#DS6Unwavering #CirCoal #SharkFamily #DaggerSeries

CHAPTER NINE: VERY GOOD

CIRCE'S POV

Umalingawngaw sa buong bathroom ang boses ko nang mapatili ako. Kinapa ko ang shower head pero gaya ng ikinakatakot ko ay walang lumalabas doon na tubig.

"Circe?"

Nag-aalalang boses ni Coal ang naringgan ko. I didn't know how he could hear me from the kitchen, but either he has ultrasonic hearing or my scream was that loud. It's not like I can help myself. Sobrang hapdi ng mga mata ko dahil nasa kalagitnaan ako ng paliligo nang bigla na lang mawalan ng tubig.

With my eyes still burning, I slowly exited the shower stall. Bakit naman kasi hindi man lang sila nagbigay ng notice na mawawalan ng tubig ngayon?

I heard the door knob rattle and Coal's voice becoming more alarmed. "Circe? Are you okay?"

"Uhh..." Pilit na iminulat ko ang mga mata ko para lang muling pumikit nang pakiramdam ko ay mas lalong humapdi ang mga iyon.

"I'm going in."

"No! I'm fine!"

Kinapa-kapa ko ang paligid ko para hanapin ang ipinatong ko na tuwalya. My movements became more frantic, fearing that Coal would just bust inside the bathroom. Iyon nga lang ay mukhang maling desisyon iyon dahil madulas ang sahig sa pinaghalong tubig at sabon na tumutulo mula sa akin. Another scream tore out of me when I slipped on the floor.

Three things happened at the same time. I recognized the texture of the towel when I reached for something to grab on to, I fell on my knees, and the door blasted open.

Mabilis na itinakip ko sa kahubadan ko ang tuwalya na hindi ko na nagawang ibalot ng maayos sa sarili ko.

"Coal!" I hissed. "I'm naked!"

"I-I can see that."

In another situation, I would have laughed at the evident shock in his voice. Pero hindi sa ganitong sitwasyon kung saan wala ako ni isang saplot.

He saw you naked before, Circe.

Ipinilig ko ang ulo ko. That was years ago! At saka kahit may namagitan na sa aming dalawa noon, hindi naman ibig sabihin ay basta na lang ako maghuhubad sa harapan niya ng walang dahilan.

Napapitlag ako nang maramdaman ko ang mga kamay niya sa tuwalya na hawak ko. Without touching my skin, he wrapped it gently around me. After that, he helped me stand back up on my feet and carefully guided me to take a seat on the closed toilet lid.

"Wait for me here," he whispered.

Napalunok ako. "O-Okay."

"Don't move."

Tango lang ang naging sagot ko. I can feel his breath fanning my face, and I can smell his aftershave. He was that close to me.

Nang maramdaman ko ang pag-alis niya ay pinakawalan ko ang hininga ko na hindi ko alam na kanina ko pa pala pinipigil.

It's been almost two weeks since Coal stayed here in Tala's house with me and Kaise, and through those days we managed to go through it with only a few incidents that put us in a situation similar to this. Where for a minute, it's like he's evoking different feelings from me.

Like a few times when Kaise was asleep and we would watch her recorded videos, there was this moment where I found Coal staring at me instead of what we were watching. Times that I catch him without a shirt on, or those mornings when he's wearing those old gray sweatpants, and my eyes will accidentally strain lower, and I will have a glimpse of something that I shouldn't stare at. Or that kiss he gave me during my Me Date.

And then there's this.

Moments like this with him remind me why my attempts to date before have been a failure. It's because I haven't felt anything close to this from anyone other than him.

Coal has a way of making me feel things through his simple gestures. It's like every part of me knows him and wants to reach out to him. Minsan nga pakiramdam ko ay kinokontrol niya ang buong sistema ko.

It's daunting... and it's dangerous.

"Still okay?" I heard Coal ask who finally returned from wherever he went to.

Nakapikit pa rin na nagkibit-balikat ako. "Peachy."

"I'm going to wipe your face. The water is cold since I'm using the one in the fridge."

"I can do it myself—"

"I got it."

Hindi ko na nagawang makipagtalo sa kaniya nang maramdaman ko ang pagdampi sa mukha ko ng malamig at basang bimpo. Ilang beses niyang inulit iyon na para bang sinisigurado na wala na talagang sabon sa mukha ko lalong lalo na sa bandang mga mata ko.

After awhile, I tried opening my eyes, and thankfully, it doesn't hurt that much anymore. Binigyan ko ng maliit na ngiti si Coal na kaagad namang binalik iyon sa akin.

"Hey," he greeted, his gaze roaming my face.

"Hi," I whispered.

"Better?" Nang tumango ako ay ibinaba niya ang hawak na bimpo sa lababo. "I don't think we have enough water para makapagbanlaw ka. I'll order a gallon of water so you can use something."

"You don't need to do that. Natatandaan mo 'yung grocery store na binilan natin ng ice cream kahapon? Iyong tanaw mula rito sa bahay?"

"Yeah."

"May poso sila. Kapag nawawalan ng tubig dito doon nakikiigib lahat." Hinigpitan ko ang tuwalya na nakabalot sa akin at tumayo ako para buksan ang cabinet sa ilalim ng sink. Inilabas ko mula roon ang dalawang magkapatong na timba. "I can go out but..." Itinuro ko ang buhok ko na siguradong dikit-dikit na dahil sa shampoo na bahagya ng natutuyo. "You might need to do a few trips. Since walang announcement, baka nagkaroon ng problema at hindi cleaning lang. Siguradong matatagalan pa bago bumalik ang tubig. We can fill the tub and use the water if we need to go to the bathroom. I'll help you after I'm done washing up."

Kinuha niya sa akin ang mga timba. "It's okay. Stay here with Kaise." Napakamot siya sa pisngi niya. "Hindi ko pa siya tapos pakainin."

"I'll do it." I grimace. "Sorry about this."

"Not your fault."

"Hindi mo rin kasalanan pero damay ka. You even got subjected to saving a damsel in distress this early in the morning." Injecting humor into our somewhat awkward situation, I continued, "But instead of saving a princess dripping with elegance, you just got me who is dripping with water."

He pushed aside with his finger a strand of my wet hair, and he tucked it behind my ear. "You can return the favor by saving me next time."

An image of him naked flashed in my mind, and my cheeks immediately grew heated. Grabe siya. Ang sabi i-save mo siya. Wala naman siyang sinabi na iligtas mo siya habang wala rin siyang damit.

"I'll fix the door later."

Tumingin ako sa kinaroroonan ng pintuan. My eyes widened. "Did you kick the door open?"

"Yeah."

"Why? I mean... if you waited for me, I would have told you where the key is."

"I heard you scream. Even a brick wall couldn't stop me from getting to you."

Ilang sandali na nanatiling magkahugpong lang ang mga mata namin. There's a promise in his words, and I know that it wasn't just about something silly like this. It's like he's telling me that there's nothing in this world that could stop him from being with me. Or am I just imagining things?

"I'll get you some water. I'll be back," he said after awhile.

Walang salitang tumango lang ako bilang sagot. Nang makalabas siya ay inabot ko ang nakasabit na roba sa likod ng pintuan at kaagad na isinuot ko iyon. Ibinalot ko na lang sa buhok ko ang tuwalya bago ako lumabas para puntahan si Kaise.

I found her sitting on her high chair with Coal's phone in front of her. Kaya naman pala tahimik at hindi nagrereklamo kung bakit naudlot ang breakfast niya. Nanonood naman pala ng baby shark niya.

Kinuha ko ang bowl ng oatmeal at sinimulan ko ng pakainin siya.

She can eat by herself, but sometimes it's much easier to just feed her. Lalo na kapag breakfast at wala pa siya sa mood kumain.

I had just finished feeding her when Coal returned, carrying two pails of water. He arrived at the perfect time, since I'm starting to get itchy.

Inabutan ko ng sippy cup si Kaise bago ako sumunod kay Coal. When I got close to him, I noticed the wet spots on his shirt, making the cloth become a bit translucent, and his arms were bulging from the weight of what he was carrying. Wow.

"Thanks," pasasalamat ko sa kaniya nang ibaba niya ang mga dala sa loob ng stall.

"Hintayin muna kitang matapos maligo para makuha ko ang mga timba." He brushed his hair up when some of it fell on his eyes. "May pila na sa labas."

"That's not surprising. Konti lang kasi ang mapag-iigiban. Mas mura pati ang singil no'ng mag-asawa sa grocery kesa sa iba." Wala sa sariling kakalagin ko na sana ang pagkakatali nang roba ko nang mapatingin ako kay Coal. Halos sabay pa na nanlaki ang mga mata namin. "I'll... I'll call you when I'm done."

Tumikhim siya bago tumalikod na at naglakad palabas. When I heard the door of the room close, I went inside the shower stall. Mabilis na naligo ako at nang may matira ako na tubig ay isinalin ko iyon sa bathtub na nakasarado na ang drain.

I quickly changed into comfortable clothes. Nang matapos ay dala ang mga timba na lumabas na ako ng kuwarto. Naabutan ko si Coal na kasama si Kaise. They were both moving their hands in time with the Baby Shark Song.

How can he be so hot and adorable at the same time?

Hinalikan niya sa noo si Kaise, at pagkatapos ay may ngiti sa mga labi na kinuha niya sa akin ang mga bitbit ko. He went back outside, and I stayed with Kaise, just like he told me to.

Nakalipat na kami ni Kaise sa living room nang bumalik si Coal. Nakailang ulit siya na pabalik-balik pero hindi siya kakikitaan ng pagkapagod. What he's doing almost looks easy if not for the visible sweat that is dampening his shirt aside from the splash of water on it.

After a few trips, he told me that he was done filling the tub. Pero imbis na magpalit ng damit ay muli siyang lumabas ng bahay.

Karga si Kaise na lumabas din ako at sinilip ko ang pinuntahan niyang direksyon. Sa pagtataka ko ay natanaw ko na bumalik siya sa unahan ng mahabang pila ng mga nag-iigib din ng tubig.

"Bakit kaya? Nakalimutan niya bang magbayad?"

"Daddy shak?"

"Yup."

"Sa'n?"

"Saan po," ulit ko sa tanong niya.

"Sa'n po?"

So cute. Itinuro ko ang pinuntahan ni Coal at kumilos naman ang bata na parang tinatanaw ang ama.

I couldn't help but smile at my daughter. I don't know if it's because she's young, but she accepted her father's presence in her life quickly. Maybe it's a good thing that she's still a baby. She wouldn't remember the early years when he wasn't with her, and she'll only remember the days that she has him. And he would always be.

I might not know a lot about him, but I do know that he's the kind of person who won't neglect his responsibilities. Iyon ang bagay na nakita ko sa maikling panahon na nakasama namin siya ni Kaise.

Napakurap ako nang makarinig ako ng impit na tilian. Dahil nasa dulo ng pila ang mga kababaihan na pinanggalingan ng ingay ay mas malapit sila sa amin ni Kaise kesa kay Coal na nasa unahan pa rin ng linya.

I don't need to be a genius to understand that he's the reason why the women look like they are having a seizure from where they are standing. Hindi lang sila ang may ganoon na reaksyon kundi maging ang mga nanay na nakapila din para mag-igib ng tubig.

Dala si Kaise na naglakad ako palapit pa sa kinaroroonan ni Coal pero bahagya akong nagtago para hindi niya ako makita agad.

Mahinang napatawa ako nang makita ko ang dahilan kung bakit hindi siya umaalis sa pila. "Ang sipag ng daddy mo no? Parang may balak pa atang tulungan ang buong Siargao na mag-igib."

May malaking kulay asul na na malaking drum kung saan direktang bumabagsak ang pinapump na tubig. Mula naman sa drum ay sinasalok ni Coal ang tubig at inililipat iyon sa mga timba ng mga nakapila. Tinutulungan niya pa ang mga iyon na ilagay ang mga lalagyanan sa dala nilang mga cart o trolley.

He looks like he's only helping the women, especially the older ones. Gwapo na, mabait pa. "He's a master of contradiction. His name is Coal rather than the common one, which is Cole. When I first met him, he seemed like a man who was just up for a fun night, and then he proved to us that he's a responsible person too. Tapos kapag iba ang kausap niya, parang seryoso lang siya. Minsan nga parang suplado pa. Pero kapag kasama niya tayo, lagi naman siyang nakangiti. He could be shy and reserve one moment, and then sometimes it feels like he's this teasing, mischievous person who rattles me in a way that he only knows how."

Nagbaba ako ng tingin kay Kaise at napangiti ako nang makita kong inosenteng nakamata lang siya sa akin na para bang wala siyang naintindihan kahit isa sa sinabi ko. "What I mean is, your daddy is confusing."

"Cowusing?"

"Con..."

"Con," she repeated.

"Fu..."

"Pew."

"Sing. Confusing." This is how she learns. Iniiwasan namin na mag-baby talk sa kaniya. I only kept "babi" because I always find it cute when she calls herself that.

Her small forehead knotted with concentration. "Copewsing."

Nanggigigil na hinalikan ko siya sa pisngi at leeg dahilan para mapahagikhik siya. She'll get it someday. For now, she's still my babi shark. "Good job, Babi."

"Sese, good?" she asked.

"Sese, very good."

"Kiss, babi!"

Kaagad na sinunod ko siya at pinaghahalikan ko ang pisngi niya. Susulitin ko na. Pag nagdalaga na siya baka hindi na pumayag.

Ilang sandali pa na pinanood namin si Coal. It wasn't long before he became completely drenched with water.

Hindi lang ako ang napasinghap kundi maging ang mga kababaihan nang alisin niya ang pang-itaas niya at isinampay iyon sa kanang balikat niya.

"Wow," I whispered.

"Wow!"

Napapitlag kami ni Kaise nang para bang echo na sinambit din ng mga babae ang salitang sinabi ko.

Coal looked up as if he also heard it, but instead of looking in the direction of the women, his eyes went straight to where Kaise and I were standing.

Taking a leaf from his book, I reached for Kaise's hand and used it to wave. Sumilay ang malawak na ngiti sa mga labi ni Coal at kumaway siya pabalik sa amin.

"Ikaw pala ang asawa no'n?" tanong ng matandang babae na may tulak na trolley. May tatlong timba roon. I remember her from the souvenir shop near Sand Dollar. Kahit na matagal na kami rito sa Siargao ay bumibili pa rin kami sa kaniya lalo na kapag wala masyadong turista. "Napakabuti at tinulungan pa kami."

Namula ang mukha ko. Asawa. "Tatay po ni Kaise pero hindi ko po asawa."

"Nako bakuran mo na. Tignan mo nga't parang inasinang uod na ang mga kababaihan dito. Baka may magtangka pang umagaw." Nakangiting nilingon niya ang kinaroroonan ni Coal. Abala pa rin sa pagsasalok ng tubig ang binata pero patingin-tingin siya sa direksyon namin. "Pero sa tingin ko kahit sumubok sila, hindi 'yan maaagaw basta. Tignan mo nga at halata namang may may-ari na ang puso." Marahang tinapik niya ang ulo ni Kaise. "Di na nakakapagtakang mabait ang batang 'to. Mabait din ang nanay at ang tatay eh."

Pagkasabi niyon ay nagpaalam na siyang umalis habang tulalang naiwan ako roon habang umuulit-ulit sa utak ko ang sinabi ng matanda. Kung hindi pa tinapik ni Kaise ang pisngi ko ay hindi pa ako babalik sa realidad.

"Daddy?"

"Y-You're daddy is there. He's helping them get water."

"Daddy, good?"

"That's right, babi," I agreed. "Daddy's very good."

Kaise's gaze went to her dad for a moment before she looked up at me. She pointed toward Coal and then she said, "Kiss."

Oh boy.

"No, babi."

She pouted. "Daddy good! Kiss!"

"He's busy," pagdadahilan ko.

"Kiss, Daddy," she insisted.

"Kailani Sereia," I said, using my mommy voice.

Kumibot-kibot ang mga labi niya at nagsimulang mangilid ang luha sa mga mata niya. It wasn't long before she started crying loudly. I instantly felt guilty.

I don't spoil her. May mga pagkakataon na hindi ko nabibigay ang gusto niya lalo na kung masama sa kaniya. She recognizes when she's doing something wrong and why I'm telling her no. So it must have been confusing for her when I declined something that was supposed to be good.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

Hindi ko napansin na nakalapit na pala sa amin si Coal. Napapabuntong-hininga na pinunasan ko ang mga pisngi ni Kaise. I kissed her cheeks and hugged her close.

"Mommy is sorry," I told her.

Humihikbi na tinuro niya si Coal. Is this day something like torture-Circe-day?

"Is she okay?" Coal asked me worriedly.

"She's fine. She just wants me to give you something since you've been very good. Kapag very good siya may binibigay ako sa kaniya."

Kunot ang noo na nakatingin lang sa akin si Coal na mukhang naguguluhan. I gestured with my hand, telling him to come close, as if I were about to whisper something to him. Here goes nothing.

Nang yumuko siya ay tumingkayad ako at inilapat ko ang mga labi ko sa pisngi niya.

Kaise clapped her hands with glee, oblivious to the fact that I'm dying of embarrassment and that her father is currently frozen in front of us.

What a day.

____________________________End of Chapter 9.