All Over Again

CHAPTER 28: Talk to Me

Jerwin's POV

The next day started a little busier than we all would have wanted, pero anong magagawa namin. Eh last day na namin 'to, balik sa real world nanaman kami bukas.

Mr. Gordon and I discussed a few other projects for the following month. Venice stayed in our room, trying to finish a paper due the next day. Anthony and Sheena are preparing our things for our trip back home later.

Nung natapos kami ni Mr. Gordon, the duffel bags are already by the door, at nasa beach na sina Sheena at si Anthony. Susunod na sana ako nung naalala kong nasa kwarto pa yata si Venice -- nagpapaka-dakilang estudyante. So I decided to see if she needs anything or kung patapos na siya..

I slowly opened the door and peeked inside.. Venice is sitting on the bed with the laptop on her lap.

Titig na titig sya dun sa screen..

Dinidibdib talaga ang pag-aaral..

Ako: Hey, Venice...

She looked up.

-__-

?__?

O__O

She's crying?!?

Why is she crying?!?

Napatakbo akong bigla sa tabi niya. Anong iniiyakan niya?!?

Ako: What's wrong? Na-sstressed ka na ba sa ginagawa mo?

Venice: *sniff* Kasi.... Kasi...

Inikot nya yung laptop para iharap sa'kin. Lumipat yung tingin ko dun sa screen sa screen na supposedly eh MS Word..... hindi YouTube.

Ako: Aren't you supposed to be doing homework?

-__-

Venice: *sniff* I finished kanina. Sunshine, look mo ohh~

Tinuro nya yung video. The title says "Because I'm A Girl -- Kiss"..

What am I looking at here? -__-

Venice: They were so happy together.. Tapos.. Nabulag yung girl, Sunshine.. Tapos sobrang na-guilty yung guy.. He finally decided to give her his eyes.. tapos tapos.. *sniff* Ang miserable nilang dalawa.. Tapos nakita nung girl ulit yung guy after some time.. Na-realize nya yung nangyari, kung kaninong mata yung na-donate sa kanya...Sunshine.. ang sad nung story..

And this is coming from someone whose boyfriend died..

I looked at the video..

It's a total chick flick..

Ako: Bakit ka umiiyak?

Venice: Kasi nga ang sad! Ikaw ba, Sunshine, pag ako ba nabulag, ibibigay mo rin sa'kin yung mata mo?

Ako: Adik ka ba? -__-

Venice: Eh pag na-amputate yung legs ko, i-ddonate mo ba yung legs mo para sa'kin?

Ako: I'm pretty sure that's not how things work.

Pak!

Ako: AW! What?!?

Venice: Wala ka man lang i-ssacrifice na body part para sa'kin?!?

Ako: I love my body parts. Maghanap ka na lang sa Body Parts Bank or whatever.

Venice: Ang damot mo.

Ako: It's just... weird. Hinihingi mo na kagad yung mga body parts ko.. I'm still alive, you know?

Sinarado niya yung laptop and put it back dun sa bag. Then she went to her luggage and pulled out a swimsuit, then dire-diretso lang siya na lumabas..

Dinedma na ko..

O__O

Later...

Ako: Are you still ignoring me?

I followed Venice out to the beach. She hasn't spoken a single word since we went out of the villa. Kahit nung nahihirapan syang maglagay ng sunblock sa likod niya, di pa rin ako pinansin. Sheena eventually came and helped her put sunblock on her back. Now, she's quietly lying on the beach blanket, her eyes covered by sunglasses..

STILL not saying anything..

Sheena: What's going on?

Ako: She's ignoring me coz I won't give her my leg.

Anthony: Nanghihingi na si Venice ng binti ngayon?

Ako: Honestly, I don't understand it either...

Gumapang ako sa tabi ni Venice, oblivious to the stifled laughter na nanggagaling kina Sheena and Anton dun sa katabing beach blanket..

Ako: Venice?? Huy... I'll buy you a mechanical leg if you want -- I mean not that I have to.. but just in case..

Silence..

Pinatong ko yung ulo ko dun sa shoulder niya...

She's breathing slowly..

Deeply--and it was then I realized what's going on.

I carefully slid the sunglasses off her face.. and yep.. her eyes are shut.

She's sleeping -__-

Nagtawanan bigla sina Sheena at si Anthony. I'm guessing they realized this sooner -- way sooner -- than I did. I stood up and started stretching. Then I walked away.

Venice's POV

Ako: Sunshine, why are you avoiding me ba??!

Sinundan ko si Jerwin papunta dun sa truck niya. Tinilapon nya ung mga bags dun sa likod nung truck, and then went back inside the villa to pick up more things. Sunod ulit ako.

Jerwin: I'm not avoiding you.

Tuloy-tuloy siya dun sa pag-lload niya nung mga gamit namin sa truck.

Ako: Eh bakit kanina mo pa ko hindi matignan?? May ginawa kang kalokohan no?! Yung lifeguard?!? Nilandi mo yung lifeguard?! Sunshine naman, pwede mo na maging nanay yun eh!

FINALLY, he stopped moving..

Pero instead of looking at me or voicing out his usual retorts, napatingin sya kina Sheena and Anthony na nakaupo dun sa living room. Kumaway ung dalawa sa'min -- and nagsimula nanaman si Jerwin sa kaloka niyang paggalaw-galaw. -___- Eh syempre, nagsimula nanaman ako sa pagsunod-sunod ko.

Jerwin: Why are you following me, anyway?

Ako: Eh kasi kanina ka pa lakad ng lakad. Di ko naman ma-getz kung bakit di mo 'ko tinitignan. Avah--

BUMP!

Aw.

Kung kelan dire-diretso ang lakad ko, tsaka naman siya titigil. Eh talaga namang magkakakilala yung noo ko at yung likod niya.

Jerwin: Venice... Just.. Uhmm.. Next time..

Ako: Uh-huh??

Jerwin: If you're mad or if I offended you in some way, just tell me, ok?

Nag-flashback sa utak ko ung conversation namin kanina..

"I'm still alive, you know?"..

He said that and parang nagulantang ako..

It gives me a weird feeling pag nakakarinig ako ng mga ganyang ka-simple na sentence na nag-bborder sa topic ng life and death. Kaya 'di na ko nagsalita kasi di ko alam isasagot ko. Tinulog ko na lang.

Jerwin: It feels... It doesn't feel right when you're not talking to me..

-___-

Ano bang pinagsasabi nitong si Kuya? Na-sobrahan ba siya sa araw? Sa buhangin? Napasok ba ng alimango yung utak niya? Di ko naman siya dinedma -___- Bilang lang naman yung beses na may sinabi siya sa'kin nung palabas kami sa villa. Bakit niya naman naisip na hindi ko siya kinakausap?

Jerwin: Ok?

Napangiti na lang ako, kahit no idea ako kung anong dinadrama niya sa buhay niya.

Ako: Okay.

Jerwin: Great. Now, c'mon. Let's go home..