CHAPTER 2 — FRIENDSHIP
2460 Words
ONP 2: Friendship
It's already ten in the evening. Only the light from the lampshade made from precious capiz shells pacifies the study room. I'm currently keeping myself busy to divert my mind thinking into something. I'm eager to finish my paperwork because I'll be having a conference with my Local Investor on Friday.
"Argh!"
I messed up my hair out of frustration. I'm slowly losing my attention to my paperwork. I'm hungry right now, and I want to eat something cold and sweets. I twitched my lips about that thought. Tinatamad akong bumaba para bumili ng gamot para sa cravings ko.
Of course, I know I have this weird lust for food. Nagsisimula na akong maglihi, and that's a bit scary.
I got an idea!
Kinuha ko ang phone ko na nasa tabi at tinipa doon ang number ni Elisha. Siya lang talaga ang maaasahan ko kahit pa hatinggabi na. Hindi rin naman kalayuan ang condo niya rito sa akin.
"Hey! N-Napatawag ka?" Elisha had a hoarse voice talking to me.
"Ahm . . . Did I disturb you?"
"Not so. Why? May problema ba?"
Medyo nag-aalangan pa akong magsabi sa kanya. I know she's tired. Kanina, hindi na ako pumasok sa kompanya at si Elisha na lang ang tumuloy sa site at nakipagkita sa kliyente namin. Partida na may modeling stint pa siya sa SMX para sa isang local clothing brand.
"Huy! Ano na? You're not going to call me if you don't need anything."
"Elisha kasi-"
"Sabihin mo na . . . Bilis!" She sound's annoyed.
"I want ice cream . . ."
Isang mamalim na buntonghininga ang pinakawalan ko matapos 'yon sabihin.
A long church-like silence filled between the lines. Clock's tick-tock and our breathing is the only sounds I could clearly hear.
"Oh god! Cravings . . ."
"Sorry, Eli. Okay lang if pagod ka na, I will push myself to-"
"Stop it. Eto na, tatayo na saka pupunta d'yan. What flavor do you want?"
Hindi ko alam pero napangiti ako nang marinig iyon. Hindi talaga ako matitiis ni Elisha. I tell her I want strawberry and avocado pistachio flavor. Hindi na rin nagtagal ang tawag at siya na mismo ang pumutol ng linya.
I rested my back at my chair. Para akong nabunutan ng tinik dahil kay Elisha at sa ice cream.
Out of nowhere, I grab my laptop and open a google site. I tried to search for his name on it. Hindi ko alam kung bakit bigla kong naisip na gawin ito. Wala namang masama dahil hindi naman niya malalaman at wala siyang malalaman. I just want to check if ano na ang ganap niya sa buhay. I don't feel any freaky feelings as I started to spell out his full name on the search bar. Instead, I am curious to know how stable he is right now in his own field.
Architettura de Casteliogne's Billionaire Bachelor Founder & CEO once again won three prestigious awards in Architecture; (Pritzker Architecture Prize), (The Aga Khan Award for Architecture), and (AIA Gold Medal) which also made him the Architect of the year and proved that he truly deserved to be called as the world hottest renowned architect of all time. His company won 5 awards under the Architecture Category Global Future Design Award 2018 in London.
Hindi maalis ang tingin ko sa harap ng laptop ko. Hindi ko maiwasang humanga sa kanya. He established very well. I mean very excellent. Those awards are much more than golds at hindi ganoon kadali makakuha ng ganoon. I also remember the Global Future Awards, and my company won three awards for Interior Category and one award for the Product Design Category.
I attended that event before I went to Italy the following month after. Hindi ko siya nakita during the awarding so for sure, he is busy enough na hindi siya personally ang nakatanggap ng mga awards na iyon.
He never failed to amaze me.
I look down and touched my flat tummy. Masuyo ko itong hinimas tulad ng unang beses na nalaman ko na buntis ako.
"You must be proud of him too, baby . . ." sambit ko na halos pabulong lang.
Hindi ko magawang ngumiti nang totoo dahil na rin sa katotohanang hindi naman siya makikilala ng anak ko. Natigil ako sa pag-iisip nang marinig na tumunog ang doorbell. I exit the google web page and closed my laptop. Tumayo na ako at pinagbuksan ang kung sino man ang bisita ko.
"Here comes your ice cream, Maam!" bungad sa akin ni Elisha pagkabukas ko ng pinto.
She's holding a plastic bag, but that's not what I noticed the most. I tried my best not to laugh at her. She's wearing a silk pink nightgown with a channel sling bag on her right shoulder. Her feet fit a woman's Nike Benassi JDI Swoosh slide sandals in pink color.
This woman is really a fashion icon. No doubt in that.
"Thanks, Eli." I smiled at her and got the plastic bag.
Napairap naman siya at saka tumuloy sa unit ko. We went straight to the kitchen. I saw her getting a spoon and bowl on the kitchen organizer. I put the ice cream on the island counter and pull out from the plastic bag. Kumpleto ang lahat ng flavor na gusto ko kaya mas lalo lang akong natakam.
"Oh . . ." Inilahad ni Elisha ang bowl sa akin.
"Hindi ka galit?" I asked her. Ayoko lang na baka isipin niya na inaabuso ko siya just because I'm having unexplained mood swings and cravings.
Elisha arched her right brow. "Do I look like one?"
I can't help but to smile. Niyakap ko siya na tila pinanggigilan. Rinig ko pa ang bigla niyang pag-ubo.
"Thanks, Eli! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Hey! Kalma, baka maalog 'yong inaanak ko d'yan sa sinapupunan mo! Umayos ka nga!" Pilit niyang tinatanggal ang mga braso ko sa kanya.
Hindi na ako nangulit at isa-isang binuksan ang mga tub ng ice cream. "Mauubos mo ba lahat ng 'yan?" she asked me with a sleepy eye.
Tumango naman ako saka sinimulang mag-scoop sa bawat flavors saka inilagay sa bowl. I mixed the three until it has a weird color. Nakita ko naman si Elisha na parang naduduwal at nang hindi na niya matagalan ay dumiretso na siya sa sink.
Hindi ko na siya pinansin at tinuloy ko na lang ang ginagawa ko. Elisha hates ice cream and allergic siya sa strawberries kaya ganyan ang reaction niya sa ginagawa ko ngayon.
Elisha squinted in amusement when she saw me enjoying the mixed ice cream on the bowl.
"Maghinay-hinay ka nga lang at baka mangilo 'yang ngipin mo," paalala pa niya.
"It's okay, don't worry!" I assured her.
Hinayaan niya na lang ako saka naupo sa isa sa mga high chair dito sa kitchen counter.
"I'm gonna sleep here tonight. Antok na talaga ako," she said while she keeps on busy with her phone.
"No problem. If you want, you can sleep now. Ako na bahala rito."
"No, I'm okay. Hintayin na kitang matapos."
I saw hear yawned, and I can't help but feel a pang of slight guilt. If hindi ko siya tinawagan ay baka mahimbing na siyang natutulog.
Ilang saglit ay kaunti na lang ang natitira sa bowl ko. Sa sobrang sarap kasi ay hindi ko na namalayan na marami na ang nakain ko. Isang scoop pa ang kinuha ko nang may maramdaman akong kakaiba. Mabilis akong napunta sa sink at doon na naman naduwal. This time, I cried because of the pain I had within my tummy and my throat to exert effort to p**e.
"What happened?"
I felt a soft hand massaging my back. Napalingon ako at nakita si Elisha na may pag-aalala sa mukha.
"It-throw up."
"Yan kasi e . . ."
Patuloy pa rin ako sa pagduwal kaya naman kumuha na si Elisha ng tubig sa refrigerator at inabot sa akin. Nahimasmahasan naman ako nang kaunti dahil doon. Nanghihina akong bumalik sa island counter habang sapo ang aking tiyan.
Elisha asked me if I am okay now, and I said yes. Tiningnan ko ang bowl ko kanina at nakitang hindi ko naubos ang ice cream. I suddenly lose all my appetite to finish that.
"Magpahinga ka na, ako na mag-aayos nito."
"Are you sure?" I said when I unexpectedly yawn. Oh damn! I can't be sleepy.
I still have paperwork to get done. Hindi ko iyon pwedeng ipagsabukas dahil maantala ang iba kong gagawin but I can't help but to yawn again.
"You better get some sleep. Kanina ka pa humihikab d'yan . . ." rinig kong sita ni Elisha matapos ang huli kong hikab. "Go ahead!" she added.
Wala akong nagawa kundi umalis doon at dumiretso sa kwarto ko. Bumungad sa akin ang mga dapat ko pa sanang gagawin pero hindi ko na kayang pigilan pa ang aking antok.
I did a quick shower and blow-dried my hair before getting laid. Inayos ko na lang din ang mga papeles sa aking mesa at nilagay sa isang folder ang lahat ng mga natapos at hindi pa tapos. I want my things organized first thing in the morning.
"It's not April Fool's Day today. I'm sure of that!"
Geordane looks at us with her hinky eyes. The centralized aircon from her office isn't enough for the beads of sweat formulating in my forehead. Nanatili ang tingin niya sa akin kaya mas lalo akong nag-iwas ng tingin.
Kanina ay nag-aalangan pa akong sumama rito sa plano ni Elisha na pumunta kay Geordane for my first ever checkup. I still have this fear that I might catch up, but Elisha assured me it wouldn't happen.
"You have your calendar right next to you, so malamang hindi," Elisha replied with her usual mean jokes.
I saw Geordane trying to sink everything in her head. I expected this kind of reaction to come from her.
"She tried the pregnancy test yesterday, and it's positive. Unluckily she forgot to bring it." Tumango naman ako bilang pagsang-ayon kay Elisha.
Mariing napapikit si Geordane bago tumayo. She went to a cabinet beside and got something. Pagbalik ay may dala na siyang isang maliit na box.
"Try this." She handed me the pregnancy kit.
Nagkatinginan pa kami ni Elisha at tumango siya sa akin. Kinuha ko ang PT at dumiretso sa banyo. Hindi pa rin talaga naniniwala si Geordane. I know she only wants the truth. Ewan ko ba kung bakit kapag si Elisha ang nangungunang magsalita hindi agad siya naniniwala.
After I tried and see the result for myself ay bumuntonghininga ako saka lumabas, I saw them stopped talking and give their attention to me. I handed the PT to Geordane and went back to my seat.
"Siguro naman maniniwala ka na?" I said while looking at her and how I witnessed the sudden change of her expression.
"Paanong . . . I m-mean kailan to—"
"Italian baby coming are the way!" putol ni Elisha.
Mas lalo lang naguluhan si Geordane sa sinabi niya kaya mariin akong napapikit. Is this right? Tama bang nandito ako ngayon?
"Remember when we invited you to go to Italy last month for the Art Expo?
Well, there it happened that Blythe got—"
"Eli!"
I stopped her. Baka mamaya foul words na naman lumabas sa bibig nitong babaeng ito. I warned her by just staring at her blankly. Nilingon ko lang si Geordane at napailing.
"I'm sorry, but I think it's the best choice na hindi na natin pag-usapan ang tungkol sa nangyari and most especially about the father of my baby," I said firmly. I saw how they were shocked upon hearing it.
Kung meron man akong itatago sa dalawang ito ay iyon ang tungkol sa nangyari sa Italy at sa kung sino ang ama ng dinadala ko. Pilit akong ngumiti sa kanila. Let's just say na hindi naman na bago ang magkaroon ng anak sa pagkadalaga o pagkakaroon ng anak na walang kinalakihang ama.
"I went here for the checkup, not for some interrogation," I clarified also.
Doon na natauhan ang dalawa at nagsiiwasan ng tingin. Elisha went to the sofa and got some magazines on the rack. Hinarap naman ako ni Geordane at sinimulan ang checkup.
"Alam na ba ni Bryce 'to?" she asked out of the blue.
Bigla naman akong natigilan. Parang nanikip ang dibdib ko nang maalala si Kuya. I can't help but be worried.
Umiling ako. "Hindi niya pwedeng malaman ito at wala kang sasabihin sa kanya tungkol dito, Dane!"
I sound scary by my last words but I mean it. Nakipagsukatan ako ng tingin sa kanya hanggang sa siya na mismo ang unang sumuko. I know she's not friends with Bryce anymore but I just want to be so sure. Kami ang magkaibigan ni Geordane at hindi malabong siya ang usisain ni Kuya kapag nakatunog iyon.
"You have my words, Blythe..." she said firmly.
Ngumiti lang ako. I know Geordane will keep her words. She always does. Napanatag na kahit paano ang loob ko sa sinabi niya.
She diverted the topic by asking me what I felt these past few days and when my last menstruation was. Nagbigay na rin ito ng mga dapat at hindi dapat na kainin ko for the first trimester since ito 'yong pinaka-crucial na buwan sa pagbubuntis.
Geordane also suggested na siya na lang ang pupunta sa akin during my checkup's para hindi maghinala ang assistant niya pati na rin si, Bryce.
"Be more careful now, medyo risky kasi dahil 3 weeks ka pa lang na buntis though you can still work but in moderation. Don't stress yourself din dahil pwede kang makunan anytime."
Inilahad nito ang isang reseta ng mga vitamins at isang yellow na papel kung saan nakasulat ang mga pagkaing dapat kong kainin everyday.
"Thanks, Geordane. I owe you this one," pasasalamat ko.
My lifestyle will totally change. Isang malaking challenge ito para sa akin knowing I love having some extreme sports. Pero, okay lang as long as magiging okay kaming pareho ng baby ko.
"You're welcome. Basta 'pag may naramdaman kang masakit sa tiyan o kahit ano pa man, especially when you're having morning sickness. Don't hesitate to call me" paalala pa niya which I responded with my head nodding to her.
After this, I'll go to the supermarket to buy my food supply and the vitamins Dane listed. I'm somewhat happy because we saw each other and complete. These past few months, ay naging busy kaming tatlo dahil sa kanya-kanyang trabaho mostly requires the three of us to go for an out-of-the-country business trip.
In the middle of the conversation, unexpected news flashed on the flat-screen TV, which shocked us.
Geordane accidentally dropped the water bottle she was holding.
- Writer
