Majesty

Kabanata 7

            Pagkatapos posasan ang nagmumurang si Maverick na nakasubsob sa hood ng sasakyan, tila ba nawalan ng pasensya si Mickey at itinayo ito. Dali-dali niyang naipasok si Mave sa loob kahit na patuloy ito sa pagwawala.

            My, my, my. Kung hindi si Mickey ang nakahuli sa amin ay baka ibang senaryo na siguro ang nangyari. This was hella embarrassing but I’d be scared shitless. Hindi ako magdadalawang-isip na tawagan si Papa na alam kong baka magpadala pa ng search party.

            But…

            “Dalhin mo na iyan. Ayoko nang makikita pa iyan sa harapan ko!” ani Mickey kay Mave na ngayo’y nakikitaan ko na ng takot ang mga mata.

            One more look at him and he gulped multiple times. Mabilisan kong binunot ang cellphone at kinuhanan siya ng picture.

            Hindi ko kilala ang driver ng SUV pero mula sa kinatatayuan ko ay namukhaan kong babae ang nakaupo. The windshield was only slightly tinted so I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. Nevertheless, questions rose in my mind.

            Ilang taon na rin kaming hindi nagkita ah? Baka girlfriend niya?

            I mean, it’s possible, right? Definitely possible as he’s... so… fine-looking…

            Hindi ko na tuloy napigilan ang aking mg mata pagmasdan si Mickey. More than a year had passed since I last saw him. His body became even more ripped, his height towering over me effortlessly. His chest became wider, his muscles pronounced and his eyes in a deep color of its previous version.

            Habang pataas nang pataas ang aking mga mata, tsaka ko lamang din napagtanto na hindi lamang iyon ang mga bagay na nagbago sa kaniya. Luckily, he’s wearing the camouflage uniform or I wouldn’t have known.

            The empty space between his chest was now replaced by a new symbol. Two triangles.

            Kahit tuloy kasalukuyan ang pagsita ni Mickey sa dalawa pang kasama namin ni Mave, nagngiting-aso ako. He didn’t even correct me earlier when I addressed him as a sergeant. Because, apparently, he’s a first lieutenant now.

            “Ayoko nang makikita pa ang mga mukha ninyo rito! Kapag nahuli ko ulit kayo ay ako na mismo ang magkukulong sa inyo! Alis!” he growled at the two like they were his new recruits.

            They scrambled like mad, making me laugh like a hyena. Ngunit sa loob-loob ko, medyo nainis ako ng kaunti dahil iniwan nila akong mag-isa. Though, should I continue to be irritated when a pretty face like this was all yours?

            Umihip ang panghapong hangin sa pagitan naming dalawa.

            “Hi…” Kumaway ako kay Mickey.

            Napailing siya kaagad. “Bakit nandito ka, Miss Delgado? Hindi mo ba alam na delikado ang lugar na ito para sa mga kagaya mo?”

            “I’m still a minor but I’m not a kid anymore.”

            Mickey did his signature silent glare that could probably freeze even the entire Pacific Ring of Fire. Ah, yes, it truly was him and no one else.

            Hindi nakatakas sa akin ang mabilisan niyang taas-baba sa suot ko.

            Tinaasan ko lamang siya ng noo, ang mga ngisi ko ay hindi man lang nabubura. See what you like, hmm? Told you I wasn’t a kid anymore.

            “Oh you…” bahagya kong halakhak. “Fine, you’re so serious anyway. Inimbitahan ako ng mga kaibigan ko sa isang party. Today’s my first day as a grade ten so people are excited…”

            “Sumama ka naman?”

            “And why not?”

            “Anong… why not?” Napangiwi ito. “Minor de edad ka pa lang, Miss Delgado. Ikaw na rin ang nagsabi pero lumabag ka pa rin sa batas.”

            “You know it’s not my first time to break the rules, right? Besides, this is more like an exam. It’s only cheating if you get caught.”

            Inis lamang nitong kinagat ang pang-ibabang labi. I sweetly smiled at him which only made him look like he’s about to explode.

            “E ikaw? Bakit ka nandito?” tanong ko naman.

            I thought he’s so irritated that he wouldn’t utter a word to me. Ngunit isang iling pa ay nagseryoso nang muli ang kaniyang mukha.

            “Ipinatawag ako sa kampo. Nadaan lang kami rito.”

            “Ng? Girlfriend mo?” I raised a brow.

            “Kasamahan ko.”

            Sumingkit ang mga mata ko.

            “Iyon?” tango ni Mickey sa naiwang sasakyan ni Mave. “Boyfriend mo?”

            “My classmate only.”

            Binasa ni Mickey ang mga labi.

            Another round of the warm afternoon breeze passed by between us. Kukurap-kurap at ngingisi-ngisi lamang ako. Though even feeling so, it felt like time really stretched and pulled me to the period where I had been with him last.

            Our last time wasn’t so carefree like this one, huh? In fact, it was far from that. Matagal naman na at batang-bata pa ako pero para bang iyon talaga ang first heart break ko. I smiled both happily and sadly. My first and longest crush ever was also my first heartache. And he’s in front of me right now, looking so dashing and elegant and hot.

            “Tawagan mo ang driver mo at magpasundo ka na,” aniya pagkatapos ng ilang minuto. “Umuwi ka na sa inyo, Miss Delgado.”

            I didn’t disagree on that. Hapon na rin at hindi pa ako siguro kung papapasukin nga ako ni River sa club niya kung hindi ko kasama si Mave. Itinago kong muli ang cellphone sa bag pagkatapos.

            “Hindi ka pa aalis?” Tumagilid ang ulo ko kay Mickey na nasa gilid pa rin. “Want me to drop you off at the camp?”

            “Hindi na kailangan, Miss Delgado. Kaya kong mag-commute.”

            “Bakit hindi ka pa kasi sumabay noong pinaalis mo si Mave?”

            He didn’t answer on that. Napanguso tuloy ako.

            “Is he going to be okay, Mickey?”

            Tumaas ang kaniyang kilay. “Oo naman.”

            Why did I find that hard to believe?

            “Fine then. You should go now,” sabi ko na lang.

            “Dito muna ako hanggang hindi pa dumarating ang driver mo.”

            Lalo lang humaba ang nguso ko. “Fine…”

            Pagkalipas ng halos dalawampung minuto, dumating na rin si Manong Obet. Salamat naman dahil may ilang seniors na rin sa school namin na nakakakilala sa akin. Nobody dared to invite me in, and the ones that had a little bit of courage only waved. E sino ba naman kasi ang may matinong utak na yayayain ako sa loob kung may katabi akong sundalo?

            They probably thought Papa sent me another one of his bodyguards. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang magiging tsismis sa school pero paniguradong nadawit na naman ang pangalan ko.

            “Sigurado ka bang ayaw mong ihatid na lang kita sa kampo?” tanong ko kay Mickey bago sumakay sa SUV.

            “Hindi na, Miss Delgado. Umuwi ka na at mag-aral.”

            I tried not to wiggle my nose on the last part.

            “Congratulations, Mickey,” I said, looking at the insignia on his chest. “You deserve the promotion, lieutenant.”

            Bahagyang tumagal ang pagtingin ni Mickey sa akin bago dahan-dahang tumango.

            “Salamat…”

            “You’re welcome.” I smiled before finally climbing inside.

            Pagdating sa bahay, sumabog kaagad ang mga tawag ni Hilda kung bakit daw kanina pa ako wala sa party. But then at the middle of the call, the news finally broke that I was with Mave and his friends, and we got caught. Kung anu-anong klaseng litanya tuloy ang natanggap ko na sa totoo lamang ay halos hindi ko napansin.

            My heart felt so full that it hurt and yet I was smiling while reading some notes. I actually brought out my Analytic Geometry textbook even though the figures looked like an ancient text to me.

            Natulala na lamang ako sa aking kumikislap na kisame, napapangiti sa kawalan.

            He didn’t say sorry, no. I doubt he even remembered it, the words he said and that painful memory he left me but… Here I was again, fully knowing that I might have another go at it because...

            It still hadn’t faded away. Malakas na malakas pa rin ang t***k ng aking puso at paulit-ulit na iniisip ang pagkikita namin ni Mickey.

            I did like him still, didn’t I? Goddamn it.