Chương 3: With the Stranger
Body pains. Tormented Heart. Empty Pockets.
Alex doesn't want to wake up anywhere. All that she wants is to sleep for a very long time just to forget how miserable her life is.
This is not the life that she wanted. This is the life that not everyone sees.
She's very miserable.
But it' better this way. At least now, meron na siyang life to move forward. Hindi 'yong nakakulong lang siya sa napakagarang mansion na iyon without anything to do and cannot be seen by people that her father knows because she is her father's greatest disappointment.
Graduate lang naman siya ng kursong International Studies sa isa sa mga pinaka-prestigious universities in Cagayan de Oro City. After she took up that course, she moved to Spain to study Masters in International Relations. There, she sees how good life is to just jail yourself to what people want you to become.
She met a lot of friends, colleagues and strangers that made her realize how good this life could be.
After a year, she left Spain because her dad wants her to man the election kasi politics daw ay puno ng mga ahas na tao.
She packed her things up and after travelling for almost twelve hours, she can finally breathe dahil dumating na siya sa Laguindingan Airport where their family driver is waiting for her.
The rest is history.
She found herself running into the woods.
"Harry. Harry!"
Na kailang tawag na si Jeff sa kanyang kaibigan na si Harry but he got no reply from his bestfriend na tulala pa rin sa hangin.
"Dude, hwag mo naman akong tratuhin na parang hindi ako nag-e-exist", Jeff said to Harry.
"I am really sorry. I just fell into deep thoughts kung bakit", he answered.
Jeff don't know how to answer his best friend because he knows how painful it is to have fallen in love and not being loved in return.
"Akala ko kami na, Dude, but it turns out that she was just playing for my feelings", Harry added.
"Ganito na lang. Let's enjoy this night para naman makalimutan mo ang sakit na nararamdaman mo ngayon."
Jeff tried to change the topic para naman di masyadong mag-isip nang kung ano-ano ang best friend niyang pinagtitinginan na ngayon ng mga baklang nakatambay sa bar na iyon.
"Dude, you called me for this night not to be sorrowful kaya here are my gifts for you."
Jeff happily introduces his new found gay friends - hoping that Harry would be glad of his gifts.
"Halika nga dito, Jeff. I have told you that sa tanang buhay ko I don't like gays. They're so cheap and crap", aniya ni Harry habang pilit na ngumingiti sa mga bakalang nasa harap niya ngayon.
"Dude, this is the best that we've got. Malay mo you'll find happiness here."
Hindi na napilit pa si Harry at umalis na lang sa bar. All he wanted to do now is to go home to Bukidnon to unwind and forget about Jane.
Jane is his greatest love and turns out to be his greatest disappointment. He wants to propose to her. Last year pa sana ito kaso he is still managing his family's business in Bukidnon kasi palugi na nang palugi ito nang malulong sa sugal ang ama niya.
Jane is a graduate of Psychology and she's a woman of achievements. And he has no problem about it kasi alam naman niya na from the moment he chose Jane, iyon ang mga gusto niya about her.
She seems to be so independent, confident and strong. Kaya nga 'di ba, iniwan lang naman siya for Jane to study abroad kasi pagon na raw siyang maging hamak na Psych graduate lamang.
And here he comes, he tried to stop her but it ended up the wrong way. Pinapili niya si Jane but she chooses to leave and break his heart.
Hindi mapigilan ni Harry na umiyak habang nagmamaneho ng kotse niya sa gabing iyon.
Tila nakikisabay ang panahon sa kanyang nararamdaman dahil napakalas ng hangin kasabany ng malakas na pagkidlat at pagbuhos ng ulan.
This is the weather that he wants habang malakas na nagmamaneho. Ayaw pa nga sana ni Jeff na pauwiin siya kasi malakas daw ang ula, eh. Pero hindi talaga siya nagpapigil pa. All that he wants now is to escape reality.
Puta talaga ang kaibigan niya. Binigyan pa talaga siya ng mga bakla just to have fun. Ayaw nga niya simula't sapol sa mga baklang ito.
Matapos ang mahabang sandali ay nakita na niya na malapit na siya sa boundary ng Cagayan de Oro at Bukidnon nang may makita siyang babae na nakahandusay sa gilid ng daan.
Teka, minumulto ba siya?
Paanong nakarating ang babaeng ito sa gilid ng daan habang umuulan.
She's wearing boots, pink coat and white undershirt. From the looks, mukha naman siyang tao. May aswang bang magsusuot ng ganito? Natatawa na lamang siya while pulling the break.
He hurriedly go outside the car and sinaklolohan ang babaeng halos nang mahimatay dahil sa hypothermia.
"Miss, are you alright?" He tried to ask the lady in front of him. But he got no reply from her. Tila wala na itong malay dahil sa mga maliliit na galos sa katawan at lamig na nararamdaman.
Without asking for permission, he carried her to the car para maisakay. He tried to be as gentleman as he can habang kinakapa ang bulsa ng babaeng walang malay sa loob ng kanyang sasakyan para maghanap ng wallet to search if she has IDs or any thing that would tell him who she is but found nothing.
Matapos ang ilang minutong paghahanap ay wala talaga siyang nakita.
Patuloy pa rin siya sa paghahanap ng mga gamit ng babae nang biglang my bumisina nang napakalakas.
"Sorry po."
He shouted loudly through the slightly open window of his car and then started the engine.
He has no choice but to bring this lady to their rest house at Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon.
Tirik na ang araw nang magising si Harry dahil na rin siguro sa alak at pag-iisip kung safe ba ang babaeng dinala niya sa bahay nila. What if takas siay mula sa bilangguan o 'di kaya ay takas mula sa mga rebeldeng nagtatago pa rin hanggang ngayon sa kabundukan ng Bukidnon?
He has no idea who she is basta ang alam lang niya ang tulongan ang babaeng halos nang mamatay dahil sa ginaw at pagod kagabi.
Bumangon na siya at naligo.
Matapos ang ilang minuto ay tapos na siyang maligo at ihanda ang sarili saka lumabas sa kwarto para maghanda ng makakain sa umagang iyon.
He is at his usual outfit everyday, topless and basketball shorts lang para comfortable siyang gumalaw-galaw. Wala pa naman si Manang Edna sa araw na ito para maglinis sa bahay.
Mula sa pasilyo ay amoy na amoy na ni Harry ang mabangong niluluto mula sa kusina nang kung sinong nasa kusina. Pakanta-kanta pa ito ng kantang "Most Girls" na hindi niya maalala kung sino ang kumakantang foreign singer.
From the smell, alam niyang masarap ang niluluto ng taong iyon.
Ah, baka dumating na siguro nang maaga si Manang Edna. Dali-dali siyang pumaog sa hagdanan papunta sa kusina. Malapit na siya sa kusina when he realized na may babae nga pala siyang dinala sa guest room.
"Bahala na nga. Hahayaan ko na lang si Manang ang tumawag sa kanya para na rin siguro na makausap ko siya habang kumakain."
Nagulat si Harry nang dahil instead of Manang Edna - what he saw is a gorgeous young lady wearing his oversized shirt while singing with the song played through the stereo. He doesn't want to say and nagkatitigan lang sila ng babae.
"Oh, gising ka na pala", saad ng babaeng maganda na may hawak na sandok.
"Pasensya ka na ha. Niluto ko na lahat ng laman ng fridge mo kasi nagugutom na kasi ako at wala talaga akong kinain kagabi", she added.
Natutulala pa rin si Harry at tila wala siyang narinig sa tinuran ng babae. Ano ba yan Harry kaka-break up mo pa lang?
Nagulat na lang si Harry na handa na pala ang table to eat.
"Hey!" Tawag muli ng babaeng nasa harapan niya.
"Uhm, sorry talaga ha. Nagulat lang ako kasi akala ko si Manang ang nagluluto sa kusina." He replied after being shocked for a very long time.
"That's okay. Ako nga dapat magpasalamat for saving me last night."
"Maliit na bagay lang iyon. Sige na, kain ka na muna." Harry said.
Aminado si Alex na sa pagkakataon na iyon ay wala pa rin siyang alam na kahit na ano about her. What she sees now is a lonely man who helped her last night.
"What made you rescue me?" Alex started the conversation.
"Nakakaawa kasi ang kalagayan mo kahapon while seeing you suffer from the bitterness of the night."
"I am very grateful that you did that huh. I would be dead right now kung hindi mo ako tinulungan."
"You are very welcome," Harry replied.
Lumipas ang mahabang sandali habang nagraramdaman lamang silang dalawa. Alex knows that if this man finds out why she is running, he will shoo her away to home.
"I'm Alex delos Reyes, by the way."
"Harry Styles."
"What? Seryoso ka?," di mapigilan ni Alex ang matawa while internalizing the name that this guy gave her.
"Hindi. Ikaw talaga di ka na mabiro. Harry dela Vega."
Sabay silang tumawa habang kumakain dahil sa tinuran ng lalaki.
"By the way, why are you running that late in the night?" Harry asked her.
Alex knows that she has to tell him the truth but she cannot just give him all the information about her. His ignorance is what makes her alive kaya she will try to protect her identity no matter what.
"I was running way from home because of some misunderstanding me and my father."
"Iyon lang? Run away na?", Harry asked.
"No! You did not know everything about me that's why do not judge me." Batid sa boses ni Alex ang lungkot while she is muttering those words.
"Uh, uh, sorry for offending you." Harry apologized.
"I am also sorry for sounding like that. It's just that my father wants me to become someone whom I don't want to become."
"So, what's your plan now?" Harry added.
Alex knows na kailangan na talaga niyang kapalan ang mukha niya to let him stay in his house for as long as she wants kasi she doesnt have any choice.
"I am planning not to come back to my father. Kaya maghahanap na lang siguro nang matutuluyan as of the moment."
"Well, it seems that you're asking for another favor from me kaya I let you stay here for a while para di ka naman mapariwara dito sa Bukidnon."
"No, I am not asking anything from you Harry." Alex replied.
"No, just think of it as a help from me. You can stay here for as long as you want. Lalo na at wala namang nakatira dito because my dad is in Malaybalay City and I am the only one staying here for the meantime. Iyon ay if you trust me that much to stay in a house with a complete stranger?"
Harry has no idea why he just allowed this stranger to stay in his house. Ano na naman ba itong kalokohan Harry?
After breakfast, Alex was left alone in the house from the time being kasi umalis na muna si Harry to attend their farm.
Simula kasi nang tumanda na ang kanyang ama ay si Harry na ang nag-manage ng farm nila. He lifted the status of their family business after his father left it in a trash.
Harry has been working hard not just for his family but for his Jane. Jane was his inspiration. Jane was his everything.
He tried everything for Jane but it seems that everything is not enough for Jane. She left him in exchange for countless opportunities. Isn't he enough for a girl like Jane? She left him helpless.
This is the reason why he helped Alex and let her stay in his house. Alex is another helpless soul that needs saving. At least, may makakasama siya for the meantime.
"Good morning, Sir Harry!"
Hindi na namalayan ni Harry na nakarating na pala siya sa kanilang farm house na lahat ng post processing activities ay nangyayari. Their business is one of the best exporters in the province in terms post processed vegetables.
"Good morning everyone!" Harry greeted all their employees in the farm house.
For today, kailangan niyang i-fix ang ilang mga poblema sa delivery vans nila dahil may ilang van na hindi niya na check kagabi dahil sa lintik na puso niya.
"Kumusta na ang limang vans natin? Are they okay already or kailangan pa natin itong i-fix?", tanong niya sa secretary na who has been working for almost ten years already in the company.
"Sir, we're checking on it kaso masyadong marami talaga ang sira", aniya ng secretary.
"That's good."
Harry has been working for this company for a long time and he has done everything for it para lamang maibangon ito. Before he got into the company, nakalugmok na ito sa utang and kinailangan nilang i-close ang ilang mga extensions ng kanilang company. By far, he's doing good except for this week.
Letseng pa-ibig ito.
If Jane only realized how much he sacrificed just to prepare for his proposal, she would prefer not to go. But Harry decided to keep quiet because he knows that Jane only wants to be successful. He chooses to let her go.
Tapos na si Alex sa mga gawaing bahay.
She doesn't have anything to do so she decided to tour around the house. This mansion of dela Vega is very beautiful just to be left very lonely. Feel talaga ni Alex na walang nakatira rito.
The mansion is very quiet. Its design is modern and elegant. This mansion is what normal people should wish for.
She goes to the second floor of the mansion. She finds out that beside her room ay meron pang maraming mga rooms. There are five rooms in the mansion excluding the master's bedroom. The master's bedroom is on the third floor just near the swimming pool. Ang gara-gara talaga ng bahay kaso walang tao.
It feels like she's back in their own house in Misamis Oriental. Their house is very big, even bigger than this house but there's no joy here. Its physical size is very huge but it feels empty.
Walang nag-uusap sa loob, walang nagtatawanan - not like those small houses that her father goes into for charity works. Napakaliit lamang kung tutuusin but everything is very lively.
Unlike sa bahay nila, it was only her sister who knows everything about her. Their parents are always busy in politics and business matters. Her father is a renowned politician in the province of Misamis Oriental and her mother runs the business of their family for almost two decades now together with her elder sister. She considered herself the black sheep of the family. Wala naman siyang ginawang iba to make her family proud. What she did is to give her family herself, the greatest disappointment as they say of Governor Emman delos Reyes and Mrs. Elma delos Reyes, the wife of the governor who has a very good image in the eyes of the public.
Back when she is still a child, my father would not allow her to go with him during political campaigns. He would always say na mapapahiya lamang tayo if you go. So, all her life she stays only in their mansion.
Kahit nung nag-aaral pa siya ay hindi niya pwedeng sabihin na ama niya si Governor Emman. Her classmates would always ask about her parents but she's not allowed to tell it to them.
Sa kaiisip niya ng kung ano-ano ay umabot na siya sa dulo ng third floor ng mansion ng mga dela Vega. There she sees the very nice view from the mansion of the dela Vega. You can see her how beautiful the landscapes of Bukidnon.
From here, she sees people working from afar.
There are people who are very busy working in their farms. There are people going to their farms riding horses and cows. Ang ganda-ganda ng tanawin ng Bukidnon lalo na at lahat ng tao ay nakangiti which is quiet interesting lalo na at tila kontento na ang mga tao sa kung ano ang mga ginagawa nila.
Totoo nga siguro ang mga sinasabi ng mga tao na the more you get everything what you want, the more you ask for more kaya you never get contented of life.
Seeing these people make her realize how nice it is to live a simple and pleasant life.
"Good evening, Harry", bati ni Alex kay Harry matapos itong umuwi nang late na ng gabi.
Tila walang narinig si Harry at dumeretso na ito sa kanyang silid. Harry seems to be lonely tonight. Wala man lang itong reaksyon pagpasok niya sa bahay. It seems that he's drunk.
Alex has nothing to do with what Harry is feeling now.
Harry seems to be carrying a lot of problems. His mood tonight seems to be very sad na tila may iniisip itong sobrang lalim.
Hinayaan na lang ni Alex si Harry.
Naghugas na muna siya ng pinggan na pinagkainan para antukin ang sarili kasi hindi pa siya inaantok.
Ang dami-dami pa niyang iniisip as of the moment kaya hindi pa niya gustong pumunta sa silid niya. She wants to reminisce what she had gone through bago siya dumating sa mansion na ito.
She turned on the T.V. to watch news or television shows.
However, the news on T.V. is not what she is expecting. Ang dami-dami niyang iniisip pero na wala lahat nang mapanood niya ang nasa news ng T.V.
It's her dad saying that their family is on a crisis now because of some family matters. Her dad is asking for prayers to seek the answer of this family crisis that the governor's family is going through.
Her anger rises again upon seeing her dad on television.
She knows that it was just a moment of time bago malaman ng buong Pilipinas na nawawala ang anak ng governor ng Misamis Oriental. By that time, Harry will be in great danger especially that he was the only one who saved her that night.
Alex chooses to keep her silence until the right time comes na pwede na niyang sabihin ang lahat-lahat kay Harry. She only knows one thing now - Harry is her savior.
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