It was two days before Valentine’s day.  Kim lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to think of anything she could give Gerald in addition to the giant valentine’s card that she made from the materials she requested from big brother.  She wanted to give him something extra special, but she couldn’t think of any. Until their conversation yesterday came back to her. 

“Talaga?  Eh sino ba’ng maysabi na mapipilitan lang akong magpakasal sa’yo kung sakali?”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Hindi ka nagbibiro?  Papayag ka talagang magpa-kasal sa ‘ken?”

“Given the chance, why not?”    

          “That’s it!”  She squealed as she jumped up from the bed and almost ran in her haste to get to the confession room.  She rang the bell and again there was no answer.  She rang again, getting impatient.  “Bakit kaya parating wala si big brother?  Ah, baka nasa kabilang bahay…”      

          Kim rang the bell again, and getting no answer, she went inside, just as she did the first time.  Once again, she saw a piece of paper and a pen on top of the table.  It was as if big brother was expecting her.  She wrote her request and folded the paper before putting big brother’s name on top.  As if on second thoughts, she wrote “confidential” at the bottom and underlined it for emphasis.

          Feeling satisfied, she went out and searched for Gerald.  He was nowhere to be found.  Kim went out to the back where the beach was, hoping to find him there, but he wasn’t.  She walked towards the cove, hoping he was there.  Panic was starting to get to her when she didn’t find him there either.  Kim ran back to the house, calling Gerald’s name.  As she stepped inside, he was just coming out of the confession room.

          Kim rushed to embrace Gerald, heedless of the cameras that might already be recording their every move.

          “O, bakit?  San ka galing at hinihingal ka?  Kimmy?  Umiiyak ka na naman?”

          “Ikaw kasi!  Nakakainis ka talaga!”  Kim berated him as sobs caught in .  What began as quiet tears have now become uncontrollable sobs.

          Gerald embraced her tightly, feeling guilty that he couldn’t tell her about his condition yet.  He has just come out of the blue room through the confession room where Zoe started his treatment.  He almost fainted earlier and Kim would have seen him unconscious again if he hasn’t had the presence of mind to get inside the confession room before he passed out.  The private nurse Zoe hired was inside the adjacent blue room and saw him.  He immediately transferred Gerald to the blue room where all the medical equipments were.  Zoe came a few minutes later and revived him before starting with his treatments.  He was there for almost an hour.  Kim was dozing off earlier so she didn’t her him get inside confession room.

          “Sorry na, tinawag kasi ako ni big brother kanina.  Akala ko naman narinig mo ang chime kaya hindi na ako nagpaalam sa’yo.  Sssshhh….tahan na.  I’m here, hindi ako mawawala sa’yo, pangako yan.”

          Kim continued sobbing, not letting go of Gerald’s waist.  She couldn’t calm herself down.  She realized how much she really loves Gerald.  And it made her even more sure of her earlier decision.

          “Wag na wag mo ko iiwan ha?  Promise?”

          “Oo nga, hindi talaga.  Wag ka na umiyak…”

          “Mag-promise ka muna!  You always make good on your promises, kaya mag-promise ka, hindi mo ‘ko iiwan…”

          “PROMISE!  Cross my heart and hope to die…”

          She nestled her face at the crook of his neck as he guided her towards the couch.  They sat there for almost an hour, just holding each other.  Gerald kissed her on the forehead, fighting tears from falling.  Kim held on to him as if letting go of his embrace would make him disappear into thin air.

          The two dozed off on the couch.  After an hour, Gerald woke up as he heard the chime go off.  “Kimmy, tinatawag ako sa confession room…”

          “Ge, sama ako.  Wag mo ko iwan dito…”

          “Sandali lang ‘to, promise.  Wag ka aalis dito sa couch ha?  Magbilang ka hanggang 100.  Bago ka matapos, nandito na ulit ako…”

          “Sige na nga, bilisan mo ha?”

          “Promise…”  and he kissed her again on the forehead.  But before he could step away from her, she caught his arm and pulled him back.  She caught his neck and planted a kiss squarely on his lips.

          “Wow!  Dapat pala parati mo akong name-miss…ang sarap ah!  Isa pa nga!”  He endlessly while trying to return the favor.

          “Ano ba….sige na, punta ka na dun, para matapos na…”

          “Ok, wait for me here…”

          As Gerald entered the room, Ali was also coming in from the blue room.

          “Ge, eto na yung pinakuha mo.  Ready na rin yung request mo for Saturday night.”  He whisphered, afraid Kim might hear him from the outside.

          “Ok, thanks bro!  Don’t forget the food and the candles ha?”

          “Oo naman, ayos na lahat.  Pinahanda na ni Tita Vangie.  May pinapabigay pa nga pala sya sa inyong dalawa.  Inilagay ko na sa drawer sa blue room, baka kasi makita pa ni Kim.”

          “Ah, sige, kuhanin ko na lang dun…oy, yung fireworks, sino magse-set-up?”

          “Sino pa, eh di ako.  Pordalab talaga, bro!  Kung di ka lang talaga malakas samen….”  And Ali embraced Gerald, his eyes b with tears.  He has been like a brother to him, and he knew what he was going through.  “Don’t worry, I will make sure that everything goes according to plan.  Just make sure you don’t pass out on her, ok?”

          “Don’t fret, I won’t, even if it kills me…”  Gerald laughed at his own joke, but Ali just stared at him.

          “Subukan mo, at ako mismo ang papatay sa’yo!  Loko ka, pinahihirapan mo ba talaga kami, ha?  Wag na wag kang magbibiro ng ganyan ha?  Not in my face, Anderson!”

          “Oo na…ang stiff mo naman!  Halika nga rito…”  and he gave him the biggest bear hug ever.

          “Tama na, baka akala ng nurse mo, nababading na ko sa’yo…got to go, pare…ingat ka.  And if I were you, I’d tell her already.  She deserves to know the truth from you.”

          “Di ko pa kaya eh.  Pagbigyan nyo na muna ako ha?”  And Ali only nodded his head in agreement before he stepped out of the room, leaving Gerald in quiet contemplation about their conversation.

          Kim was already getting impatient.  She has counted 1-100 twice and Gerald still hasn’t come out.  She risked big brother’s ire by ringing the doorbell not only once, but twice.  When Gerald still didn’t come out, she rang again, and again, and again.  This time, the door opened and Gerald stepped out.

          “Hala, nangulit ang bata…  Kimmy, magagalit na si big brother, ang kulit mo daw.”  Gerald told her in a very serious tone.

          “Eh ang tagal mo eh.  Sabi mo, 1-100 lang, naka-200 na ako, di ka pa rin lumalabas, natakot na ‘ko.  Hamo sya magalit, basta sure ako na ok ka lang…”  And she hugged him tightly.

          “Kawawa naman ang baby ko, nato-trauma na saken…”  Gerald muttered to himself as he returned Kim’s hug.  Tears started forming in his eyes again.  He led her to the kitchen and asked her to sit down as he prepared a simple yet sumptuous dinner for the two of them.

          Kim watched as Gerald moved around the kitchen, humming her favorite tune, No ordinary Love.  She couldn’t help but smile as she followed his every step.

          “Kimmy, baka matunaw na ‘ko…I can see you staring at me, kanina pa.”

          “Ang gwapo kasi ng chef ko…”

          “Alam ko na yan, noon pa…”  he laughed and she laughed along with him.

          “Ayan, luto na.  Kain na tayo…”  and they ate using only one plate, each of them feeding the other until all the food was gone.

          “Grabe, busog na busog ako…ang daya mo kasi…”  Kim complained, rubbing her tummy as she took the dishes to the sink.  “O, ako naman dito ha?  Rest ka na lang dyan sa chair.  I’ll do the washing…just watch me, ok?” 

          Gerald did as he was told, reiterating everything Kim did while he was cooking.  He followed her every move, making her blush in the process.

          “Ge, tama na…suko na ‘ko.  Di ko na uulitin…sige na, please, don’t stare!”  Kim pleaded as her cheeks burned.

          “See?  Kala mo, ikaw lang ha?  Ako rin…”  he proudly stated as he watched Kim amusingly.

************************************************************************************************************************************************          It was the day before Valentine’s day.  Kim woke up early and checked the storage room to see if the supplies she asked for have been delivered.  Everything was in order.  She quickly carried everything out to the back and arranged them a few meters from the shore.

          Since Gerald was still sleeping, she quietly took a shower, changed into a fuschia pink two piece string bikini before putting on a white see-through tunic top that dropped to her mid-thighs.  She secured her hair in a messy bun with a large white clamp, letting a few tendrils loose.  Satisfied with her reflection on the mirror, she sprayed quite an amount of her favorite perfume on both her temples, on the crook of her arms, on her wrists, and as an afterthought, she sprayed a little on the inside of her tunic, in between her s.

          Smiling naughtily, she slipped on her havaianas and went back to Gerald’s room where she found him still asleep.  Kim sat on the side of the bed and slowly rubbed Gerald’s nose with hers.  He opened his eyes and smiled as he saw the beautiful vision that woke him up.  He grabbed Kim by the waist and lifted her up until she was straddled on top of him.

          “Wow…ang y naman ng breakfast ko…ang bango pa, grabe!”  he whispered.

          “Ano’ng breakfast?  Hoy, Mr. Anderson, ang aga ng kaberdehan mo ha…ang mabuti pa, bumangon ka na at magbe-breakfast na tayo.  Halika na…”

          “Ayoko…gusto ko, ikaw ang breakfast ko…sige na.  Tingnan mo o, ready na si JR…”  Gerald wickedly rubbed Kim’s bottom to his now very alert manhood.

          “Ay, bastos!  Geraldo…ayoko!  Ang aga-aga pa…!”  Kim wiggled, trying to escape Gerald’s hold, not knowing the effect she had on him.

          “My God, Kimmy, I need a cold shower, pronto!”  He tried to get her off him.  But this time, it was Kim who wouldn’t budge.

          “Ang init…hoooo, grabe!  Nahawa na ‘ko sa’yo ah!  Lika, sabay tayo maligo sa beach….”  And she got up from her position, taking Gerald’s hand and pulling him up with her.

          “Sunod na ‘ko, I’ll just wash  my face and brush my teeth…ayaw mo ‘ko halikan eh…”  And he turned to get inside the bathroom.