My Favorite Crime (ENG-FIL)

Kabanata 5

Bakit siya pa ang nakasalubong ko?

Nang nasirado niya ang pinto sa kan'yang likod ay mabilis kong nakuha ang atens'yon niya.

Instead na umalis ako roon, bigla akong natigilan at nakipagtitigan sa kan'ya—bagay na hindi ko alam kung ba't ko pa ginawa. Nakatingala ko 'yong ginawa dahil sa tangkad niya.

Napahakbang ako paatras nang nakitang humakbang siya palapit sa akin. Humila paitaas ang sulok ng kan'yang labi sa aking ginawa.

It was just a simple act but it caused annoyance throughout my system. I really don't like his guts.

Dagli kong binaling sa harap ang aking tingin. I don't like how his penetrating eyes gazed at me.

Sinimulan ko ang muling paghakbang ngunit natigil din 'agad nang nagsalita siya.

"Avoiding me 'cause you can't handle it?"

Pinagsasabi ng lalaking 'to? I pondered.

"Ano'ng sinasabi mo?" Nilingon ko siya na may kunot sa aking noo.

He shrugged his shoulder. "Something's telling me you don't like me."

"Oh, I really don't," kaagad kong sinabi at peke akong ngumiti.

But it didn't affect him. At all. It was like 'yon talaga ang gusto niyang mangyari. Baliw talaga ang lalaking 'to. I'm sure.

Kaagad akong na-alarma nang napansin ang paghakbang niya ng dalawang beses palapit sa akin. Tumigil din 'agad pagkatapos na kinahinga ko nang maluwag.

Ano ba talaga'ng balak ng lalaking 'to? I wondered.

"You're really giving me enough thrill to go after you, you know that?" aniya na hindi ko man lang inasahan.

Mababa ang tono ng kan'yang pananalita, ngunit nagbigay iyon ng labis na kaba sa akin. Dahil na rin sa sinabi niya na may malalim na kahulugan kaya ko rin naramdaman ang pagdagundong ng dibdib ko sa takot. Tuluyan akong napako sa aking kinatatayuan at napakurap ng dalawang beses.

I knew what he meant. It means no matter how I disgust this man, no matter how I showed him that I hated his presence, he won't walk away 'cause it made him even more delighted. The fact that he couldn't have me pleased him.

Hindi iyon mahirap alamin at intindihin base na rin sa mga sinasabi niya at kung paano siya mag-react sa mga sinasabi ko.

This man was unbelievable! He didn't know what giving up means.

I gathered all my strength and took a deep breath. I couldn't let this man get satisfied with his words. Kung akala niya ay katulad ako sa mga babaeng nakuha na niya noon, mali siya. He didn't even know how I feel lucky with Gab already.

"I'm sorry but I won't fall for your trap, mister. I'm in love with someone else and you can't change that," I hissed and looked daggers at him.

"It's fine, it takes time, I know," he replied casually and took a sip from the bottle of beer he was holding while his eyes were still on mine.

He was totally unbothered of what I just said. And it was pissing me off.

Umawang ang bibig ko sa kan'yang sinabi, lalong hindi makapaniwala. Mas lalong hindi ako makapaniwala na binibigyan ko ng atens'yon ang mga pinagsasabi niya na in the first place ay hindi ko naman talaga dapat ginawa. Sina-sayang lang ng lalaking 'to ang oras ko.

"Go play with someone else, count me out," mariin kong wika at tuluyan siyang tinalikuran, mabibigat ang mga yapak na aking ginagawa habang papalayo sa kan'ya.

But before I could finally walk away from him, I heard him chuckled as he says, "you don't even know what could happen."

INIHATID kaming dalawa ni Althea ni Kuya Jacob pauwi gamit ang sasakyan niya nang natapos kami sa group study namin.

Alas diyes na iyon ng gabi at wala ng mga bisita sa bahay nila. Tahimik na ang kaninang maingay na tahanan. Tanging mga tira-tirang pagkain at mga gamit na ginamit kanina ang makikita. Ang kanina ring maingay na karaoke ay wala ng kuma-kanta.

Malalim na rin kasi ang gabi at mapupuna na rin ng kapitbahay kung magpapatuloy ang kasiyahan.

Pagkahatid ni Kuya Jacob sa bahay namin ay naka-off na ang lights ng bahay maliban sa main door. Mabuti na lang at t-in-ext ko si Mama kanina at in-inform siya na nasa kina Joanna ako dahil birthday ng pinsan niya at nag-group study na rin pagkatapos.

When I finished half bathing, I threw myself on the bed, face first.

"What a long day," I mumbled against my white and fluffy pillow.

I remembered Gab and planned to send him a message, but before I could do that, my phone beeped.

Nang tiningnan ko iyon na nakatagilid ang mukha ay message iyon galing sa kan'ya. A tired smile crept into my lips as I turned around and lie on my back.

From: Babe

Just got home, babe. Sa café ko tinapos lahat ng mga kailangan kong gawin.

When I was about to send him a reply, my phone rang. It was a call from him.

Mabilis kong pinindot ang green button at idinikit ang phone sa kanang tainga, malawak ang ngiti.

"Hey, there," bati ko sa kan'ya.

With his deep and tired voice, he replied, "I missed your voice."

I slightly giggled. Dumagdag pa sa kilig ko ang kan'yang boses. Parang musika sa aking tainga ang kan'yang boses kahit halatang pagod na pagod iyon.

"I missed you, too." I bit my lower lip as I stared at the dim ceiling, stopping myself from smiling like an idiot. But love really makes you into one.

"How's your day?" tanong niya. Narinig ko ang kan'yang pagbagsak sa kama na may kasamang pagdaing.

"Nakakapagod, malapit na ang midterm exam namin so triple ang pagsu-sunog namin ng kilay," I stated and let out a soft chuckle afterwards. "Pumunta rin kami kina Joanna, birthday ng pinsan niya, nag-group study din kami pagkatapos," kaswal kong dagdag, piniling 'wag na i-k'wento ang parteng kung saan pine-peste ako no'ng Jude na 'yon.

He's not worth mentioning, though. And he's no big deal.

Tumawa si Gab sa kabilang linya. Pati ang pagtawa niya ay halatang pagod din, pero ang sarap ding pakinggan nang paulit-ulit.

"Bet Joanna was the one who decided about the group study, huh?" sigurado niyang sambit na kinahalakhak ko.

He really knows Joanna, too. He knows how dedicated Joanna is as much as he knows how playful Althea is on the other side. I am like in between.

"You're right, siya naman talaga ang pinakamasipag sa aming tatlo," tugon ko sa kan'yang sinabi.

Naghari ang katahimikan sa pagitan namin ng ilang segundo. I can clearly hear his stable deep breaths against his phone screen. Even those breaths were almost perfect tune to my ears.

I know he's not yet asleep, he was just there. We were just savoring our moment even in between of this long silence. And hindi pa naman nangyari na siya ang nauna sa pagtulog.

Sa tatlong taon namin, he never sleep first. Kahit pagod na pagod siya—na hindi naman niya sinasabi sa akin—mine-make sure niya na ako ang unang natutulog sa aming dalawa 'pag nagc-call kami.. Though minsan ay hindi niya alam na siya ang nauuna.

Sa t'wing napapansin kong pagod na pagod talaga siya at ayaw niya pa ring matulog kasi gising pa ako, I'd tell him na matutulog na ako so he should be sleeping, too. Pero minsan hindi totoong natutulog na ako, ang totoo'y tinatapos ko ang mga kailangang tapusin bago tuluyang matulog.

He's just so stubborn that I can't make him sleep unless he knows I'm sleeping first.

Minute passed and we were still silent. Hindi ko maiwasang mapangiti, it makes me happy knowing he's just there. Even we were apart.

"I love you," he broke the silence unexpectedly.

My heart skipped a beat, next thing I knew, it beats faster than how it should be beating normally. My heart just thumped in joy, knowing it's been in peace for a very long time and in safe hands already.

I can feel my cheeks burning that I held my left cheek just to feel its hotness. Kagat-labi akong ngumiti at tumango kahit alam kong hindi niya iyon nakita.

God, thank you for this man.

"I love you, too." I breathed as I held my unstable chest.