#NewClassicRTMC

Chapter 3
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The heavy weight of my eyelids were forcing me to close my eyes, even when I just woke up. I had a trouble sleeping. I couldn't sleep because of thoughts clouding my mind along with anger and frustration. It couldn't be silenced down. Even if those worries were already with me during the day, I felt like it all got worse at night.

The image of the man kept appearing inside my head, every time I tried to close my eyes. I remembered the way his eyes gleamed with sincerity as he looked straight at me. I had a feeling that he's not the type of person who would lie. His eyes told me that he's a genuine person.

However, I have trust issues. The fear of getting fooled again made me shut the door. I didn't want to let him in for he could just steal what's left in me. If that happened, then I'd be left with nothing but piled up pain, anger, and regret.

I didn't want to be the kind of person living while harbouring those negative feelings. It's no different from being dead so I had to take preventive measures to save myself.

I started my day with a deep exhale to let out the pent up feelings I felt before falling asleep. Since I was a morning person, even though I slept late, my body was already set to wake up at half past six in the morning. Wala pang apat na oras ang aking tulog. Alam ko ring kahit pilitin ko ay hindi na ako makakatulog pang ulit kaya bumangon na ako.

Nang makalabas ako ng kuwarto ay agad bumungad sa akin si Auntie Divina na nagluluto pa ng aming umagahan. Nilingon niya ako kaagad.

"Dumaan si Gian dito kanina," sabi niya sa akin nang makalapit ako. "Dinala niya iyong case ng gitara mo. Inaya kong kumain pero may meeting daw siya sa may bayan kaya idinaan lang at hindi na nagtagal."

Tumango na lang ako at saka nagsimula nang ihanda ang mga plato at kubyertos sa lamesa. We ate our breakfast in peace after she was done cooking our breakfast. Dama ko ang kanyang titig sa akin na para bang may gustong itanong o sabihin, ngunit hindi niya maituloy-tuloy. In the end, she just left for work after eating and I was left alone once again.

I spent my time sweeping the floor and our front yard. Madaming nagkalat na tuyong dahon na nahulog mula sa mga puno na nakapalibot sa aming bahay.

The intense heat of the summer caused some of the leaves to turn dry, die, and fall on the ground. It's a pity that the leaves could never come back to life again. That's how life goes for them. But I also know that its existence brings beauty to the dry or fall season. Even when its existence has already ended, it still has its significance.

Pagkatapos magwalis ay saka ako nagdilig ng mga halaman. Madalas ay si Auntie Divina ang nagdidilig tuwing umaga ngunit kapag wala siya masyadong oras ay pinapaubaya niya na sa akin ang pagdidilig.

A smile unconsciously touched my lips while I was watering the beautiful blooms. Ang mga nakatanim na bulaklak ay iba-iba pa ang kulay. Just by looking at the flowers thriving was like a healing therapy to me.

Kaya nga lang, ang aking sinusulit na kapayapaan ay nagambala nang mapansin kong may taong paparating sa aming bahay. Once I looked up to see who came, my blood boiled faster.

Our eyes met and I quickly checked him out. There was a drop of sweat running down on his temple. His chest was going up and down fast as he was trying to catch up with his breath. He was wearing a white tank top and black shorts with a towel hanging on his neck. His biceps seemed like it was calling for attention.

Mabilis kong pinasadahan ng tingin ang kanyang mga braso. Kita kong mayroong strap doon kung saan nakalagay ang kanyang cellphone. Agad ko ring ibinalik ang tingin sa kanyang mukha.

I caught him looking at me while removing his earpods. Although I knew I should be wary of him, it was surprising that I didn't feel danger at all. Maybe it was because I finally knew what he was up to.

His innocent fresh look made me roll my eyes away from him. Ibinalik ko ang mga mata ko sa halaman na dinidiligan. Muntik ko pang malunod ang mga bulaklak kaya agad akong lumipat sa kabilang gawi para doon magpatuloy magdilig. Baka mapagalitan pa ako ni Auntie Divina kapag namatay ang mga ito.

"Good morning..." I heard him greeted me, even when I was obviously trying to avoid him.

Hindi ko siya pinansin. Nagpatuloy ako sa pagdilig ng mga halaman upang pigilan ang sarili na patulan siya at kausapin.

"So, this is where you live..." He sounded so innocent.

Wala sa sarili akong napairap muli. Kunwari pa siya! Baka nga alam na niya talaga kung nasaan ang bahay ko kung hinahanap niya ako.

"Hindi mo ba talaga ako kakausapin?" pilit niyang pagpapapansin sa akin.

With a frustrated sigh, I tightly bent the end of the garden hose to stop the water from coming out of it. Tamad ko siyang nilingon. Hindi ko pa rin alam kung ano ang itatawag ko sa kanya. I still wasn't sure if Ike is his real name.

Nang hinarap ko siya ay bahagyang nagliwanag ang kanyang mukha. Siguro ay iniisip niyang may tiyansa na siyang maloko ako dahil pinaunlakan ko siya ulit ng pansin.

"Bakit ka nandito?" diretso kong tanong. "Paano mo nalaman kung saan ako nakatira? Sinundan mo ba ako?"

"I was out on a jog and I just accidentally saw you here," he answered without batting an eye. "I didn't stalk you, if that's what you mean."

"Didn't stalk me?" I raised my brows. "Kung ganoon ay bakit mo ako sinusundan kagabi?"

He sighed, like he was having a hard time having a conversation with me. "I wanted to speak with you but you suddenly left, so I followed you. That's all," he explained. "I really hope that you'll give me a chance to explain and prove myself to you. I'm not who you think I am."

Once again, he managed to make me falter a bit. He's not just very good looking, but he's also good with his words. And to be honest, he has this aura that would make you feel comfortable and safe―like he's a person I could rely on. It's just that I forced myself to paint him bad in order to push myself away from him.

"I really meant no harm, Aleena," he said, my name came out of his lips so naturally. "I don't know what happened to you before, but I assure you that I'm not going to fool you or anything."

Hearing how convincing he was, I slowly relaxed. He somehow disarmed me. I didn't know how, but he did.

I was already considering letting him inside our house to talk. Natigil nga lang ako nang biglang may dumating na sasakyan. Nilingon ko ito at agad lumabas ang nakakunot-noong si Gian.

My best friend had his eyes pierced on my uninvited visitor before looking at me. "May bisita ka, Aleena?" nagtatakang tanong ni Gian sa akin at lumapit.

Ike, if that's really his name, turned to Gian. Huminto ang aking kaibigan sa harap niya.

Gian's eyes were still narrowed until he came into a sudden realization. "Aren't you the guest staying at one of the resort's premium villas?"

Kasabay ni Gian ay nanlaki na rin ang aking mga mata. Nilingon ko ang lalaki at kita kong kalmado lamang siyang tumango.

He's staying at the premium villa?

Sa resort nina Gian ay mayroong mga affordable huts, rooms, and cabins. Usually, the people who rent out one of those three premium villas are those who have a lot of money to burn. Nasa thirty thousand ang isang gabi sa premium villa sa resort. If he has that amount of money, he must be telling the truth! Pero kahit na ganoon, hindi ko pa rin maintindihan kung bakit niya ako nilapitan.

I knew he told me that he wanted him to be my mentor for a survival show. He wanted me to join that show. Pero bakit ako? I had no idea why he would choose me. Hindi ko tuloy maiwasan ang magdalawang-isip pang muli. It was too farfetched for me to believe in.

Wala sa sarili kong nabitawan ang garden hose sa pagkabigla. Sakto namang nagpakawala iyon ng tubig sa tapat nina Gian at Ike.

The two guys both looked startled. My eyes went wider. Mabilis kong pinulot ang hose upang ilayo sa kanila. Tinakbo ko ang gripo para mapatay iyon. Nang nilingon ko silang muli ay kita kong nabasa sila.

I smiled like I was constipated when they both looked at me in bewilderment. "Uh, sorry..." I nervously apologized. "Uhm, pasok kayo! We have spare towels. Tara sa loob! Gian, ayain mo siya pumasok!"

Out of embarrassment, I immediately turned my back on them. Halos tumakbo ako papasok sa aming bahay. Dire-diretso akong pumasok sa kuwarto ni Auntie Divina dahil sa aparador niya nakalagay ang mga ekstrang tuwalya.

Kumuha ako ng dalawa. Gusto ko rin sanang magdala nang pampamalit nilang dalawa ngunit sigurado akong walang kakasyang damit sa kanila. Even my oversized tees would be ill-fitting them since I'm petite.

Pagkalabas ko dala-dala ang tuwalya, kita kong sinusubukang i-entertain ni Gian ang guest ng kanilang resort. Kagat-labi akong lumapit sa kanila. Agad napunta sa akin ang tingin ni Ike. Nag-iwas ako at ibinaba ang mga tuwalya sa coffee table.

I suddenly became awkward and uncomfortable. He was an important guest of the resort. I shouldn't offend him, especially because he already knows that I'm affiliated to the son of the owner.

"Uh, pasensya na ulit kayo," sabi ko. "Wala akong maipapahiram na damit dahil hindi kasya sa inyo."

"It's okay. 'Di naman kami ganoong kabasa," si Gian ang nagsalita.

Hindi ko sigurado kung ganoon din ba ang naiisip ni Ike kaya nilakasan ko ang loob kong lingunin siya. He was looking at me skeptically. Siguro ay naninibago siya sa aking pakikitungo sa kanya. He must be thinking that I was acting weird.

"Ikaw? Okay lang ba sa 'yo na hindi magpalit?" nag-aalalang tanong ko.

Ike was silent for a moment, but the way his eyes stared at me created too much noise that it bothered me. However, I did my best to lock eyes with him.

After a while, he smiled a bit. "I'm actually feeling a little sticky. I hope it's not a problem to ask for a change of clothes."

Halos malaglag ang aking panga sa kanyang sagot. I searched our wardrobe through my mind's eye. Talagang wala akong mahanap na kakasya sa kanya.

"I'll check my car if I have one."

Nakahinga ako nang maluwag nang tumayo si Gian upang sagutin ang hiling ng guest sa kanilang resort. I looked at him like a savior.

"Kapag wala ay kukuha ako saglit sa bahay. It's just three minutes away. It won't take long," he assured the guest.

Still wearing a smile, Ike nodded while drying his arms using the towel I gave them. "Thank you so much."

Tumango si Gian bago ako nilingon. I knew he wanted me to entertain their guest while he was gone, so I just smiled and nodded to oblige. Wala siyang inaksayang oras at agad na umalis.

I averted my gaze back on Ike. He was still carefully watching me while he continued to dry himself. Since I was able to observe him more and his clothes, I realized that he wasn't really that wet. Sa tingin ko nga ay mas basa pa ang damit ni Gian kaysa sa kanya.

Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit hahayaan niya pa ang kaibigan kong umuwi para kumuha ng damit kung puwedeng bumalik na lang siya sa resort. Maybe he cared that much about his image. O baka maarte lang talaga siya.

"May gusto ka bang inumin? Kape, tubig, o juice?" But since I had to be hospitable, I needed to entertain and serve him.

"No need," he answered right away and neatly placed the towel he used back on the table. "I want to take this opportunity to talk to you in private."

My brows furrowed as I stared at him. Did he deliberately ask for spare clothes to send Gian away because he wants a chance to have a conversation with me?

Kinuha niya muli ang kanyang cellphone. Binuksan niya iyon bago inilapag sa lamesa. The web browser was already opened when I peeked on the screen.

"I don't know if you already did, but you can try to search my name on the browser," he told me with so much confidence. "I can't think of other ways to prove my identity, so you can check it for yourself."

Although I already knew that he was telling the truth, I carefully picked up his phone. Magta-type na sana ako upang maisearch ang kanyang pangalan ngunit hindi ko alam ang tamang spelling.

Nag-aalangan akong sumulyap sa kanya. His eyes were still on me. Hindi ko alam kung tatanungin ko pa ba siya sa spelling ng kanyang pangalan. I didn't want to offend him. But I had to type the right name in order to get the results I needed.

"Uhm..." I cleared my throat. He cocked his head on one side and raised his brows. "A-ano ang spelling ng pangalan mo? Hindi ko kasi alam..."

He exhaled heavily and stretched out his hand to take the phone from me.

I felt like I disappointed him. Bahagya akong ngumuso at saka inilagay sa kanyang palad ang cellphone.

He quickly retrieved it and typed quickly. Nang ibinalik niya ito sa akin ay kita kong lumabas na ang search results. Before checking, I looked the spelling of his name first.

Ike Rolloque.

Biting my lower lip, I nodded to myself and looked at the results. May mga iilang litrato niyang lumabas sa bungad. Pinindot ko iyon upang makita nang maayos. Kamukha niya ang nasa litrato, pero masasabi kong mas guwapo siya sa personal.

Nang makumpirma kong siya talaga si Ike Rolloque ay saka ako dumiretso sa Wikipedia. Ang buong pangalan niya ay Jestin Ike A. Rolloque. Ipinanganak siya noong December 12. Nakalagay rin doon na siya ang lead guitarist at leader ng bandang New Classic.

That was when I remembered the name of their band.

Sana pala ay iyong banda na lang ang sinearch ko kanina para hindi ko na kinailangan pang itanong ang spelling ng kanyang pangalan.

I checked out the band's achievements. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It made feel like I had been living in a cave. I felt like I was weird for not knowing them when they are all over the world, sweeping charts and making history. Para bang no'n lang ako namulat sa katotohanan. At kapag iniisip ko kung paano ko siya trinato, gusto ko na lang maglaho na parang bula sa kanyang harapan.

Heat went up to my cheeks. I treated him as a scammer, a creep, and a stalker. I just hoped that he wouldn't file a legal action against me.

Sa kahihiyan ay mabilis kong inilapag ang cellphone niya sa lamesa. Hindi niya iyon kinuha. He just remained staring at me.

"Did you see it?" he asked calmly.

Without a word, I nodded.

"Do you believe me now?"

I bit my lower lip and answered, "Yes."

It was like a huge weight was lifted up from his shoulders. He relaxed as he reached for his phone.

"Ngayong alam mo nang hindi ako nagsisinungaling, puwede na ba kitang makausap nang maayos?" maingat niyang tanong, pero ang determinasyon sa kanyang mga mata ay nagliliyab. "I want to discuss to you about the survival show that I was talking about last night. I really want you to participate in it. I want to mentor you."

The huge opportunity laid out in front of me took my breath away until I could hardly speak. My heart tightened up like it was about to explode. The flames that I used to burn the image of my dream were suddenly extinguished. I wished that time could freeze except for me to take things in.

I still had not overcome the unexpected twist of fate when Gian finally came back.

Ike calmly stood up from sitting on the sofa. He was still looking at me. "I'll give you time to think about it, Aleena," he told me before turning his head to Gian who was offering him the shirt. "Thank you but I'll just head back to the villa to change. Excuse me."

Muli akong tinapunan ng huling tingin ni Ike bago siya tuluyang umalis ng aming bahay. Bumagsak ang aking tingin sa lapag. Idinala ko ang kamay ko sa aking dibdib. I thought it already stopped beating because I couldn't feel anything inside me. But the moment I placed my hand, I felt it beating fast and hard.