Chapter Five

"Good morning Pa," nakangiting bati ni Darren Ramirez sa kanyang nagiisang ama nang maabutan niya ito sa garden. 

Tinapik nito ang upuan. "Halika dito sa tabi ko, nak." 

Without saying anything ay umupo si Darren tabi ng ama.

"Pa. How's the company?" he asked him.

"Nah. Let's not talk about the company but if you really want to know ay nakatayo pa naman ang kompanya natin." He smirked and laughed. 

Mr. Luther Ramirez is the coolest and perfect father to Darren; no one can replace him. That's why Darren was wondering why his mother left them. He never heard that they argued a thing; his father is kind not just to his son but to everyone, even to the workers. Every time Darren asked his father why his mother left them, Mr. Luther always answered his son indirectly, like when you see her don't hate her son, she may not be here with us, but she is still your mother.

"Pa, how about you?" Masakit maiwan ng magulang pero alam ni Darren na doble ang sakit 'non sa papa niya.

"When I see you happy it makes me happier." Nasaktan si Darren sa sinabi ni Mr. Luther, hindi ba pwedeng maging masaya ang kanyang ama para sa sarili nito?  Never siyang nang babae, for Mr. Luther Darren's mother is the only one. Hindi naman ni Darren sinasabi na maghanap ito ng iba ang para sa kanya lang naman ay maging masaya ito, mag enjoy pero laging na kay Darren ang atensyon nito at sa kompanya.

Sa oras na usapang pamilya na ay hindi ni Darren mapigilan na maging iyakin, oo lalaki siya pero hindi naman nakakabawas ng pagkakalaki ang masaktan at umiyak. May puso rin naman ang mga lalaki and like girls, guy's heart is also fragile pero hindi  nila pinapakita because they need to be strong for the people around them.

"But looking at you right now makes me sad; I can see that you are suffering from sadness and because of something or I must say, someone." Pumasok sa isip ni Darren si Eleuthera, for her, Darren is just a bestfriend, and It's okay for him.  "Hmm. I am sure na ang Prinsesa ng mga Augustine ang kinakabaliwan mo 'nak." Nagtatakang napatingin siya sa ama. "Nak, nagtataka ka ba kung bakit ko alam? Siya lang kasi ang babaeng lagi mong binabanggit sa akin. Eleuthera is your best friend, but you love her more than that. Hindi naman kita pagbabawalan sa nararamdaman mo sa kanya, sana nga lang 'wag mong hayaan na malunod ka. Mahirap makaahon lalo na kung walang hahawak sayo paitaas."

Darren doesn't know what his going to say to his father. He doesn't want to stop his feeling, and he didn't  Eleuthera to love him back. Loving a person, especially your own best friend, a gamble; there's a little chance that you win, so you must not wait for it. You will die waiting for something na hindi naman dadating. But if you win, you are lucky, don't waste your time and grab the chance. Masakit umasa kaya mas pinili niya na lang na mahalin si Eleuthera nang walang hinihinging kapalit. Masasaktan siya o magiging masaya, he doesn't give a damn as long as he loves her, he's going to love her.

Naputol ang paguuusap nilang mag-ama nang may tumawag kay Mr. Luther, it was about business, Darren was sure about that. 

Nanatili si Darren sa garden, kinuha niya ang phone, tinignan ang wallpaper na naglalaman ng stolen shot ni Eleuthera. If he's going to describe her, she was a simple person covered by shiny stars.  Hindi siya kasing ganda ng mga bida sa mga kwento at hindi maaring ikumpara roon, she has a unique beauty, and Darren doesn't love her because of her face; he loves her because she is Eleuthera. She is uniquely beautiful but secretly dangerous. If someone will ask Darren kung ano ba si Eleuthera, he will just simply say she is not a gangster nor an assassin; she is unknown. Like Eleuthera, Darren is also an unknown; they don't know what they are. Its already clear that they are not everyone's hero and they are not too vicious. 

"I think it was rude when you are eyeing my best friend's picture with a weird smile on your lips. Are you having a bad fantasy on her?" 

Muntik nang mahulog si Darren sa gulat nang magsalita ang babaeng may malamig na boses sa gilid niya. 

"What the fudge?" bulyaw niya sa pagkairita at lumingon sa babae. 

"Oh," she said plainly. Nakatingin ang babae kay Darren na may inaantok na mata, telling him silenty na isa siyang lalaki na kailanman ay hindi niya pagkakainteresan.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito sa bahay namin sa ganitong kaaga?" 

Hindi na nagabalang sumagot ang dalaga, naramdaman niyang paparating na ang ama ng binata.

"Good morning iha. Nandito ka na pala, pasensya na kung ngayon lang ako," nakangiting pagbati sa kanya ni Mr. Luther.

Walang katiting na ngiti ang sumilay sa labi ng dalaga, walang makakasabi kung sino sa kanilang dalawa ni Eleuthera ang mas malamig. Si Eleuthera kasi ay paiba-iba ang ugali pero sa oras na mawalan siya ng gana ay sobrang lamig niya. They are really best friends, they are all odd but cool. 

"Ren anak. Alam mo naman na magkaibigan ang mga Nakamura at Ramirez kahit ang mga negosyo natin ay magkakaibigan. Ikaw bilang  heir ng Ramirez Company at si Heavenzy bilang heiress ng company nila ay nakapagsunduan ko at ng parents niya na sanayin na kayo sa business ngayon pa lang." Darren don't get him. Hindi niya maintindihan bakit kailangan pa ipadala si Heavenzy sa bahay nila, kaya niya matutong magisa. Darren is Eleuthera's friend, and Heavenzy is Eleuthera's best friend; they are both a friend of Eleuthera, but they never had a chance to talk, like they are born to be strangers to each other, not until this day came. Sinadya nga ni Darren na 'wag magkita ang landas niya at ng mga kaibigan ni Eleuthera, ayaw nila ni Eleuthera na hayaan ang mga ito na may malaman kahit kasing liit ng kaliskis ng isda tungkol sa pinaggagawa nila ngayon, iniiwasan nilang dalawa na magdulot ng lason na ikakapahamak 

"And we want you two to be close friends for the future's sake."  

Close friends? Why all so sudden? And for the future's sake? I have a bad feeling about this, Darren hissed to himself.

Tumingin si Darren kay Heavenzy na may nakikiusap na mata na 'wag pumayag ang babae, sa hindi niya inaasahan na magaganap ay inilihis nito ang paningin pawang walang pakialam sa kahit na anumang bagay. Darren was fully conscious that Heavenzy feels hostility toward his existing; she loathes him for she speculates na inaagaw niya ang atensyon ni Eleuthera mula sa kanila.

"Pa," he called his father attention dahil mukhang walang balak na humindi si Heavenzy sa plano ng mga magulang nila. Si Darren na ang gagawa ng paraan para hindi matuloy.

"Yes, son? Hindi ka naman siguro aayaw sa offer namin. I am counting on you, son, I know you can do this for our company and your future," aniya. 

Hindi na nabinigyan ng pagkakataon na magsalita si, Darren. He loves his father so sizably, and the company immensely matters to him; with no choice, his now going to take the risk.

"Yes, pa. I will do my best for you not to be disappointed." 

Hindi niya aakalain na ang simpleng 'yes' lang ay magpapabago sa takbo ng mundo niya.

Pumunta si Heaven at Darren sa park ng subdivision, pinakiusapan siya ng ama na gumala kasama si Heavenzy. Katulad ng dati ay tahimik na naman ang babae. Walang alam si Darren kung bakit naging ganito si Heavenzy, hindi naman kasi pala-kwento si Eleuthera lalo na kung personal.  

Diretso ang tingin ng babae halos hindi na kumukurap. 

"What are we going to do here?" Nabigla na naman si Darren nang biglang nagsalita si Heavenzy, if he just has a heart failure ay baka inatake na siya, but he does not have one and never in his dream na pinangarap niya magkaroon. 

Binuka ni Darren ang bibig, nagiisip kung ano ang dapat niyang isagot sa babae. Nahalata nito na hindi rin alam ni Darren kung ano gagawin. She sighed and looked at him with her unfamous blank face. 

Darren is not comfortable with her. He thinks any minute she's going to do something to get rid of him.

"You are my best friend's slave, right?"

Napakunot ang noo ni Darren, kailan pa siya naging alila ni Eleuthera? 

She smirked when she saw his reaction. "Lagi kang sumusunod sa kanya or if you are not her slave maybe you are her new dog?" If only she is not a best friend of Eleuthera ay matagal na siyang pinatay ni Darren, plus the fact na she is a girl! He has goddamn respect for a girl for the mother's sake. She is getting in his nerves. 

Darren never thought this going to be hard to be close to her. 

"I am not her slave nor her dog, miss." He really stressed the word 'miss' so in that way she can know her restrictions. 

He saw some glimpse of her emotion. The next thing Darren knew ay hawak na nito ang collar niya, may nakatutok na kutsilyo sa leeg ng lalaki. 

"Damn! What are you thinking? Let me go," naiinis na ani ni Darren. She seems enjoying playing with the knife.

"What do you know about Eleuthera?" Tumingin si Heavenzy sa mga mata ni Darren, she is not blinking. 

Her face was  a few hairsbreadth away from his face.

Hindi ni Darren alam kung ano mayroon sa mga mata ng babae at bigla na lang siya napatitig doon. He can see a sadness in her eyes, nalulunod siya. 

Come back to your senses, Darren, he warned himself. Work outward; you need to get out from here.

"Answer me." With her soft voice, Darren loses himself.

"What do you want to know about her, Heaven?" 

Heavenzy grinned. At last, her plan worked. Ah, she disgusts herself for using a soft voice. 

You are dead, Darren.