Bambi woke up in a start. Immediately she felt her head throbbing furiously. She clutched it between her hands, massaging her temples. She opened her eyes and is instantly blinded by the rays of the morning sun. It intensified her headache.
What a dream, she thought. For the last few days, her dreams about Red have been intensifying. Is it because she rarely sees him nowadays and she misses him so? Or is it a foretelling, an omen, of bad things to come. She fervently hoped not.
Just thinking about Red had always made her smile. This instance is not an exception. Her headache seemed to subside with just the single thought of the man she has loved for almost all her life. Despite Red’s usual aloofness and seeming impenetrable façade, Bambi has always felt that Red cared for her deeply. He showed his feelings through his own weird ways, how his stare lingers on her face, how his hands always goes straight to her hair and gently fondles it. But the most telling indication of his love for her is how he looks into her eyes. Every time Red looks at her this way, she always feels exposed, naked. But at the same time comforted, loved. As if she had no reason to hide anything from him.
She has always known that Red was the right man for him. She did not doubt that one bit. The first time she saw him, they were barely ten years old. They grew up together. Their parents were long time friends and business associates. In fact, their dads were former partners in the construction business that Red’s dad founded and ran. Red’s dad was the CEO while Bambi’s dad was the Chairman of the Board.
From then on, they were always together, even in school. Red would always defend her when she was being bullied in grade school. Red would carry her books for her when they were in high school. He would even allow her to copy his homework when she forgot to do hers. Red was a constant part of her life. She thanked God for that.
Despite Red’s manifest intelligence, however, he never did do well in school. He was always quiet. He was locked up in a world of his own and the only person who could break through the wall was Bambi. She was the only person allowed to enter Red’s fascinating world and that suited her fine.
Their parent’s business flourished under the adept hands of Red’s dad until his untimely death when they were in college. The business eventually had to fold up because of the death of Red’s dad. The business lost its soul. Even Bambi’s dad conceded that no one could run the business the way Mr. Roces did it. So after careful consideration and consultation among the shareholders and Red’s family of course, the company was closed shortly after the death of Red’s dad.
The death of Red’s dad had a profound effect on Red. It was a violent death; the full details of which, were not even disclosed to Red himself. Only his mom knew of the details of the incident. She tried carefully to keep the details of the death from Red. But Bambi had a distinct feeling that Red already knew.
Her dad had told her some details of the incident. But she knew that there was something more. It was the official report that Mr. Roces was the victim of the “agaw-kotse” gang, which was operating in Quezon City. When he was on his way back from work, the gang came down on him. They knew his usual route, his habits and his schedule. They stalked him and researched him well. When the time came to perpetrate their crime, they had no difficulty in executing it. They abducted Mr. Roces first, killed him and left his body in a vacant lot in Antipolo. They did not only take his car, his wallet and his cellular phone, they also took his life and the hopes of his family.
Red was inconsolable. He refused to talk to anyone after the incident. He locked himself inside his room. He even closed the shutters of the windows; he did not even want light to touch his skin. Red’s mom, Leda, pleaded with Bambi to help her comfort Red. Leda knew that Bambi was the only person who can reach out to Red. She did just that.
Red allowed Bambi to enter his room. The door to Red’s room was always locked after the incident. But when Bambi called out to him from outside his room, Red unlocked the door for her from the inside. As she expected the room was a mess. The room was encapsulated by darkness. Red did not even turn the lights on. Bambi stumbled upon Red on the floor. He was naked. He just stayed there inside his room, sitting alone, awake in the darkness. Bambi could not help but cry.
When Red finally relented and agreed to leave his room, after days of prodding and begging from Bambi. However, it was apparent that something had changed in him. He was darker, more brooding. If he smiled sparingly before the incident, now, he does not smile at all even at Bambi. But the sharpness of his eyes remained, and to Bambi, it felt like it even intensified. There was calmness in those eyes. Satisfaction, it even seemed. It was like looking into a serene lake.
From then on, Bambi had difficulty connecting with Red. They were still together; they still met each other from time to time. But everything was different. Red felt different. He was more self-conscious, more self-contained and shy. Bambi tried in vain to aid him in this time of despair. But she felt that Red did not want her to interfere. He wanted to deal with this on his own. Bambi left it at that. She was there, always, for Red. But if he wanted to be left alone to deal with this problem, she had no choice but to let him do just that.
It was not only Red who changed drastically because of this incident. Life was sucked out of Leda as well. But her condition was even worse. She was close to being an invalid. She just stayed inside their house. The once bubbly and joyous hostess disappeared in an instant. In her place, an almost catatonic woman emerged. Her eyes did not even move around. She sat and just stared into space. She also barely spoke. The only sign of life appears whenever their maids attempt to feed her during meal times. Even when Red’s siblings visit the house, Leda remains quiet and unconcerned. Red’s sister always ends up in tears whenever she sees their mom.
But Red is seemingly oblivious. Or worse, he chooses to ignore the sad condition of his mom. Red was always closer to his dad more than her mom. But he was never unconcerned towards her. She was always there when he needed her. Red was likewise available whenever his mom needed him. But after the incident, they just drifted farther apart. Bambi feared that Red blamed his mom in some way. As to the reason behind it, Bambi could only venture a guess.
But despite all these circumstances, Bambi knew deep inside her heart that she will always love Red, no matter what. No matter what he does. He would always have a special place in his heart. She even hoped that they would get married sooner rather than later. She desperately wanted to help Red heal. She wanted the old Red back.
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