“Dashielle, are you ready?” tanong ni Leonard nang katukin siya sa kuwarto.
“Coming!” sigaw niya at lumabas ng kuwarto. “Do I look pretty?”
“Ang tagal mo sa loob ng kuwarto, di ka pa sigurado kung maganda ka? Hindi ka rin naman masyadong excited sa date ninyo ni Wolf.” Pinasadahan nito ng tingin ang suot niya. “Bakit naka-mini skirt, leggings at pique blouse ka pa?”
“Anong masama? Uso naman ito, ah! Fashionable.” Pinagplanuhan talaga niya ang magandang isuot sa dinner nila. Di naman pwedeng mag-formal gown siya. Pero ayaw din naman niya nang masyadong plain.
“Baka mamaya maunahan mo pa akong mag-asawa, eh!”
“Plano mo na ngang pikutin kanina. Anong inaangal mo?”
“Konting pino. Huwag mong masyadong ha-harass-in ang kaibigan ko.”
Nag-init ang pisngi niya. Nang halikan kasi niya si Wolf, parang sinamantala niya ang kahinaan nito. Mabuti nang di siya kumibo para di ito makahalata na may itinatago siya. “Oo na! Oo na! Magbe-behave na ako,” sarkastiko niyang sabi.
“Kayong dalawa, tama na ang pagkukulitan ninyo. Kanina pa naghihintay si Wolf sa baba.” Hinalikan siya sa pisngi ng Mommy niya. “You are pretty, Dashielle.”
“Thanks, Mom. Sabi ni Kuya, OA daw po ako.”
Pinandilatan ng mata ni Emily si Leonard. “Tumigil ka diyan!”
Napakamot sa ulo si Leonard. “Nagbibiro lang naman ako.”
“You are really beautiful. Sa wakas, natupad na rin ang pangarap ko para sa inyo ni Wolf. Botong-boto kami ng Kuya mo sa kanya.”
“Magde-date lang kami, Mommy. Hindi pa natin alam kung gusto nga niya ako. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. I am really in love with him!”
“Ipagdadasal ko iyan, anak.”
Pagdating sa sala ay umakto silang mag-ina na parang wala silang lihim na pinag-usapan. Tumayo si Wolf sa kinauupuan. “Good evening!” bati nito at inabutan siya ng bouquet ng roses na iba’t iba ang kulay.
“Thanks, Wolf!” Noon lang siya nito binigyan ng bulaklak. Marami nang nagbigay sa kanya ng bulaklak pero ang bigay nito ang sobrang na-appreciate niya.
“Aalis na ba agad kayo, Dashielle?” tanong ni Lolo Ramil. “Pinag-uusapan pa kasi namin ni Wolf kung ilang kabayo ang kaya niyang ibigay.”
“Nanghihingi lang kayo ng kabayo, Lolo?” aniyang di makaintindi sa usapan.
“Nai-kwento kasi niya sa amin na sa Apache tradition, kailangang magbigay ang lalaki ng kabayo sa pamilya ng babae para gawing dowry. Kaya gusto naming malaman kung ilan ang kabayong kaya niyang ibigay.”
“Lolo, nakakahiya naman po kay Wolf. Di naman kami ikakasal. Magde-date pa lang po kami,” bulong niya. Saka na lang iyon pag-uusapan kapag sigurado nang gusto siya ni Wolf. Mahirap na baka maunsyami pa at umuwi siyang bigo.
“Why don’t you join us?” yaya ni Wolf. Buong angkan niya ang niyaya nito.
“That is a good idea!” sabi ni Lolo Ramil. “Sayang naman kung mabibitin ang pinag-uusapan natin kanina.”
Nanlaki ang mata niya at umiling. Di na sila magkakasarilinan ni Wolf kung kasama niya ang mga ito. Mapupurnada ang pinapangarap niyang date.
“Thanks for the invitation, hijo. But this is your date,” sabi ng Lola Encar niya at kinindatan siya nito. Kakampi niya ito. “Go ahead, Dashielle.”
Saka lang siya nakahinga nang maluwag nang di na nakakontra ang lolo niya. “Pasensiya ka na kay Lolo,” aniya kay Wolf nang nakasakay na sila sa Land Rover na ni-rent nito. “Makulit lang talaga siya.”
“There is nothing to apologize about. Natutuwa nga ako sa inyo. Masaya siguro na may malaking pamilya.”
“Naninibago pa rin ako. Nasanay na kasi akong maging independent lalo na nang mag-tennis ako. But I enjoy the attention. Na may mga taong naglalambing sa akin. Sayang nga dahil hindi ko kasama ang Daddy ko.”
“You should be thankful because you have a family. Mahirap mag-isa.”
Malungkot niya itong nilingon. He had always been alone. His mother left him when he was a baby. His alcoholic father died when he was seven. Kahit siya ay iniwan din ito kahit nangako siyang di ito iiwan. Ginagap niya ang kamay nito. “Hey! I am here, okay? Siguro nga madalas kitang awayin at madalas akong magtampo sa iyo. But I am always here for you.”
“I didn’t bring you here to make be melodramatic. I want you to enjoy tonight.” Maya maya pa ay tumigil sila sa harap ng Log Cabin Inn. “We are here.”
“Good evening, Sir, Ma’am! Welcome to Log Cabin,” magalang na bati sa kanila ng crew pagpasok nila.
Nagustuhan niya ang atmosphere ng restaurant. It was cozy and homey. Pakiramdam niya ay nasa isang American style log cabin siya. May fireplace at may mga preserved na ulo ng usa sa magkabilang dulo ng fireplace. Ang mga upuan at sahig ay gawa sa kahoy. At country music ang tugtog.
“Wolf, I like it here!”
“I am glad you do,” anito at nagpa-serve ng wine. Umupo sila sa tabi ng fireplace. “Naalala ko tuloy ang Arizona. I feel a bit nostalgic.”
Maya maya ay pumasok ang matangkad at blonde na lalaki. “Bon soir!” bati nito at tinapik sa balikat si Wolf. “How are you, brother?”
“Great! Aklai, this is Dashielle Gomez-Lizardo. Dashielle, this is Aklai, the famous chef of Log Cabin Inn,” pagpapakilala ni Wolf. Mukhang nagkaroon agad ito ng mga kaibigan kahit saglit pa lang itong tumigil sa lugar. At mukhang alam din nito kung saan ang lugar na maa-appreciate niya kapag nag-date sila.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” aniya at inilahad ang kamay.
He kissed the back of her hand. “Aha! So Wolf brought a princess.”
“I am hardly a princess,” she said with a laugh.
Tinapik nito si Wolf sa balikat. “You are one lucky man!” makahulugan nitong sabi. “Just ask the crew if you want your meal to be served. I will just check everything at the kitchen,” anang si Aklai. “Enjoy! Feel at home.”
Maya maya pa ay nai-serve na sa kanila ang meal. Umuusok ang mushroom soup nang ihain sa kanila. “Sorry. Mukhang masisira ulit ang diet ko.”
“Nobody would notice. You are still pretty.”
Iniwas niya ang tingin dito. “Iisipin mo na hindi mo ako binobola, Wolf. For now, I will believe you.” Masarap namang masabihan nang maganda mula sa lalaking gusto niya. At sa palagay naman niya ay nagsasabi ito ng totoo.
“So it’s okay if you have some chocolate triple cake and strawberry whipped cream?” Wolf asked. “The strawberries they use here is organic. They let them grow like wild berries. Unlike other cultivated strawberries, they don’t bear fruit the whole year round. They are seasonal. You are lucky because they have fruits this time of year,” paliwanag nito.
Napanganga siya nang makitang ihinahanda ng crew ang mga pagkaing sinabi nito. Natakam na agad siya. “Oh, Wolf! You are so sweet.” Samantalang ang iba niyang ka-date ay binibilang ang calories sa pagkain niya.
“Help yourself. Eat all you want. Ayoko nang nagpapakagutom ka.”
She was cutting the roast beef when she noticed something. “Wolf, this place is nice. Pero bakit walang tao? Tayo nga lang ang nandito,” bulong niya.
“The place is reserved for us.”
“You reserved it just for us?” bulalas niya.
“If I won’t do that, we would be bothered by your fans. Hindi ka makakapag-dinner nang maayos. I want you to be all mine tonight.”
“O ayaw mo lang masira ang reputasyon ko dahil malakas akong kumain?”
He laughed. “That is the other reason.”
Ngumiti lang siya at pumikit. For the first time, na-relax siya sa pakikipag-date. Siguro dahil sa ibang ka-date niya ay si Wolf pa rin ang laman ng isip niya. “I love this! We should do this more often.”
“You always want to eat more?”
Dumilat siya. “No. I want to go out with you more often.”
“I like that idea.”
“I mean not exactly like this setting. Kahit saan tayo pumunta. Kahit tulad dati na popcorn lang ang kainin natin, pwede na. I just to be with you.”
He smiled sweetly. “Wish granted.”
“WOLF, I hate you! I am so full, I could hardly breathe or walk,” sabi ni Dashielle paglabas nila ng Log Cabin Inn. “Ayoko nang umulit!”
“Does it mean that you don’t want to go out with me anymore?”
Pinisil niya ang pisngi nito. “Silly. It’s not really you. I mean, I will limit my self next time. I won’t take more than I can. Gluttony will be the death of me. Ngayon lang ako nawalan ng disiplina pagdating sa pagkain. Siguro kasi kasama kita. Saka masarap magluto si Aklai. Dapat death penalty ang parusa sa inyo.”
Halos di niya tinantanan ang pagkain hangga’t hindi siya makahinga. Natikman na niya ang ibang pagkain dati pero iba pa rin ang atmosphere sa Log Cabin Inn. At nakagaan pa sa pakiramdam niya na kasama niya si Wolf.
“So you enjoyed it?” tanong nito.
Inunat niya ang kamay. “Yes! Yes and yes! Saan pa tayo pupunta?”
“Ayaw mo pa bang umuwi?”
Tiningnan niya ang relo. “It’s just ten in the evening. Maaga pa.”
He patted her head. “Curfew hours na. Ten o’clock, sarado na ang establishments. Baka hanapin ka na sa inyo.”
“They know that I am with you.” Baka nga mas gusto pa ng Mommy niya na huwag siyang pauwiin. “And I don’t want to go home yet. I want to spend more time with you. Matagal na kasi natin itong hindi nagagawa.”
“Okay. I will take you to a place I really, really love.”
Idinala siya nito sa isang mataas ng bahagi ng cocoa farm kung saan tanaw ang buong farm. Namaywang siya at pinagmasdan ang farm. Madilim doon at wala halos siyang maaninag. “So what’s lovely about this place? Dapat yata sa umaga tayo pumunta para makita natin nang mabuti ang buong farm.”
“It is not the farm. Look up!” anito at itinuro ang langit.
“Wow!” usal niya nang makita ang milyong-milyong mga bituin na nagliliwanag nang gabing iyon. Hindi maulap kaya makislap ang mga iyon. “Well, you are right. This place is really, really lovely. I never thought that Sagada could still be a tourist spot at night. Bakit hindi natin ito ginagawa noong nasa London tayo?”
“It rains in London most of the time. And it is a city. The stars are bright here because it is far from the city.” Kumuha ito ng blanket at inilatag sa damuhan. “Lie down. So you won’t get tired of looking up.”
Umupo siya at itinukod ang kamay sa likuran. “I remember what you told me when we were young. That our ancestors are up there watching over us as stars.”
“Yes! And you know what? I feel good. Feels like rain.”
Tumingala siya dito. “Ha? Rain?” Di niya masyadong narinig ang sinabi nito. Tumayo siya. “Puro starts. Hindi siguro uulan ngayon. Baka mali ang prediction mo, weatherman. And I thought Apaches are talented in predicting weather.”
“I mean I feel good as if it’s raining. And I aside from rain, I only feel this good when I am with you. You are my rain.”
“And how did I become your rain?”
“Because you make me feel good. I remember the first time I came to London. Ayokong makipag-usap kahit na kanino. I felt so lonely and unloved. Then I saw you crying because they teased you that you dance like a duck flapping her wings. Pero nang makita mo ako, ngumiti ka lang sa akin. Other kids were scared to talk to me. But you were always there beside me, trying to lighten me up with your silly stories. You taught me how to smile. You are like a rain after a long, dry spell.”
“Maybe because I am like a sister to you.”
Bahagya itong umuklo sa kanya at inilapit ang mukha sa kanya. “A sister?” Humalakhak ito. “That is the understatement of the century.”
“Anong understatement? Masyado kang overprotective sa akin. Daig mo pa nga ang Kuya Leonard ko sa paghihigpit mo.”
“I am not your brother. I am so crazy over you and you thought that I only see you like my sister?” Hinawakan nito ang balikat niya. “If you were an Apache, I would have married you when you were thirteen, Dashielle.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. I guarded you since you were young. The first time I saw you, I know that you are the girl that I am going to marry. I just felt that we are one. And since then, I considered you as mine. Kaya ayokong umalis ka sa group. Kaya ayokong maglaro ka ng tennis dahil alam kong lalayo ka sa akin. And I don’t want you away from me because you are precious to me.”
“Does it mean that you love me?”
Kinabig nito ang baywang niya. “Yes!” And he pressed his lips against hers.
The kiss was gentle at first. Hanggang naging malalim ang halik. It was different from their first kiss. It was like a silly game for both of them then. Ngayon ay mas malinaw na kung ano ang nararamdaman nila. Their hearts became one.
Napadilat siya matapos ang halik. “But you never told me about it. Sana hindi ako umalis noon kasi akala ko kapatid lang ang tingin mo sa akin.”
“I may think that you are mine but you are still on your own. In this world, mga bata pa tayo. We have our own dreams and I want us to grow. I had to accept that and let you go. And look at you now. You are your own woman.”
“Tennis is not my original dream. All I want is to be with you. I thought you don’t like me. Ikaw lang ang dahilan kaya nag-stay ako sa theater. And I am willing to give up my tennis dream to be with you. Pero narinig kong nag-uusap sila Mhegan. They said that you are risking your own neck to keep me in the group. Kaya pinili ko na lang na umalis. I would have stayed even if you don’t love me. But I can’t take it if I ruin your own dream.”
Kumunot ang noo nito. “They told you about it?”
Umiling siya. “No. I just heard them talking.”
“And I even thought that you hate me.”
Yumakap siya sa baywang nito. “No. I will never hate you even if sometimes I wanted to. I felt so lonely when you were gone. Sanay ako na wala sila Mommy at Kuya Leonard. It’s you whom I miss the most. Kasi habang nagiging independent ako, na-realize ko na dependent pa rin ang puso ko sa iyo.”
“Kaya pala ayaw mong manood ako kapag may match ka.”
“I lose my focus if you are around.” She rolled her eyeballs. “As much as I want to see you, I also want to win my match.”
“And why do you prefer dating other guys? You are even annoyed whenever I want to protect you.”
Kumunot ang noo niya. “You mean Wyndham.” She jabbed her finger on his chest. “It was your fault. Di naman ako dapat makikipag-date sa kanya kung di ka biglang sumulpot. I stepped on his foot while dancing. So I had to go out to make it up with him. Pero kahit nagde-date kami, ikaw pa rin ang nakikita ko. Akala ko nga sumunod ka pa rin sa restaurant kaya di rin kami nagtagal mag-date.”
Humalakhak ito. “So I am jealous over nothing. Kung hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko, susundan talaga kita. I don’t want to see you with other men. But you told me that you will get mad at me if I followed so I didn’t.”
Kumunot ang noo niya. May isa pang di malinaw. “But why did you refuse to kiss me then? Ayaw mo siguro akong halikan, no? Mahal mo ba talaga ako?”
Pumormal ang mukha nito at tumingala. “Apaches don’t kiss.”
“You don’t?”
Bumuntong-hininga ito. “It is a part of our culture. I know our culture is different from yours. Maraming impluwensiya sa akin ang modern world pero may bagay pa rin ako na hindi maiaalis. And I am ultra conservative. I won’t kiss other girls except you. Unfortunately, I don’t have much experience.”
Humalakhak siya. “Is that the only reason?”
“Are you laughing at me because I don’t know to kiss?” anitong hindi maipinta ang mukha. “That is not funny! You are not a good kisser either. You just bluffed me before, right? As if you are experienced enough.”
“I am not laughing. I am just glad. I didn’t notice that you are not good in kissing. I was too consumed to notice. I love you and that is all that matters.”
“I only let my instincts take over a while ago.”
Yumakap siya sa leeg nito. “We can always practice, you know?”
Saka lang gumuhit ang ngiti sa labi nito. “I’d love to.”
When their lips met, she thought a start winked at her. Her wish was granted. She was in the arms of the man she loved and she was that happiest girl in the world. Wala na siyang mahihiling pa.