Chapter 4:    Hell Breaks Out

Pie Mindara Manaying

I counted from one to ten before I lost my control. Be patient, Pie. Breathe.  The two of my trusted men tried to play dumb, pretending not to be guilty for what they have done to me. I glanced to my right side and my resentment grew stronger. Sitting at the other side of the long couch where I was seated, Kimhan Burnaphan killed the time by flipping through the magazine uninterestedly. Everybody was being nonchalant with what has happening. Instead of marrying a man, I married to a woman who looked like a man. That was unacceptable!

            “Could you please explain to me, how this could happen?” I cleared my throat before uttering my very first question to P’Boy. He stole a glance at my Grandpa and communicated in their secret code. I watched them quarrelled in silent through their gazes before P’Boy forced himself to look at me again.

            “You asked me to find a bridegroom for you and I did.” P’Boy responded.

            “Yes, I’m clear about it, P’Boy but this…” I pointed to Kimhan. “Wasn’t a bridegroom.” I shot him with a look. It wasn’t the explanation I need. He just reminded me about the fact that I thought my legally wedded spouse was a real bridegroom when the truth was she isn’t.

            “Well, I have done my best and you have got the best person to be your temporary partner.” He shrugged.

            “You know it’s not the thing I want to talk about. All of those people in the world, why would you find this tomboy for me? Are you expecting me to be a gay like you?” I snapped at him. P’Boy seemed taken aback with my boldness. He flinched and I knew he was hurt by my harshness. My regret meant nothing. I couldn’t take back what have I said to him.

            “What do you expect from your gay friend, Pie?” He sputtered. “My friends and acquaintances evolve around that gay group you’re referring to.” He got the point there.

            “And you should have known that I’m not supposed to be part of your group.” I cut him before he continued to speak.

“Are you expecting me to get along with this tomboy?” I pointed a finger to Kimhan again. The tomboy held up her hands in the air before she shrugged innocently. Ugh. I hated her.

            “That’s the main point!” P’Boy snapped his fingers and stood up quickly. “You are not supposed to be physically or emotionally attached to your temporary partner. Don’t you see it, Pie? I’m doing this for your good and not to forget as per your order. Kim won’t bring any harm to you and you don’t have to worry about being , impregnated or any other violence that could ruin your life!” He spat out. Kimhan snickered as she witnessed me went dumbfounded by P’Boy’s elaboration. Surprisingly, my Grandpa laughed at me too.

            “Shut up!” I shouted at Kimhan. She made a motion with her hand as if she was sealing her lips with an invisible zip. She truly got my nerves!

            “Calm down, Pie.” My Grandpa said. “This is going to be all right.” He told me without missing a beat. Grandpa averted his eyes to Kimhan and gazed at her with an admiration. He seemed to like the tomboy so much.

            “I can’t believe that you’re actually agreed with it!” I slumped back to the couch. Kimhan handed me the soft pillow when she saw that I wanted to cover my face with something. I dodged it away quickly. I didn’t need her help.

            “I thought you have agreed with it too.” He turned to look at P’Boy, surprised. P’Boy shook his head immediately. I knew he wasn’t completely wrong here. Last week, he has offered the document to me, asking me to have a check and I had bluntly refused to look at it. I lay it to P’Boy because I trusted him but now, he betrayed me by tricking me to marry a woman instead!

            “No!” My voice echoed through the living room. “I have never wanted this marriage.” My head ached at the thought that I was bound to a tomboy as a legal spouse. Never in my entire life, has my clear mind ever reached to the point where I would indulge myself in same relationship. All of what has happening right now was out of my mind.

            “You!” My hand found its way to Kimhan’s collar and ended up gripping hard at her neck. “Why did you agree with the arrangement? I’m not a lesbian!” It gave me a great satisfaction to see Kimhan was choking to her death. She should vanish from my sight.

P’Boy came to rescue and removed Kimhan from my grip. I didn’t care if Kimhan even thought that I was a woman with mental illness. I didn’t want to have her around me.

            “Pie, behave yourself.” My Grandpa scolded. “You’re just upset. You’ll get over this soon.” He said with a soothing tone. “Kimhan has willingly offered for help. You should at least be thankful for it.” Grandpa added. My eyes shifted to Kimhan. I didn’t really need her help. She was the needy one. I remembered the day that I signed for a $50K cheque for her. She took that sum of money from me.

            “Yes. Your Grandpa is right. You should feel grateful that I’m willing to help you. Judging from your manner right now, I don’t think any man out there is brave enough to be your suitor.” Kimhan interjected. She really made me boiling up. My entire body was a mad volcano. One more external push to my patient and I was all ready to explode.

            “Crazy !” Kimhan mouthed and that was my last straw. In a lightning speed, I leaped at Kimhan and pinned her down to the ground. My strength and rage was uncontrollable that I began to wring Kimhan’s neck again. She said that I was a and let me ing around her to prove it. It was our first day as spouse yet she made me infuriate most of the time.

            “Get off me, Pie. You’re insane.” Kimhan struggled to free herself from me. P’Boy tried to stop me but I managed to dodge away from him. Grandpa was speechless that he couldn’t move neither react to the situation. Today in history, I was not the sweet Pie I had always been. I was capable of getting a new title as a serial killer; a wife who killed her wife on their first day of being married.

            “I hate you.” I had no mercy on the tomboy. Grandpa was right. I was upset but there was more than that. I was confused and ashamed of what has happened for today. The whole school would know that I was married to woman instead of marrying a man. The folks would label me into ual spectrum where they tend to judge me severely for my unintentional ual preference. Rumour would spread out like wild fire and I might lose my job near in the future. P’Boy disappointed me, Grandpa has never thought of the consequences while Kimhan was so selfish. They didn’t understand a thing about the situation and they never would.

            “Pie, let me go.” Kimhan begged. I saw that the network of her veins began to show up around her head near to the temple. Even her neck started to tense up. She was surviving for her life and I was a mad woman who seemed to be possessed by the demon.

At the thought that I might kill Kimhan for real, my hands fell carelessly at the either side of her head. Kimhan took the opportunity to get away from me. She was in pain.

Then, Kimhan stepped closer to me bravely again. She cradled my face with both of her hands and forced me to look at her. She scared me with the indignant look in her eyes. “We are doing this for our own importance, my wife.” She said, stressing on the ‘wife’ word intentionally. “And guess what? You have no idea of what had I sacrificed to be your saviour.” Harshly, she pushed me away from her. P’Boy managed to catch my form before I stumbled on my own feet. Kimhan hurt me. She hurt me with her mean act.

“You can always file the divorce! We can stop this ridiculous arrangement right now!” Glaring at me, Kimhan spoke with a loud and indignant voice.

            “KIM!” Both Grandpa and P’Boy cut her before she further her mean words. They glared at her with a disapproval look.

Ignoring the warning, Kimhan stepped out to be bolder than previously. “Go ahead, Pie. I dare you to file the divorce.” P’Boy shut with his hand immediately. Why she got to be so rude on our first day of being married? I might go too far that I have started our day with unpleasant scenes but not even once, my mind perceived a divorce.

            “Stop this madness.” Grandpa as the eldest among us had to step in. He took Kimhan’s hand and dragged the tomboy closer to me. I took a step back but my Grandpa was faster. He managed to catch my wrist that I couldn’t get anywhere.

            “Please don’t be a child. Both of you will get along well, trust me.” He said, averting his eyes to Kim and me alternately.

            “Pie, apologize to Kim for the reason that you hurt her and Kim, apologize to Pie for saying such mean words.” He advised. Both Kim and I looked like children who were being taught a lesson here when we both shook our head. No one would give in.