AOMI
Pagkatapos naming marating ang rooftop ng Asian Wildlife Research Building (AWRB) na pagmamay-ari mismo ng asawa ko, magkahawak kamay kaming nagtungo sa helipad kung saan naghihintay ang personal chopper ni Triton.
The gigantic fan at the top of it is spinning like a tornado creating a violent swirl of wind, blowing everything that comes near it away. I cannot walk straight forward without struggling to push my own body since the wind is pushing us backwards. Thankfully, I am not thin and light so I can still manage not to be blown away and fall from a hundred feet tall research building.
A man in a black suit opened the door as my husband reach out my hand, “Up now wife.” He immediately held both side of my waist to help me climb up to the helicopter to get in.
Nang makapasok ako ay agad akong naupo sa upuan sa tabi ng bintana sa kanang banda ng helicopter bago tinulungan naman ng lalaki si Triton na makapasok.
Naupo siya sa tabi ko bago isinuot ang seatbelt at hinarap ako, “Sweety, buckle up. Safety first.” I was about to do it when he immediately took the strap and buckle the belt for me.
Kahit pa tumagal kami ng ilang taon ay parang laging bago sa akin ang lahat ng ginagawa niya. His work involves a lot of travelling so I have never seen the real action because of my work as an English teacher. Kung nagkikita man kami, lagi siyang interesado sa kung anong ginagawa ko at madalang siyang nagkukuwento sa trabaho niya. Now here I am, confused and ignorant to respond to everything he does. Trying to fit in to his world.
I was too busy peaking at the window when someone tapped my hand, “In case you need it, I brought a mint with me.”
Ito ang ayaw ko kapag bumabiyahe. Lagi akong nahihilo't nalulula at talagang hindi tumatagal ang katatagan ng sikmura ko. Lagi akong may dalang earphones para maiba ang atensyon at mint candy. I am a type of person who stays at the house more often than leaving so you will never want me with you in a long travel.
“Thanks babe.” I shortly replied even I myself have one in my pocket. Although foreign candies are more minty so I'd take that for a better taste.
He always likes buying imported products but I don't find it bad (but sometimes yes because its hella expensive). Half of our food supplies are imported by his country and so I realized that his tongue is homesick.
“Prepare for a heart-stopping view from the sky baby. We will be landing on a very beautiful paradise later.” He exclaimed in a manly enthusiastic manner as his eyebrows arced upwards repeatedly. Even though he’s enjoying it, I only replied with a short smile before letting out a heavy breath.
“Oh boy.” Bulong ko sa sarili ko habang nararamdaman ang paglipad ng chopper at ang tunog ng umiikot na elesi nito. This is my first-time riding on a helicopter and I never thought that instead of a happy experience, I end up feeling bad.
“This is going to be a long ride sweety.” I heard my husband speak while I’m trying to grip on my seatbelt because of too much pressure I’m feeling inside my body.
“I-I need a mint babe. Please.” pagmamakaawa ko sa kaniya habang desperadang tumititig diretso sa mata nito para maipakitang nahihirapan na talaga ako. Instead of being sympathetic, he replied with a teasing chuckle.
“You look like my mom when she first rode on a chopper. Oh, almost forgot that it’s your first too! Haha!” I badly want to slap his face but my ill feeling has overcome my head and all I need right now is a mint candy.
“Can you just give me the damn candy?” He laughed at first but eventually, he started picking on the pocket of his trousers then sliding out three plastic wrapped candies.
“Here you go. Help yourself.” Iniabot niya ito sa akin na agad ko namang hinablot nang mas mabilis pa sa alas kuwatro bago inalis ang balot at agad na isinubo. When it finally touched my taste buds creating a cool and minty taste, I even closed my eyes as I felt relief. Thank goodness he brought one. I don’t want to vomit in his million-dollar helicopter. It will be so humiliating.
***
Ilang oras na ang nagdaan pero wala pa ring sinasabi si Triton na malapit na kami. Wala akong ibang naririnig kundi ang umiikot na elesi dahil lahat kami rito ay natahimik na. My patience ran out and I badly want to ask my husband because I don't think candies can still keep me from throwing up.
“Are we there now Triton?” Nilingon ko siya na ngayon ay abala sa pagpindot sa screen ng kaniyang cellphone. I tried to move my head even close to the gadget and see a woman’s name at the top where the contact name is placed.
“Who’s Mazikeen?” He did not even turn to face me and just continued tapping the glowing screen of his phone. The messages are just like a plain question and answer conversation so I don’t think I need to feel alarmed about it. Besides, he will never cheat on me. I know it.
“She worked with me before. She’s asking for some papers.” When he already clicked the send button, he turned the phone off immediately then slid it inside the pocket of his pants before facing me.
“What papers?”
Kahit wala akong naiintindihan sa trabaho niya ay pilit ko na lamang iniintindi dahil ako naman itong panay ang tanong. Ayaw ko naman kasing magmukha na parang wala akong pakialam sa trabaho niya. He is too patient though because he never cracks up a lot about his work because he said he knows it confuses me. Pilit niyang ikinukuwento ang trabaho niya sa paraang maiintindihan ko but unfortunately, I really can't understand them.
“Papers for a new proposed ethological theory about the behavior of primates towards---”
“Okay, okay. I get it, animals. Yes.”
Ito na ang rason kung bakit hindi ito pala-kuwento sa akin. When he tells me about his works,it makes me feel so dumb so I often cut him off when it starts to get hard for me to understand. It’s like I have never gone in college at all when he speaks about species or something. I was waiting for him to sigh or feel a bit rude about how I acted but then he just chuckled at me.
“My wife or not, you still cut me with your animals.” He concluded but he did not mean it as a disappointing claim but considers it as a cute behavior of mine. I rolled my eyes at him but slowly smiling since what he said is really true.
I think I really need to work on being understandable starting from now on. I kind of feel guilty with how I ignore his intelligence. You can’t blame me though! I’m just a normal English Secondary teacher and I have really no interest with animals and Sciences and stuff like those.
“Okay I’m sorry. All I have learned about animals are vertebrates and invertebrates. Those backbone things.” His chuckle become a hard laugh with what I said. Now I’m starting to get a bit pissed.
“Okay. Backbones. That’s good.” He said with his teasing smile before biting his lower lip naughtily. “I’m going to check that backbone of yours tonight.” His eyes squeezing in fierce and desire made me feel a bit turned on so I gave him a wink as a response.
“Yeah. I want to see that backbone too.” Pareho kaming humagikhik sa sobrang kakulitan at kalandian tulad ng kung paano gumawi ang mga bagong kasal. It is so good to talk to him like this. No problem with understanding and no behaviors of animals and scientific names will be included. Just the both of us enjoying each other’s company.
“I want to kiss you right now.” I giggled out of excitement and move my head to crash my lips to his. It only took a few seconds before he let go.
“I think we’re there now.” He said to me while showing me his bright smile before puckering his lips to point the transparent window of the helicopter door. I turned my head and look since I am just beside the window and saw a very beautiful huge island below.
It was breath-taking. The huge square shaped mansion, the white sand beach and the crystal-clear blue water makes the place looks so attractive. Para akong nakakita ng kastilyo sa gitna ng isla na napapalibutan ng mga puno’t halaman. Makikita mo rin ang sea sediments sa sobrang linaw ng tubig. Another paradise kept from the nature abusive creatures. Kung siguro exposed ito sa mga tao, hindi ito magiging kasing ganda ng kalagayan nito ngayon.
“Honey, your mouth is hanging open for a minute now. Might wanna close it.” Because of being so amused on the island, I never even felt my jaw dropping. Parang tumigil ang lahat habang nasa loob pa ako ng helicopter at wala akong ibang nakikita kundi ang kakaibang ganda ng isla. The island is so beautiful and its nothing compared to the popular beaches the television endorses a lot.
“Is that really yours? That whole paradise is your island? Are you insane?” I can’t believe it. Well I know he’s rich but hell, I don’t know he can buy a beautiful island!
“Welcome to Malowitz Island baby. Whatever I own is also yours now.” He even gestured his hand to welcome me wholeheartedly. I felt something warm on my heart touching it softly as I hear him say it. I felt like I became his life now. That somehow, being his wife is the best thing I could ever ask for.
I want to hug him tight and make him feel all the love I have for him. If it wasn’t for the belt gripping tight on my body, I would have done it the moment he spoke.
“I love you Triton.” His smile widens as he looks at me with his soft and warm eyes before feeling the helicopter moving lower.
“I love you too.” I glance back at the window to see the view outside while the helicopter is off for its landing.
It only took a few minutes before we felt the chopper landed. The whistling sound of the gigantic fan spinning started fading as we started unbuckling our seatbelts.
“Land hoe Mrs. Malowitz.” It sounded like a good melody in my ear. Being called Mrs. Malowitz is like being called a queen. Owned by this gorgeous rich and smartass king standing from his seat and helping me walk out of our royal flying carriage to finally see our royal kingdom.
“Milady I present to you, our humble abode for the next month.” My jaw eventually fell as I lay my eyes at the huge square mansion. It is like a size of three towns for me!
“Humble? Seriously?” If it is humble then it will not look like a place that costs more than my life. The outside of the mansion screams with a royal white color paired with golden pillars and monkey statues. The doors and windows are in brown color with a pinch of golden carved designs. The outside looks like a safe place of some noble person. Even the lights outside can cause both of my kidneys in each one.
The porcelain stairs look like an obsidian placed by squares like an ordinary tile. But what caught my attention is the huge fountain with a statue of a giant monkey spitting a large amount of water. What is with monkeys anyway?
“Can I ask you something babe?” As we walk on the sandy beach, my mind is being bothered by the chosen design of the exterior of the house.
“Yes babe?”
“Is this a monkey lair?”
Instead of answering, I heard a hard laugh from him and it made me look at him with a confused look. What the hell is so funny?
“You will know it if you meet him.” Meet him? I was on the verge of thinking that someone is living in this place but then I remembered what we talked about before we even got here.
“You mean your gorilla? Oh no thank you.” He designed this place for his gorilla friend? How lucky for that monkey to have an owner like Triton. I never thought that even monkeys can be an inspiration for house decorating.
“You will meet him Aomi. I mean it. And you’ll gonna love him.” I don’t think so. I have no time for any animal caring sessions nor give any attention to them.
“I don’t even have a dog Triton. How am I ever gonna love your giant monkey?” He just shakes his head while walking with me and I felt him feeling a bit sad about what I said. I kind of felt guilty so I reached for his hand.
“Well, he’s caged right? If he is then I’ll just try to watch him from a distance.” Understanding. I need to be very understanding for him because that’s what a good wife does.
“Don’t worry. He’s caged.”
***