AOMI
"I promise, I will be alright okay? I'm not gonna let him kill me. I will not leave you alone in this world."
Kahapon ko pa siya kinukumbinsi na huwag papasok sa kulungan kahit pa tinuturing niyang kaibigan si Hilda dahil kahapon lang ay hinabol siya nito na parang galit na galit. I almost ran and followed him inside but then he yelled me not to and he just stood there and waited as Hilda comes to him. It took almost half an hour before Hilda let him go and walked away. I even hit his chest hard when he immediately closed the metal door of the cage after he got out.
"Harmless? Really? So, you think a gorilla sprinting towards you is safe? Who's buying that Triton?" I angrily asked but of course, mixed with genuine concern.
Since we are both sleeping in the same bed together, he immediately envelope his arms around me before kissing my shoulder's skin. I'm only wearing a spaghetti strap sando while Triton is half-naked so I can feel his hairy chest.
"Sweety, he was just in shock since I've been gone for a very long time. He did not recognize me at first but I know eventually, he will. He just needs to get familiarized again. Gorillas are smart so it won't take a long time." He softly explained while playing with my hair by curling it using his index finger.
Hindi niya naman ako masisisi. Kahit sinong tao makakapag-react ng ganoon kung makita mong aatakihin ng higanteng unggoy ang asawa mo. That was the very first time I saw a real gorilla running towards a human like a tiger running to its prey. I don't know that much about gorillas but all I know is one thing. Each one is a danger to mankind and it can kill anyone.
"You should be sweet-talking your gorilla. Not to me. I'm not the one who almost break you like hell yesterday." Now the event yesterday keeps playing on my head and my heart started feeling scared again.
Those angry eyes and fiery face. It reminds me of wild animals I watched in animal documentaries and real life stories of people chased by wild animals. Although I'm not really fond of watching a lot but since its educational like what everyone says, I tried my best to watch. Although I don't really understand anything about it other than seeing a lion chasing for its prey to eat or a hippo fight.
"Yeah. I'll sweet talk him later. But promise me you won't scream again. Gorillas are very sensitive to noises and they easily gets stress when a person is loud. You will stress him and eventually, he'll kill me." So that means I was the one who almost put him in danger? But I just panicked because Hilda was really running angrily! Even though Triton was calm, I still got scared!
"So, I made him try to kill you?" Napatanong ako sa kaba at sa sobrang pagsisisi habang siya naman ay napailing bilang pagtanggi. He immediately calmed me down by kissing my shoulder again.
"Don't think it that way wife. He was just...surprised. Just like what I said a while ago, it's been a very long time since we last saw each other so he's like that."
"How can I not think of it that way? You just explained to me that he got stressed because of me, screaming! Oh gosh! I should have known!"
Well how am I supposed to know if I'm not even showing any interest to know about it. Now I'm really feeling so dumb even if I already graduated college!
I started messing my own hair while feeling so guilty because of what I did. This is the problem of being clueless of how to act when a giant monkey is approaching. Well it is not my fault in the first place, right? It is not my choice to have a gorilla pet and I did not even know he has one in his house!
"Babe, you should calm---"
"No! There is only one way to solve this problem and that is you, teaching me how to handle that pet of yours."
I can't stay clueless and dumb forever. I will never know what could possibly happen so I need to prepare myself. I need to learn how to handle situations like this.
Out of great surprise, he even moves his body backwards while giving me a dubious look.
"Seriously Aomi? You? You want to learn how to handle a gorilla? You told me you can't even handle a dog." He said while raising his right eyebrow before crossing his arms with a challenging smile in his face. Now I'm having second thoughts with what I just said to him.
I think I need to take it back. Maybe I should handle a dog first.
"W-Well..."
"No backing up sweety. You can't take it back."
Now I'm regretting everything that I said. Where did I even pick the topic up? Where did I get such bravery to just come up and say I want to handle a gorilla like it was just asking my mom how to cook scrambled eggs!
His challenging smile changed into a devilish one before moving himself closer and moving his eyebrows repeatedly up and down.
"I can't believe you're going to do this." He chuckled teasingly and it got me annoyed so I slightly punch his abdomen. It made him flinch a little before bursting out laughing at me.
"Stop bullying me Triton or you will be looking for another bed to sleep!" His laugh become worse before giving me hug then give a quick kiss in my cheek.
"Don't worry wife, I'm just...happy." His teasing face became a bit serious before giving me a warm smile then he run his fingers on my hair to put it on the back of my ears. He slowly moved to give a soft kiss in my lip before moving back again and look at my eyes straightly.
"I never thought you'll come up and say that. I always wished for your support with what I do and I think I'm starting to feel it now. It means a lot to me love." All of a sudden, my worries and regrets are gone. I'm starting feel thankful that I decided to say it.
This is the first time he felt my support and I feel like a great wife now. I always wanted to hear him say those things. Now that I heard him say it, I felt motivated. I'm not turning back anymore.
"Y-yeah. I mean, I think it's easy you know? Maybe I just have to be patient or give whatever the care I need to give right?" He immediately frowns at me as he tries to keep himself from laughing again.
"Well, we'll see about that." By the way he said that, it sounds like I think the challenge was too easy and he thinks I'm too overwhelmed. Well, we'll really see about that later.
***
"You see sweety, gorillas are real smart to the point that they can learn sign languages." He started explaining things to me while we are inside his big laboratory. Everything is painted in white like it was a hospital although the difference is, the place is full of long tables like what our High School Chemistry lab looks like.
There are glassware, microscopes and other tools and equipment for experimentation use that I don't even know what for. I'm not interested to know since my head is too focused on the list of things, I need to know about a Western Lowland Gorilla written in the white board.
"So, they know sign language? Does that mean they can talk to deaf people?" I have never seen a gorilla doing sign language in my whole life! I wonder how it looks like. Would they gesture their hands like how humans do?
He started nodding a bit before pointing his long stick that he's holding on the white board. "They can also understand human language. They easily respond to human training so you'll never have a lot of problem."
I nodded quickly as I started tapping on my phone so that I can save the info on my memo.
As a teacher, I write a lot of information on seminars and I got used to it when I took my NC2 training for Computer Hardware Servicing. I badly want to pass so I studied really hard even though my field of teaching is focused on English subject. Never thought I'll be using the same strategy now.
"Okay, they...understand...people..." All I need are clue words. I don't need to tap all of the words on the board since it is not that hard to understand it. Besides, I'm not a zoologist to learn all of it.
"You're so cute Aomi. You look like a college student taking notes." I just laughed while typing before raising my head and look back to my handsome teacher.
"I think my thesis project will be successful professor. I'll have my A+ in no time." He immediately chuckled while shaking his head before tapping the stick in the white board again.
"Let's finish this lesson so I could give you your grades early." I rolled my eyes at him before diverting my attention on the white board. He started pointing out the word troops which I have no idea why did he even put it there in the first place.
"Troops is the term used to call a group of gorillas. It comprises of female gorillas, the children and the younger male gorillas and is led by the strongest of the team. The Silverback." I started nodding to show him that I understand the explanation while giving glances both to the board and to Triton.
"Just so you know my beloved wife, Hilda is a Silverback. He is the mightiest and the strongest of his troop." I exclaimed woah before slowly nodding again as I reminisce my first meet with Hilda.
I clearly remember how he drums his chest before crawling out of those trees and looking at us on the glass wall.
Sa sobrang haba ng mga braso nito ay talagang nakasayad lang ang kamao niya sa lupa. I remember his fury body in black color but his back is different. His back is more like in grayish or silver.
"Is the reason why they're calling Silverbacks as Silverbacks because their fury back is silver colored? Or am I taking it too literal?" Instead of laughing or saying I'm wrong, he gave me a triumphant smile before clapping for a couple of times.
"You're right sweety! I think I'm really giving you an A+!" I smile widely as I feel a bit proud of myself. Well, Science is easy. I thought it is more of a complex subject and a lot of Physics, Scientific names and gravity stuffs. Maybe I was just stressing myself a lot.
"I want Chicken Buffalo Wings for lunch!" Now he burst out of laughing before shrugging his shoulders.
"Do I still have a choice?" He said in a surrendering tone before tapping his stick again to the board. "Anyway, where are we again?"
"Silverbacks. About them." He exclaimed an o before clearing his throat and focusing on me.
"You see my sweet-smart wife, Silverbacks are the leader of their group. They decide on the daily activities of his family." I look back again on my phone and started tapping the words Silverbacks are Bossy on the list of what I should remember.
I never thought they are like that! I mean, they're freaking bossy! If I am a female gorilla then I would have wrestled with the Silverback and say who the hell is he to boss me around?
"They decide where and when to eat, to sleep and their shelter. He's the father of his family after all." While I listen to his explanations, I started thinking about Hilda's past life. Where is his troop? I haven't seen any other gorilla in the cage.
All the thoughts are now filling my head and when I can't take them any longer, I raised my hand.
"Yes wife?"
"Is Hilda's troop with him? I think I only saw him and some butterflies in the cage."
He got stopped after my question then he repeatedly blinked his eyes before putting his stick down then he looked at me seriously.
"Well, Hilda's alone sweety. He's the only one I could pick up from the forest where I met him." He sounded so soft as he walks near me then he reached for the back of my hand and touched me gently. I nodded as a response before letting out a heavy breath.
"Now I know why he acted crazy Triton. He's alone." Imagine how bad it is for you to be far away from your family. The same pain I always feel even when I was a kid. "He's not with his family and just like what you said to me on the bed, you left him here for quite a long time. Who will not even get upset about it?"
His eyes are now sad and full of guilt. He cares for animals so I bet he's very sorry now.
"You're very right wife. You are finally starting to understand things." He paths me on the shoulder before ruining my hair while giving me a half smile.
***