An Everglow After Sunset

Chapter 10

"Where did your daddy go, Taco?"

It's just 7 in the morning. Kagabi ay nagkayayaan ang grupo sa isang bistro sa bayan dahil natapos na namin ang dapat na research na nauwi sa case study, as per Mr. Chua, noong nakaraang araw.

Madaling araw na nang makauwi kami. Medyo nakakahiya nga dahil nakikituloy lang kami pero hayun may nalasing. Mabuti na lang din at kasama namin si Dymaun at ang pinsan nitong si Kael.

Pinagmamasdan ko ang aso na nasa kaniyang pangkaraniwang pwesto sa loob ng pottery. Pabalik-balik kong hinahaplos ang kaniyang ulo habang nakasquat sa kaniyang harapan at parang gustong-gusto niya ang ginagawa ko dahil nakalabas pa ang kaniyang dila.

"Are you considering me as your mommy?" Napalabi ako and he barked as a response.

"Good boy. I'm your only mommy ha? Only me. No other woman gets to take care of you and your daddy." Pinagmasdan ako nito ng matagal at walang ano-ano'y dinilaan ang aking kamay at sumampa sa aking mga binti, dahilan ng pagkakatumba.

"Baby, stop!"

I was frantically laughing when the door was bombarded by someone whose eyes were set to kill!

"What are you doing!?" He is breathing heavily! Alam ko dahil lumalaki ang butas ng ilong niya.

Agad na pinuntahan ni Taco ang daddy niya nang makita ito. He's barking loudly. Tila ikinukwento rito ang napag-usapan naming dalawa.

"Baby, that's our secret!" Biro ko pa.

Dymaun raised his brows and glared at me even more! Hahaha.

"Don't scream like that again, miss. I might get the wrong idea." I smirked. Pinagpagan ko ang damit ko. Didn't you already do?

He started collecting his clay and slammed it in the potter's wheel. He put on his apron and started to mold the clay.

"When will you teach me to make that?" Nakaupo ako ngayon sa upuang kahoy at ang baba'y nakatuko sa mga kamay na yakap ang sandalan ng upuan. He looked at me and I pouted. I unconsciously scratched my nose when he didn't answer my question.

I didn't know when we started to get along well. It's just been 11 days since we first saw each other. And I can clearly remember how sungit he is to me that time. What made the change? Maybe the kiss na nasundan pa nang nasundan.

Though he is not talking about it—the relationship we have between us two, I know there is something going on. Why would he kiss me kung wala lang 'yon diba? I can feel it. Alam kong meron. Sana, meron.

"Bakit mo ba gustong matuto?"

"You know, my mama has lots of plants in our garden and she's growing more of those inside our house...," nagkibit-balikat ako. Mukhang hindi naman talaga siya interesado.

"and?" He crossed his arms and raised his brows at me, anticipating the continuation.

"She also likes bears and pandas—oh wait... Is a panda a bear? Nevermind. I want to do some bear planters for her. She'll be very happy with those."

"I got you. I can make lots of those for mama." Whatttt!?

"For mama?" I asked.

"Yes. Your mama." Oh. I thought... Nevermind.

"Anyway, will you teach me how?"

"Will you really do it? Your clothes might get dirty after this."

"It's fine. I can wash them anytime." Tumayo na ako at akmang lalapit sa kaniya nang pigilan ako nito.

"Woah, miss. Stop right there. Grab an apron on the cabinet first then sit here!" Turo niya sa silyang nasa harapan ng sa kaniya, pinapagitnaan ang potter's wheel.

Damn. Uupuan ko na sana eh. Sayang!

Kinuha ko naman ang apron at sinuot iyon. Mukhang mapapasabak ako nito!

"What would I do now?" Tanong ko nang makaupo sa silyang para sa akin.

Powta. Bakit ba panay ang ingles?

"Just watch me," he replied.

Yun lang? "Okay," tugon ko at pumangalumbaba.

___

It's been five minutes and I noticed that Alec is neither looking at my work nor asking for more specific instructions.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I already finished making a small planter but she isn't moving. I bet she also didn't listen to what I've been explaining while making the planter.

"You told me to watch you. So here I am, watching you." Napailing nalang ako. Kahit kailan talaga itong babeng ito!

"I mean, you watch what I was doing. How will you learn if you'll just look at me like you're swooned by me."

"Am I not?"

"W-what!?"

"What, what?" She stood up from her chair and is now standing in front of me.

"Am I not watching you enough?" She held my right hand and caressed it. Her porcelain-like skin is now covered with mud.

"Hold me, Dymaun. Guide me. I've seen everything that you did. The way you caressed and touched the clay... The way you mold and held it in your arms..."

I gulped. Her voice became much sweeter than before. Problemado na ako sa nararamdaman ko. Maybe I should call mamá to sort these things or maybe, I'll call papá instead.

"I watched how you pressed and gave force to give shape to the planter." She softly slapped my face reason why I have some mud in my cheek right now.

"Stop it, miss." I warned.

"What? What did I do?" She innocently asked.

I reached for the hem of my apron and wiped the mud off my face. But upon wiping it, the shock was written on Alec's face. Yeah, I also just knew that her name's Alecxiandra and not Alessandra.

"Why are you so shocked?"

She raised her hand and pointed something on my lap. Oh. That.

"T-the mayor's of-office is open. Want me to declare a holiday and c-close it?"

She didn't wait for my answer and just held the handle and zipped my pants up.

I'm so ashamed right now but I maintain a poker face so she won't notice.

"The mayor's kinda angry. I wonder how his two bodyguards feel right now." She smirked, still leaning a bit downward so our eyes could meet.

This position is reminding of me of the days where we would kiss. I don't know. It just happened. I know that I just want her to be my friend, again, in the beginning, but things are slowly changing because she has changed, too. All I want is to make her remember me—her childhood friend but, I don't know anymore.

Gone the chubby and adorable Ae-Ae that I knew—well, she's still adorable sometimes but she's taller and leaner now. I wonder what would Nyca look like if she's here now, too.

I sighed, disregarding all of my thoughts for a while.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Sit down. I'll teach you again."

I thought she'll sit on her chair again but she held on to my shoulder and sat in the hollow space between my legs. This girl!

"Woah. Woah. Miss. Not here."

"Why? How will I learn if I'm not doing it, right? I easily learn when executing it. How will I know how much force should I give so the clay won't—"

"Alright. Alright. After this one, I'll leave you here to check on something."

"Ohh-kay."

Madali nga siyang matuto kapag ginagawa niya rin iyon. Hindi pa rin pala 'yon nagbabago.

"Wow. That will look amazing when painted. What do you think, Dymaun?"

She looked over her shoulder so our eyes could meet. She looks so beautiful in there. And thinking that she likes most of the things I do, makes me wonder if I really want her to be just my friend. I wonder if I can keep it that way.

I leaned forward so I could reach her lips. She's rooted in her place, I know. This is the first time that I initiated the kiss. I smiled in between our kisses.

The hold of my hands on hers tightened and she gave out a soft moan. Pinakawalan ko ang kaniyang mga kamay para mapangko siya. She's now sitting on my lap sideways. Her hands were wrapped around my shoulders and mine were on her back and waist to support her.

Ako ang nag-initiate nito pero ako rin ang unang bumitiw for I am starting to get heated with her fire and I don't like that—not now, at least.

We were still in the same position and breathing heavily when someone barged into the pottery.

"Hello—OH MY GOODNESS!"

It was, of course, Alec's bestfriend, Joanne with our cousin Kael. Whoever could it be, right?

Instead of standing up due to Joanne and Kael's arrival, Alec leaned more on my chest. Kael's looking at me with a smug and I do know what's running in his mind now. I equaled his smug look which he doesn't usually see or he's never seen before.

What else could be the reason for it, right? At least, I know what to do now.

____

Hiyang-hiya ako... Shet! Pero teka, siya naman yung nagsimula kanina ah. Bakit ako mahihiya!?

"Tangina ka talaga, Alec. Kaya pala wala ka sa kame keaga-aga. Nilalandi mo na pala ang Senyorito nila. Lukaret ka!"

Naglalakad na kami pabalik ng mansion. Ang akala ko'y makakasabay ko si Dymaun sa agahan ngayon ngunit may sadya ang pinsan nito rito kaya heto at kami-kami nalang ulit.

"Excuse me. Nagpapaturo lang ako, no. Masyado ka namang halata na wala kang tiwala sa ganda ko." Taco barked in agreement.

"Right, baby? Daddy initiated it, right? He kissed mommy first. You saw it?" He barked continuously and hopped repeatedly as a response.

"Good boy."

"Psh! Sinuhulan mo rin yang aso? Ano bang score sa inyo ng Senyorito mo? At anong pinapaturo mo, ha? Humalik?"

Shoot. Wala pa, okay? Nagmamadali ka? May lakad ka, te? And why in the world would I tell you that he kissed me first this time? Well, she probably heard what I and Taco have talked about. No sense in repeating it. Just kidding. I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "Dunno."

"Anong dunno, dunno!?" Hinarap niya ako pero mas binilisan ko lang ang lakad ko. Si Taco ma'y halos tumakbo sa kakahila ko.

"Hindi ko alam."

"Tangina!? Naghahalikan kayo tapos hindi mo alam kung anong meron sa inyo?"

"Alam mo, tigilan mo. Naghihintay din ako. Tumahimik ka muna baka hindi kita ilakad sa kuya ko."

"Alam mo rin, kahit hindi mo na ako ilakad, nakatakbo na ako."

"Ano? Anong nakatakbo!?"

"Secret. Diyan ka na, gutom na'ko."

What the hell did she mean? Nakatakbo na siya? Homerun!? No. It couldn't be. Huling kita nila ay ang araw din ng alis namin. Heck, Joanne! Anong nakatakbo? Ano, eleksiyon ba'to? Kung ganon, hindi ako boto sa kaniya.

"Wala ba tayong mapupuntahan dito? Tutal tapos naman na tayo at mapapaaga ang uwi natin." Si Andrew habang nag-aalmusal kami.

"Kayo. Uuwi muna ako samin. Sa Sunday na'ko luluwas. Miss ko na lola ko."

"Yeah. Actually, maiiwan ako with Joanne. Miss ko na rin si lola at may inutos si mama sa akin," I said. I didn't lie there. My mama wants me to pay lola Siling a visit and invite their family on my mama's 50th birthday.

"Oh? Bat hindi ko ata alam 'yan, ha?"

"Nagtanong ka ba? Gaga. Puro ka takbo eh."

"So, you mean, it's only the five of us ang uuwi?" Francine's playing with the fork she's holding. Sometimes, she looks and acts like a b***h and this is one of those times.

I nodded to her and whispered, "Yesss. Isn't it great? More spaces and the boys might lie down in the backseat. You can freely accommodate the front." I wiggled my brows.

"Cool. It's great that you are not interested with Eron."

"Oh shut up. I have a precious diamond for that." I winked.

"Saan na ba napunta ang usapan at may pabulong-bulong pa kayo? Mukha kayong mga chismosa sa kanto."

"You know what my dear twin brother, you sound like a b***h na hindi pa binabayaran."

"Burnnn. Siguro naman mananahimik ka na. Nalimutan ko na ang iskor niyo ni Alec pero alam ko, baradong-barado ka!"

Sa huli'y sinabi ni Joanne na pupuntahan namin ang isang tanyag na Food Street sa kanilang bayan mamayang gabi at bukas na bukas din ay uuwi na ang mga ito pero sa ngayon ay bibisita kami sa farm para magpasalamat sa mga tao at maghanda ng kaunting salo-salo.

...

(^～^;)