I woke up to the burning heat spreading into the half part of my body. I touched my forehead and my neck, but it was not hot. I then heard Andy's soft but quivering groan, muffled against the soft cushion of his pillow. Bending his knees and gathering his arms together on his chest, I knew then he was not feeling well.
I pulled my hand abruptly as soon as I touched his neck. He was burning with fever!
"Nana, run faster!"
I turned Andy around, and his frightened gaze took me aback. I couldn't tell if he was sleeptalking or hallucinating.
"Andy, you have a fever!" I exclaimed, collecting him in my arms. His scorching heat blew my mind away.
"The man, Nana, is right behind you. Run!"
"Whose behind me?" I replied, riding along his childish babbling.
"The CEO, Nana, Mr. Richard Tan!"
I felt my blood rushing into my head, reminded of my anger. I could still picture out Andy's fear as he held on to me while looking at the CEO.
Damn him, he already killed my father, and now he's hurting my brother! I knew I was too irrational to say this, but I could not help it.
I jumped off the bed and pulled out our medicine kit from the drawer. I heaved out a sigh of relief in seeing that I still had his antipyretics. Opening the tin lid of the medicine bottle between my teeth, I propped Andy up and let him take his medicine.
I went to the bathroom to get a wet towel, praying that both the medicine and the sponge bath may do some wonders to his body. To my relief, the temperature lowered down to the normal level after a few minutes. I changed his clothes and stayed my eyes on him until he dozed off again.
Thinking about what happened, my anger resurfaced again. I picked up my jacket from the stand and hurried out of the house. I blinked my eyes a couple of times before my vision adapted to the pitch darkness outside. Climbing onto the sturdy frame of my road conqueror, I zoomed into the heart of Hacienda del Fierro again.
I looked around for signs of security guards, but the rustling leaves blown by the breeze greeted my eyes. The only sound I heard was the ripples of the cascading water toward the endless course of the river. Confident that no one was watching me, I went to the river bank beside the constructed infinity pool. I even did not care about those fingerprints I left behind. I had my reasons for doing that.
Pouring my anger into my strength, I lifted a hundred of huge rocks and threw it into the pool until I could no longer raise my arm. Still not satisfied, I pulled out the spray paint from my jacket again, writing those same hateful words I put into the signage.
"The wheel is turning, you dream killer!"
I then dropped myself to a boulder after I drained my strength, closing my little revenge with a loud wailing. I did not care about crying out loud, even that gaping mouth of the river was numb and deaf to my feelings!
____
I thought Andy was just having a simple fever because he was exhausted and afraid. I did not know how our body works, but dad always told me when I was young that I should not tire myself, or else, I'd get sick. But three days had passed, and Andy was not still showing some signs of improvement. He lost his appetite, his fever not subsiding, and he was too weak even to move a little. I lost my mind in panic, so I brought him to the hospital in the middle of the night.
"Is the doctor still not around?" I asked the nurse with my piercing gaze. It was already past two in the afternoon but the doctor had not made his round yet. These people never understood how scared I was.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the doctor is attending a hospital event in the auditorium. But don't worry, we are taking care of your patient."
"Mr. Tan is already there?" butted the nurse who sat beside the one I was talking to.
"I guess. He is the resource speaker, right?"
The mention of his name was like a bell sounding in my ear. Is the criminal here? Oh, well, you're feeding yourself into a hungry lion's mouth!
I dashed out of the room and went straight to the auditorium. I saw people coming in and out in formal dress and suits. The brisk sound of their heels against the tiled floor and the occasional screech of my rubber soles, told me I was out of place.
I held my chin up and entered the main entrance. The registrar stopped me, asking for my invitation card. I bent my body forward and placed both hands in the middle of the table. With my mouth close to her ear, I whispered in a rough tone, gritting my teeth.
"The hell invited me in. Am I understood?"
The woman hung her mouth open, too dumbfounded to find a word! I turned around fast, avoiding the approaching guard.
"Stop!" I shouted at the doorway.
The crowd in that vast hall turned to my shrill but cold voice. The sea of faces did not scare me, and the glaring light of the cameras did not wear down my courage.
The man who just handed the microphone to the lady of the ceremony lifted his head in my direction. His brows knitted in a frown, perhaps, wondering why I was there. He continued to step forward to take his exit from the stage, but my voice rang again against the four walls of the vast arena.
"I said, stop!" I pointed my finger at him, my eyes emitting fire and brimstone.
To my relief, the crowd hushed, and everyone gave their full attention to me. Even the guards who stood around the corners in their badged, white uniforms, hung their mouths open, staring at me.
I hastened my pace, sprinting across the short distance before I turned right to take the stairs. Taking two steps at a time as I climbed the staircase, I cast a murderous gaze at the man who scanned his eyes at me from head to toe.
"Are you looking for me, little miss?" he asked, lifting one brow at me, followed by a smirk.
To him, I may look like a teen because I was skin and bones. I wore a black, denim jeans, a cream top tucked beneath its hip band. With my high ponytail dancing to the rhythm of my hurried steps, I lifted my head high--my eyes never leaving his face.
Standing two feet higher than me, his built was sturdy and lean. With a seemingly- sculpted face to define perfection, he was indeed inarguably handsome. His dark and deep-seated eyes that shone under two perfectly-arched thick brows then cast me a scorching gaze.
"I am."
He tilted his head in an amused smile, letting his guard off. The moment I was a few feet away from him, I planted my toes forward. Now standing some inches higher than me, I didn't say a word. I swung my arm and flew my right hand across his face, leaving him dumbfounded!
"Unless I am still standing alive, not even you who dwell among the stars can hurt the most precious soul in my life. Once is enough, twice is too much!"