sir. Sa kaniya pala nagpaalam ang bata na gustong magbanyo at sinamahan niya, pero hindi nagpaalam sa amin. Pasensya na rin po at bago pa lang din kasi siya at hindi pa masyadong maalam sa trabaho..." yumuko ang mukhang leader ng bodyguards.

Yumuko rin iyong mukhang si Sir Eren. Mukhang mas bata pa nga rin siya kompara sa ibang bodyguards na nakikita ko rito. Pero ang alam ko ay galing din silang lahat sa military...

"Sorry, Sir..." Anang guard na nagyuko ng ulo sa harap namin ni Hale.

"It's not our guard's fault, Daddy! I'm sorry I didn't tell...Mommy Liz that I'll be going to the washroom... She was still busy buying our tickets to the movie and I wanted to go to the washrooms already... But I told the guard and let him accompany me..." Angel tried to explain.

"How about you, Gelo?" Seryoso at halos matalim na baling na naman ni Hale sa anak niya.

I held his arm to calm him down.

"I was on my phone...and was listening to music... I didn't hear Angel leaving my side... I'm sorry." He said and then gritted his teeth when he bowed down his head.

Pagkatapos noon ay hindi na lang muna kami natuloy sa panonood ng movie at minabuting umuwi na lang agad sa bahay.

"Hale, paparusahan mo ba iyong bodyguard? Tatanggalin mo ba sa trabaho?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm thinking about it."

I shook my head at his reply. "Pero, Hale, hindi naman kasalanan noong bodyguard. At mabuti nga na sinamahan niya si Angel at hindi naman niya pinabayaan..."

"At sabi nga rin noong leader nila bago pa lang siya sa trabaho..." I added.

Hale's eyes focused on me.

I sighed. "Ayaw ko lang na may maparusahan pang ibang tao, kung alam ko rin naman sa sarili ko na kasalanan ko naman talaga—"

"Stop that. It's not your fault. Kasalanan din ni Angel na hindi pa rin siya nagpaalam sa 'yo."

Umiling ako. "Huwag mo nang pagalitan ang mga bata, Hale. Wala naman silang kasalanan."

Tumango na si Hale pagkatapos. Bahagya akong ngumiti sa kaniya.

"Where's Angel? Where's my grandchildren?" Napasugod sa Casa Salcedo ang mama ni Faye... Mukhang nakaabot din sa kanila ang balita ng muntikan nang pagkakawala ni Angel kanina sa mall...

Agad din nagtagpo ang tingin namin. "You! What were you doing?! Bakit mo dinala ang mga bata sa mall?" Tinuro ako nito.

But Hale's body already covered me behind him. As if shielding me to protect me. "My wife isn't at fault. What are you doing here? Who let you know?"

"What are you talking about, Hale? Stop protecting your wife! Ano? Mas pinipili mo pa ba siya kaysa sa mga anak mo?"

"You're talking about unrelated things here, Mama." Hale called his mother-in-law.

"Where's Angel? Angel!"

"Lola..." Angel followed by Gelo ran to their grandmother.

"Ang mga apo ko." She gathered and hugged the children into her arms.

"Paano kapag nangyari uli ito, Hale? Hindi mo pwedeng hayaan na lang 'yang babaeng pinakasalan mo sa mga bata. You see, muntik nang mapahamak si Angel under her watch—"

"Enough." Hale cut her off commandingly. Natigilan din ang lola ng mga bata. "No one's blaming my wife. It's not her fault."

"Pero, Hale, hijo—"

"I still respect you as Faye's mother, but I get to decide for my family. You can leave now."

Nanlaki ang mga mata nitong nakatingin kay Hale. "What...?"

"You can visit Angel and Gelo again next time. But not now, I'm sorry. I know you are worried for your grandkids, but I am here as their Dad. I can take care of my family."

"Hijo..." Pero wala na rin itong nagawa... Saglit pa ako nitong sinulyapan bago kami tinalikuran and a maid escorted her out...

"Hale..." tawag ko. Wasn't he being rude to his late wife's mother? "Hindi ba dapat, hindi ganoon...?"

Hale sighed a little. "Ayaw ko lang na pinapakialaman ang pamilya natin, Liz. This is our family so we'll handle it on our own."

Pagkatapos ay pinatawag niya si Yaya Celsa... "You told Mama?"

Nagyuko ng ulo si Yaya Celsa. Ang nanny ng kambal. "Nag-aalala na po kasi ako kanina nang nawawala si Angel, Sir. Kaya tingin ko ay may karapatan din sina madam na malaman ang nangyari sa apo nila..."

"Next time don't act without my knowledge, or without me telling you to do so. All the matters that concerns this house will stay in this house. I hope you get it, Yaya Celsa."

Tumango naman si Yaya Celsa. "Opo, Sir... Pasensya na po."

And then Hale just dismissed everyone.

"Angel, Gelo, I'll talk to you later." Bilin pa niya sa mga bata.

Tumango lang naman ang kambal sa ama nila.

"Hale..." tawag ko habang umaakyat na rin kami sa ikalawang palapag ng mansyon patungo sa kwarto naming mag-asawa.

Hale turned to me. "Don't worry, hindi ko na papagalitan ang mga bata... I'll just talk to them, okay?"

Tumango na ako. "Hindi ka na nakabalik sa trabaho mo sa opisina..."

He shook his head. "It's all right. I already told my secretary to move my meetings tomorrow. It's fine. Now, let's just rest first. I'm tired. Aren't you?" Ngumiti sa akin si Hale.

Tumango na ako kay Hale at nakapasok na rin kami sa kwarto namin.

Unang naghubad si Hale ng necktie niya. And then I helped him with the unbuttoning of his shirt. Pagkatapos ay sunod kong naramdaman ang hawak ng mga kamay niya sa magkabilang gilid ng baywang ko. At nagsimula na rin siyang haplus-haplusin ako doon. Bahagya akong natigilan sa ginagawang pagtulong sa kaniyang hubarin ang damit niya sa trabaho. Nagkatinginan kami. Ngumiti si Hale sa akin.

"Hale...maaga pa..."

"Hmm. Well, kailangan ba may oras so I can make love to my wife?"

I sighed. "Hale, may nangyari lang kanina. We all thought that angel got missing..."

"But she wasn't. Nag-washroom lang pala ang bata. We were worried for nothing. You were worried for nothing." He held my cheek gently. "Don't worry about it anymore, okay? I'll talk to them and the guards later. I'll make sure that they'll be more efficient next time." He said it seriously. "They all made you worry and caused my wife stress..."

Umiling ako kay Hale. "Hindi naman, Hale. Ayos na rin ako na okay na si Angel."

He nodded his head. "Yes, she's perfectly fine. Now, will you stop worrying and just focus your attention on me. Hmm?"

Tumango na ako at hinawakan na rin ang kamay niya na nasa pisngi ko. I smiled to him gently. He smiled to me, too. And then his lowered his head to reach my lips and kissed me...

Bumaba ang halik ni Hale sa leeg ko. Bumaba na rin kaming dalawa sa kama at nahuhubaran na rin niya ako ng damit ko na isang summer maxi dress lang. This was what I wore at the mall today. Komportable kasi sa init na rin ng panahon dito sa pilipinas at simple lang din. Bagay sa medyo payat kong pangangatawan at payat na mga braso at balikat. Pero ngayon inalis na ni Hale sa katawan ko ang dress na kanina ay suot ko pa...

I helped him unbuckle his belt, too. And unzipped his pants. Agad kong nakapa ang pagkalalaki niya... He was already hard and standing mightily. "Hale..."

Hiniga na niya ako sa kama namin pagkatapos. He continued kissing me and his hands owning every part of my body...

And then he bent my thighs and rested my legs on his arms... And after that slowly I felt his hard member going in my wetness slowly and and carefully at first... until he started his usual rhythm when he makes love to me...

"Hale... Ah!"

I can't deny that I'm starting to like everything about it... About making love to Hale. It was good and he can make my body feel good. My insides started to grip his length within me. By then I knew that I was near to reaching my climax... I have come to learn all these things with Hale...

Hale groaned. I knew that he was nearing his release, too... So I tried helping him... I started moving my hips to join his movements... Bahagya pang parang natigilan si Hale at tumingin siya sa akin. I just continued what I was doing trying to equal his getting faster rhythm... My lips parted and I feel like my eyes was rolling to the back of my head... Hale's mouth parted, too...

"Fuck!" Napamura siya at sunod kong naramdaman ang pinakawalan niyang init sa loob ko...

"Hale..." I called him gently.

Hindi pa niya tinatanggal ang pagkalalaki niya sa loob ko nang abutin niya ang labi ko para mahalikan ako. Hinayaan ko siyang halikan pa ako and I kissed him back...

After a while of kissing we finally parted, but Hale grabbed me closer to his body and enveloped me in his warm embrace. "I love you..." he said this after making love.

Napangiti na lang ako at inaantok na. But I still managed to say it back to him. "I love you, Hale..."

And then after that I fell asleep for a while. Sandali lang dahil nagising uli ako nang maalala ko ang mga bata. Hale already said na hindi naman niya papagalitan mamaya sina Angel at Gelo. And I trust him. But I'm still worried...

"Hale..." I called. My head was again rested on his chest and I was still inside his arms.

"Hmm?" He was still awake, too.

"Totoo naman ang sinabi ng bata..." Tukoy ko sa nasabi kanina ni Gelo. "And we can't force your children to like me..." I said.

"They don't have to like you... They just have to give you some respect."

Pakiramdam ko ay nagagalit na naman si Hale. I tapped his chest to calm him down. He caught my hand and held it.

"Bigyan na lang muna natin ng panahon ang mga bata..."

Hale just sighed.

Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya at nakitang gising na gising pa rin naman siya at mukhang hindi pa napagod sa ginawa lang namin. "Akala ko ba kanina sabi mo pagod ka...kaya tayo umakyat dito sa kwarto?" I smiled to him.

Napangiti na rin si Hale.

And even if I wasn't sure yet... I moved on top of him... Mukhang nagulat pa si Hale sa inakto ko. Nakaramdam naman ako ng hiya.

And then Hale smiled. Bahagya rin siyang bumangon at siya na ang umayos at pumuwesto sa akin sa ibabaw niya. "Damn it... You're beautiful, Liz..." aniya na para bang nabibighani talaga siya sa akin... "Especially now that you're on top of me." His gentle eyes were replaced with his blazing desire for me once more...

He positioned me well on top of him while he was looking relaxingly leaning his back and head against our bed's headboard. We were looking into each other's eyes. And I think my eyes already mirrored the same desire I was seeing through his pair of perfect amber eyes...

His lips parted and mine too after he guided my hips up a little and then slowly down his erect member... "Ah!" we both moaned at the intense feeling...

Hale guided me until I got his rhythm and continued to move my body on top of him...