An Everglow After Sunset

Chapter 19

I woke up in my bed light-heartedly. Remembering our talk last night sets up my mood for today. But, seeing the frame on my bedside table made me miss my best friend who's living a floor below mine. 

I went out of my room, still with my messy hair and colorful pajamas. I was expecting an empty room, as usual, but my jaw dropped seeing Joanne comfortably sitting on my couch while watching her favorite cartoon—Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

"Ey. Good morning sa ating magandang dalaga dito ano. Ganda ng gising. Nakalimutan na ako kasi may binabahay na pala. Naku~"

I rolled my eyes at her completely forgetting of her accusations of Dymaun. Oh. They're not really accusations, just realized that last night. Concern lang siya for my relationship. I actually need to thank her. Kung hindi dahil sa information na binigay niya ay hindi kami magkakalinawan ni Dymaun nang ganito.

"Thank you ha?" I said harshly.

"P*tangina ka. Sa lahat ng nagtethank you sa'yo ang pinaka-sincere. Nahiya ang mga kambing sa'yo. Mabuti pa inom tayo mamaya. Sabado naman bukas tapos ikaw ang taya. Call. Yung bebe mo pala nasa kusina, nagluluto. Talandi ka talaga. Che. Nakakatampo!"

Mababakas sa boses niya ang halong sama ng loob at pagbibiro. Panay din ang padyak ng mga paa na animo'y isang sanggol na kinakantahan ng kuyakoy.

And oh. Dymaun's here? So, he stayed, or did he just come in the morning?

I went on the long sofa and sat beside her, my legs are on top of hers. She kept wiggling and pushing them away so I acted real pissed.

"Aish! You have the guts to push me away when you're at fault and on my sofa, huh?"

Nanlalaki ang mga mata niyang ibinalik sa pagkakapatong ang mga paa ko sa legs niya at pilit na ngumingiti sa akin while also slowly tapping on my sole.

"Suri na nga eh. Assumera lang talaga. Kiss ko man mabantot mong paa," she totally grimaced after saying those words!

"Pero alam mo, Alec," she paused and sit properly and so I did. I don't hear this tone from her all the time. She sounds so f*cking serious right now.

"I've been up for a thousand nights..."

Ha?

"New York to London... Different city every day, playing on..." She shrugged and continued, "playing on."

"What the f**k are you saying? Siraulo ka ba?" I looked at her in disbelief. Maiiwan ka rito.

Nang tumayo ako ay tumayo rin siya, seryoso pa rin ang mukha. She put her hand up, reaching the ceilings. She then started grinding her hips and singing her next line.

"Puttin' out fifty-thousand lights, I've been gone so long, gettin' up and gettin' faded. So I'm on, keepin' on, stayin' up for a thousand nights..."

"Tangna ka, Joanne! Sinisira mo ang kanta at reputasyon ni Ed!"

"Gaga. Marinig ka ng Dyamante mo diyan. Tsaka wala akong pake no. Namiss ko sumayaw. Bar tayo mamaya ah? Tawagan ko yung iba. s**t. Excited na ako," she said and dialed someone from her phone.

"Sup, Jeremy? You free tonight?" she paused and I did, too. Who's Jeremy? Is that Lev's bandmate?

"Cool. Gather the gang. We'll go out tonight. Alec's treat. Yeah. See you!" Hindi pa siya natapos doon. She dialed another number and another. Mukhang mabubutas ang bulsa ko mamaya pero loaded din naman ang mga inimbita niya. Ambagan na lang.

When I entered the kitchen, the delicious smell of garlic rice and tocino attacked my nose making me starve. And the big round ass of the man who cooked it made me drool even more. Yum.

I tiptoed near him when I realized that he's on facetime with someone. As I got nearer, the beautiful woman in her forties appeared in my very eyes. Must be his mom. Should I interrupt them? Maybe not.

I waited there until they finished talking. Might have an apple, too.

"But I have a girlfriend, ma." Confirmed. It's his mother. I bite my apple, making a loud noise. Opsss.

Nilingon ako ni Dymaun sandali at nagpaalam na sa kaniyang ina, "I told you already... No." He then breathed heavily while intensely looking at me. "Okay, ma. I will. Te quiero mucho."

Damn. I feel like he said it to me. Yo tambien te quiero. Shet. Ganito pala ang feeling non.

"Good morning, miss. Breakfast?" He neared me and kissed my temple. His fingers are in their usual place, intertwined with mine... while caressing my thumb.

"Sure. You cooked?"

"Yes."

"Let's eat then." We set the table together and dig in with Joanne na hindi nahinto ang bunganga sa walang kaseryoseryosong mga kwento niya.

"Ahh nga pala, I invited some of my friends from the province. They're working nearby so... yeah. Oh, and actually... One of them has the same nickname as yours— Alec. She's beautiful, too but I'm more beautiful of course, duh."

"Oh talaga? Parang hindi naman."

Tumatalak pa si Joanne sa harapan namin pero yung isa naman ay patuloy ang kalabit sa akin.

I leaned closer to him, as he covers his mouth with his hand, and he whispered, "What invite? Where are we going?"

I looked at Joanne, asking if she didn't tell Dymaun about her plan. And her mouth formed into an 'o'. Hindi sinabi ng gaga. Masasapak ko 'to mamaya.

"We're going to party," I whispered, too.

Kunot-noo siyang tumingin sa akin. "What party?"

I was about to explain further but Joanne did it for me. "Ahh. Papi, mag clubbing or bar hopping sana tayo mamaya. Matagal na rin kasi yung huli namin. Noon pa atang birthday nito bago kami mapadpad sa hacienda niyo. Kasama naman sina Jeremy, Geof, Levi, Aisen, at yung iba so, we're good."

Joanne smiled widely but Dymaun remained frowning... parang mas naguluhan sa sinabi ng kaibigan.

"Jeremy, Geof, Levi, and... Aisen? They are all boys. Don't you have other friends? Perhaps girls? Or even gays?"

Now, he's looking at me with his puppy bluish-gray eyes, waiting for me to say yes. But sorry to burst your bubble, baby... We don't have other girlfriends unless those guys start having a serious relationship.

"We don't have girlfriends in our circle but, we have gayfriends... and they will be there. Oh. Ininvite mo ba sina Deza, Joanne?"

"Sus. Kahit naman hindi ko imbitahan 'yon, palagi silang nasa club. Lam na," she smirked. I nodded.

"Baka we'll meet our batchmates there. So it's fine, right? You go to bars, too."

"N-no. I haven't been in a bar for years. If my memory serves me right, I was 19 when I first and last entered one. I don't really like it there but, I can go with you."

That's fine with me but I believe that he's the guy from an Arceo's post. Is it Fourth's and oh... now I remember. Marga? What's her name again? She's in that picture, too. What the hell?

That night, we decided to eat our dinner in a fine dining restaurant near the clubs where we'll meet our friends.

This will be my first time going to a club with my boyfriend. The past years have been fun, too because of my friends and brothers. They were also the reason why I didn't have a romantic relationship with anyone.

A bunch of guys tried to court me before but they didn't have the balls to face my brothers so I immediately rejected them. Meanwhile, Joanne had lots of boyfriends. Hindi ata ito nababakante kahit na balita ko'y laging nambibitin ng lalaki.

Pumasok kami sa madilim at maiksing tunnel. Pinaghalong amoy ng alak at sigarilyo ang sumalubong sa amin. Palapit sa b****a ay maririnig ang maingay na trance music at hiyawan ng mga tao.

Agad kong nakita ang grupo ng mga kuya ko. Iilang mga babae ang naroon sa kanilang upuan na ikinaismid ko. Alam ba 'to ni ate?

Naunang pumunta doon si Joanne habang mabagal naman ang paggalaw namin ni Dymaun. Nagtatagis ang bagang niya ngunit maamo pa rin ang pagsuri sa paligid. Ang kaniyang kamay ay nakapirmi sa aking bewang at bahagyang hinihila palapit sa kaniya. Ramdam ko rin ang maiinit na tingin ng mga tao sa katabi ko but I refused to give a f*ck.

I am wearing a red wine off-shoulder bodycon pleated dress. While Dymaun is wearing his white long sleeves folded in half. He f*****g looks amazing without him trying.

"What's wrong?" malakas na bulong ko sa kaniya.

"Nothing. Where are your friends?"

Inilahad ko ang mga kamay ko patungo sa mga kaibigan at dahan-dahan niya akong iginiya patungo sa mga iyon.

I went to kiss my brothers' and Levi's cheeks habang tinanguan at nginitian ko naman ang iba. Kuya Jay's a bit stiff, though. Mukhang may natitira pang galit. I sighed.

"Ang daya naman, Alecxiandra. Kami walang kiss?" biro ni Erson na sinegundahan naman ng iba.

Dymaun raised his eyebrows and chuckled. Nakita ko ring binato ng tansan ni Kuya Jay ang mga kaibigan.

"They are all your friends?" bulong ni Dymaun.

Binigay ko ang atensiyon ko sa kaniya. "Yeah. Sila ang bubugbog sa'yo kapag niloko mo ako."

I introduced everyone to Dymaun, finally. They got along well. Mabilis nakapag-adjust si Dymaun sa grupo at medyo nakikitawa siya sa mga ito.

He said he drinks occasionally and I guess it's true. Nakakailang bote pa lang siya ng beer ay pulang pula na ang buong katawan niya kaya inilayo ko na siya sa grupo. We danced and enjoyed the night instead. Baka kapag nakita akong uminom nito ay maturn off.

Naulit pa ang mga night out naming ganoon. Halos gabi-gabi ay nasa labas kami tulad ng dati at kahit na may trabaho kinabukasan. Dymaun and I always just dance. He doesn't like drinking alcohol and I don't feel the urge to do so. Sinasamahan lang namin ang kaibigan kong hindi mapaamo ng kahit sino. She had introduced her other friends and most of them are boys, too.

Sometimes, we sneak out from the dancefloor to make out on the couch, of course malayo sa mga kaibigan ko, pero mas madalas pa rin ang road trip namin papunta sa iba't-ibang lugar para humagilap ng street food.

We're in Tagaytay now, slurping our bulalo. Hindi naman kami nakainom trip lang namin, bakit?

"Ahhh. This is so delicious. Have you been here before?" tanong ko.

"I don't think so. I just travel for business, miss. And most of the time, I'm in the pottery," he said as he put some bone marrow on my bowl.

Goodness, gracious! How did I get a man like this!? He's so pure while I'm almost the exact opposite!

Umuwi rin kami ng gabing iyon sa condo ko. He stayed and slept on my couch while I'm in my room. Kahit naman naghahalikan kami ay hindi pa rin tamang mag-isa kami ng tutulugan. Magagalit ang Inay.

Naabutan pa pala ng kuya ko ang pagliligpit niya ng kumot sa sala isang umaga ng Sabado. Dito ulit siya natulog kagabi. Galing kaming Zambales para personal na magtingin ng lugar para sa sorpresang inihanda para sa kaarawan ng kapatid.

Kalalabas ko lang noon ng kwarto para sana maghanda ng almusal pero naabutan ko na silang nanonood ng cartoons sa sala at sabay pa silang tumayo para batiin ako.

"Good morning, baby..."

"Good morning, baby."

Nagkatinginan sila at agad nagbawi si Dymaun, "Good morning, miss. Breakfast na... Jay?"

Nagpatiuna na ako sa pagpunta sa kusina at mukhang may pag-uusapan pa ang dalawa.

We eat our breakfast together. Sinamahan din kami ng nakabusangot na Joanne sa hapag. Halos masanay na ako sa ganoong set up na sina Joanne at kuya lang ang maingay na nag-aasaran. Hindi ko alam kung bakit palaging nandito si kuya. Last time I checked, galit siya sa akin.

Pagkatapos doon ay nagpunta kami ni Dymaun sa kanyang shop. Walang workshop tuwing Sabado at Linggo kaya't libre siya ngayong araw para turuan ako though medyo marunong naman na ako. He's taught me how to do it for weeks. Ang hina ko naman masyado kung hindi ako nakapick up.

There were new displays and new set ups of ceramics on the shelves and tables. Maraming orders ang pending. Hindi ko pa nga lang natatanong kung saan ang pagawaan pero siguro'y hindi naman malayo rito.

My mama requested some vases from Dymaun and that's what we did, customized vases for my spoiled mama.

That night, we decided to join our friends in a superclub. Nag-iba sila ng lungga para ibang mukha naman daw ang makita nila.

Nakakapit ako sa braso ni Dymaun nang tumuloy kami roon. Inayos niya muna ang red sweetheart top ko bago ako giniya sa may pintuan. Kapapasok pa lang namin malapit sa may dance floor ay may humablot na sa kanang kamay ko at dinala ako sa madilim na parte ng club.

What the f**k!

Nakasunod si Dymaun doon at pilit akong binawi sa lalaking humablot sa akin. I resisted from the man's hold. Napagtanto ko kung sino iyon nang madaanan ng ilaw ang kaniyang mukha.

Eron's f*****g drunk! "Bitiwan mo ako, Eron," mahinahon kong sabi. Nang hindi siya sumunod ay isang sapak ang pinakawalan ni Dymaun na mabilis namang nagpatumba sa kaibigan.

Hindi alintana ng mga tao ang nangyayari sa amin. What the hell? Ang akala ko'y mas matino ang mga tao rito!

Eron got up and try to hold me again but Dymaun's quick to launch another fist on his face.

"Ang angas mo ah. Niloloko ka lang ng gagong 'to, Al."

"Shut the f**k up! Ano bang alam mo!? He's not cheating on me so get lost!" sigaw ko. I got some people's attention pero pinagsawalang bahala ko iyon. Dymaun's caressing my shoulders to calm me. Unti-unti niya akong inilalayo.

"Ito na ba 'yon, Alec? Ano bang nagustuhan mo rito ah? He's f*****g deaf, Al! Bingi naman 'tong lalaki mo!"

Dymaun's stunned with what Eron has said but he managed to look at me.

"What the f**k are you saying!?" Handa na akong sumugod pero pinipigilan ako ni Dymaun at pilit na inilalagay sa kaniyang likuran.

"What do you want?" malamig na tanong ni Dymaun na kahit ako'y kinilabutan.

Eron smirked and stood up para makalapit sa amin. Dinuro duro pa nito si Dymaun.

"You don't deserve Alec. A person like you doesn't deserve her! Hindi kayo bagay!"

May hinila ito mula sa tenga ni Dymaun na naging dahilan ng pagdaloy ng dugo mula roon.

I stiffened. Shock's probably written all over my face. Nagsinghapan din ang mga taong nanonood. Doon ko lang narinig na nagtawag ng bouncer ang kung sino.

Dymaun's unmoving. He even let go of me. I attacked Eron but Dymaun stopped me. He cupped my face and I smelt rust from it.

He tried to get away from there pero maraming taong nakaharang para makadaan kami. He stopped in the middle of the sea of people.

"Tell me, Alec..." he cracked. This is the first time I hear him say my name but I never imagined that it will sound this painful.

"Do you still adore me after realizing my insecurity?"

His voice broke. He's looking at me with his pleading, teary eyes. I didn't speak. I can see him literally bleeding in front of me. My body's shaking as I try to hold his hand.

"Of course, Dymaun. I do," I whispered, tears are falling off my f*****g eyes. It wasn't a big deal! I like you still.

Bahagya siyang tumingila at huminga ng malalim. I can feel his frustration and pain. He slowly nodded. "I understand, miss. Who would want to stay with an invalid person, right? I don't need your pity but thank you..."

I feel that he still wanted to tell something more pero tinalikuran na niya ako.

"Wait! Baby!" I cried. I run after him pero pinigilan ako ng dating kaibigan.

"What the f**k do you want, Eron!? Get off of me!" sinigawan ko ito. My eyes didn't leave Dymaun pero nawala na siya sa dagat ng mga tao.

"Tangina! Bitaw!" Gulat kong tinignan ang mga kaibigan.

Inagaw ako nina Aisen mula sa kaniya pero patuloy pa rin ako sa paghagulgol. Malalaking patak ng ulan ang sumalubong sa amin. Hindi ko na nasundan kung ano pa ang ginawa nila sa loob. Isinakay nila ako sa itim na pick up kasama si Joanne at inuwi ako sa bahay.

Wala sina mama doon. Wala ring ibang marinig kung hindi ang pag-iyak ko at mura ng mga ito. My brother and some of our friends are out to find him. They become friends with Dymaun, too. Hindi man nila alam kung anong tunay na nangyari, alam ko na nag-aalala rin ang mga ito.

Napagod ako kakaiyak. Inakyat ako ni Joanne sa kwarto, rinig pa rin ang malalakas na pagkulog. Ang huling natatandaan ko ay ang pagmamakaawa ko sa kanilang hanapin si Dymaun. I prayed for their safety before the darkness consumed me.

...

:/