SEE YOU

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Joreign, who was left alone at the rooftop after Cluvin stormed off after saying his bye, started wondering of how she can make lyrics fitting for the song that Cluvin just sang. It made her mind busy with thoughts of many. Like how come he wrote such a sad song? and how would she continue the song if she were the one who wrote it. Based from Joreign's analysis earlier, the song wasn't finished, more like it was just made.

After a while, Joreign finally came down and headed straight to her room...to take a bath. While bathing, still on her mind were possible lyrics to the song along with melodies and rhythm. She suddenly wondered why she got the urge earlier to speak first when in fact, she rarely, almost never initiate a conversation. Unless of course, a conversation is needed. But mostly, she only initiates when its for business and the case earlier clearly wasn't for business. It was pure interest. She usually don't get along with people, with men to be specific but for some reason she was the first to make a move.

After matapos ni Joreign mag ayos sa kaniyang sarili ay nanatili muna siya sa kaniyang kuwarto para magpaka-busy sa paggawa nang mga lyrics. Inilapit niya sa kaniya ang kaniyang gitara pati na rin ang papel at ballpen na kakailanganin niya. It may not look like it, but Joreign was a logophile, a writing enthusiast. She was even part of a journalism club back when she was still studying. Her love for poems, essays, and composing was embedded greatly on her heart. And as someone who is invested on focusing on herself, music was a big part of her life as it gave her a way to express all feelings in hiding.

Isn't it just amazing how letters can turn to words and those words becomes your comfort?

Joreign's POV

?And it bleeds

this heart of glass

rose thorned in the past

scars here meant to last, stay

?Oh, it hurts when they fill you up and empty your cup

the days when you smile and raise your hands up above

only to end separate ways, falling apart

only to wound each others heart aching for trust

?And wind blows from time to time

storm clouds paint the sky

rain drops can never hide

a man ruined inside, oh

but there goes the end

after thunder, light shines again

clouds a little less heavy

sets out to find a friend, to find itself

"Shet! ang galing!" excite na excite ako nung naka-buo na ako nang verse at chorus. Nadugtungan ko na yung last part nung kanta. And i'm so proud of myself kasi, these were the words I long to say to my younger self too. To my lost self. I smiled nung nakuntento na ako pero bigla akong napatayo nung naalala ko na yung phone ko pala ay nasa rooftop! Umulan kasi bigla! Ano bayan!

Rush na rush ako sa pinto pero naistatwa naman ako nang makita ko yung lalaki na nakatayo sa may pinto habang nakadikit pa yung tenga niya, parang spy ganon. Sabay kaming nagulat at umiwas nang tingin sa isa't isa. This is freaking awkward!

"Uhm." sinenyasan ko siya na tumabi kasi naulan na nga kasi! shocks! buti at na-gets naman niya kaya dali dali akong tumakbo sa taas. Ayan kasi eh! kakaisip ko kanina nang lyrics nakalimutan kong nakapatong nga pala 'yon sa may upuan.

Nang makita ko yung phone ko na hindi pa ganoong nababasa bigla akong nakahinga nang maluwag. Agad kong binuhay ang screen and thankfully ay gumana naman ito. Itinapat ko ang phone sa dibdib ko sabay habol sa hininga ko kanina, aba bigla ba naman na-exercise yung puso ko! ang bilis nang t***k eh.

Mahalaga kasi sa akin 'tong phone na 'to kasi ito yung huling bigay sa akin ni Lola at Lolo na regalo bago sila lumisan dito sa mundo. Kaya talagang malaki ang sentimental value nito sa'kin. Maski nga maliit na mga letters nila, or kahit nung mga kaibigan ko noon ay nasa akin parin 'till now. I love keeping things, they keep the memories of those moments alive. At kila Lola at Lolo, even though wala na sila, with this phone and all of the things they taught me...they will always be engraved close in my heart.

"Hay! akala ko kasali ako sa marathon kanina ah? hindi ako na-inform na ang bilis kong tumakbo HAHAHA." Napatawa-tawa na lang ako habang kinakausap ko 'yung sarili ko. Na-iimagine ko kasi yung pagtakbo ko kanina at talagang nawala ang poise ko. Nakakahiya!

I was in high spirits nang makababa from the rooftop 'cause well I just had a dose of dopamine because of myself. Nakangiti pa ako niyan kasi tagumpay ko'ng na-retrieve ang aking precious phone. Pero agad din namang napa poker face nang makita kong nag-aabang parin yung lalaki sa may pinto. Kahit ang awkward ay lumapit ako.

"Hey..." he awkwardly started, he was standing while his body was pretty tense. Is he nervous?

"Hi." I greeted back. O-kay? this is still awkward. Get me out of this situation now.

"I uhh,"

"Yes?"

"Heard you singing, earlier."

"Oh ahm, sorry was I disturbing you or some-"

"No!" he cut me off. That was new? he kinda shouted kasi. But in a cute way.

"Really? Cute?" I scoffed in my mind.

"Actually I was wondering if we could, you know..." maya't maya na niyang pinagkikiskis yung kuko niya at namumula na naman siya. Hindi naman mainit ah? foreigners nga naman oh.

"Bring your guitar and meet me downstairs, we can jam at the living room...if that's what you were implying?" finally he smiled. Is it just me or is he imitting a golden retriever aura?

"Yeah! of course." he stormed off again. And I went back inside my room to get my guitar too.

"What just happened?" I mumbled.

"You barely know the guy tapos ngayon, ano-- jam kamo? Sira ka ba?" and yes, I was talking to my dumb self. Don't laugh at me. This is normal. Aminin niyong kinaka-usap niyo rin sarili niyo minsan.

***

"So, about the song earlier..." we were both on the living room floor with our guitar on hand. He even brought the crumpled papers I pointed out. We had just finished half of the song and now we're just, I don't know...trying to know each other better?

"You have a lovely voice." Panimula niya. He was holding a pen and paper when he spoke.

"Is that a compliment?" I jokingly said.

"Yes, you...don't believe me?"

"Well, do I have a reason to? I don't even know your name."

"Cluvin. It's Cluvin Von Quilton, but you can call me however you like. And...you?"

"Joreign Solem Meraki." I simply said.

"To do something with soul."

"Huh?"

"Its pretty." he said while staring directly at me.

"My name? well yeah, my Dad gave me that surname." wala akong ibang masabi bukod d'yan. After staring at me like that, how can I possibly come up with words?

"Anyways, can I ask about the song?" cautiously I was meaning to switch topic. In the first place I was curious of the song because the song kind of got me connected to itself. At some point, I felt related.

I saw him paused writing for awhile and nodded.

"What do you want to know?"

"Did you write that?"

He chuckled softly. "Yeah? I'm pretty sure you saw the crumpled papers on the floor."

"What was the reason you wrote it then?" this time he placed the paper and the pen on the floor and faced me. I wonder if I hit the wrong spot?

"Well, y'know I was curious but it's okay if you-"

"Because I was mad." he stated.

He looked down for a second and fixated his sight out the window. It was still raining so its a bit chilly here. But it was the kind of weather that I love the most. Moon lights entered the room in the midst of the rain. It was just me and him in the living room surrounded by the sound of raindrops.

"I'm mad at myself for not protecting what was mine." Hindi ko alam pero yung mga salitang binitawan niya reminded me of the feelings I felt back then. Its like we both went through the same thing under different circumstances.

"Was it a song?"

"Yeah, but to me it wasn't just about the song. It was trust. The things I gave to belong, when in the first place there wasn't a space for me all along. I thought I could have their trust by just simply giving mine and yet here I am..."

"Trust, afterall, wasn't enough." He put his hand back down and stared at nothing. Lost in his crowded thoughts while his hands ruffles his hair and his eyes looking a little dim.

"So, you shouldn't trust too easily like me Jo..." Jo?

Funny how we was giving me a piece of advice about trust when it was years ago that I got a harsh reality check unabling me to ever put my trust in someone anymore. I don't want to belittle his pain cause its different for anybody but, i'm pretty sure this can't be compared to what I had gone through.

Trust is something you can easily give but when broken, it becomes something you can never have. I looked at him who was silently seated on the floor.

"Should I trust you?" I asked. When I look at him, I have this feeling as if i'm looking at my younger self, going through the same thing. He kinda makes me wanna comfort him like how I would comfort my younger self.

"I may be naive often times, I may trust someone too easily," he closed his eyes. "but I'd never break someone else's trust." He opened his eyes and raised his hands just above his head as if he's blocking the moon light.

He took a deep breath before he said, "'Cause I know how it feels when people take my trust for granted."

This time ako naman ang napa-ngiti. Not because the weather was nice, not because his story was laughable...but because I think I can finally take a leap and put my trust unto someone. Someone who knows the value of trust all too well.

Someone...like Vin.