Phoenix‌ ‌was‌ ‌an‌ ‌archaeologists‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌core.‌ ‌Ultimo‌ ‌ang‌ ‌tipo‌ ‌niyang‌ ‌lalaki‌ ‌ay‌ ‌ makikita‌ ‌lang‌ ‌sa‌ ‌historical‌ ‌books‌ ‌at‌ ‌kina-i-inlove-an‌ ‌niya‌ ‌dahil‌ ‌sa‌ ‌mga‌ ‌artifacts‌ ‌na‌ ‌naiwan‌ ‌ng‌ ‌mga‌ ‌ito.‌ ‌Kundi‌ ‌kasing‌ ‌talino‌ ‌ni‌ ‌Jose‌ ‌Rizal‌ ‌o‌ ‌kasing‌ ‌kisig‌ ‌ni‌ ‌Alexander‌ ‌the‌ ‌Great‌ ‌ay‌ ‌bagsak‌ ‌sa‌ ‌standard‌ ‌niya.‌ ‌And‌ ‌most‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌guys‌ ‌find‌ ‌her‌ ‌weird.‌ ‌Maliban‌ ‌kay‌ ‌Vance‌ ‌Antiporda.‌ ‌ Si‌ ‌Vance‌ ‌ang‌ ‌kanang-kamay‌ ‌ng‌ ‌Tito‌ ‌Mauricio‌ ‌niya.‌ ‌Mula‌ ‌nang‌ ‌mapunta‌ ‌ito‌ ‌sa‌ ‌ poder‌ ‌ng‌ ‌tiyuhin‌ ‌niya‌ ‌ay‌ ‌wala‌ ‌na‌ ‌itong‌ ‌ginawa‌ ‌kundi‌ ‌sirain‌ ‌ang‌ ‌araw‌ ‌niya.‌ ‌But‌ ‌things‌ ‌changed‌ ‌when‌ ‌he‌ ‌brought‌ ‌her‌ ‌to‌ ‌El‌ ‌Nido.‌ ‌Ipinakita‌ ‌nito‌ ‌sa‌ ‌kanya‌ ‌ang‌ ‌mga‌ ‌bagay‌ ‌na‌ ‌pwede‌ ‌pa‌ ‌niyang‌ ‌pangarapin.‌ ‌Ginising‌ ‌din‌ ‌nito‌ ‌ang‌ ‌natutulog‌ ‌niyang‌ ‌damdamin.‌ ‌ Hindi‌ ‌niya‌ ‌napigilan‌ ‌ang‌ ‌sarili‌ ‌na‌ ‌ma-in‌ ‌love‌ ‌sa‌ ‌mortal‌ ‌niyang‌ ‌kaaway.‌ ‌
Maasim ang ngiti ni Phoenix habang nakatitig sa cake at juice na nakahain sa harap niya. Nasa sala siya sa mansion ng mga Villaviray. Ipinakilala siya dito ng Tito Mauricio niya nang nakaraang araw sa isang charity event. At nang di siya pumayag na makipag-date ay dinalaw siya nito sa bahay habang may dalang bonggang bulaklak at imported na chocolate. As if she would be impressed with that.
Kanina pa siya nakikinig sa paulit-ulit at walang kamatayang kwento ni Fred Manuel tungkol sa political history ng angkan nito. And it was not impressive enough.
Mula nang dumating siya mula sa isang expidition sa Egypt bilang archaeologist ay hindi na naubusan ng mga lalaking dumadalaw sa kanilang bahay upang manligaw. Ayaw ng kanyang Tito Mauricio na ipagpatuloy niya ang pagiging archaeologist. Kaya't ipinatawag nito ang lahat ng prospect na mapapangasawa para hindi na siya umalis. At kasama si Fred sa mga iyon.
Kailangan niyang pakiharapan itong mabuti dahil na rin sa utos ng kanyang Tito. Ayon dito, pangarap nitong magkaroon ng mamanuganging tulad ni Fred na galing sa prominenteng angkan.
"Alam mo bang ang rebulto sa harap ng plaza? Lolo ko iyon sa tuhod! Bayani ang lolo ko noong panahon ni Bonifacio," nagmamalaking kwento nito.
Pinigil ni Phoenix na maghikab. Alam na niya ang isusunod nito. Na ang tiyuhin nito ang naging dahilan kung bakit naging first class ang bayan nito. Kasunod ang plataporma nito sa susunod na eleksiyon sa pagtakbo nito bilang mayor.
Kung siya naman ang botante, nungkang iboto niya ito. Dahil sa kanya pa lang, basted na ito. Wala na ng kahahantungan ang panliligaw nito. May kasaysayan ang mga ninuno nito pero wala itong appeal sa kanya. Wala pa naman itong accomplishment na maipagmamayabang. At ayaw niya sa lalaking walang accomplishment at masaya nang magtampisaw sa pinaghirapan ng mga nauna dito.
"Uncle ko ang nag-approve sa pagkakaroon ng quarrying site kaya naging first class municipality ang bayan namin. At kapag nanalo akong mayor, itutuloy ko ang nasimulan nila."
Papatagin ko ang lahat ng bundok para mas lalo pa tayong umunlad, gusto sana niyang idugtong sa speech nito.
Naiirita at nakukulili na ang tainga ni Phoenix. Gusto niyang sisihin ang kanyang Tito Mauricio. Bakit mga walang kwenta ang pinaaakyat sa kanyang manliligaw? Wala siyang itulak-kabigin. Lahat karapat-dapat mabasted.
"Wala iyan sa boyfriend ko!" hindi mapigil niyang bulalas sa sobrang iritasyon.
"May boyfriend ka na?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Fred.
"Of course! Sa ganda ko ba namang ito, mawawalan ako ng boyfriend?" pagmamalaki niya. "Boyfriend ko yata ang Napoleon of Egypt. Sikat siya. Kamag-anak ni Cleopatra."
Umismid ito na parang hindi naniniwala. "Mayaman ba siya?" tanong nitong hindi man lang na-impress na kamag-anak ng nobyo niya ang dating Reyna ng Ehipto.
"Ay, sobra! Gaya ng mga kamag-anak mo, marami siyang naipatayong structures. He even owns a pyramid."
"Pyramid?" nagtatakang tanong nito. "Pwedeng bilhin ang pyramid? As in Pyramid of Egypt?"
Niluwangan ni Phoenix ang ngiti. Tingnan lang niya kung hanggang saan ang kayabangan nito. Titiyakin niyang hindi na ito manliligaw kahit kailan.
"Yes. Ganoon siya kayaman," pagmamalaki niya.
Kumunot ang noo ni Fred sa anyong hindi pa rin naniniwala sa kanya. Sino nga ba namang tao ang kayang mag-may-ari ng pyramid? Of course, boyfriend lang niya at ang mga kamag-anak nito.
"Anong pangalan ng boyfriend mo? Baka sakaling kilala ko siya or familiar ang pangalan niya," tanong ni Fred para di gaanong magmukhang eengot-engot o hampaslupa dahil di ito aware sa mayamang taong may pag-aari na pramid.
"Thutmose III!"
"Thutmose III?" ulit nito at nakakunot ang noon na tumingala. "Hindi ko yata siya kilala."
"Okay lang. Hindi ka rin naman niya kilala."
"K-Kumusta naman ang pyramid niya?"
"Okay naman. Mukhang komportable siya doon kasama ang kanyang mga alipin. Tahimik silang namumuhay."
"Businessman ba ang boyfriend mo? O isa ring political figure. Hindi kasi nababanggit sa akin ng Tito Mauricio mo ang tungkol sa kanya. O kung ano ang trabaho niya," puno ng interes na tanong ni Fred.
"Ah, si Thutmose? Naging leader siya ng army ng Egypt. Pero bata pa lang siya, siya na ang agad ang nagmana ng trono ng tatay niya."
Nanlaki ang mata nito. "Trono? Royal blood?'"
Tumango siya sabay inom ng juice. "Maaga kasing namatay ang tatay niya na si Thutmose II. Hinawakan muna ng stepmom niya ang trono. Pero later on, naging Pharaoh na siya."
"P-Pharaoh ba kamo?"
"Oo. Iyon ang tawag sa mga hari sa Egypt."
Naguguluhan itong napakamot sa ulo. "H-Hari? Pharaoh? You mean meron pa sila noon?"
Nati-thrill si Phoenix na sagutin ang mga tanong ni Fred. "Wala na. Dati pa iyon."
"Kung ganoon, bakit pharaoh pa rin ang boyfriend mo? Kailan ba siya naging p haraoh?" usisa nito.
Tumingala siya na animo'y binabasa sa kisame ang sagot. "Around 1479 to 1426 B.C. He ruled the 18th dynasty of Egypt," kaswal niyang sabi.
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Fred. "From 1479 to 1426 B.C.?"
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