ISABELLE's POV
After Noreen's visit that time made me realize na mawawala talaga sa akin si Sven.
Ang pagpunta nya sa akin sa clinic noon means if she ever find Sven there will be no more chance for me, that was her message for me.
What made my heart panic is... the situation is in favour for that woman! Sven don't want to be seen or have any connection sa family nya right now... so pag nahanap sya ni Noreen at alukin nya ito ng pag-alis ng bansa-
Iniisip ko pa lang yon natataranta na ako! Gusto ko syang pigain ng pinong-pino!
"What's wrong babe? That meat..."
Matalim kong tiningnan ang lalaking kasama ko ngayon.
"Well... I'm just worried sayo, you seem out of it." He smiled at me understandingly.
Kung pwede lang sya na lang pagpuputulin ko ginawa ko na!
"You can tell me about it babe-"
THUD!
Pagalit kong ibinagsak sa table ang hawak kong fork at knife. Kita ko ang paglunok nya to hide his nervousness.
"Don't you dare call me babe dahil walang tayo Michael!" 😡 Madiin kong sabi sa kanya.
I could see he smile wrily as he look around us before he answer back pabulong sa akin.
"Babe naman... we are gaining attention here. Isa pa we're in a dinner date na ikaw mismo ang-"
Ah... mapapatay ko itong taong ito! So, without warning I pointed towards him ang kutsilyo panghiwa sa karneng inorder ko.
"One more time na tawagin mo akong babe baka di na ako makapagpigil!" 😡 I threateningly said to him at ubos na pasinsya ko sa kanya kaya wala na akong paki kung maraming nakakakita sa akin ngayon.
"And don't give meaning or twist my words, Michael! You knew and I already told you kung bakit kita inimbitahan dito! I merely wanted to know where your sister is!"
Alanganing natawa sya at marahang hinawakan ang dulo ng knife at inibaba palayo sa kanya.
"Relax ba- I mean Kristine... ano ka ba? Di ka na mabi- ok... I get it, this is not a date..." Takot nyang sagot sa akin before sya nagseryuso.
"Then... what made you think na sasabihin ko sayo nasaan si Alex? If even Cassandra did not tell you where she is." Nakangisi nyang sagot sa akin as if di ko sya natakot kanina lang.
What he said stiffen then slowly put down my hand on the table.
"Nawala sya na parang bula ng di man lang nagpapaalam sayo Kristine. She didn't even said her farewell to us her family-"
Nagpantig ang pandinig ko sa kanya sa sinabi nya.
"Does she need to? Did you even treat her as your sister? Ni ang mga magulang mo mga as wala lang sa kanila umalis sya ng walang paalam."
"(Sigh) Anong meron sya na wala ako? She can't give you a family that you dreamed off if you choose her... she even run away. What kind of girlfriend she is na mawawala na lang after a little bit of difficulty?" Nangalumbaba at naiiling na sagot sa akin ni Michael.
As I heard him I could not help but chuckle.
"Give me a family? You? Don't you already have one? Let me give you an advise Mike... you better make amends to the wrong doing you have done kay Noreen already ng mabuo ang itinatakwil mong pamilya." Naiiling kong sabi.
Ano sa tingin nya sya lang marunong magsabi ng masasakit na salita?
"Mas mabuting sabihin mo na sa akin nasaan si Sven... because if you won't? Ipagpanalangin mong di si Noreen ang makahanap sa kanya dahil pagnahap nya sya? Then it's your fault na di buo ang sarili mong pamilya like what your family have right now." I said in a relax manner as I lean back sa kinauupuan kong chair.
Di na maipinta ang mukha nya pagkarinig sa banta ko.
"I don't know what she went through but for you to say that she run away because of a little bit of difficulty is quite funny! Let me ask you this then... do you even know her for you to say that?" Tanong ko.
"Of course... she is my estrange sister na walang ginawa kundi ang gawin ang gusto nya, ang pag-alalahin sila mama at ng mga nakakatandang kapatid ko. She's been spoiled by lolo Lucas-"
"She cried..." I said cutting his nonsense rumbling.
"What?"
"Have you seen her cry?" Tanong ko ulit sa kanya only for him to shake his head no in answer.
"... Her? Cry? Th-"
"Dalawang beses ko na syang nakitang umiyak... sa akin at kay... Noreen. I think only Cassie how vulnerable Sven is sa inyong magkakapatid the way how protective she is to her."
Nakatitig lang sya sa akin at di makapagsalita.
"The last time na magkasama kami I saw pain and guilt sa kanyang mga mata as she confess what she think she did wrong. Confessing how selfish she is as she used me and Noreen... and even you matanggap nyo lang sya... doing what she thought that could help you not to lose Noreen and your daughter and even me."
Di ko mapigilan ang matawa at mailing thinking how absurd her wish is.
"Don't you think she is ridiculously naive and stupid at the same time? Ang mas nakakatawa ay ang sabihin nyang she is worst than you are... but I've known you for years."
I look at him meaningfully sa huli kong sabi. I know what Michael's personality after being his girlfriend for years... see? He can't even look at me directly as soon as I uttered those words.
"If Sven claimed she is the devil then you and your kind are saints... don't you think that's too funny?" Natatawang tanong ko.
"Ang di ko lang maintindihan... why do this? You already had choosen that day, di ko lang matanggap at subrang nasaktan ako sa naging desisyon mo sa una, ng gamitin mo ang walang kaalam-alam na kapatid mo."
Namuo sa amin ang katahimikan at nakalimutan na namin ang pagkain sa harap namin.
"... Kung alam ko lang..." sabi nya makalipas ng ilang minutong katahimikan but it seems like hours for me.
Napapikit sya as if he, Michael, is reliving that only he can see.
"Kung alam ko lang na hahantong sa ganito... na magkakagusto si Noreen kay Sven... di na sana ako nagpadala sa takot at kusensya kahit na magmukha na akong masama-"
"You already are... matagal ka nang masama sa paningin ng ibang tao noon... maging kay Noreen after what you did." I said to him as a matter of fact.
Natawa sya ng pagak sa sabi ko.
"I really made out of myself like a fool, aren't I... Kristine?" Natatawang tanong nya. "I should have taken away Noreen that day... at nagpakalayo-layo na dapat kami rito... sa pamilya ko... kay papa..."
Nanlamig ako ng tukuyin nya ang papa nila pero agad din ito nawala at napalitan ng galit. As we suspected that man really had something to do sa nangyari kay Sven ng saktan nya mismo ang sarili nya.
"So... you used your sister at pinalabas mong sya ang gumugulo at may kasalanan sa lahat ng kagaguhan mo mapagtakpan lang na isa kang duwag?" I could not help but sneer in anger.
"I don't have a choice! I planned to eloped with Noreen at magpakalayo sa lahat but everything was ruined ng malaman kong sumugod sya mismo sa simbahan at ang mas malala... that craving for love and idiot sister of mine-"
Without guilt kong tinapunan ng tubig si Mechael ng pagsalitaan nya ng masama si Sven.
Parang walang nangyaring pinunasan ni Michael ng panyo ang sarili.
"... didn't even follow the script I planed-"
"Mukha pa lang ni Sven wala syang kaalam-alam sa mga nangyayari noon but knowing her for a short period of time... there is no way she'd do something so despicable like you!" Giit ko.
"You should be greatful because Sven is too kind for her own good dahil kung hindi... matagal ng nasa kulungan si Noreen for almost killing your sister."
Napatikom bibig sya sa turan ko sa kanya.
"... I should be... pero sya rin ang dahilan kaya ngayon di ko malapitan ang mag-ina ko." He said blaming again his sister.
I snort at his answer. "Wala ka bang ibang alam kundi ang ipasa sa iba ang kasalanan mo? I know it's easy to blame others to not feel guilty sa kasalanang nagawa mo... but if you keep doing that then hanggang sa panaginip mo lang kayo magkakabalikan ni Noreen."
"That will never happen! Noreen is my woman! At magkakabalikan kami!" He angrily said as he glared at me because it seems I poke a sensitive spot na di nya matanggap.
"Then tell me where Sven is!" I impatiently said to him.
"I can't..."
"You piece of shit bastard! Then keep dreaming na magkakabalikan kayo ni Noreen! Worst case scenario is I have to share Sven kay Noreen... at least, I'll have my love with me." I stood up determined to leave dahil wala rin naman akong mapapala sa lalaking ito.
I'll ask Cassandra again baka sa kali madulas sya at masabi kung nasaan si Sven... lalo na di ko mahanap si Catherine to ask her personally where that damn woman is.
"That won't happen-"
"Really? Baka nakakalimutan mo makabagong generation ngayon at tanggap ang LGBT community sa buong mundo-"
"You mean to say na ok lang sayo ang maging kabit?" He mockingly said to me.
"Kabit? No way! I seem to recall Noreen suggested something before... all I have to do is puntahan si Noreen at kami na maghahanap kau Sven... ang kailangan lang namin gawin ay pikotin s-"
"Is that even possible? Walang tatanggap sa-"
I look down at him before interupting sya sa pagsasalita.
"Polygamy is possible... dito nga sa pilipinas meron-"
"Not legally... so walang-"
"Did it stop them? Nakulong ba ang mga taong in a polygamy relationship? Nakakadiri sa mga paningin ng iba? LGBT has been around since ancient time di lang naiisulat sa history ano pa ba masasabi mo sa polygamy? It's been practiced since then at bago lang ang monogamy kung tutuusin it's just people turn blind eye to it at ayaw aminin ng nakakarami." Mahaba kong lintayang pagpapaliwanag (well... pananakot 😉) sa kanya.
Hit the iron while it's still hot ika nga ng mga nakakatanda... and I hope magsalita na at umubra ang pananakot- ahem! I hope he'll see the light after this at sabihin na nya sa akin nasaan ang kapatid nya.
"As for making it legal? Wala nga dito sa Pilipinas but that does not mean wala rin sa ibang bansa." I said before turning around and then crossed my finger while praying na magsalita na ang lalaking ito!
"I really don't know where Sven is."
Nagsalita nga sya pero nadismaya ako sa sagot nya kaya nag-init na ang ulo ko at nasigawan ko sya.
"Ayaw mong sabihin o talagang ayaw mo lang sabihin!"
"Di ko talaga alam! I'd tell you already without blinking kung alam ko where that damn-"
"You better watch your mouth Mike!"
Huminga sya ng malalim bago nya ako tiningnan sa mata.
"I admit I really messed up! I'm a jerk for being scared! But you can't blame me... he threatened me! Kaya kong gawin lahat maprotektahan lang ang mag-ina ko..." naiiyak na rebelasyon sa akin ni Michael.
"Papa was driven mad by his greed sa kapangyarihang naiibigay sa kanya ng pera... lalo na ng iwan ni Sven ang kompanya which made him control every decision na dapat gawin para sa kompanya! That's why I couldn't help but blame Sven for everything ng malaman ni papa na dinadala ni Noreen ang anak-"
"So... ginawa mong meserable ang buhay ni Sven? Let me guess... you did not ask for help sa kanya dahil sa nalalakihan ka sa kanya? And your pride and ego won dahil di mo matanggap na..." I could not help but sigh ng makita ko syang nakayuko.
"You're too pathetic... Sven is much more better than you are... dahil lumaban sya for something she thought she can't have. I want to be angry sayo dahil pinaibig mo ako noon but looking at you now... it seems that... napag-utusan ka lang ng papa mo."
So, tama nga ako... based on how he stiffen to what I said.
"I pity you..." nasabi ko na lang. "Like I said earlier... heed my advise dahil di malabong mangyari di ka na balikan ni Noreen kung di mo itatama lahat ng pagkakamali mo."
Kita ko ang pag-clinched ng mga kamao nya na nagpapahiwatig na di nya matanggap na di sya balikan ni Noreen.
"Even it's too late already... what happened to the man I knew who is persistent na ubod ng confidence sa sarili? Michael get what he wants mayabang mong sabi sa akin yan noon..." taas kilay kong sabi sa kanya.
Pagkasabi ko non sa kanya iniwan ko na sya mag-isa roon. I know he'll do something about Noreen.
My problem sa babaeng yon ay wala na... si Michael na ang mamroblema paano paamohin ang babaeng yon... bibigay din si Noreen sa huli after all walang babae ang di gusto mabuo ang pamilya nya.
Michael only need to distract that woman ng di nya targetin si Sven as her candidate for potential spouse... he better show sencerity dahil baka mapatay ko sya sa huli!
My only problem now is how to find that elusive woman! Huwag ko lang malaman na naglalandi na sya sa iba dahil makakatikim talaga sya sa akin ng tinatawag nilang "fist of love".
Hala.... katakot syang babae! Naku... Sven, babaeta ka! You better watch out at di magkamaling maglandi kundi paktay ka pag ikaw nahuli ni Isabelle!