Chapter 2: The Paintings

Uhaw na uhaw na ako. Gusto ko na lang uminom nang sobrang lamig na tubig.

"Dapat kasi hindi na tayo nagtipid sa tricycle, Taryn, at least ihatid man lang tayo hanggang dito. Ang layo nang nilakad natin mula sa tinitigilan ng jeep!" reklamo ni Maya.

Lumingon ako sa kanya dahil kanina pa akong nauuna sa kanya. "Malapit na tayo. Hindi ba't nakikita mo na ang apartment natin? Bilisan mo na! Ang init!"

Binuhat ko ulit ang dalawang kahon na ibinaba ko muna dahil sa sobrang bigat.

"Wait! May bato pa yata ako sa paa! Damn it! Bakit hindi pa kasi ipatag 'to! Napakakuripot ng may-ari!" reklamo ni Maya.

Ang harapan ng apartment namin ay hindi sementado, lupa lang iyon na may maliliit at matalas na bato, kaya nakakadulas talaga kapag naglalakad doon lalo na kung maraming dala. Kahit ako ay hirap na hirap sa sitwasyon namin ni Maya dahil sa dala naming mga kahon na pinamili namin.

The sun was scorching hot. We were both drenched in sweat, thirsty, and dizzy, and our hands ached as the straw rope tying our boxes dug painfully into our palms. I love doing groceries, and filling our empty refrigerator and cabinets, but the worst part of it was carrying it since we were commuting.

Mahirap lang kami ni Maya at wala rin naman kaming boyfriend na may sasakyan na maghahatid sa amin kaya ito lagi ang siyang problema namin— ang magbuhat.

Maya and I sighed in defeat as we looked up, aware that it would be tough for us to climb up the stairs with our groceries. Hindi pa man kami nakararating sa dulo nang mataas na hagdan nararamdaman ko na ang pagod lalo na't kapwa may bitbit na pinamili ang mga kamay namin.

"Hindi pa ba talaga maaayos ang elevator? Paano naman tayo na nasa third floor na may pinamili?"

Napailing na lang ako. "Huwag ka nang puro reklamo, Maya. We should go. Aayusin pa natin ito. Marami pa akong gagawing requirements."

Nauna na ako sa kanyang maglakad habang hirap na hirap ako sa bitbit ko.

"Magrereklamo na talaga ako!" sigaw niya bago ako hinabol.

"Are you sure? I just want to inform you that we haven't paid the rent last month."

"Huh? Hindi pa ba nabayaran ng mga sugar daddies mo?"

Lumingon ako sa kanya at matalim ko siyang tinitigan. "We're not talking about it again, Maya."

"If you're really not... baka naman you can recommend me," she said with a grin.

"Shut up, Maya."

Nang makarating na kami sa dulo ng hagdan at pauunahin na sana ako ni Maya na umakyat nang kapwa maagaw ang atensyon namin dalawa. Kapwa kami napalingon sa pamilyar na boses ng babae at sa ingay ng sasakyan na nagpark sa harap ng apartment. 

Bakit kaya sa tuwing naghahabulan na parang K-drama itong sina Maria at Casper (na kilala na namin ni Maya dahil lagi namin silang napapanuod) ay nasa labas kami o kaya'y kumukuha ng parcel or deliver na pagkain?

Kapwa kami tumabi ni Maya sa gilid dahil hindi man namin nakakausap si Maria ay kilala na namin ang ugali niya sa tuwing hinahabol siya ni Casper, wala siyang pakialam kung may mabangga siya.

Mabibigat ang paa ni Maria sa hagdan habang nakasunod sa kanya si Casper na nilampasan din kami. "Babe, can we please stop this chase?"

Maya and I looked at each other, mimicked Casper's babe, and grinned.

"Sana all may babe," bulong ni Maya.

"Can we please stop this chase?" bulong ko rin habang kapwa kami nakangisi ni Maya.

Nagpatuloy si Maria sa paglalakad nang mabilis, kapwa kami susulyap sana ni Maya sa hagdan para makita pa ang drama ng dalawa nang sabay kaming napaatras, hindi na naglalakad si Casper, at nakalingon na siya sa amin dalawa, nakasalubong ang kilay at naniningkit ang mga mata.

Narinig niya ba kami?

Maya and I smiled at him awkwardly. "P-Pakipot lang iyan si Maria..." I said.

"Ikaw ang pinakapogi sa lahat ng manliligaw niyang napadaan here," dagdag ni Maya.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at napalingon sa kanya dahil wala naman akong naaalala na manliligaw si Maria na napadaan dito! She just dug our own grave.

Mas napaatras kami nang isang beses humakbang pababa si Casper at mukhang mas lalong uminit ang ulo niya. "What?"

"At least ikaw iyong pinaka—" hindi ko na hinayaan pa na may sabihin si Maya dahil lumapit na ako sa kanya at tinakpan ko na ang bibig niya.

"Casper!"

Hindi na nakatuloy sa pagbaba si Casper sa amin dalawa nang kapwa kami napatingalang tatlo, nakadungaw na si Maria sa amin mula sa third floor.

"Hinahabol mo ako, hindi ba?" sabi ni Maria at umirap pa siya sa amin ni Maya.

Nabitawan ko ang bibig ni Maya at kapwa na kami napanganga sa narinig namin at sa reaksyon ni Maria na mukhang idadamay pa kami sa drama nila, nanahimik lang naman kami.

Hindi na kami pinansin ni Casper at tumalikod na siya sa amin para habulin si Maria.

"Mga baliw ba ang mga iyan?" bulong sa akin ni Maya.

"Maybe..."

When Casper reached the end and was about to turn to the next set of stairs, I thought he would continue, but he shook his head frustratingly as if he didn't have a choice. Casper hurriedly climbed down the stairs, expertly rolling up his sleeves, giving us a glimpse of his arms with protruding veins.

"I'll carry your things. Go first."

Dahil pagod na kami ni Maya ang tanging nagawa na lang namin ay tumulala kay Casper habang pinagpapatong niya ang apat na kahon at tig dalawa niya iyong binuhat gamit ang dalawang braso niya.

Napasipol si Maya. "Ang hot!" she whispered.

Hinampas ko ang braso niya. "Hurry up, maabutan niya tayo."

He effortlessly carried those boxes as if they were light as feathers. Tulala kami ni Maya habang hinihintay siyang makarating sa harap ng apartment namin at ibaba iyon sa harapan namin. Hindi niya na kami hinintay ni Maya na magpasalamat sa kanya dahil nagmadali na siyang naglakad patungo sa dulong apartment kung saan pinagsarhan na siya ni Maria. 

"Saan iyon nakilala ni Maria?" tanong ni Maya na habol ang tingin kay Casper.

"Let's get inside first."

Hinila ko na si Maya at binuksan ko na ang pinto. Nang maipasok na namin ang mga kahon at nag-aayos na kami ng mga pinamili ni Maya, hindi na niya napigilan ang iniisip niya.

"Kung ako kay Maria, hindi na ako magpapabebe, ang guwapo kaya ni Casper. Ulam pa. Sarap siguro ka-sex—" I cut her off.

"Stop fantasizing him, Maya. Can't you see? Patay na patay na kay Maria."

Ngumuso siya. "I know. Sayang lang. Ano nga ang course ni Maria?"

"I am not sure pero feeling ko ka-batch lang natin siya. Maybe she's graduating na rin. Alam ko nursing yata siya."

"Hmm..."

"Let's not talk about them, okay? Hayaan na natin sila."

"It's hard to ignore them, Taryn. Lagi natin silang nakakasalubong dalawa." Binuksan ni Maya ang pinto at sumulyap doon sa dulong apartment.

"Nakauwi na kaya si Casper?" tanong niya.

Well, I couldn't deny it. Madalas din kasi namin topic ni Maya iyong mga kapitbahay namin dito sa apartment complex. Typical chismis, nagkataon lang na sina Maria at Casper ang madalas namin nakikita.

Tumingin siya sa ibaba. "Narito pa ang sasakyan ni Casper. Fortuner? College pa lang ba siya? Yayamanin. Check ko nga sa Facebook. Sana all talaga si Maria may yummy at mayaman na jowa."

We spent our Saturday doing some groceries, cleaning our apartment, gossiping, and finishing some subject requirements, and then by Sunday, we agreed to visit The Lanoire Hemitage Museum.

Since the museum would open at 9 AM I woke up early to prepare. "Maya, wake up."

She took her pillow and covered her face. "Just give me a minute."

I looked for my bra, wore it, fixed my hair, freshened up for a bit, and took my wallet before I went straight to the door.

"Bibili lang ako ng pandesal, Maya. Bumangon ka na."

"Yes..."

Dahil malapit lang naman ang panaderya at kilala ko na rin naman ang bumibili roon sa ganitong oras, hindi na ako nagpapalit ng pantulog. I was just wearing my pajamas, my crocs, and my hairband.

Nang malapit na ako sa bakery, agad kong napansin iyong katatapos lang bumili. Just like me, Maria and Casper were wearing their couple pajamas, halatang antok pa si Casper dahil papikit-pikit pa habang may yakap na malaking supot ng pandesal. Kumuha pa roon si Maria at isinubo niya kay Casper, kaya tangay-tangay ni Casper ang pandesal, na may sabog pa ang buhok, namumungay ang mata habang yakap ang malaking supot na pandesal. Mukhang maganda ang mood ni Maria dahil humalik pa ito sa pisngi ni Casper.

Ayoko nang bumili ng pandesal.

Bumalik na ako sa apartment, nagtataka pa si Maya kung bakit wala akong dalang pandesal. "Sa daan na tayo kumain, ubos na ang pandesal."

I thought it would take us just half an hour to arrive at The Lainore Hemitage Museum but because of traffic, it took us an hour and a half. Bago kami nagtungo sa museum ay dumaan muna kami sa isang restaurant, nag-alangan pa kami ni Maya dahil akala namin ay sobrang mahal.

When Maya and I arrived in front of The Lanoire Hermitage Museum, I couldn't explain why I suddenly felt like I was left alone— that when I looked around, Maya wasn't beside me.

I waited for the security guard to approach me or an attendant to ask for the ticket we bought near the entrance. But as I took a few more steps, the enormous wooden door opened slowly—as if there were whispers in my ears and invisible strings pulling me. My body moved on its own, in a trance, drawn toward the museum that had captured my interest the moment my eyes first laid on it.

And there, just like I had seen in pictures, it felt like I was whisked away—like I had crossed a portal where my eyes could witness the prints of the past. The museum displayed everything from the past—as if it hadn't been built in this time but had grown its beauty untouched by time. The floor was marble, and the statues were intricately carved with a mixture of faded white and green colors, showing their years of existence. The different remnants of historical pasts—pots, knives, swords, handcrafts, scrolls, armor, and every other item—left an imprint of the past.

When I looked up, the ceiling was made of glass. I could see vines crawling over it. There were high horizontal windows, allowing the vines and some branches from the trees outside to grow and creep inside.

I gasped, fascinated by the museum's interior, which seemed impossible.

Mabubuhay ba ang halaman doon?

But the vines and leaves looked so healthy as if they were receiving direct sunlight, even with the enclosed glass ceiling above.

The museum might have been filled with marble—from its floors to its pillars—and numerous glass-covered stands displaying items, but it felt as though this place had been part of the forest. In the farthest corner, on an elevated floor, stood the branch of a tree, embraced by vines with small pieces of paper tied around them, as if bearing ancient scriptures. The branch felt like a backdrop for what should have been a throne.

The first floor of the museum was circular, and the glass-covered stands felt like a maze. Around this maze were numerous doors. For an unknown reason, I saw a butterfly—but eventually, there were many of them fluttering around me, and as they flew in a certain direction, all I did was follow them.

Another door opened, and as I followed the butterflies, I was welcomed into another room—an empty, carpeted room with five paintings. The soft brush of the soles of my shoes overwhelmed the silence as walked closer and stared at the painting in front of me.

I walked further, hoping to get a better glimpse of the painting, and when I finally had a closer look, all that remained was curiosity. The paintings were men dressed in peculiar clothing—probably royalty in different colors—but their faces... the artist had purposely made them vague, stirring curiosity in anyone's eyes.

They were all dressed in black royal suits, but they were distinguished differently by the visible color of stones on their suits and the embroidery of their clothing.

The first one was blue, he was sitting on his crossed legs. One of his elbows was leaning on the armrest with his chin on the back of his hand, but even without his face painted I felt like he was judging me or belittling me— he was sitting arrogantly.

The second one was in green, he was formally sitting, straight, with crossed legs, but both of his hands together, gently leaning on his thighs. I noticed that he had long hair. Even without his face painted, I felt like he'd talk to me properly— he was sitting calmly.

The third one was in gray stones, he was sitting, not in crossed legs, but both of his hands were on the armrest, and his head was partly tilted on the right side as if he was trying to assess me, curious as if he found a plaything— he was sitting as if someone had offered him a toy.

The fourth one was in red stones, he was sitting with his crossed legs as well, but both of his hands were not on the armrest nor leaning on his thighs, it was as if he was trying to remove his gloves, he was the first one who felt like he didn't care about the painter or the emotion of the painting that would give his image— he was sitting as if he doesn't care anything in the world but to get this painting done.

The fifth painting with his gold stones, was nothing but perfection as if he had been born to be a subject of every painting, he was sitting arrogantly— more than arrogant than the first one, he was leaning his back on his seat, his arms were widely open, leaning on its armrest, one of his hands was holding a wine glass, there were petals in the background, and his head was held high— he was sitting as if everyone was his slave and everyone should kneel before him.

Who are these? Are they the previous owners? 

"Taryn! Where have you been?"

The room felt so cold and dark but when I heard Maya's words, something snapped in me as if I was welcomed by reality again.

Inangkla niya ang braso niya sa akin bago kami kapwa sumulyap sa painting.

"These paintings are weird, right? Bakit kaya nakatago ang mukha nila?"

Ngunit nang sandaling lumingon ako, hindi limang lalaki ang sumalubong na larawan sa amin ni Maya kundi larawan ng maliliit na tahanan at mga hardin.

"Huh? Mukha? These are just old houses."

Umawang ang bibig ko at ilang beses akong napakurap. "No..."

"I wonder how they made them agree to have this similar painting," nawiwiling sabi ng boses ng isang lalaki.

When Maya and I looked at him, he was wearing a black suit, a necktie, and a casual smile on his face. He nodded at me.

"I don't think it was forced," sagot ng lalaki sa kanan. He was wearing white rolled-up sleeves with his hands in his pocket.

Maya's nail dug painfully into my skin as she dreamily glanced at the two handsome men on our sides. I sighed and looked at the painting again because even without a proper introduction I could recognize these two daddies.

And I knew right at that moment that they were here to take me.