“What the fuck?” Hindi napigilan ni Isaac ang pagkawala ng mura nang makita ang larawan niya sa isang tabloid. Hubad-baro siya at nakapamaywang pa habang matalim ang tingin sa camera. Hula niya ay kuha iyon habang sinisita ang mga reporters na nagpipilit makapasok sa bahay. Gusto tuloy niyang sugurin sa selda ang vice governor ng lalawigan. Kung hindi dahil dito, hindi pagpipiyestahan ng madla ang katawan niya. For damn sake, he was not a model and never had a plan to be one. He was a congressman trying so hard to preserve his private life. Now, a lot of people were very curious about him. Pati cellphone number niya ay nalaman ng kung sinu-sinong nagtatanong kung pwede siyang maimbitahan sa isang interview. Napilitan tuloy siyang i-off ang cellphone. Nang hindi makatiis ay binuksan niya ulit ito at tinawagan si Lucas.
“Yes ‘tol,” sagot nito sa kabilang linya.
“Akala ko ba naidispatsa na ang mga pictures ko? Bakit kumalat pa iyon? I’m not gonna get sucked into this, ‘tol.”
“You already are.” Tawa ito nang tawa kaya lalo siyang napikon.
“You have to help me do something about it. Damn that vice governor. If not for him, I would not have to remove my shirt and be feasted on by those reporters. Kasalanan niyo rin ito eh. Hindi naman malalaman ng media iyan kung hindi dahil sa inyo.”
“Si Leandro lang dapat ang sisihin mo. Siya ang na-kidnap.”
“Who is the owner of this photo,” angil niya habang nanggigigil na dinudutdot ang tabloid kahit hindi naman nakikita ng kausap ang ginagawa niya. Pero bumuntung-hininga lang ito at mahinang tumawa tandang ayaw na nitong makipagtalo pa. “I’m gonna wring his neck.”
“Hayaan mo na, ‘tol. After a few days or a week, lilipas din iyan. They will forget their hunky congressman eventually,” pang-aalaska pa nito.
“Forget? How can they forget it when it’s all over the internet? ‘Tol, I need my privacy back. People have been bugging me for a few days now.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll see what I can do.”
“I’ll buy the pictures and have them removed on all social media websites and search engines.” Iyon lang at nanggagalaiti niyang tinapos ang tawag. He couldn’t believe his life changed overnight. Sa pagmamadali niyang mai-rescue ang pinsan, nalimutan niyang suutin ang polo niya. Hayun, nagmukha siyang modelo. Buwisit na buwisit siya na maging sa ibang bansa ay umabot ang balita dahil kalat na kalat sa internet ang pangyayari at mga pictures niya. Meron pang kuha na nakasimangot siya at nakahalukipkup na sabi ng isa sa mga ka-date niya ay sobrang cute.
All his life, he stayed away from the limelight. When he was younger, his life revolved around school and basketball kaya nga hindi niya maisip na magiging congressman siya. It was gratifying anyway. He has always loved helping other people like his cousin Leandro. They shared the same goal and vision for their province. And he was more than willing to support him all the way. But how could he do it when reporters kept following him like a Hollywood celebrity? Women have been flocking into him and he had no problem with that. In fact, he really enjoyed their sexcapades up to the last drop. The thing is, no one except from his family has ever had a clue about his personal life.
Now, he was stuck in his parents’ home to avoid the flashes of cameras. And they were more than willing to take care of him. Naalala tuloy niya ang kanyang mommy pag-uwi niyang parang isang puganteng nagmamadali papasok ng bahay. Pinupog siya nito ng halik sa mukha at pinagpipisil ang pisngi niya na parang sa isang bata habang ang kuya niya at asawa nito ay hindi mapigilan ang pagtawa. Kung hindi lang pumagitna ang daddy niya baka punung-puno na ng lipstick ang mukha niya. He loved his mom very much, but he sometimes found it irritating to be treated like a child.
Biglang nag-ring ang cellphone niya at nang tingnan niya ay pangalan ni Diane ang naka-register. She was one of his favorite bedmates. She was an expert in fellatio. “Yes, baby doll?”
“Darling, I saw your pictures and it was so arousing. Now, I’m touching myself,” hinihingal na sabi nito. “When will you come to my place? I wanna feel your body and play with your thingie.”
“You know I can’t. The reporters are almost everywhere.”
“I can come to your place instead.”
“Don’t. My mom will not like it.”
“The hot congressman who devoured me in yummy gulpy bites was a mama’s boy eh?”
“It’s not like that. I’ll make it up to you. Once everything is settled, I will go to your place.”
“And give me a pounding all night.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll wait for you. You owe me one. Gosh, I have to use my vibrator again.”
Pinatay na niya ang cellphone at nabubuwisit na lumapit sa bintana para sumilip nang pasimple. Nang kunin niya ang telescope para tingnan ang paligid ay nakita niyang nakakalat ang mga reporter sa paligid ng kanilang mansiyon. Alam niyang ilang araw pang magiging ganoon ang takbo ng buhay niya. Pero may mas malaking problema. Kailangan na niyang lumuwas sa kamakalawa dahil tambak na ang mga dokumentong dapat niyang pirmahan. Hindi pwedeng habambuhay siyang parang freelancer na kahit laging sa bahay magtrabaho ay okay lang.
Naaasar na ibinaba niya ang kurtina at blinds saka ibinagsak ang katawan sa kama. It’s been almost a month since he last got laid. He had to do something to release his pent-up stress and libido. He unzipped his pants and tugged the tiger like a teenager. As he continued, an image of an exquisite woman appeared and so he did faster and harder until he could not hold off any longer. That woman never failed to make him feel like a sex-starved babboon. He has always wanted her, but he could not give what she wanted. He kept doing himself and whispering her name. Not a minute later, a loud moan escaped from his mouth as he lost his sanity for about five seconds.