He was right beside her in the room where she lay sick in her lovely pink bed, thin, pale, lovely hair. Her smile brings sadness to Roger as he touches her warm hand. What she needed now is to keep on living despite the fact that she's counting her days as she was struck by the deadly disease 3 months ago. They have been in the hospital for several weeks now, but the doctor who examined her was unable to find the exact cause of her illness. She is a runaway wife with no one to turn to, alone, despicable, despise by her in-laws, but to Roger she's a saint, a handsome lady, virtuous and lovely!Their last fight was a fight that can be fixed, it was her last day in that house after she storms out just to keep her cool. Roger regret that day as she left the house alone in the middle of the night.
"Don't worry Hon... We'll find a good doctor... Have you check,.. and..." Roger assures her. Lina was Roger's life.
Lina is a flamboyant, free-spirit, attractive, a head turner in their class back in her college days. Roger is an engineering student when he met her through an acquaintance. There was a spark right there and then. Though that time, Lina had a boyfriend who is as gorgeous as Roger. Roger didn't even think he would end up not marrying her until the day Lina had enough of her then boyfriend that she later became her husband. She caught him in a bar with an eighteen year old teenager sitting on a lap in an exclusive, private guest room. How she caught her husband? The owner of the bar is her high school class president who happens to be in the area where he caught up with his friends including Lina's friends in a resto-bar. He eventually told to one of Lina's friends how addictive Lina's husband with a young, flashy teenager. Little that he knows, they are all friends of Linas'! It was a bitter annulment for Lina, she still loves her husband despite the fact she was betrayed. It didn't take years to annul her case with all the people in the higher-up, judges, and lawyers at her disposal.
His heart pounds when he heard a knock on the door, it's a gloomy morning, there she is standing in the front of the door, pale, looking at him with pain, distressed. He gladly received her in the house, hugged her so tight with no apparent reaction from her. He thought she was tired and hungry and confused! "
Where have you been? I've been looking for you, honey..." Roger in his mild voice asked her.
"I can't remember, Roger. I was so tired. I haven't had any idea where I am the day I wasn't in this house. I was lost. I can't even tell where I was when I'm not here!" Recalling everything she could to inform Roger of her whereabouts the day she's gone to where was that!
"We were at the station... We have to report that you were missing or kidnapped or something might happen to you." His voiced cracked. "You didn't even text me back, I texted you. I have called you hundred times, but you didn't answer any calls, until, you run out of battery." Roger explained.
Lina smirks. "Have I gone too long?" "I texted you first! Damn it!" Roger silently nods his head.
Roger smile, "You are here now. It's not that long, but we were worried."
"Why are you not happy, Roger?" Looking at his face. "Your freedom is at hand, don't you think!?" She closes her eyes.
He kisses her lips, she smiles bitterly. He frowns his head, leaving a scar in his heart.
This has been his day-t0-day basis when she came back from his life in his house he inherited from his parents. Lina tries to remember what happened that night when she had a fight with Roger. All she remembers that she went straight to a bar in Quezon City, not a typical bar. It's a bar and a not so good reputation establishment. She knows a friend who works there. Helen, she thought is her name. She's a coed in her college days where she met her in the library where she's making a research for her thesis. Helen is an awesome friend and fragile. Her friends is not as hers, she's cool, she's a lovable friend, her acquaintances are not! She greeted Helen and ordered a Vodka. She didn't have any idea that beside her was the a young man in her 30s noticeably handsome, smells good and had a wonderful smile.
"Sorry to stare at you, miss..." as the young man started the conversation.
Helen interrupted him. "Hey! She's a Mrs. Jorge! Back out! "
"No worries, I'm just here for a couple of drinks." Irritated.
"Calm down guys. So you're Jorge! How am I helping you with? Damn, I'm not in the mood as I got in here and you are hitting on me?"Lina said.
"Hell no! I'm just here for a drink! Didn't you hear me?" Jorge blurted out the second time.
Helen stares at him blankly and leaves the two. There is a sudden stillness after Jorge remarks. Lina stares emptily at Vodka. She holds it for a while and down the drain! Jorge was about to leave the bar when Lina stops her holding his arm.
"Wait." Looking at Jorge, confused.
"Hey... I'm sorry... Things are pretty messed the past week. It's midnight, got to go. I'm from the north, there's a nice place there, maybe we can hangout the meantime, then go our way in the morning. If that is okay with you."
"No. I'm sorry too. We had a fight, I mean my husband. I have to go back. You can go ahead. I'll stay behind and have a couple of drinks. Nice meeting you Jorge. See you when I see you."Linda gave her a sweet smile.
Jorge leaves the place. Helen goes back to her friend attend to her last 4 drinks.
"You sure you don't want me to take you a ride?"asked Helen.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Dog like my husband is snorting up the roof right now. I'm a cat, for sure his ass stays up there not knowing I'm back!" And they laugh heartily.
Lina takes her last Vodka. No, she's not drunk. She still can manage herself. Say goodbye to Helen and headed straight away to the door, leaving behind it like there was nothing going on.
To her right are all the busy street vendors are chatting to each other, others are taking their night shift preparing food for waiting for the night customers, especially taxi driver and private owner cars who wants to make a quick break before heading their way, teenagers who came from the party all night, wants to chow before going to sleep even if they are too drunk to eat. To her left, are residences who turned their little dwelling place into a food business like mini-restaurant or a resto-bar. Straight ahead going back home is where she belongs. There are some minors who are still on the street. She gets the Smartphone in her bag, texted Roger, she's on her way home. Despite their misunderstanding they let them know where they at or telling them when he or she will be back home. That was her last text to Roger as she was about to get back her Smartphone in her bag, she could feel a tingle sensation, burning feeling, mild feeling of getting heart attack, unable to speak, blurry eyes, she catches her breath. She could sense someone was with her, holding her tight, she forcefully touches her nape, there was a mark, like a needle, she's sure about it.
She couldn't see where she was. Her face had a mask on. She could see where she's at but she had a feeling she's in a room, a big room. She could hear someone is inside the room. She couldn't decipher who it was.
"Hey, if you ever touch me again..." She stopped as soon as the man put something on her neck.
"Or what?" A gnarled voiced commenced.
"I'll break your nuts into pieces!" She warned him.
"How in the world you will ever do that when you are so tight up from your feet up to your neck?" He angrily said it.
"It's none of your freaking business, mister! Don't you ever freaking dare me!" She amusingly said it to the man.
He came hurriedly at her side take a quick look at her and gives a slap to her face.
"Bitch!" He cried out. "Don't you dare to even tell me what to do, I'll kill you right now, bitch!" He exclaimed!
"Damn, you're a Mama's boy!" Lina teases him.
"The heck you talking about? I'll turn you into corpse!" The man cry out!
"Are you joking? I have been dead by now if you did it! Damn faggot!" She curses him.
"You want a fast pace Smokin killing you! You'll see it bitch! It's fast and clean!" He stares at her blankly!
A knock on the door. Both of them looked at each other, puzzled! Nervous but he asked Lina politely.
"Are you alone when I took you here?"
"Are you blind? How can you abducted me if I'm alone in the first place?" She told him, irritated.
"Did you call a police?" He asked her nervously.
"You have a cold feet? You ask me that stupid question, how will I know about anyone knocking on your door? And how can I call a police in this situation" She looks at him with contempt.
He locked and loaded his pistol. He left Lina on the bed, blindfolded. At the door he peeks into the hole. His friend Rolly! What the hell is he doing here!
"Hey man! Zup?" Without opening the door.
"It's freezing cold out here, will you let me in, bro?" Somehow pissed off.
"I can't let you in, bro. I have errands, need to finish it. You can come back tomorrow and we'll talk, alright?" His throat cracks.
"Damn bro! What's going on?" As he left the front porch out in the dark.
He came back to the room, agitated. He's clearly worried when he saw the room was empty! He runs fast down the stairs, when he reaches the kitchen looks at the back door. He saw Lina runs the road. Lina waves to a speeding car relentlessly waving to the driver of the car. He almost runs after her to a screeching halt. Lina runs to the passenger's seat
"Please help me!" She cried out to the driver.
"Okay! hop in!" Shouted the driver.
"Somebody kidnapped me and rape me! Thank you!" She gave the driver a nod.
The car sped up, leaving the trail behind. The man was dumbfounded. Unable to speak for himself. His face turned pale and left the road.
"Are you alright, Ms.?"Asked the driver.
"No, I'm not! I felt like I drowned myself too deep!" As she tries to speak.
"What do you mean?" Inquire the driver about what she had just said.
"I'm too deep. I'm hurt and I'm almost lost everything. I'm too far away from my own reality. I'm so far, far behind. I have left that house without me knowing what's going with me. I don't know what went wrong!" Now she's crying.
"What do you want me to do, ma'am?" The driver looks worried. "Would you like me to report this to the police?" Asked the driver.
"No! Just take me home." She says the driver looks at the horizon. "I'm sinking deeper!" She lets a deep breath.
"Where to ma'am?" Asked the driver.
It was the darkest days of his life when she returned home. The moment he saw her it's dim and cold. It's the life he almost lost, but indeed had happened. She is shutting down in her last days. She's normal according to her doctors. Her vitals are all normal. Her organs work perfectly well. But she's not. She is really shutting down. She will never be the same. It will be his agonizing moment standing at the stone table full of roses. Her name Lina Santos 1979-2016.
It was after the death of her parents when she saw everything vividly how her parents were brutally murdered. From that day on until she finished her elementary school up to college, it is still written in her head how lovely her parents were when still alive. She is a lone child. When she met Roger things have changed drastically. She just simply changed. Lina now had a change to see life. She is his life. Her life flourishes. All were driven back to where she started when she discovered Roger had a mistress and things went spiraling again.
Roger departed the cemetery that afternoon, lonely, alone, depressed and unable to comprehend. He went back to his house. He left everything in his house. Locked it. His health slowly degrading. Every day he always came there to visit Lina. Despite his condition, he didn't forget to drop by at the graveyard and reminiscing the long lost days of agony. Roger sits at the corner of the abandoned building, some of his belongs are there, he wants to be near the cemetery where he could "see" her there. He seemed content, tired, sleepy, amused of his new place of living where he can still care all the rest of his life would care.
San Mateo, Rizal
December 19, 2017
Photo Credit:
https://visualhunt.com/photo/192053/