“I finally belong 
The lonely night is gone I won't forget it 
And all the love you show 
I gotta let you know 
You won't regret it 

Now you're in my heart 
We'll never be apart No-o-o

And it might take the longest time
Til we're finding the rainbow's end
But it don't matter rain or shine
If we're finding the rainbow ... 
Free the love that's burning in my soul”

************************************************************************************************************************************************

The White Room – 2300H

Kim and Gerald were given instructions about their task, the do’s and don’ts inside the white room, and about 30 minutes of talk time before they have to become characters in a silent movie.  Both of them were surprised to find that everything inside their suitcases were in white, even their toothbrushes and  underwears.

“Feeling ko, psychological test ito,”  Gerald observed, looking around the “white room”  which was obviously called by its name because everything inside it was in white:  the bed, the sheets, the cabinets, the drawers, the walls, the bathroom tiles, the toiletries provided for them, and even the door and the ceiling.

“Oo nga, kaya siguro lahat ng laman ng suitcase natin, pulos puti rin,”  Kim agreed.

“Bakit kaya?  Maybe they’re trying to see if we can stand being in a colorless environment.  Sabagay, what’s a world like without color?”  Gerald was trying his best to understand.

“Hay naku, hayaan mo na nga.  We only have 30 minutes to talk tapos yan pa ang pag-uusapan natin?  Let it be.  At least, makakapahinga tayo for a week.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.  Naka-on na ba ang cameras?”

“I don’t think so.  Di ba sabi, 30 minutes?  Wala pa nga tayo’ng 10 minutes dito eh.”  Kim tried to call Big Brother’s attention, “Kuya, pwede ba kaming mag-strategize kung pano kami magkakaintindihan without talking?”

“Hindi pwede, everything must be spontaneous.  Wag ka mag-alala, Kim.  Remember the time you and Gerald guested in Boy and Kris where you were given placards with different emotions written on them and Gerald had to guess each of them?  Or was it the other way around?  Basta, kayong dalawa yon, and we were all amazed because you got everything right.  Ganon yata talaga kayo ka-synchronized na dalawa.”  Big Brother answered Kim’s query.

“Sige po.  Thank you po sa explanation.”  Kim was a bit disappointed.  She really wanted to make this right.

“Hayaan mo na, wag ka na ma-disappoint.  Kaya natin ‘to,”  Gerald consoled her, and Kim looked up, amazed how Gerald understood that she was just disappointed, not pissed, not worried, but definitely disappointed.

“How did you know?”  She asked again.

“Know what?”  He answered.

“That I was disappointed.”

“I don’t know, I just did.  Maybe, we’re really just attuned to each other’s emotions, moods, everything.  Why?”

“Creepy…”

“Di naman…I’d say amazing.”

“Oo nga, tama ka.  I can never associate the word creepy with you.”  She smiled at him and his heart melted once again.

“Ano, ladies first inside the bathroom?”

“Sige.  Teka, Kuya, on-air na po ba kami?”  Kim asked big brother again.

“Hindi pa.  I will let you know.  Kaya Ge, you can still ask for a kiss…”  Big brother teased Kim which made her shriek in embarrassment.

“Aaaay, di pwede… ayoko..”  Kim ran inside the bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaving big brother and Gerald laughing at her bashfulness.

After a while, Kim got out of the bathroom to give Gerald a chance to freshen up before they go on air.

“O, Ge, ikaw na…”

“K,  thanks.”  He went inside with only his towel in tow.  Kim noticed his open suitcase and decided to arrange his things inside the cabinet.  She took out the white muscle and racerback shirts and the matching white cargo shorts.  She was a bit surprised to find a white three-piece suit with matching white shoes inside the cabinet.  There was also a very elegant, white cocktail tube dress, sheared at the waist, with a full bodice scattered with silver rhinestones.  An open-toe white sandals with a small heart-shaped silver clasp embedded with cubic zirconias matched the dress.  She smiled as she imagined the two of them wearing the formal attires.  She and Gerald really make a gorgeous couple.  That, nobody can deny.

Kim blushed a little when she took out Gerald’s white boxers which looked a tad smaller than his size.  She placed the rest of Gerald’s boxers inside a drawer and blushed even deeper when she caught herself thinking, “So, this is how it would feel when I eventually become Mrs. Anderson…wow!  I love it!”

She was grinning like a complete idiot as she placed the rest of his things in the closet and was about to unpack hers when she realized that there was only one cabinet, meaning she and Gerald had to share.  Since there was nothing she could do about it, not even voice out her complaint, she finished arranging her clothes beside Gerald’s.  Kim was starting to dry her hair when the bathroom door opened a crack.

“Kimmy?  Favor naman…I forgot to bring my boxers, can you please hand me a pair?  Thanks.”

Kim’s blush deepened, but pulled out a pair of boxers, holding it by the waistband and brought it next to the door.

“Ge, eto na o.”  Her voice faltered a bit.

He held out his hand and Kim placed the boxers on it, slightly quivering at the intimacy of their actions.  “Para naman kaming mag-asawa nito..”  she couldn’t help but think.

Big brother:  Kim, Gerald, you only have 5 more minutes before the task begins.  Anything you’d like to say?

“Wala na po.”  The couple answered at the same time.

Big Brother:  Sige, kung wala na kayong tanong, Goodluck at sana mag-tagumpay kayo.  You have 5 minutes.

“Salamat po.”

“Kimmy, ok lang matulog muna ako?  I feel so tired.  Sorry ha?  I know it’s not flattering na first hour natin dito, tutulugan kita, kaya lang…”

Kim silenced him by putting her finger on his lips.  “Sshh…babe, I know.  Ok lang.”  She answered in a hushed tone.

“Kim, baka naka-open na ang cameras, don’t do or say anything that would put you in a compromising situation, ok?  Ayoko’ng ma-harass ka na naman paglabas dito…”

“I won’t, don’t worry…I love you.”  And hurriedly kissed him on the lips.

Big Brother:  …three…two…one, you’re on air!

Tony G:  “Hello Philippines, Hello World!  Exciting ang twist na nangyari ngayong gabi lamang sa loob ng PBB house.  May surprise guests si Kuya at hindi lamang sila basta housemates.  May sacrifice din silang gagawin para sa dalawang housemates na nabigyan ng special task.  Kung sino sila, watch this…”

A flashback of Jason and Johan’s entrance to the white room was shown with the following voice-over: 

“Kahapon, binigyan ni Kuya si Jason at si Johan ng pagkakataon na mabigyan ng bahay at lote and kani-kanilang mga pamilya.  Isa lamang ang maaaring manalo, at iyon ay kung sino ang makakatagal sa white room sa loob ng isang lingo nang hindi umiimik.  At ngayon, dalawang may ginintuang puso na ex-housemates ang pumayag na palitan sila sa kanilang task.  Ang dalawang ito ay hinangaan ng buong bayan, kinakiligan, at minahal dahil sa kanilang pagiging totoo.  Nakita nating lahat kung paano sila nagsimula, kung gaano sila nagsikap upang maabot ang katanyagang tinatamasa nila ngayon.  Sikat man sa showbiz, nananatiling nakatuntong sa lupa ang dalawang batang ito na kinagiliwan namin at ng lahat.  Mga kapamilya, PAANO NA KAYA kung sina Kim at Gerald ang makukulong sa loob ng “white room” sa loob ng 36 na oras o isa at kalahating araw?  May matutuklasan kaya ang mga taga-hanga na matagal nang umaasam na magkaroon ng katotohanan ang lahat ng kakilig-kilig na eksena nila sa telebisyon at sa sine?”

The cameras panned to where Kim and Gerald were.  Kim was still drying her hair while sitting on the edge of the bed.  Gerald lay on the other side, sleeping.  Kim looked comfortable doing a personal hygiene-related routine with Gerald in the same room.  Once in a while, she would glance at him, pity was slightly evident in her eyes.

She finished her nightly beauty regimen before joining Gerald on the bed.  The screen returned to Toni and Bianca.

Bianca:  Grabe, Toni, kinikilig ako!

Toni:  Sino ba’ng hindi?  Lahat naman yata tayo dito eh Kimerald fan.  Kayo?  Kinikilig ba kayo?  Wag bibitaw, abangan mamaya sa uplate ang latest developments sa loob ng white room.  Ito po si Toni Gonzaga, ang  kabarkada ni Kuya…

Bianca:  Ako naman si Bianca Gonzales, ang dating border ni Kuya…

Toni and Bianca:  at ito ang Pinoy Big Brother Double Up Edition!  Goodnight…

The following day - 0600H

“Pag ang puso ko ay nagmahal
Garantisado na magtatagal
Pero kung ito’y masasakal
Hindi mo ‘to matitikman

Hindi mo ‘to matitikman, mahal
Kahit na mayaman ka’t sosyal
Kung ‘di ka rin marunong magmahal
Hindi mo ‘to matitikman

Kung katawan ko lang ang habol n’yo
Na kung gumiling pa’y lumiliko
Masusunod pa rin ang puso ko
Ang puso na Don Romantiko”

          Gerald woke up to the tune so familiar to his ears.  He was about to get up but realized that he couldn’t.  He opened his eyes and found Kim sleeping right next to him, her legs pinning his, and her head cradled at the crook of his arms, almost nestled at the hollow of his neck, and her arms lay across his chest.  It was very intimate, and he could feel an starting.

Despite the rush of homones, he smiled and realized how wonderful it would be to wake up next to Kim for the rest of his life.  He wished he could.  He kissed her gently on the forehead before waking her up.

          Since they weren’t allowed to talk, he softly patted her cheeks until she opened her eyes.  The look on her face was priceless! 

          Realizing her position, she immediately got up and ran to the bathroom to wash her blushing face and brush her teeth.

          “OMG,“ she thought.  “Did we just sleep in one bed while millions of people were watching us?”

          Gerald sat on the bed, his arms encircling his knees, waiting for Kim to come out.  He knew she was embarrassed to have woken up the way they did.

          Fifteen minutes later, Kim, dressed in a fresh white sleeveless fitted shirt and a white shorts, came out of the bathroom.  She signaled to Gerald with her head that the bathroom was free for him to use.

          Gerald took her cue and took a cold shower. He was still clad in a white muscle shirt and a white basketball jersey shorts when he came out of the bathroom.

          Kim motioned that their breakfast was already on the table.  She motioned with her head for him to follow her and he smiled as he did, putting his arms around her as they crossed the small space from the bed to the small table that served as their all-purpose furniture.

          After eating their breakfast, Kim saw the white guitar at the far corner of the room.  She smiled as she settled back on the edge of the bed with the instrument and strummed the first notes of KTM’s theme song of the same title.

          Gerald looked up as he recognized the song Kim was playing on the guitar.  There was sadness in his eyes as he looked at her, smiling sadly.

          Kim stopped playing as she saw the sadness in Gerald’s smile.  She placed the guitar back despite Gerald’s creased brows and settled at the back of the chair he was sitting on.  She hugged him from behind, the way he always does with her, and placed her chin on top of his head.  They stayed that way for several minutes.  Gerald was starting to get uneasy with the way Kim was acting.  He thought, “what was she thinking?  Did she forget about the cameras?  They were on air, for chrissake…”

          He pried Kim’s hands from his neck and tried to veer her away from him.  It proved to be a wrong move.  Her eyes glinted with mischief as she held on to his hands before dropping her weight on his lap.  In his surprise, Gerald almost pushed Kim but his reflexes reacted otherwise.

          Kim sat comfortably at Gerald’s lap, her hands holding Gerald’s so that he wouldn’t let go of her.  She even settled her head on the hollow of his neck before closing her eyes, savoring the feel of his wide chest and chiseled body.

          Ge rald was beginning to sweat as he realized the insanity of the situation.  Kim had been flirting with him since this morning!  Whatever her reasons were, he just couldn’t let her do anything that would put her in a bad light, especially since he knows that their detractors are just waiting for the right moment to put them down.  He just can’t allow that.  Kim loves their profession, so does him. 

          Kim was trying her very best to let Gerald feel how much she wanted to let the world know about their relationship.  She tried so hard to flirt with him without being too obvious.  Apparently, her boyfriend was too much of a gentleman to ever think that of her.  Geez!  What a bummer…but she won’t give up, not now…  She sat on his lap, cuddled up to him and closed her eyes, praying that he wouldn’t react adversely.

          Gerald stood up, carrying Kim with him.  He smiled at her as she opened her eyes in mild surprise.  She wasn’t expecting him to carry her, much less stood up.  He gently placed her on the bed, and then sat beside her, just looking at her puzzled expression.  He caressed her face with the back of his hand before standing up and walked over to the water dispenser.  He felt so thirsty all of a sudden…

           Gerald’s reaction wasn’t entirely unexpected.  Kim knew he might respond to her the way he did and she couldn’t blame him.  She turned her back to face the other side so he wouldn’t see her face when he came back. 

          Big Brother:  Kim, Gerald, I’m giving you 5 minutes to talk, starting now.

          Kim rushed to where Gerald was, and asked him point blank if they have a problem.

          “Wala ah.  Bakit?  Ano’ng ginawa ko?”

          “Wala naman…”  More to herself, “…manhid!”

          “May sinasabi ka?”

          “Wala ah…”

          “Ang hirap pala maging mute ano?  Tapos di pwedeng gumamit kahit sign language…”

          “Sus, ang daldal mo kasi, di ka sanay na di umiimik…”

          “Yabang mo ha?  Kung di ko pa alam, panis na rin ang laway mo…” 

          And for the people watching them, it was like they were transported back in time.  They chased each other within the confines of the white room, tickling, laughing, just having fun.  Until Big Brother announced that their 5 minutes are up.

          The two settled on the bed, trying to catch their breaths after all the running and chasing that they did.

          They were both lost in their own thoughts. 

Kim:  “We’ve definitely gone a long, long way…Sana ganito na lang kami forever…”

Gerald:  “God, I missed all these…Thank you for giving me the memories.  I’m going to treasure this for as long as I live, I just hope it’ll be long enough for me to share them with the children I hope to have with Kim.”

The same day – 1300H

          They have just finished washing the dishes when Don Romantiko was again played.  Kim pulled Gerald’s hand to make him dance.  She pushed him away from the sink until he understood what she wanted to say.

          Chuckling silently, he danced the steps he knew by heart.   How could he forget when he always felt like the song was really made for him?

          Kim watched Gerald’s pliant body doing the body roll and she swallowed hard as she realized she was staring at him with intense desire.  She caught herself just in time, blushed a littled before turning to face the side not really visible in the cameras.

          Gerald finished the routine, but he was breathing heavily afterwards.  Kim rushed to him to check if he was sweating.  She felt guilty when she found his shirt totally soaked with sweat.  She immediately got a towel from the bathroom, grabbed her toiletry bag to get a small Johnson’s baby powder bottle.  She turned Gerald so his back was on her and rubbed the towel beneath his shirt.  Then, she sprinkled some powder to dry him off totally before taking off his shirt.  She didn’t realize how intimate her gesture was until she was pulling the end of the fresh shirt she made him wear after drying his back.  Gerald smiled his thanks and kissed her on the forehead before lying down on the bed.

          He patted the space beside him to indicate that he wanted Kim to lie next to him.  Kim did, putting both her feet up against his legs, pinning him in the process.

          She didn’t realize how tired she was until now.  She faced Gerald to let him know she would take a nap, only to find out that he has already fallen asleep ahead of her.

Kim sighed heavily before finally succumbing to sleep.

The same day – 1900H

          Gerald squinted his eyes to see in the somewhat darkened room.  He lifted Kim’s legs off him before getting up and groping his way to find the light switch.  Seconds later, the room was flooded with light.  He saw that Kim was still sleeping so he moved silently, going into the kitchen to prepare their dinner.

          Inside the mini-pantry, he found an entire dinner already prepared, but the table wasn’t set yet.  Along with the food, there were also decorations for the table, a boquet of fuschia pink American roses, and an antique-looking silver candleholder, just like the ones used for special occasions such as a formal dinner.

          Gerald prepared the table, trying his best to make it look as romantic as he hoped it would be.  He placed the pink and lilac table runner on the table before putting the three-spiked silver candelabra in the middle.  He arranged the silverware, got the food ready for re-heating in the microwave oven, and placed the boquet on a vase to keep it fresh.

          He decided to take a quick shower and took out his suitcase from under the bed.  He was surprised to find it empty.  He didn’t know Kim unpacked his things earlier.  Gerald smiled to himself, thinking what Kim was exactly thinking before their “silence” started.  Then his eyes caught the plastic-covered cocktail dress and the white suit.  He put two and two together to conclude that they were supposed to use these garbs for tonight’s dinner.

          Gerald took out the dress and placed it beside kim on the bed.  He then took out the suit and went inside the bathroom to put on the pants.  When he came out, he finished dressing up before he decided to wake his princess from her sleep.

          Kim felt like Sleeping Beauty being kissed by her prince, only it wasn’t on the lips, somebody was indeed kissing her, on the forehead!  She opened her eyes only to stare at Gerald’s.  He smiled at her, kissed her once again before pulling her up and pushing her towards the bathroom.  Inside, she found her undies neatly folded beside the towel and the bathrobe.  She went red in the face as she imagined Gerald touching her undergarments.  Relishing the thought, she went on to take a quick shower.

          It was the quickest shower she ever had in her whole life, but she couldn’t bring herself to get out of the bathroom wearing only a set of undies and a robe knowing Gerald was waiting for her.  Despite the cold shower and the cool gust of wind from the aircon, Kim felt hot, totally consumed with the burning sensation as she thought of the possibilities had they not been inside this room in the PBB house.

          A knock was heard on the door and Kim jumped in surprise.  She didn’t know she has been inside for a long while already and Gerald was getting worried that something was wrong.  She summoned her guts and opened the door to find Gerald just outside with his knuckles positioned to knock on the door once more.

          It took him completely by surprise to see her dressed only in a white robe, her long hair dripping wet on either side of her face.  He instantly felt a hard on as he imagined her wearing nothing underneath.  Gerald turned around to hide his slight bulge from her and from the cameras.

          Kim got out and took advantage of the fact that Gerald’s back was to her.  She immediately scooped the dress above her head and pulled it down just in time before Gerald sneaked a glance at her to see if she’s already finished.

          Gerald watched as Kim pulled her hair up in a loose chignon, leaving small tresses along the side of her cheeks.  She put on a very light make-up.  When she was finished, she faced Gerald who was gaping at her.  She sure looked every inch a princess.  And she wasn’t even wearing her shoes yet!

          He reached for her hand and guided her to seat on the bed.  On bended knees, he slipped on her sandals before pulling her up her feet.  She smiled at her dashing prince and almost squealed when she caught a glimpse of the dinner table.

          Gerald led her to the mini-kitchen where he pulled out a chair for her.  He lighted the candles and re-heated the food before placing them on the table.  He sat across from her and smiled.  He made the sign of the cross and pointed at her as if to say that Kim should do the honors of saying grace before their meal.  Kim shook her head and made a motion of zipping .  Gerald nodded in understanding and they said grace in silence, on their own.

          Gerald placed small portions of the different dishes on Kim’s plate, looking at her as if to ask whether it was enough for her.  Once her plate was full, he filled his with the mouth-watering fare. 

While eating, Kim checked if the table cloth reached to the floor, covering their feet.  Finding that it did, she smiled impishly.

He stiffened as he felt Kim ‘s bare foot doing a slow and sensual rubdown on his leg.  He slowly chewed the food on his mouth, grabbed the glass of water and drank all of its contents as if he has just eaten something that’s loaded with chilis.  Gerald looked at her sternly, willing her to stop what she was doing.  But Kim wasn’t about to stop her mischief. Her foot climbed even higher, now at the edge of the seat, in between his legs.

Gerald swallowed hard, trying to keep a straight face despite the fact that he was hardly breathing as he waited for Kim’s torture to end.  He couldn’t continue eating his food because his concentration was somewhere else, while Kim seemed unperturbed.  From the point of view of the viewers, Gerald looked as if he was almost choking on his food, his face turning beet red.  Then he started breathing heavily, in..out…in…out.  Under the table, Kim’s toe was already teasing a very hard ridge where Gerald’s legs are joined.  She was still poker-faced, refusing to let up, and was avoiding to look at Gerald for fear that she might not be able to hold the charade of innocence.

He was contemplating whether to stand up or just wait until Kim decides to let him go.  As it is, it seemed as if she didn’t have any immediate plans of doing so.  He wanted to squirm in his seat but was afraid that the viewers might catch on with what’s been going on under the table.

Kim finally stopped when she noticed that Gerald was already sweating profusely and had stopped eating altogether.

She looked up at him and gave him the sweetest and most innocent smile she could muster.  She gestured that she would clear the dishes, and started to stand up.  Gerald held her hand, making her stop in her tracks to look at him.  He waved at her to sit down.  He stood up and knelt in front of her.  He pulled out an imaginary box from his pocket, motioned as if he opened it and offered it to her.

Her expression was priceless!  The surprise on her face was one for the books…Gerald pulled out an imaginary ring from the imaginary box and went on to put the ring on her finger.  He kissed her hand and stood up, bringing her with him.  He embraced her tightly, unobtrusively pressing his at her while pretending to slowdance to a music only the two of them could hear.  Kim could feel her legs turning to jelly as Gerald held her in her arms, their lower bodies seemingly magnetized, swaying to the music playing in their heads.  She felt the desire in between her loins, making her gasp without necessarily making a sound.

As soon as he was certain that his bulge wasn’t obvious anymore, he let her go,   He guided her to the chair she earlier occupied and motioned for her to stay put.  He cleared the dishes in no time, placed the leftovers inside the fridge and put out the candles.

As soon as he was finished, he took Kim’s hand and led her to the bed.  He took off her sandals before taking off his shoes.  Then, he guided her so she was lying on the bed with her head on one pillow.  Her eyes never left his.

Disappointment washed over her as Gerald filled the space beside her.  He lay unmoving, obviously spent with her recent mischief.  She reached out to touch his face.  He still didn’t look at her.  “Uh-oh!  Naku, nagalit ata talaga…”  Kim couldn’t help but think.

Without any hesitancy, she anchored her elbow on her side and stole a kiss from Gerald.  It landed on the corner of his mouth.  She smiled and laid back on her side of the bed.

Unknown to the two, their time inside the white room was almost up.