Puhon, Tayo

NOON: Chapter 2

The sun is beaming up above shining as brightly as a galaxy full of stars. I don’t mind the heat because the person walking next to me emits more hotness than the sun above us. His heat, are small feet crawling under my skin, heading straight to the depths of my heart. 

Nakarating kami sa isang café na kaharap ng Public Lagoon. I sit on the table while waiting for Tanner. He offers to order and asks me to just wait for him. Lihim akong napangiti pero may konting kaba rin.

Tama bang sumama ako sa kanya? I basically know the guy for only thirty minutes!

Pagkatapos naming mag-order, nagpasya kaming lumabas at maglakad-lakad sa lagoon. I’m happily sipping my wintermelon milk tea while enjoying the sight of carefree kids running around the fountain.

“So, tell me more about yourself,” biglang sambit ni Tanner at bumaling sa akin. Kailangan ko pang tumingala nang kaunti para mapagmasdan siya. I think he’s three inches taller than me, I stand five feet and seven inches.

“There’s nothing interesting about me, though. Uhm… I love to collect vinyl records, obviously. I’m allergic to coffee but I love the smell of it. I’m a red belter in Taekwondo. Hmm… aside from that I think wala naman nang interesting tungkol sa akin.” I sip on my drink and look up to him. He’s eagerly listening to me, like he’s very interested to my every word.

“Everything you said interests me, though. I would love to see you flexing your Taekwondo skills,” he says nonchalant. My heart triples its beat. Smooth! As if naman magkikita pa kami pagkatapos ng araw na ito.

“Your turn.”

“Uhm… I’m Filipino-American, obviously. My mom’s American and my dad’s Filipino. Though, one-fourth of my blood’s Spanish since my father has Spanish blood. Kakauwi ko lang galing New Jersey and I’m staying here maybe for good. I love football, I play guitar and I also love skateboards.” He’s not afraid to tell all details about him. Does he trust a stranger like me? Weird!

“I love skateboards too! I actually have one. Sometimes at weekends, I play at the park in our city with my classmates.”

“Really? We could go next time. Turuan kita ibang tricks.”

He’s really certain about seeing me again. Hindi na ako nagsalita pa, tumango na lang ako at binigay ang atensyon sa iniinom.

My heart’s reacting wildly every time our hands touch. Konti na lang, mawawalan na yata ako ng hininga.

Umupo kami sa bench na kaharap ng fountain. Natatawa habang pinagmamasdan ang mga batang nagpapahabol sa lumalabas na tubig mula sa ground. Maraming butas sa ground at doon lumalabas ang mga water fountain. Minsan sabay-sabay na nagsisilabasan ang mga tubig, minsan naman pasulpot-sulpot kaya inaapakan ng mga bata ang mga butas at nagsisipagtakbo kapag nakikiliti ang paa nila ng papalabas na tubig.

Nagulat ako nang bigla akong hatakin ni Tanner patayo at dinala sa gitna ng fountain. Nakikigulo rin siya sa mga bata. Pero ang buong atensyon ko ay nasa magkahawak naming mga palad.

Is it possible to get comfortable with a stranger you just met? Because Tanner’s giving me a sense of security and contentment right now. My heart seems happy.

Or maybe this is a false sense of security. My teen hormones just overreacting.

Napasigaw ako at napabitaw kay Tanner nang biglang maramdaman ang kiliti ng papalabas na tubig sa paa ko. Tanner looks down on me with a wide grin in his handsome face.

“No!” I shout when I realize that he’s about to take his feet from the hole. And he does! Kaya huli na nang makatakbo ako. Nabasa ako ng tubig.

Sigaw ako nang sigaw habang umiiwas sa nagsisulputang tubig. Siya namang tawa ni Tanner sa sitwasyon ko. Ang layo pa ng uuwian ko!

“You’re enjoying this, huh!” Hindi pwedeng ako lang ang mabasa ‘no kaya hinatak ko siya papalapit sa akin pero hindi ko inaasahan ang impact at momentum naming dalawa kaya nadulas ako.

My hand automatically reaches for something to hold on to and it happens that Tanner is close to me so I grab his shirt.

“Oh-oh!”

I close my eyes anticipating for a hard fall but soft tender arms sneak around my waist. I slowly open my eyes and is face to face with Tanner’s handsome face. I had a closer look at his entire face. He has thick brows and long lashes. His nose is that of a perfectly sculpted Greek god. Pointed and slender. Those eyes, those coffee brown eyes that evoke thousands of emotions but are guarded, calculated, as if he is afraid to give everything away. 

Now that we are inches from each other, he smells of ocean breeze and green trees wet from a sudden rainfall. His poignant smell enveloped me into a warm embrace.

Our eyes meet again. I could feel his heavy breathing touching my neck. Bigla namang nagsitayuan ang balahibo sa batok ko. He looks at my eyes intently then his gaze travels down to my lips.

A-anong iniisip niya? am I anticipating for a kiss? Heck! I am!

“Eres mi alma gemela.”

I don’t understand a word that he said but my heart insanely reacts to his words. Oh, dear God. His voice is as sexy as hell but it is much more sexier when he speaks Spanish.  

He’s eager to close the distance between us and I can’t wait to finally feel his lips to mine, my eyes automatically snap close.

I can finally have my first kiss! But I’m only sixteen!

I am now transported to the softest cloud nine in the universe. But when I’m about to finally lock my lips with his, my phone rings.

 ‘Syete’t kalahati!’

Umayos kami ng tayo. Tumikhim siya nang malakas samantalang hindi naman ako makatingin ng diretso sa kanya. Agad kong kinuha ang cellphone ko at sinagot ang tawag.

[“Kora, nasaan ka na? Nandito ako sa labas ng Shop. Uwi na tayo, anak.”]

“O-opo, Papa. Papunta na po ako diyan.” Agad kong binulsa ang cellphone bago bumaling sa katabi ko.

“I-I have to go,” nauutal na sambit ko at nagmamadaling tumakbo paalis.

“Kora, wait! Can I at least have your number!” sigaw niya pero hindi na ako lumingon pa.

Nakakahiya naman kasi! Kung hindi tumawag si Papa, nag PDA pa kami. Syet, ang landi ko!

Pagkarating ko sa shop agad kong nakita ang nakaparadang Lexus ni Papa kaya pumasok na ako sa passenger seat.

“O, bakit basa ka?” Agad naman akong napatingin sa sarili ko. I’m soaking wet!

“Papa kasi, pumunta ako sa lagoon, may… u-uhm… mga batang tumulak sa akin sa fountain…” pagsisinungaling ko.

White lies. Wala namang masama sa whie lies. Though, lies are still lies. Ngayon lang po ito. Pramis, ‘di na mauulit.

“Uuwi na rin naman tayo pero malayo ang byahe baka magkasakit ka. Dadaan na lang tayo sa mall at bimibili ng pamalit mo. So, nasaan ang binili mo?”

Napatawid ako ng upo nang maalala ang vinyl records ko. Pinatong ko iyon sa bench kanina!

Si Tanner talaga! Hindi ko alam kung maganda o masama ba ang naging dulot niya sa akin ngayon araw na ito.

I almost lost my first kiss but the saddest fact is, I lost my Bee Gees vinyl records and my one-month savings.

Argh!

“Wala po akong nakita, eh.” Another lie.

Iba ang nahanap ko. But he also slips away. Double argh!

He could have translated the words that he said to me. I could not erase the look in his eyes when he said those words to me. It’s as if he’s declaring his love.

Love agad? Hmm. My heart’s bewitched but confused.