by J. S. Brent
Dyanela blinked her eyes and her eyes were pools of dark mystery. She looked at him and sighed. There was no use fighting off his offer to help. She needed it, anyway.
“Alright, what time do you want me in tomorrow, Dr.Emerson?”
“Please, let’s start by calling me David.”
***
She told David her secrets. She told him about feelings she didn’t even know she had in herself. They would talk in his office with a voice recorder but eventually they would talk without one, by the waterfall, on the grass. He would listen, simply listen, being a friend which he felt she needed most at this time.
She told him about her kidnapping, the rape, Cortes coming to rescue her and her eventual descent to madness. She also told him how she ended up shooting the biggest drug lord in Mexico.
He listened, stunned.
Cortes is your lover? He asked
Yes. I love him very much.
Yes, most women do, he laughed and she laughed with him. It was a tingling sort of laugh which made him smile. He was happy he was able to make her laugh, it sounded like the paean of bells.
Cortes would visit afternoons bringing gifts and clothes. He was stupefied at the sight of her transformation. He felt unsafe. He couldn’t leave her in the facility looking the way she was. He was losing control and he was all about control. He needed that. He felt she was playing a game wherein he was cat and she was a mouse inside a hole and couldn’t reach her. He began to change. His eyes began to deepen due to sleepless nights thinking about her. He couldn’t work.
There are ways to leave that all behind, David said practically. You could fall in love again.
You mean, fall out of love over Cortes?
No, I meant, falling in love again is a process of finding happiness again, he said rather obscurely.
Mornings he would make his usual rounds and brought her wildflowers from the waterfall where he made his morning walks.
The flowers delighted Dyanela. She always looked forward to his morning rounds and their private sessions.
He learned of her visions. As a man of science he was naturally skeptical but she was very exotic to him. He was used to celebrities and artists with propensity towards the esoteric practices. He watched her and found himself realizing what drew Cortes to her. She was very simple was, perhaps, part of what attracted people to her. Somewhere in this woman was the island girl she always was. He had visions too. He knew people and what they thought about, but his system were more methodical and precise. He left nothing to chance because lives were at stake in his line of profession. He told her this and she understood, completely.
What kind of world do you envision David?
A world where everyone is happy. A utopic world where everyday is a Disneyworld.
You are reaching David. That is not possible but we can try one step at a time. I’ve seen evil. It is intertwined with good, the devil is fused with god you cannot separate one from the other. It would be naïve to say they are poles apart. But I keep the faith because that is how we move on to the world being fully aware of what is happening and still keeping the faith.
I would like to think I have contributed to your resumption in gaining trust and faith in the world Dyanela.
Yes you have and I thank you for that. This place is beautiful. Siquijor, where I came from, is also beautiful, like paradise but then you begin to see its isolation from the world, the lack of potable water, sometimes there is lack of fish, a storm destroys our crops of vegetables and we are left starving. We make do by making handicrafts, exploit the natural wonders of the island by selling them to foreigners whom we fawn over and take advantage of our women with plies of money for nights of pleasure. This is who we have become, so David, we have our eyes open.
I’ve been to medical missions before in third world countries. Children are taken in to our medical shelters. They are so emaciated I want to give each of them an ice cream and bring them to Disneyland. So much hunger and poverty in the world you’d wish you could solve them all. I could only give them snicker bars. They loved it. They tend to save their snickers and share them with their parents when they go home at night. We also do our bit by educating them the basics of English, first aids, digging wells for potable water and other various stuff.
We know people like you, Unicef came to our islands and established schools for the children. The books were all in English overshadowing books by Filipino authors. We’ve read The Pearl by John Steinbeck and Jack London books. I wanted to read more but my parents were worried my powers would be affected by the ideas of others.
You have been exploited to a great degree, first by your parents, by your people, the police who would not even acknowledge your existence and contribution to their search. Is there anyone else who you feel has exploited you?
Dyanela was quiet for awhile. She stared into space. They were by the waterfall and could almost feel the icy waters drop down to the pool of water.
I don’t know. I’m so confused.
Why did Cortes put you through a precarious situation that could endanger your life? You who had helped him find his mother, stayed on to keep him company in the loneliest days of his life, you who have given him your body, mind and soul. Don’t you---
Stop it David. I was raped. I gave myself to save him. I love him. That is not exploitation. That is my gift to the man I love.
Yes, but who have you become now. You are tired and depleted. It is time you take care of yourself. It is time someone takes care of you.
Dyanela looked at him and realized she was tired but so was Cortes. Was it right to find another direction in life? She was so tempted, to go home and resume her old life, to settle in the US and make use of her own resourceful mind to create a life for herself. The thought of going away from Cortes was frightening but necessary for him and for her.
I am offering myself, Dyanela, he said reading her thoughts.
I do not understand, she turned towards him, the waters from the falls rushing behind her.
I have fallen in love with you. Let me take care of you. You have been damaged by the trauma you’ve been through and in the most terrible way. Cortes should have kept you safe from those things that could possibly harm you. Do you understand what I mean. You deserve to be safe and lead a normal life. Cortes leads a high profile life which leaves the people close to him vulnerable to attacks such as your kidnapping.
It wasn’t Cortes’s fault, Dyanela argued but he kissed her full on the lips. Dyanela drew away as though stung by a bee but when he kissed her again she could not help but respond because most of what he said were true.
Unbeknown to them was a photographer who caught their kiss on camera from behind a bush.
***
Cortes stormed the facility with a bodyguard who kept anyone who dared stop him from interfering.
When he brought Dyanela to the facility in the middle of the night, she was asleep on tranquilizers administered from the ambulance. He had been racked with so much worry and guilt. He did not realize to what extent she had perished before his eyes. He should have seen it coming and allowed it to happen and had even contributed to her nervous breakdown.
Now, she may be healing but towards another direction. He had chosen this clinic because it was the best in the city where he could visit her everyday and wait for her to become better again.
But he did not expect this. He suspected something was happening because each time he visited she seemed distant and distracted but happy. The happiness emanating from her didn’t seem to come from seeing him which made him suspicious.
He had met the owner of the facility, Dr. David Emerson. He was rich, white, class and well-educated. He was everything Cortes was not.
Now there were photos proving that Dyanela was capitulating. He felt betrayed. He would not allow this to happen. She belonged to him. No one could ever love her the same way he loved her.
Cortes, in a well cut suit was directed to the office of Dr. Emerson down
the hall. He opened the door , shut it behind him and faced the doctor who rose from his desk absolutely surprised to see the powerful head of Ancheta Company pace towards him.
David Emerson stood his ground, removing his glasses. Cortes grabbed the doctor’s lapel and thrashed him back to his chair. David stood up again and boxed his rival’s face. Cortes staggered back but regained composure and tackled him until they were both on the floor, punching each other in the stomach and face. David was left on the floor wiping his bloodied lip. He brushed his blonde hair away from his face and the two watched each other voicelessly. Cortes pivoted and left the office. He asked for directions to Dyanela’s room.
She was inside, placidly reading a book. She saw Cortes and was taken aback. Cortes did not leave her time to think. He simply grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.
She did not resist. He was paying for her stay in the facility and the reality of her reliance on him was now dawning on her. She was not even able to say goodbye to David. Besides, Cortes looked mad as hell that it would be no use talking him out of what he was doing.
Dyanela was unable to bring her things and simply walked out the facility with him with everyone looking at them with their mouths agape. The bodyguard led them out straight to the waiting limousine.
Inside the rear of the car, Cortes pushed a button to raise the partition from the front passengers. Cortes smoothened his suit and looked outside the window. His jaw had a hard and tense line. He would not look at her.
Dyanela looked out of her window too but was unable to see or say something.
Do you love him? Cortes finally broke the silence.
No, I love you Cortes. Dyanela said with much sincerity because she wanted it clear between them.
Marry me, then Dyanela. Do you understand? I’ve gone through hell for you. I deserve this.
Yes, Cortes. I will marry you. She said and was surprised at the certainty she felt.
Cortes made a sigh of relief. Unable to contain himself any longer, he ordered the driver to drive them as far as they could.
Then he turned to Dyanela pulled up her blouse and claimed each breast with his mouth. She did not resist but moaned with passion. She wanted him now. He laid her down on the seat of the car and pulled her undergarments from under her skirt. He removed his coat, his shirt to reveal his bare, brown hard chest. Dyanela unbuckled his belt and helped him struggle out of his pants. His manhood sprang free. He entered her and pushed inside her with a full force that left her full and reeling. They made love through the whole journey towards nowhere. They came together and both of them shouted their passions in the peak of their desires.
***
They stopped to eat at a seaside restaurant and ate in amicable silence. There was nothing between them now. There was only their future together. After the meal, Cortes pulled a box from inside his breast pocket. He opened it and pulled Dyanela’s hand towards him. He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed the ring in veneration.
They were driven to the city hall where the mayor waited for them. Alicia Ancheta was there and kissed Dyanela with tears in her eyes.
Soon they were married and celebrated their newly married state at a quiet restaurant in town. There were only the three of them, Alicia, Cortes and Dyanela. They drank champagne and enjoyed the rest of the evening discussing where they were going to live. He asked Dyanela where she wanted to live. Dyanela asked to live in a house near the sea in Los Angeles. She wanted to raise their children there.
Cortes was pleased and kissed her hand.
A house by the sea was built for them. Dyanela and Alicia became busy furnishing the new house. It was wide and had a high wooden porch overlooking the beach. They got pieces that were unusual from new designers who liked to experiment on beachcombing things. They bought a central table with rust metal bolts fastening glass to distressed railroad track wood. They also got massive corals in various artifice, designed naturally by the elements. The inside of the house was spangling modern, with a large refrigerator and a wide kitchen top. Dyanela and Alicia loved to experiment on various dishes which made Cortes look forward to come home from work. He had opened an office building downtown and would go to work each day like an ordinary husband who looked forward to seeing his wife at the end of the day.
Dyanela was pregnant after half a year of living in the natural beauty and surroundings of beach life. She stopped her morning run and began walking instead. She avidly read books on motherhood and was very engrossed with everything pertaining to motherhood.
She gave birth to a daughter who looked so much like her that it melted Alicia’s heart. They named her Pearl.
***
Pearl attended kindergarten school near their home. By then Dyanela had learned how to drive. They enjoyed to the local Mcdonald’s after school and collected the various kiddie toys. They liked the ordinary life and soon paparazzi got used to seeing them around that they weren’t news anymore.
Dyanela noticed that Pearl also had the eye for visions and would predict weather situations for the day. Pearl would bring Cortes his umbrella even when the sun was shining. Indeed, it would rain and it was amazing to Cortes and Dyanela.
Dyanela and Cortes enjoyed quiet days walking by the beach, collecting seashells and unusual stones. They talked about Pearl, work, vacations they would take and movies they watched. They were less guarded now having less security because they wanted to relish their freedom as much as they could.
It was a mystical time for all of them. The stars were so much brighter in the sky. The sun was a hot reminder of the stillness of their lives which they held on to very carefully. Everything was perfect and so precarious. They were still afraid something could happen especially now that they had a child.
Afternoons, Dyanela and Pearl would go to the nearest public park where Pearl could play with the other children. The child loved the slides and would not take to being bullied very easily. She rambunctiously fought back anyone who invaded her sense of space.
There were regular moms at the park whom Dyanela had taken a liking to. They would invite her to snack at a cute bakeshop around the corner where the children bit into creamy cupcakes. They talked about fashion, books and the latest movies. These were always fun affairs.
One day, the inevitable happened.
A car pulled over by the park and assailed Dyanela and Pearl as they were leaving the park. This time, Dyanela was ready to die if they dared touch her child.
Inside the car was a man of Cortes’s age. He was finely garbed in a black suit. He was a man of power.
“Senora Dyanela. I am Juan Paulo and it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Dyanela held on to her daughter tightly and would not reply.
“I know you are afraid this is another abduction. I assure you senora, this is nothing of the kind. I am in desperate need of your help.”
“Who are you and what do you need from me?”
“ As I said I am Juan Paulo. Lorenzo was my brother and I desperately need your help. My son went on a drug overdose and is comatose in the hospital. I will give up every evil thing I do if you could bring him back to me, alive.”
***
He was a very slight boy.
“What is his name?” Dyanela asked Paulo.
The boy was confined at a hospital in Los Angeles because she was there and Paulo had faith that only she could bring him out of his comatose.
Pearl clung to her mother and was afraid of the man and the hospital. She was afraid because her mother was very angry during the ride towards the hospital. She could sense things were not right and wanted her mother to be alright.
The boy was pale and breathed unevenly. There was a mask to his face and all sorts of wires were attached to him.
“His name is Emil.” Paulo replied and went over to his son to caress his hand that lay prone on the bed.
Dyanela, clutching tight to Pearl, remained by the glass door of the ICU room and would not enter. She was still very
angry. Years did not deter the memory of the Rose and how he slowly, undid her.
“You are free to go Senora Dyanela.” Paulo said to the woman with her child behind him.” But I will be true to my promise if you heal my son.”
Dyanela was silent and Pearl unclutched herself from her mother and ran over to Emil. She looked at him and touched his arm. She whispered something in Emil’s ear.
“Why won’t he wake up mama?” asked Pearl
Dyanela remained silent. Her arms were braced on herself now, rather coldly. She had a tight line on her mouth. Slowly her rigid composure broke down like ice cracking. She bent down to weep. Pearl went back to her mother to comfort her.
“Mama, why are you crying?”
Dyanela brushed the tears from her eyes and kissed Pearl. She bent her knees and lowered herself to the level of her child.
“What did you ask Emil, sweetheart?”
Pearl bit her thumb and whispered to her mother. Dyanela smiled and kissed Pearl again.
She entered the ICU room and stood beside Paulo.
Pearl ran beside her.
Dyanela pulled a fragrant wooden beaded rosary from her purse and lifted Emil’s limp wrist. She began to coil the rosary about his wrist and kissed his hand. She had tears in her eyes. She closed them and continued to hold the boy’s hand.
