HINDI niya namalayang humakbang siya papalapit kay Achilles hanggang sa tumigil ang kanyang mga paa sa harapan nito. Tumaas ang kanyang mga kamay sa dibdib nito malapit sa kinaroroonan ng puso.
Hindi niya napigilan ang mga daliri na haplusin ang mga pilat sa katawan na naroon. "Masakit ba?" tanong niya patukoy sa pilat na nasa dibdib ni Achilles. Hindi tumugon si Achilles na nagulat sa ginawa ng dalaga.
Mula sa dibdib ay dumako ang kanyang kamay patungo sa braso ng na mayroon ding pilat. Nakuha ba niyang lahat ang mga ito dahil sa trabaho niya?
She was fascinated by his scars and cannot take her eyes off him. Bumaba ang kanyang kamay sa tigiliran nito at pinasadahan iyon ng mga daliri patungo sa may tiyan na may pahabang pilat. Marahil ay natamo nito iyon mula sa pagkakasaksak.
"What are you doing?" Achilles then grabbed her hand. His jaw tightened and his chest was heaving as he was catching his breath. She robbed all the oxygen he had inside his body with her touch. "They're ugly! Stop staring!"
Margareth shook her head and smiled at him. "They fascinate me. They're not ugly."
"Stop saying nonsense!" he snarled and release her hand from his grip. He couldn't bear that heat of her palm, he might devour the woman brazenly.
Sa panggigilalas ni Margareth ay biglang kinalas ni Achilles ang tuwalyang nakatabing sa maselang bahagi ng katawan nito. Agad niyang naipikit ang mga mata kasabay ng mabilis na pagtalikod.
Achilles chuckled in amusement when he witnessed how horrified she was. "Ang lakas ng loob mong pumasok sa silid ng isang lalaki at ngayon matatakot ka sa maari kung gawin? For a nun, you are nosy, bold, and reckless."
"I... I-I'm not a n-nun... yet," nauutal na tugon ni Margareth. Nagririgodon na naman ang kanyang dibdib dahil sa kabang nararamdaman, hindi dahil natatakot siya rito ngunit sa dahilang hindi niya matukoy.
Hindi na sumagot si Achilles at pinakiramdaman ni Margareth ang ginagawa nito. "Are you d-dressed?" she asked when she felt that he was done putting clothes. Her cheeks heat up in embarrassment and anxiousness.
"Why, do you prefer me naked?"
She shook her head quickly and it earned a chuckle from him. She slowly angled her body in his direction and peeked over her lashes. Nang makitang may damit na ito ay tuluyan niyang binuksan ang mga mata at humarap sa direksiyon nito.
Nakapamaywang si Achilles habang nakatingin sa kanya at bahagyang nakataas ang isang kilay. Nilapitan niya ito at iginiya paupo sa gilid ng kama. She sat beside him and opened the medicine kit in trembling hands.
Nakamasid lang si Achilles kay Margareth at hindi ito sinita sa ginagawa. Dumapo ang malalambot nitong palad sa kanyang braso at tiningnan ang pasa sa kanyang siko. Natamo niya iyon ng dambahin niya nito upang hindi ito masagasaan ng sasakyan kanina.
Nilinis ni Margareth ang sugat sa may siko ng Achilles. Hinipan pa niya iyon ng lagyan niya ng alcohol upang maibsan ang hapdi na dulot niyon. "Puwede ko bang madalaw si Brianna sa bahay ng mga magulang mo?"
"Whatever you pleases," tugon ng binata sa dalagang nakatutok sa maliit na gasgas na natamo niya. Ni hindi niya naramdaman kaninang nagkasugat siya sa bahaging iyon ng kanyang katawan.
"Thank you," she muttered while covering his elbow with a clean bandage. "You're a good man, Achilles."
"I am not."
"You are," she said softly.
Iwinasiwas ni Achilles ang braso kaya mapabitaw doon si Margareth. Nagsalubong ang mga mata nila ng binata at sari-saring emosyon ang nakikita roon ng dalaga. There were torment, regrets and anger in his eyes, and it pained her seeing them.
"I am not!" Madiin ang pagkakabigkas nito sa bawat salita. "Don't ever say that I am a good man, because I am not! I killed my family! I am the reason why they died. I killed them! I'm a monster! You hear me, I'm a monster, Margareth!"
Tumaas ang kamay ni Margareth sa pisngi nito ngunit marahas nito iyong binaklas. "If you killed them, you should be in jail right now. You are not a monster, Achilles. You're a good man, your heart is—"
"Shut the fuck up! You know nothing about me, Margareth Laurencio! Stop being nosy, stop saying those words! And stop fucking with my life!" Sabay tayo nito mula sa pagkakaupo at tumalikod sa dalaga.
Tumayo rin si Margareth at nilapitan ang binata. Nilalabanan ang sakit na dulot ng mga salitang sinabi nito. "Do you know why I am fascinated with your scars? They are not ugly in my eyes, they are beautiful. Ilang buhay ba ang nailigtas mo kaya ka nagkaroon ng maraming pilat sa katawan...? You saved many lives, Achilles. You sacrifice your life for the people, for our country and it is not an easy thing to do. They are beautiful, why? Because you survived, you are strong. Despite the pain that you had been through you fought hard and survived. That is all that matters."
Hindi tumugon ang binata at nanatiling walang imik habang nakatalikod kay Margareth. Lumakad siya patungo sa harapan nito at sinalubong ang mga mata nitong naghahalo ang kaguluhan, sakit at galit.
"But do you know what puzzling me?" she asked as gently as she can be. "Your eyes. Your eyes are puzzling me, Achilles. They are sad and suffering and I felt like they are calling me and telling me that they don't want to feel sad anymore. They are asking me for help, for redemption, asking for someone to heal them.
"You are a wounded warrior." Tumaas ang kanyang daliri sa tapat ng puso ng binata. "The wounds that you get from the battle were all healed and it will remain a scar that reminds you that you are brave. But the wound here, you nurtured it.
"You are wounded, Achilles. Your wound cut through deep. You nurtured the wound instead of healing it. Suffering is a choice and what you need is healing. Your eyes are telling me that you wanted to be healed."
"And you can heal me?!" he snarled, ignoring the gentleness she exuded.
"No..." aniya sabay iling ng ulo at itinuro ang daliri pataas, "...but he will. Just reach out to him and he will hear you."
"Bullshit!" Napapitlag ang dalaga ng marinig ang malutong na mura ni Achilles. "Stop spewing nonsense and get the hell out of my house!"
Inalayan niya ng isang mabining ngiti si Achilles na salubong ang mga kilay, mababanaag ang galit sa mukha at mga mata nito.
Kapagkuwan ay tinalikuran na niya ito at lumabas ng bahay nito.
He will be fine. She was sure of that.
Umuwi siya sa bahay ng kanyang magulang at naabutan niya ang kanyang pamilya sa loob ng kusina na masayang nag-uusap. Her mother and Primrose was baking while her brothers and father were the taster.
She was glad that her brothers were staying in the country for good. Her brother Cael was closed to settling down and Vince was happy with being single, well, she believed that he will find the woman he will love unconditionally, soon. Whoever that woman was, she'll be very lucky to have Vince.
They were blessed, God was taking good care of her family.
Nang makita siya ay agad na lumingon ang mga ito sa kanya.
"You're home, come here."
Lumapit siya sa kanyang Kuya Vince at umupo sa katabi nitong upuan.
"How's your date with your friend?"
"It was fun, Mom. I also met Achilles, he saved me, again," dagdag niya na nakangiti ng malapad.
"What happened?" Sally asked anxiously.
"I'm okay, Mom. I'm safe, don't worry. I almost got hit by a car and he was there. He saved me."
Nakasinghap ang lahat subalit nakahinga rin ng maluwag sa kaalamang ligtas na nakauwi si Margareth.
Kumuha si Margareth ng cupcake sa ibabaw ng lamesa at nagpaalam sa lahat na papanhik sa kanyang silid.
Nagkatinginan ang lahat pagkalabas ng dalaga. Si Sally ay napangiti nang maisip ang maaaring dahilan kung bakit ganoon nalang kalaki ang pagkakangiti ng nag-iisang anak na babae.
"Let's hope for the best," Cael muttered after a few seconds of silence, he raised his glass of juice and motioned a cheer for good luck.
HINDI niya makita ang ina sa loob ng bahay kaya tumuloy siya sa likurang bahay kung saan naroroon ang malawak nitong hardin. Hindi siya tuluyang lumapit sa ina nang makitang may kausap ito.
He was there to tell his mother that he was going back to their base. He needed that break to clear his mind.
Tumalikod na siya upang umalis, dahil may kausap ang kanyang ina, nang mapatigil nang marinig ang pangalang binanggit ng babaeng nakatalikod sa kanyang direksiyon.
Nakikilala niya ang may-ari ng boses na iyon, it was Mrs. Laurencio and they were taking about Margareth. Naikuyom niya ang kanyang kamao at malalaki ang hakbang na humakbang paalis doon.
Nasalubong ni Achilles ang nakababatang kapatid na si Apollo ngunit tila wala siyang napansin at tuloy-tuloy na lumabas sa bahay ng kanyang mga magulang. Sumakay siya sa kanyang motorsiklo at pinaharurot iyon paalis.
Kahit maaga pa ay tumuloy si Achilles sa isang bar na bukas na nang oras na iyon. Hindi masyadong maingay ang lugar na iyon at tago kaya hindi masyadong marami ang tao idagdag pa na maaga palang at hindi pa lumulubog ang araw.
He walked towards the bar and ordered his alcohol. He sat on the barstool and gulp his drink when it was served. He ordered another shot and another and another.
Hindi niya namalayang ilang oras na siyang umiinom at unti-unti nang napupuno ang bar na kanyang kinaroroonan.
Isang magandang babae ang lumapit sa kanya at mapang-akit na ngumiti. "Hey handsome!" bulong nito malapit sa kanyang tenga.
Hinayaan niya ang babae at muling tinungga ang alak na inilapag ng bartender. He felt the woman's hand on his thighs but he did not bother to get rid of it.
Mas lalong inilapit ng babae ang kanyang katawan sa binata nang hindi ito pumalag sa kanyang haplos. Lalaking lalaki ang dating nito na biniyayaan ng mukhang nanghahalina sa mga kababaihan. Pagkapasok niya ay agad niya itong napansin kaya hindi na siya nagdalawang isip at nilapitan ito. She likes rugged and rough men and he was the exact definition of that.
"Let's get out of here," bulong muli ng babae sa may tainga ni Achilles. She licked his earlobe, down to his jaw until her lips reached his. She licked the corner of his lips before pressing her lips on his, urging him to open up.
Binuksan ni Achilles ang mga labi at tinugon ang halik ng babae. It was a savage kiss but the woman did not complain, she moaned and writhe instead.
Wala na sa tamang pag-iisip si Achilles at ang tanging naiisip niya ay si Margareth. Habang hinahalikan niya ang estranghera ay si Margareth ang kanyang nakikita.
Hinila ni Achilles ang babae palapit sa kanya na ikinatuwa nito sabay kawit ng isang braso sa kanyang leeg ang isang kamay ng babae ay dumako sa matipunong katawan ni Achilles.
Nag-aapoy ang katawan ng babae sa pananabik at pagkagusto sa kahalikang binata. She was losing her mind when suddenly Achilles stopped and pushed her not so gently. Muntik na siyang matumba kung hindi siya nakakapit sa katabing upuan.
Nag-iwan ng bill si Achilles bago tumayo at malalaki ang hakbang na lumabas sa lugar na iyon. Hindi man lang niya tinapunan ng tingin ang babaeng masama ang pagkakatingin sa kanya dahil sa pagkapahiyang natamas nito.
"Bastard!" Narinig niyang sigaw ng babae ngunit hindi niya ito pinansin.
It was foolish of him to think that he could forget Margareth if he used another woman. Ganoon ang ginawa niya mahigit apat na taon na ang nakakalipas. He thought that getting wasted and having sex with another woman would make him forget about his dead wife and son. Ngunit nagbunga lang iyon ng isa pang suliranin. Brianna was conceived and he was not ready to be a father after his family died in an ambush. He loved his daughter but he won't make the same mistake again.
Achilles accepted the fact that he was totally smitten by her and that he needed her to be sane.