CHAPTER 3
I woke feeling queasy. My vision's blurry and my hand hurts like hell. I got up and my hand instantly flew to my head. I looked around the room I'm in. I-I'm at home? Was it just a dream? Was it all true? I looked at my bandaged hands. They hurt, so that means it was all true.
The door opened and mama came in with someone. My eyes widened when I recognized the man. Damiro! Why the hell is he here in our house? Mama went to my side and touched my forehead. Damiro stood beside us, looking cocky with his white V-neck shirt and jeans. Hair disheveled and with his lip piercing again.
"Why is he here?" I asked my mama and she just smiled.
"Hmm… You should thank him Talia. He saved you and brought you back home last night." Mama said and gestured her hands to Damiro who's now "genuinely smiling" at me.
"What?!" I asked. I don't remember anything from last night. What the hell happened to me?
"Ma, don't you know him?" I asked and was about to stand up when I felt my knees froze like I was being held in place by…
I looked at Damiro and the jerk's smiling from ear to ear. I gritted my teeth in frustration and I just frowned.
"Damiro said, he saw you burning leaves at the forest. Your dress was caught by fire and your hands too, and after that, you fainted. Good thing Damiro was there to help you." Mama said as if she's so pleased with Damiro's help.
That's not even believable. That's such a lame alibi, dang! This devil has gone mad! Did he just cast a spell on my mama?!
"I'll leave you two now. Damiro." Mama said. She smiled at me and patted Damiro's back before leaving the room. When the door closed, I jumped off of my bed and faced the jerk. How dare he came into my house! And talked with my mama!!
"What are you doing here?!" I asked in rage.
"You should thank me." He said coolly that made me loathe him more.
Fuming mad, I went to the window and abruptly opened it wide.
"Go now!" I yelled at him.
He raised his brow and crossed his arms. This devil is really testing my patience! I guess my plan was somehow a big mess! Well, yes! It really is a big mess! Hell!
"You want me to go out now? There?" He barked a laugh in a mocking tone.
I took a deep breath. I think I'm going to explode due to my frustration right now!!
"Yes! So, if you please! Get the hell out of here." I managed to keep my cool as I walked behind him and pushed him to the window.
"You're going to kill me." He laughed and put his hands against the window pane to stop me from pushing him through it.
"I said get out!!" I yelled and pushed harder but it was no use! He's stronger than me!
I pushed him once more but he quickly faced me and held my arms into his neck. I hitched my breath and closed my eyes when his forehead bumped into mine. I can feel his warm breath on my cheeks and his manly scent filled my nose. I froze and I just can't seem to move an inch. This jerk!
I shrieked when he suddenly scooped me on his shoulders and put me back on my bed. He pinned my hands on my pillows as he stared at me squirming against his grip.
"Let. Me. Go." I demanded.
He tilted his head and slowly lowered it. I almost had a heart attack when he smelled my neck onto my face. Sh8t!!
"Did you take a bath last night?"
What? My brows furrowed with his stupid question. Really? Damiro?
He laughed and let me go. I watched him laughing at his own stupid question. His broad shoulders jumped up and his Adams apple would move with his every laugh.
I got up and stood in front of him.
"Goodbye now Talia. Take a bath now eh?" he said and went out of the window, laughing.
Jerk!
The door opened and the old maid came in with a soup.
"Eat." She said, now with her weird monotonous voice.
Her eyes were weary and her hair was in a messy bun. Her apron was dirty and her boots were like dipped in mud.
I watched her as she put the bowl on top of my bed's side-table.
"Thanks." I said and looked back at the window.
I should've asked him what happened last night. A-and what about the marriage. I sighed. My birthday's coming near.
"Grandpa, what was grandma like? I mean, in person. Was she strict?" I asked as we sat here at the patio one beautiful morning.
"Hmmm…she was a loving wife. Very kindhearted person, and the most beautiful I've ever seen. Nothing can ever replace her in my heart." He said and smiled above.
"Were you two childhood sweethearts?" I asked.
Grandpa chuckled and his wrinkled eyes sparkled with happiness of their yesterday's love story.
"Your grandma and I met on college. We were enemies. She hated me. She was so snob to me but then so friendly to others."
We laughed as grandpa reminisce their love story. How they met and how they fell in love with each other. Just like magic, love is magical. It does something to the human's system that one cannot deny nor escape, or if one does, it'll be painful. If it isn't, it's not true love, maybe. How I wish I got to see the world. Since I was a child, we lived her and I was home-schooled by my mama. She doesn't want me to go out, maybe for this reason. I'm a Dalessi and that makes me different from others.
"Grandpa, how was I when I was a baby? When I was born?" I asked when I got nothing else to ask.
He shifted from his seat a bit and drank from his cup of coffee. He cleared his throat and sighed. Something tells me that he's quite uneasy with my question. He can't look at me in the eye and he's a bit, weird.
"Grandpa?" I called him.
"Talia." Mama called me from the kitchen.
"Go now Talia. Your mama's calling you." Grandpa said and his mood suddenly changed.
I was a bit confused. Is there something wrong with my question? Is it wrong to ask what I was like when I was a child?
I halfheartedly stood up and went to the kitchen where I found my mama cooking for our dinner. I looked just like her. From head to toe, but only I have a softer feature.
"Ma. Do you have some baby pictures of me?" I asked as I approached her on the stove.
She stopped stirring for a bit and looked at me. My brows furrowed when I saw the same reaction grandpa had when I asked him the same question.
"Hmmm… my baby wants to see her baby face eh? No need for that, you still look like a baby for me Talia. Just look in front of a mirror and you'll see." She smiled and resumed stirring.
"Tss. I'm not a baby anymore ma. Stop it."
I smiled a bit and sighed. What is this feeling?
I tucked myself in bed after I went for a bath. Just as I was about to close my eyes, a shadow stood near my window. I got up when it started to walk towards me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him. It's only Damiro.
He stopped on the edge of my bed. I waited for his response but he was silent.
"Damiro. Are you deaf?" I was about to stood up when he revealed himself, or…
My eyes widened and my body froze when her eyes lit up with fire.
"You bitch!" I was still numbed when her right hand landed on my left face as she briskly flew to me. My heart beat frantically when she shouted.
Her face showed how angry she was and her eyes tells you that she can kill you without remorse.
"Where is he!!" she probed and gripped my hair making me flinch and wimp.
"W-what? W-who are you talking about?" I felt my heart on my throat as my tears welled in my eyes.
She laughed evilly and her eyes lightens more.
"Stupid! Damiro. Where is he?!" she pulled my hair more making me cry in pain.
"I-I don't know." I said and tried to pull my hair back but she won't let go.
She scoffed and ripped my dress revealing my tattoo on my chest.
She tilted her head and smirked.
"Really eh? You're the one huh?" she said as if there's something hilarious she found out about it.
"He'll regret it. You will suffer." She said and with that, she left me there. Crying and dumbfounded. What does she mean by that?
I slumped back on my bed holding my ripped dress.
Who is she?