Chi-chi thought that she was in her best dream when she saw that gorgeous man right by the door but only to find out that she wasn't. Lalo na nung nakita niya ang buhol-buhol na kilay ng dalawang batang iyon. She guessed they're twins; they looked the same only that the other one has a long and brown hair and the other has short—a boy and a girl.
"W-what?" 'yun lang ang tanging nasabi niya.
"Ang sabi ko ay sino ka?" asik ng gwapong lalaki.
"W-well...I am..." dahan dahan siyang naupo sa kama. At napataas ang kilay niya nang mapansing sinundan ng lalaki ang galaw ng mga binti niya. She grinned. Naalala niyang isang malaking t-shirt lang pala ang suot niya.
"Talk." utos nito. He stepped inside the room. Nasa likod nito ang dalawang bata. Masama ang tingin ng mga ito sa kanya. Umismid siya.
"I am Chi-chi." she said as she crossed her legs, she deliberately showed her long legs. Natatawang pinagmasdan niya ang tila hirap na hirap na mukha ng lalaki.
"Dammit! Ano'ng naisipan mo at nagawa mong bigla na lang pumasok sa bahay ng may bahay at magkalat ng katulad ng ginawa mo?" anang lalaking hindi na maipinta ang gwapong mukha. Nakita niya ang naaasar na mukha nito. He must've figured out that she was playing with him. She gave him a mocking grin.
"Nakikain lang naman ako, nakiligo at nakitulog. I knocked but nobody's home. So I thought, I could—"
"That doesn't give you the right to barge into anybody's house like this! Nakita mo ba ang ginawa mo sa bahay ko? You practically messed up everything!" he hissed.
"Pwede ba, wag ka ngang eksaherado. At mas lalong wag kang madamot sa katulad kong nangangailangan!" naiinis na sagot niya rito. This man is a brute! He's starting to get into her nerves. Dahil ba dagling nawala ang pagnanasa sa mga mata nito? He must have not liked her after all. Napasimangot siya.
"Wala kang karapatang sagutin ng ganyan ang daddy ko!" biglang sumigaw ang batang lalaki sa likod nito. Nag-aalab ang tinging ipinukol nito sa kanya. Sa hula niya'y nasa pito hanggang walang taong gulang lamang ito.
"Shin, go back to your room, now." utos ng lalaki sa bata.
"Right! You're a burglar who's very filthy and messy!" sigaw naman ng batang babae. Pumadyak pa ito!
"Shan, you too. Go to your room." he demanded.
"Aba, itong mga batang ito! You shouldn't be talking to someone who's older than you like that! That's rude! Say sorry to me, now!" inis na bulyaw niya sa mga bata.
"Look who's talking." the man smirked.
Masama ang tinging pinandilatan niya ito.
"I hate that woman! Let her out of our house daddy! She ruined our house!!!!" galit na sigaw ni Shan.
"I hate her too! She tossed my bed sheet and threw my pillows on the floor! She's a nasty old woman!" Shin complained.
"Aba! Sino'ng old woman, ha? Baka akala niyo, hindi ako pumapatol sa bata?" galit na umahon siya mula sa kama. She hated people who talked bad about her. Kahit na alam niyang totoo ang mga sinasabi ng mga ito sa kanya.
Mabilis na lumapit sa kanya ang lalaki at hinawakan siya sa braso nang akmang susugurin niya ang dalawang bata. "Shut up you fox!" pagkunwa'y pabulong na sinabi iyon sa kanya. Bigla ang pag-akyat ng dugo sa kanyang ulo. Gusto niyang sampalin ang lalaki ngunit hindi niya magawa dahil sa dalawang batang masama pa rin ang tingnin sa kanya.
"Shin and Shan, I said go back to your rooms now!" alinlangang umalis ang mga bata at iniwan sila.
"Now that we're alone, show me that seducing style you just did a while ago. And we'll see who's gonna fall for that you fox!" nanggagalaiting anito.
"Y-you let me go! Dammit, let me go!" Chi-chi hissed. Bigla siyang natakot nang mapag-isa kasama ang lalaking iyon sa kwarto.
"Then who are you?" pabigla siyang binitiwan ng lalaki.
"I told you, I am Chi-chi."
"Dammit! Huwag mong ubusin ang pasensya ko."
"Okay fine! I am Chynna Santillan, Chi-chi for short and a run away bride! Ah... I ran away because my future husband is a mad maniac who only wants to take me to bed and then plans to kill me. Satisfied?" nanghihinang napaupo siya sa kama. Biglang bumalik ang sakit sa puso niya. What's happening to her life? Everything's messed up. She choked.
"Quit your dramatic skills lady, I won't buy that." anito. Mayamaya'y lumapit ito sa bintana at sumilip doon. "Nasaan ang mga kasama mo?" asik nito.
"What are you talking about?" nagtatakang tanong niya rito.
"I said—"
"Oh yeah, you would never believe on whatever I'm saying, so what's the point of asking me?" she cut him in.
Natigilan ito.
"Like i told you, tinakasan ko ang walanghiya kong mapapangasawa dahil balak lang nitong pagsawaan ako. He's a mad maniac who wants to prove to everybody that only he can afford to take me to bed. T-they were running after me, before I jumped off that waterfall. Mas pinili ko pang magpakamatay kesa mapunta sa Hajii na 'yun. I even took off my wedding dress along the way so I could run faster. Luckily, I was alive. But now I'm thinking if it's really lucky for me to know that I am still alive." Chi-chi's eyes went misty.
Natigilan si Nick. Naalala niyang may nadaanan siyang wedding dress kanina sa kagubatan ng sinundan niya ang kambal. He found a pair of white shoes with broken heels. Both were near the waterfall. Napatingin siya sa dalaga. Is she telling the truth? He wondered.
"Okay, granted that you just ran away from your wedding. Maybe you have a plan or something? Like going back to your house? Or leaving the country?" he asked. "It's not as if I'm so interested." Defensive ang tonong dugtong niya.
"As of now, I can't go home kahit na obviously ay pinapaalis mo na ako. My Lolo would kill me because of what I did, that is, if he's still alive after what I did to Hajii. And I can't leave the country, not even this town. Siguradong bantay sarado ng mga tauhan ng papa ni Hajii na nagkataong mayor ang labasan sa bayan na ito. That's why, I'm planning to stay here, as of the moment." She stated matter-of-factly.
Gulantang ang lalaki. She didn't care. She never cared. Lahat naman ng ginusto niya ay nakuha niya. She shrugged off his reaction.
"You can't stay here."
"Why not?"
"Because my kids don't like you and so I do."
"Ouch, you hurt my feelings. But i'm sorry; i don't like you and your kids either. And because I have nowhere to go, I think I'll just have to stay here."
"Do you hear yourself talking? Hindi ka ba nahihiya sa mga sinasabi mo? Bahay ko ito at ako lang ang tanging may karapatan kung gusto kong magpatira ng ibang tao o hindi. At sa pagkakataong ito, ay AYOKONG TUMIRA KA SA BAHAY KO!"
Natigilan si Chi-chi. She was stunned. Nobody talked to her like that except her Lolo. She has always been the "princess". Nobody dared to say NO to her. She always had her ways to get what she wanted. Well, maybe this man isn't one of her servants. She sighed. She was too tired to argue with him.
"Okay fine, I'm leaving." She nodded.
Na ikinagulat ni Nick. He somehow felt sad to hear the fact that she's leaving. What the hell is wrong with him?
"Siya nga pala, siguro naman ay hindi mo na ipagdadamot ang t-shirt mong ito? Akin na lang ha? Wala kasi akong dalang damit." Hindi na niya hinintay pa ang sagot nito. Mabilis siyang tumayo at tinungo ang pinto.
Nasaan kaya si Mama Bear? Baka sakaling mas mabait ito kesa kay Papa Bear at sa mga baby bears nito at patirahin siya sa bahay nila.
Chi-chi felt sad. Saan kaya siya pwedeng tumira sa lugar na iyon? She has nothing. No food, no house, no clothes. Pakiramdam niya ay siya na ang pinakanakaka-awang tao sa buong universe. Napasinghot siya.
"Alright, but before you leave, clean up the mess you made."
Gulat na napalingon siya sa lalaking nasa itaas ng hagdan. She was in the middle of the living room. At konti na lang malapit na siyang makalabas ng bahay na iyon.
"What?"
"I said clean up everything that you've messed up."
"Wala ka ba talagang puso? Papalayasin mo na nga lang ako ay paglilinisin mo pa ako?" galit na baling niya rito.
"Well, ikaw naman ang gumulo sa mga iyan, kaya nararapat lang din na ikaw ang umayos ng mga iyan." Anito sabay turo sa kusinang nagkalat ang mga pinggang hindi pa nahugasan at mga yapak niyang nag-iwan ng madaming putik sa sahig.
"I wish I could kill you right now." She angrily whispered.
"You won't leave this house unless you clean up all the mess." amused na saad nito. "And oh, you can't run away. I know this place as much as you do kaya mahahanap pa rin kita kahit tumakas ka pa." Nakangising banta nito.
Hindi napipigilang binato ni Chi-chi ng throw pillow ang lalaki. Ngunit mabilis itong naka-ilag. The guy was laughing so hard as he entered his own room. Nanghihinang napatingin si Chi-chi sa kalat na siya rin naman mismo ang gumawa.
"I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you do this to me, jerk!" sa halip na maglinis ay humiga si Chi-chi sa sofa. Marahil sa sobrang pagod ay dagli siyang nakatulog.