Chapter 49 – New York

Cassey’s POV

ONE. Two. Three. Four—

“Cassey!”

Napatigil ako sa pagbibilang nang tawagin ako ni Cindy. Napasimangot na nilingon ko siya.

“What?!” I snapped.

“Bakit hindi ka pa bihis? Akala ko ba ipapasyal natin si Tito Martin?” nakahalukipkip niyang sabi.

“Nabibilang ako—“

“Hindi pa nga raw siya gising, okay? Kakatawag lang ni Kent kanina para sa update,” naiirita niyang sabi.

“But it’s been 4 weeks!” I whined desperately but Cindy just rolled her eyes heavenwards.

“I had forgotten how many times you’ve said that. It’s kinda’ annoying you know,” napapailing niyang sabi.

Napanguso lang ako at pumuntang kuwarto. I change from winter clothes. Papatunaw pa lang kasi ang snow at ayaw ko namang magtaka si Daddy kung bakit hindi ako nilalamig.

I was nearly done getting my beanie hat on my drawer when I heard a soft knock on my door.

“Coming!” I shouted. Isinuot ko ang beanie hat at saka ko patakbong binuksan ang pinto.

Tumambad sa akin ang nakangiting mukha ni Lyrron. I am very greatful with this man dahil hanggang ngayon ay hindi niya pa rin kami iniiwan.

“Winter suits you, Cassey,” he said with his ever warming smile.

“Why, thank you, Ly. Tara na at naha-highblood na 'yon si Cindy,” sabi ko at saka kumapit sa braso niya.

“Lagi naman 'yong highblood sa akin, eh,” he murmured kaya natawa na lang ako. Hanggang ngayon at hindi pa rin nagtatapat si Ly kay Cindy kahit sobrang halata na niya.

Magkasabay kaming lumabas nang bahay at naabutan ko sina Cindy at Daddy na nakatayo sa porch. Hindi na naka wheelchair si Daddy pero mayroon na siyang tungkod. Cindy and Dad is very much close to each other and he treat her as his daughter. I am not against it, actually. But if he is planning on adopting Cindy as his legal daughter, well, that’s a different case. One, because she can’t be seen in public because as far as everyone is concern, Cindy was already dead. Second, my father may have discover her secret as well as mine. I don’t want that to happen.

“Come on, children. It’s freezing out here,” Daddy spoke in a soft voice.
Lyrron drived the SUV and I was in the front seat. Daddy and Cindy was seated at the backseat.

“Where are you taking me this time?” Daddy asked while he was fixing his beanie hat. He was wearing a turtle neck jacket and a furry gray coat.

“Time Square,” I said. I heard Cindy’s giggle.

Last week lang ay pumunta kaming Time Square. We love it there dahil maraming restaurants, boutiques, theaters, traffics, people, giant billboards, and the neon lights everynight. I felt like a normal person surrounded by crowds. And traffic here is not annoying unlike in the Philippines.
Madalas ay hapon kami pumupunta hanggang sa gumabi. And since we don’t want to rise a suspicion with Ly and Dad, Cindy and I are force to eat their food. Noong una okay lang kasi 'pag dating namin sa bahay ay agad kaming umiinom ng dugo para mawala ang thirst. Pero habang tumatagal ay parang sumasakit ang lalamunan namin. Every swallow is a torture and I was silently hoping that they won’t feel hunger this time.

Lyrron parked the car on the parking lot and we started walking down the Square. May mga Snowblower sa paligid para tanggalin ang snow sa daan. Sabi sa akin ni Cindy ay nagkaroon ng Snowstorm dito noong wala ako kaya halos ilang araw silang nakulong sa loob ng bahay.

***

Cindy and I were both staring at the food on the plate served in front of us. We both gulp on the beef steak with mashed potato and grilled asparagus. Mouth watering. But only if my throat could ranaway from me, it was long gone for it can no longer swallow a crumb. Maybe a week of non-human food will do to recover.

“You don’t like it?” asked Daddy switching glance on me and Cindy.

“I’m on a diet,” I said feining a beam.

“Me, too,” segunda niya. Napataas naman ng kilay si Lyrron pero pinagpatuloy na lang nito ang pagkain.

“Do you want to order something else?” tanong pa ni Daddy habang maingat na hinihiwa ang beef with all the poise and finesse.

“I’m actually full. Cindz, let’s go grab some drinks,”

Nauna akong tumayo at sumunod naman si Cindy sa akin. Pumunta kami sa bar counter where we seated on the high chair.

“That was close,” Cindy said under her breath.

“Thank me. I had just saved our throat there,” I said and she chuckled.

“Well, thank you,” 

“Drinks for the ladies?” said the bartender while holding a bottle that he used in flairing.

“A tonic, please,” sabi ni Cindy kaya napalingon ako sa kanya. Nakita ko na lang na may inilabas siyang isang pouch ng dugo sa bag niya.

What the hell.

“Are you crazy?” I said trying to control my annoyance.

“I do this all the time,” Cindy said then winked.

The bartender served us a highball glass with a tonic water. Tumayo naman si Cindy at itinapon ang kalahati ng tubig sa isa empty glass nang kakaalis lang na customer. Then she slowly pour the blood unto it and she put back the empty pouch on her bag.

“Bloody Mary, you like?” she said while sipping the juice.

“I can’t believe you,” I said cringing my nose.

“Techniques, Cass. That’s all you have to learn or do you want to starve?”

“No thanks. I’d rather finish a whole pack inside my room,” I said and stood up walking away from her.

***

Ilang araw pa ang lumipas bago ako nakatanggap muli ng tawag kay Kent. Unti-unti na raw na gumigising si Ivo. Hindi pa raw totally cleansed ang katawan niya kaya hindi pa siya fully cured.

I badly want to go back and see him for myself. Mas nakakabaliw kasi kapag naghihintay ka lang ng tawag. But Cindy took my passport. Wise bitch! Hindi naman ako makapag teleport from one continent to another. That will kill me physically.

The next day ay muling tumawag sa akin si Kent only to say that he couldn’t update me with Ivo’s state because Theyn is having a hard time on her last semester of pregnancy. Wala naman akong ibang contact sa vampire city kaya wala akong ibang magagawa kundi ang maghintay, which is by the way, is slowly killing me—figuratively.

“Anyone up for an ice skating?” biglang sabi ni Cindy habang tahimik kaming nanunuod ng TV.

“And where do you expect to find a baston with ice blade, huh?” sabi ko habang itinuturo ang tungkod ni Daddy.

“Well, I do want to try my legs, hija. And my baston won’t be needing an ice blade,” sabi ni Daddy.

“May alam ka bang ice rink?” tanong naman ni Lyrron kay Cindy. Her face grinned and really, I don’t like it. Like she was planning something. I may have not know her that long pero alam ko na ang gano’ng ngiti.

“Yup! Central Park!” she said then giggled.

“No, I’m not going,” I said.

***

Napapasimangot ako habang pababa kami sa SUV. Sure, may snow rink nga sa gitna nang Central park. The last time I got here was summer so the trees was no longer a beauty on my sight. May ilang mga tao na nag-e-skate pero hindi siya kasing dami ng ine-expect ko.

The cold breeze was playing with my hair. I had worn a boots, a jeans, and a very very thick jacket. I didn’t have time tying my hair but I wear my beanie hat and an earmuffs.

Si Lyrron ang nag-rent ng ice skating shoes. Si Daddy naman ay naupo lang sa bench dahil technically, bawal ang mga disabled.

“Pangarap ko talagang maging figure ice skater noon,” sabi ni Cindy tapos umikot-ikot siya.

“Well, I play hockey when I was in College so I know how to skate,” sabi naman ni Ly. Tapos parehas silang tumingin sa akin. Ano ba 'to? Bragging rights?

“I can dance,” sabi ko na lang at saka ako nagsimulang mag glide palayo sa kanila.

Napansin kong lumayo si Cindy pero nakasunod sa kanya si Lyrron. Ako naman ay nasa gitna lang dahil ayaw kong lubayan ng tingin si Daddy. Baka kung ano mangyari do’n.

Napapangiti ako sa mga batang tinuturuan ng kanilang parents na mag skate. May mga lovers din na sumasayaw at 'yong iba ay naghahabulan.

Haay. I miss him.

Sana makasama ko na siya. Nakakainis kasi para bang pinaglalayo kami ng tadhana. 'Yong akala ko okay na tapos magkakalayo kami. Kailan kaya mangyayari 'yong dati na magkasama kami lagi. 'Yong hatid sundo niya ako tapos sasamahan niya akong mamasyal.

Gusto ko rin pumunta kami sa iba’t-ibang bansa. Kapag gumising na siya ay dadalhin ko rin siya dito para mag skate kami. 'Yon ay kung may snow pa rito.

Narinig ko ang tawanan ni Cindy at Lyrron at papunta sila sa kinauupuan ni Daddy. Pati si Daddy ay tawang-tawa sa kanila. Bumabalik na ang sigla niya. Sana talaga maka-recover na siya nang tuluyan para makabalik na kami sa kumpanya.

I was about to skate towards them when I felt someone poked my arms. A little girl was innocently smiling at me.

“Lady, a man wants to give this to you,” she said as she handed me a sprig of mistletoe. Kinuha ko naman 'yon at napakunot noo lang ako.

“Whose man?” I asked but then she ran with her skates.

Tinitigan ko ng maigi ang maliit na mistletoe sa palad ko. It has snow at medyo brown na rin ito na para bang napulot lang kung saan.

“They told me to kiss you under the mistletoe tree but I don’t see any so I had to pick a fallen branch.”

Pakiramdam ko nagyelo ang buong katawan ko nang marinig ko ang nag-iisang boses na hinangad-hangad kong marinig. Dahan-dahan akong umikot para harapin siya.

Hindi naman siguro 'to panaginip, 'di ba? Hindi naman siguro 'to isang hallucination lamang. Because I can clearly see him standing foot away from me. I felt my eyes watered with so much emotions.

“Primotivo?” I said whipering his name.

“I miss you, babe,” nakangiti niyang sabi.

Tuluyan na akong napahagulhol. Naramdaman ko na lang na yakap-yakap niya ako. I can already feel his cold embrace. I hugged him tightly. The longing for him that I had kept inside me wanted to burst out. Marami akong gustong sabihin pero hindi ko maibuka ang bibig ko. I wanted to be in his arms forever.

He let go of his hug but still holding me around his arms. I can see a trace of tears on his face. He brushed his fingers on my quivering lips as I cupped my hands on his face.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I said not breaking an eye contact.

“You ranaway from me, remember? I just want my bride back,” sabi niya kaya hindi ko mapigilang hindi matawa.

“I’m sorry,” I said with so much regret.

“Everything is okay now, babe. Wala nang manggugulo sa atin,” sabi niya at napatango lang ako.

“What happened to Seth?” I asked curiously.

“Let’s not talk about him because it will ruin the mood. Because I badly wanted to do this,” sabi niya at nagbaba ang labi niya.

“What are you—“

Hindi ko na naituloy ang sasabihin ko nang maramdaman ko ang paglapat nang labi niya sa akin. I put my arms around his neck and tiptoe my feet. I felt like I was deprived with this kind of feeling and now, I am whole again. Na para bang muling napupunuan ang malaking crater sa puso ko.

“Hmm, babe. Your Dad is watching us,” Ivo said between our kisses.

Humiwalay naman ako sa kanya at nilingon ko sina Daddy sa puwesto nila. He has this explain-to-me-everything look. Si Cindy naman ay parang bulate na inasinan. Kinikilig ang bruha. At si Lyrron ay binigyan lang ako ng thumbs up.

Muli kong tiningnan si Ivo at pinagsakop niya ang mga kamay namin.

“Wala na naman siguro akong dapat ipagselos sa inyo ni Lyrron, 'no?” sabi niya kaya natawa ako.

“Believe me, walang-wala,” I leaned closer to him and kissed his cheeks.

“Good. Because I can’t bear another antagonist in our life. Itatakas na talaga kita palayo sa lahat.”

*************