Certainty In A Sleeping City

Chapter Two

CHAPTER 2:

"diyan na lang kami sa may itim na gate" sabi ni Eesi nang natatanaw na namin ang bahay.

Nang makahinto ang sasakyan ay bumaba na din kami ni Eesi. 

"Ah, salamat po tita ha? sorry naabala oa namin kayo" saad ko sa mama ni Aden, hanggang ngayon di ko parin alam ang pangalan niya eh.

"hindi kayo abala ano ba, tsaka madadaanan din naman talaga namin tung lugar niyo kaya okay lang" 

tumingin ako kang Aden at di ko inaasahang nakatingin din pala siya sa akin, mag t-thank you din ba ako sa kanya?

"salamat din Aden" ayan na nag thank you na ako, ahhhhhh. Bat ba ayaw magsalita ni Eesi? di ba siya nakakaramdam na nahihirapan ako?

Aden just smirked, "ma let's go? pagagalitan na naman ako ni Avery" her mom just laughed at what he said.

Nakakalungkot, may Avery na pala, okay lang , maganda kaya yun?

Sumakay na sila at unti unti na ding naglaho sa aming paningin.

"Bye ho! Ingaattt!" masama kong tinignan si Eesi, ano to? ngayon lang siya nagsalita kung saan nakaalis na sila.

"Araayyy!" reklamo niya ng binatukan ko siya.

"tanga ka ba? maririnig ka nilang talaga, promise" nauna na akong pumasok, did my night routine at sumalampak na sa kama.

"JJG, hiii" bati ni Mika, he's a photographer, and every time na may sasalihan siyang photography contest ako ang kulunin niyang model, and of course I would gladly accept the offer if it's him kung pasok namn sa sched ko.

After our class session dumiretso na ako sa sinabi ni Mika na venue, his real name is Michael but he likes to be called by that. Lalaking lalaki talaga siyang magsalita, he always wear t shirts and jeans, that's why napagkakamalan siyang hindi beki eh, and in all honesty, he got the looks too. 

Nagkahiwalay kami ni Eesi after class since may kikitain daw, first week palang nakabingwit na.

"By the way JJG, may intern ako ngayon, well I can't say na intern cause he does not work for me but yeah whatever" natatawa talaga ako, the tone of his voice is so manly, but the way he deliver words is something haha and he can just call me Justine para di na mahirapan kaso gusto daw niya ng JJG kasi siya lang tumtawag sakin non.

"what about your so called intern Mika?" I asked

"he will be your photographer, titignan ko yung performance niya at performance ko na rin"

"performance mo?" I asked again, diko gets eh, mag oobserve siya sa performance niya?

"if I'm qualified maging photography instructor ganun" ahh okay gets.

"you're capable of being one for sure" magaling naman talaga siya, he worked with countless models before, high payed pa, and I still can't understand bakit ako palagi kinukuha niya, maybe because mas mababa hourly wage ko? haha.

"ohh he's here, hi AJ" napalingon naman ako sa gawi nila and to my shock I saw the pair of eyes I can't get over with last night. Aden? he's the intern? no way.

Dali dali akong lumingon paharap dahil nasa likod ko sila, bat ba ako kinakabahan? gosh siya lang yan, get a hold of yourself Justine!

"JJG, halika dito dali" pwedeng mawala? di pako ready eh. I took a deep breath, stand up and face them with a great smile, in that way hindi ako mukhang nakakita ng multo. Cereese always admire me when in comes with poise, she said na kahit anong mangyari ang relax at ang expensive ko parin daw tignan. 

I saw his semi shocked reaction, I'm sure he wasn't expecting me as well.

"hi we meet again" I extended my hand to him and he gladly accept it.

"hi Justine" he smiled, he freaking smiled. I know I shouldn't make this a big deal but gosh his smiles, his eyes, his all being is so darn fine.

"Ay magkakakilala na pala ang mga bata ko, that's good cause you'll be working together" shoot, almost forgot about him being my photographer today.

"Looking forward to it" Aden said, he sounds so confident, I like him.

We took a couple of shots and I did tons of poses, after our first try we gathered to the monitor and look at the shots. 

He's good but not quite, pag kasi si Mika ang photographer, he communicates with his model and he also learns the models angles and Aden have a lot to learn.

I'm off to the dressing room to try another fit, my first one is a white laced dress, this time it's pink, same design. Meron sigurong nag sponsor nito, hindi rin ako na inform.

When I got out, nakita ko si Mika and Aden nag didiscuss, may tinuturo din si Mika sa backdrop namin, maybe giving Aden an advice or two.

"Second shot na tayo!" sigaw ni Mika to inform the others.

On our second one he did close up shots and fixed my hair too, I guess he's learning now.

"we're done for today, thank you everyone" pasasalamat ni Mika, gabi na ng matapos kami since gusto din niyang may night shots.

"JJG dear, I already send it to your account na" he's talking about the fee, nasa bag ko kasi ang phone ko.

"thanks for the trust Mika" I give her a peck in the cheek.

"AJ thanks, you did a great job today" 

"thanks for having me Miks" I smiled, Miks? that's cute.

"Ahh nga pala JJG, may pupuntahan akong party, sama ka?" baling niya sa akin.

"No Mika I'm sorry, I don't do parties" I lied, I like parties but knowing Mika, she will be at a club or something, and I don't drink.

"Sige, di rin kita pipilitin, di karin naman siguro papapasukin don" He chuckled including Aden, anong nakakatawa?

"What do you mean by that? in case you didn't know I'm at legal age!" pag proprotesta ko, anong tingin nila sa akin? minor?

I am aware that I don't look like my age, pag tinatanong ako ng mga bagong kakilala k

lalo na ng mga block mates ko about my age, ayaw nilang maniwala. I look like 16 17 years old daw.

And if I tell them that I'm 18, turining 19 they'd just tell me that I don't look like one but they believed me naman since, I am, after all a college student.

"You seem like a minor to me" bumaling naman ako kay Aden, he have that teasing look in his face that I'm irritated.

"Do I need your opinion?" singhal ko.

"okay, tama na yan gabi na. JJG di kita mahahatid ha maghuhunting mame mo, cge byeee" what? seryoso? hindi man lang talaga niya hinintay ang sagot ko? If okay lang ba na akong lang mag isa, or okay lang ba if mag commute ako.

"It looks like ako na naman hahatid sayo" he's behind me, ayaw ko siyang harapin kasi wala akong masasagot. Natatakot akong mag commute, ayaw ko ring sumakay sa kotse niya baka magalit gf niya, nakooo, that's the last thing I want to happen, being part of some love affairs.

"huy" sabi niya sabay tapik sa balikat ko.

"ha?" ha? bat naman ganun sagot mo? ano ka bingi? Justine ayusin mo naman. 

"ah, magco commute nalang ako" 

"seryoso ka? gabi na tas babae ka pa"

tinaasan ko siya ng kilay "at ano naman kung babae? we can handle ourselves too you know?"

"hayss, I'm not saying you can't but we don't know what possibilities may occur, marami pa namang tambay jan sa may highway sa inyo" nananakot ba siya?

"pero ayaw din naman kitang pilitin" agad akong lumingon sa kanya, what does he mean? iiwan niya talaga ako? "suite yourself" dugtong pa niya.

Naglakad siya patungong kotse niya, walang parking area dito sa set namin kaya nasa tapat lang ang kotse.

He looked at me before entering the driver's seat and start the engine. I just looked at his car as if I can see him inside, with disbelief. Tinted ang car niya and I'm pretty sure he's watching from the inside, gusto ko siyang supalpalin talaga.

Hindi ko naman babawiin ang sinabi kong magco commute nalang ko, I have to stand up to my words. Nag drive na siya palayo, meron pa namang tao dito kasi hindi pa tapos maligpit ang ibang gamit kaya okay lang.

I took my phone out and dialed Eesi's number but she called before I could even call her first. 

"Eesi" 

"G*go san kang babae ka 9:00 PM na oh! di mo ba ramdam ang mga pangangamba ko!?" sigaw niya sa akin, ang*go siya lang ba ang nangangamba? ako din kaya!

"di ako bingi wag mokong sigawan!" di ko din alam kung bat pa ako tumawag sa kanya, ano bang magagawa niya? wala naman. "I just called to let you know na pauwi na ako and I'm hungry" sinabi ko nalang.

"umuwi ka talaga! anong gusto mong flavor ng pancit canton?" haha, yun talaga naisip niya?

"yung spicy" may nakita akong sasakyan na papunta sa gawi ko at naka on ang head lights, I covered my eyes kasi ang silaw. The car stopped in front of me, meter away. "Eesi sige na bye" I hang up not taking my eyes off the car in front.

May taong lumabas at papalapit siya saakin, di ko masyadong makita kung sino yun, kasi naka on parin ang headlights.

"Hey, stubborn girl, Ihahatid na kita dali na diyan" bwesit talaga yung lalakeng yun, kung sinabi niya nalang sana yan kanina pa ay malapit na kami sa bahay, iniwan iwan pa kasi ako babalik lang din naman. Sayang ang gas no! "You coming or what? pag di kapa sumakay, bahala ka na talaga" 

"Jeezz, Oo eto na" padabog akong maglakad papunta sa pintuan ng sasakyan, he's causing to much scene with that headlights, ano yun? fan ba siya ng A Love So Beautiful?

I opened the backseat door, ang awkward naman kung don ako sa shotgun seat. He looked at me with a questioning face, nakakunot ang noo.

"what?" pasuplada kong tanong?

"why are you there, dito ka sa front seat" he shift his head on the road, hindi pa kami nakaandar. "I won't start the engine if diyan ka Justine"

Ayaw ko nang magsalita, kakapagod din. Sinunod ko nalang ang sinabi niya, hindi naman masyadong malayo ang bahay sa venue namin kaso baka traffic.

Ang awkward talaga eh, hindi ako social na tao pero pag kinakailangan go lang.

"Akala ko ba hobby mo lang ang photography" sumagot sana siya, ayaw kong mapahiya.

"Oo, and what I did earlier is my way of doing my hobby" he's so focused in the road. Hindi talaga niya ako tatanungin if-

"ikaw ba? how's school?" naputol ang iniisip ko ng bigla siyang magsalita

"pffttt" bat ganun siya mag tanong? parang si papa lang

"what's so funny about what I've said?"

"wala naman, umm okay lang ang school, manageable naman"

So ayun na nga traffic and ang awkward na naman ng atmosphere, it's suffocating.

"Bat AJ tawag ni Mika sayo?" tanong ko, nacurious din ako, I'm sure the A stands for Aden but what dies J stands for. His second name?

He looked at me kasi nga traffic.

He looked me in the eye, ang bilis kumalabog ng puso ko, naririnig kaya to? 

"Bat ang daldal mo?" tf? he made me flutter, he made eye contact with me, just to say that? sisipain ko talaga to, I'm doing him a favor para di masyadong awkward g@go pala to eh.

"Well I'm sorry if maingay ako, ikaw may gusto na dito ako eh, komportable na sana ako dun sa likod"

he started the car again, hindi na ako nagsalita, hindi din siya nagsalita. Ganito kaya siya sa gf niya? Mabuti at nakakayanan niya ang ugali nitong gunggong nato.

Nakarating na kami sa La Filipina at malapit na din kami sa kanto kung saan malapit na ang bahay namin. He stopped the car in front of the house.

"Thanks, drive safely" sabi ko at bumaba na sa sasakyan, I was about to close the door already but,

"it's Aden James, Aden James Ledesma" I looked at him and saw him smiling, he looks heavenly. "Goodnight Justine" I stared at him for a sec and closed the door.

Diritso lang ang lakad ko patungong bahay, hindi ko siya nilingon. I just heard his car starting and drive away.