All Over Again

CHAPTER 39: Be With Me

Venice's POV

Sumasabay sa pagkanta si Jerwin dun sa music sa radio. Usually, naaliw ako pag naririnig kong kumakanta si Jerwin habang nagdrrive. Feeling ko may singing-driver ako pero dahil nababagabag ang kaluluwa ko ngayon, masyado akong absent-minded para i-mind yung pagkanta niya. Pinapanood ko ang yung mga nag-sswoosh by dun sa bintana as we drive through the late night streets. Bigla lang akong natauhan nang nakita kong nag-swoosh din yung kalye papunta sa bahay ko. O_o

Ako: Sunshine.. lumagpas ka na.

Jerwin: No, I didn't.

Ako: Anong "no I didn't"? Eh ayun na nga uung kalye pauwi oh! O_O

Jerwin: Who said anything about going to your house?

Ako: Eh san tayo pupunta?

He suddenly turned to glance at me, and then he winked. He winked at me. O_o

Jerwin: It's a surprise.

Ayy si Kuya! Pa-cute! Dahil mukhang nasa good mood si Kuya, pinagbigyan ko na.. Baka ma-offend, itapon akong bigla sa ilog..

We drove for about 20 more minutes, until finally, nag-park na si Jerwin dun sa curb. I looked around. It's dark and quiet... and di ko alam kung anong ginagawa namin dito.

Jerwin: C'mon. Let's go.

He jumped out of the truck, and sumunod naman ako. Tinignan ko ung building na nasa harap namin. Light blue gate. White walls.. decent- looking yard..

It's a house.

Ako: May binibisita tayo?? Nang ganitong oras??

Jerwin just laughed. Ano naman kaya katawa-tawa sa tanong ko? -.-

Jerwin: Just follow me.

He grabbed my hand and naglakad kami papunta dun sa gate. He punched some numbers dun sa numeric keypad na nakadikit sa poste nung gate. Siguro close friend nya ung nakatira dun kaya alam nya pati yung security code nung gate... -__-

The gate opened and we walked in. Madilim. Isang porch light na nandun sa may front door ang automatic na nag-turn on. Naglagay pa ng ilaw, yung pinto lang pala ang iilawan. Jerwin led me sa narrow path papunta sa door. When we got there, he let go of my hand and fished something out of his pocket.

Susi.

May susi pa si kuya nung pinto. Pinasok nya yung susi, but before opening the door, he turned around and looked at me.

Jerwin: Close your eyes.

Ako: Eh?!

Jerwin: I told you, it's a surprise. Now, close your eyes.

Ako: Psh. Ang drama naman nito. Buksan mo na lang kaya.

Jerwin: Do you really want to ruin this for me?

Ay ma-drama. Ano bang nakain nito ngayong araw na 'to at sagad-sagad ang topak?!?

Ako: Fine.

I shut my eyes closed.

Jerwin: You sure wala ka nang nakikita?

Ako: Yes, I'm sure. Can we just get this done and over with? Some kind of malamig ang wind 'no..

Narinig ko na medyo nag-rattle yung keys and then silence..

-__-

>__Ano baaa?! May kung anong surprise party ba sa

loob?!?

*gasp!*

--Or could it be na binebenta nya ko sa friend nya?!?!

ABAH! I need to know--kung gwapo ba yung pinagbebentahan nya sa'kin! Nyahahaha xD I cracked open one eye, isaaang maliit na silip--Bigla akong napamulat WIDE OPEN nang nakita ko ang nasa harap ko!

Ako: W-W-W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!

O_O

Jerwin's face was just inches away from mine! I stumbled backwards sa sobrang gulat -- buti na lang nahawakan ako ni Jerwin sa braso; otherwise, bumagsak na ko dun sa d**o.

Jerwin: Be careful!

Ako: Eh kasi naman!!! Ano bang ginagawa mo?!?

Binitawan ako bigla ni Jerwin nung napansin nyang bumalik na ang sense of balance ko. Then, he focused his eyes somewhere else. And is his face flaming red or what?!?! O__O

Jerwin: I-- I was just checking kung wala ka na talagang nakikita! Don't get the wrong idea!

Ako: Ch-Ch-Checking?!? Nandito na yung mukha mo! Dito! Dito!

Nilagay ko yung kamay ko a few inches from my face para bigyan ng emphasis ung distance--"distance" pa ba ang tawag kung hindi naman distant yung layo niya?!?! na sinasabi ko.

Jerwin: Oh relax. It's not like I was gonna kiss you.

Ako: *gasp* You were gonna kiss me, weren't you?!?! O.O

Jerwin: W-What?!?

Ako: Then anong ginagawa nung face mo dito?!? dito?!? dito oh!!!

I held up my hand again dun sa kung gano kalayo yung face niya kanina.

Jerwin: I told you! Tinitignan ko lang kung nakapikit talaga yung mata mo. Anyway, can we get back to what we were doing!?

Ako: You want to get back to kissing me?!?!

Jerwin: I told you, I wasn't gonna kiss you!

Ako: Eh "get back" to what?!?

Jerwin: To closing your eyes! The surprise isn't gonna wait forever, you know?!?

Ako: Oh.. hahaha

Ahyan.. Kasi naman.. Relax ka lang, Venice..

Ako: Ayoko na. Baka pag sinarado ko nanaman yung mata ko, baka ma-r**e mo na ko 'no.

Jerwin: Ha. Akala mo naman, r**e material ka?

Ako: What's that supposed to mean? -__-

Jerwin: Aish. Fine. Suit yourself.

He turned his back tapos, and finally, binuksan niya na yung door. Ako naman si curious, silip kagad sa loob kung anong meron. Madilim.. Walang party?

Ako: And...?

Pumasok si Jerwin sa loob. He turned on the lights. Wala talagang tao. Oooohhh... The place is huge and pretty kahit walang laman. Wait. Bakit siya pasok ng pasok?!

Jerwin: Ano pang tinatayo mo dyan? Pumasok ka na.

Ako: Aren't we trespassing?? Di ba tayo makukulong nito!??

Jerwin: Geez..

He stepped out again and stood beside me, staring at the inside of the house.

Jerwin: Don't you get it yet? This is the surprise.

Ako: Huh?

Jerwin: Your mom doesn't want you to live alone anymore. And since I'm your very responsible and sensible fiancé, I promised her I'd take care of you.

Ako: Uh-huh.... -___-

Jerwin: Ayoko na rin naman tumira ka dun sa bahay na yun mag-isa. That house is in plain view of the public. Walang security dun sa neighborhood. Pano na lang kung may biglang mang-stalk syo?

Ako: Bakit naman may mang-iistalk sa'kin? O__O

Jerwin: Are you forgetting who your fiancé is?

Ako: Iba rin ang hangin mo ngayon 'no? So anong ginagawa natin dito?

Jerwin: *sigh* Really..... You'll be living here from now!

O____O

Napatingin ako bigla dun sa bahay sa harap ko.

Ako?!?

Dito?!?!

House?!?

Bahay?!?

Ako: You bought me a house!?!?

Jerwin: No. I'm just renting the house.

Ako: You rented me a house?!!?

Jerwin: I rented us a house.

"Us"!??

Ako: Dito ka rin titira?!?

Jerwin: Aba syempre! Ang tagal-tagal ko nang tinitignan 'tong bahay na 'to 'no. Sabit ka lang.

Ako: But what would your fans think?? And your parents?

Jerwin: My parents are okay with it. And the fans? I don't think they'd mind. We're engaged, anyways.

Ako: But.. O__O Di ba nga, statistically, mas malaki ang possibility na mag-eend sa divorce ang mga couples na nag-co-cohabitate bago magpakasal?

Jerwin: *chuckles* Ahh.. so you're worried about what would happen when we get married?

Ako: I didn't say we're getting married Nagtatanong lang ako 'no.

Ano ba naman yang pinagtatanong mo, Venice? Mapapahamak ka n'yan eh.

Ako: *gulp* We... We wouldn't be sleeping in the same bed... right?

Jerwin: Of course not! This house has two bedrooms. Unless.. you want to sleep in the same bed. I'm sure we can work something out.

Ako: Ulol! Di na 'no!

Pumasok ako dun sa loob ng bahay para mag-explore -- at takasan na rin ang smirk sa mukha ni Jerwin. It's a charming house. Spacious and may homey na aura.. I started walking around the place, kasunod si Jerwin na sinasabi ung plano n'yang gawin dun sa mga kwarto na nilalakaran namin..

Jerwin: It's a nice house, right? Your mom went wild when she saw this place.

Ako: My mom knows?!?

Jerwin: Yep. She even picked out the furniture. Took her time choosing everything too.. *sigh*

Ay.. parang nag-rreminisce ng masakit na past si kuya..

Ako: Nasan na yung mga furniture?

Jerwin: They'll deliver most of it tomorrow.

Ako: Oh.. okay.. So.. My mom wasn't really planning on taking me to the States, was she?

Jerwin: Nope. She's leaving you here. With me.

I wonder if that was a good idea. -___- Nakaikot na kami sa first floor. The kitchen is fully equipped. The living room is vast. The dining room is pretty big too. There's a patio in the back--sabi ni Jerwin, maglalagay raw siya ng swing chair dun. The backyard isn't that large, pero maraming flowers--alagaan ko raw mabuti -- ginawa pa akong gardener. -__- There's a half bathroom dun sa may hallway, and across from that is a closet para sa mga jacket or something.

Ako: What's upstairs?

Jerwin: The bedrooms. One full bathroom. A storage closet. Wanna go see?

I nodded.

The more we roamed in the place, the more na nag-bbuilt up yung excitement ko. I'll be living here.

Ako: Sunshine. When are you planning to move in?

Jerwin: As soon as possible. Maybe the day after tomorrow.. Hmmm.. What do you think?

The day after tomorrow... Ayun ung araw bago umalis si mom. That'd be reasonable.

Ako: Sounds good.

I looked around the room, which is to be my bedroom. Look at the size of this thing! And a walk-in closet!

Jerwin: So--you're really moving in with me?

Ako: Yeah-ha!

I was feeling ecstatic then... I never imagined the mess that single move can create.