Opposite

Chapter 22

The world seemed to slowly moving when the four crossed their paths...

"Wow, dating?" Harlow said.

She was still with Farris, walking in the side of the street when they met Tyson and Amora.

Amora was a bit confused and shocked of what did Harlow say. First, she did not know her. Second, what was she saying?

She was about to walk again, thinking Harlow might just mistaken in recognizing someone. But the moment she stepped in again her foot, Tyson spoke.

"It's night already," he said, "why are you still out?"

"Uhm, well, dadaan lang sana kami ni Farris sa coffee shop," Harlow replied. "'Di ba, Farris?"

Farris nodded.

"At ikaw? Bakit ka pa nandito? Who's this beautiful lady you are with?"

Tyson walked near to Amora and held her hands. "It's none of your business."

Then, they walked out. Amora was still confused of what was happening, so he asked Tyson while there were walking.

"Sorry," Tyson said. "Huwag mo na lang masyadong isipin 'yon."

"Girlfriend mo?"

"Nope."

"Eh, ano?"

"Basta."

After that, Tyson asked her to bring her home as a payment for how did Harlow act on her. Amora refused to, but he insisted, so she couldn't do anything but to accept his offer.

There was silence between them which was kinda awkward since they do not yet totally know each other.

Finally, after some time, they had reached Amora's home. Hindi na rin nagtagal si Tyson at umalis din kaagad pauwi.

While on his way, he couldn't take away Harlow in his mind. He was thinking if she was already dating with Farris. But the confusing part was... why did she act rude when she saw Amora?

Not that assuming, but he was just confused.

When he came back home, he saw Lully and Lupio at the sala, talking with each other. They just stopped when they saw him. They greeted him, as well as Tyson greeted them back.

"Bakit hindi mo kasama si Harlow?" Lupio asked as Tyson sat down on the other sofa.

"She's with Farris."

"Ah, oo nga pala."

"Eh, hindi pa rin ba kayo nag-uusap?" Lully asked.

"Nag-uusap naman."

"Pero hindi pa kayo bati?"

Tyson didn't answer.

The couple chuckled. "Kita mo talaga parang mag-asawa kung mag-away ang dalawang 'to."

"Baka daig pa nga ang mag-asawa!" Lully said.

Tyson gasped. He wandered when will they fix the issue. Isang linggo lamang ang pananatili nila sa Willow, pero mukhang hindi pa nila magagawa nang maayos ang misyon dahil sa inaasta nilang dalawa.

He thought he would apologize first since be started everything. If he didn't get jealous, hindi rin siya susungitan ni Harlow. But the problem was: he was too shy to do the first move, he was too shy to ask forgiveness.

He could not think properly so he asked the mate the things he could do to fix the issue. As he was expecting, they told him to say sorry to her and lower his pride.

Ang pride kasi ay parang panty, walang mangyayari kung hindi mo ibababa.

Nagdalawang-isip pa siya kung susundin niya iyon. But what was the sense of asking an advice if he would not going to follow?

So, before Harlow could even arrive, he finalized the plan. On the next day, he would going to apologize to her.

He thanked the two for giving him recommendations, then he proceeded to the room to sleep so he would gain energy for tomorrow. Dahil na rin sa pagod sa buong araw, mabilis siyang nakatulog.

Pagkalipas naman ng ilang minuto ay nakauwi na rin si Harlow. Dinatnan niya si Tyson na mahimbing nang natutulog.

"Ano ba 'to, hindi man lang nagkumot bago matulog?" sambit niya nang mapansing hindi nakakumot ang binata. So, she took a sheet and covered his body so he would not feel cold.

Then, she exited the room and proceeded to the kitchen to make herself a coffee. It was cold so she needed to make her body warm.

Nang umuwi siya ay nadatnan niya pa sina Lully at Lupio sa sala, ngunit nang lumabas siyang muli sa kuwarto ay wala na ang dalawa. Marahil ay nagpapahinga na rin ang mga iyon, so she tried to be silent, at baka magising niya pa ang mga natutulog.

When she was done blending her coffee, she went back to the room and proceeded to the window. She sat there and looked at the outside. Nabibilang na lamang ang mga tao sa labas at sobrang tahimik na.

She thought of Farris again. She was hoping he arrived home safely. She almost spend all of her hours with him, and it was good taking time with him.

It almost took her twenty minutes to finish drinking all her coffee, then she still spend some minutes looking outside. Malamang ay hindi niya agad-agad nararamdaman ang antok dahil sa tapang ng kape.

But she was wrong...

Hindi niya namalayan na unti-unti na niyang ipinapatong ang kaniyang ulo sa may bintana hanggang sa unti-unti na rin siyang nakatulog.

Morning came, and Tyson woke up so early. Nang imulat niya ang kaniyang mga mata ay wala siyang nakitang Harlow, so he got up. He got nervous thinking something bad happened to her, but when he turned his gaze at the window, he was already able to breath properly.

"There you are," he whispered.

It was still dark outside because it was just 5 in the dawn. She planned to carry her going through the bed, but he was afraid he might woke her up. Masisira ang plano niyang kung ganoon. Kung bakit ba naman kasi sa bintana natulog ang dalaga?

"Ayaw niya ba akong katabi kaya diyan siya natulog?" he thought to himself.

He still had many questions, but he chose to ignore them for awhile. He arranged the bed and went to the sala after. He cleaned up the place. Afterwards, he went outside to pick some flowers. When he was done, he came back to the house and made a bouquet for Harlow. Since he picked up a plenty of flowers, there were still remainings. Ang mga natira ay ginawa niya ring dekorasyon.

It was quarter to six when Lully and Lupio woke up and exited their room. Nagkape lamang sila saglit saka umalis na rin para bumalik sa trabaho. But before they could even leave, they send good lucks to Tyson.

At exactly 6 in the morning, Tyson was done decorating the place, yet Harlow was still sleeping. He felt his heartbeat, pero wala siyang maramdaman, but he knew himself that he was too nervous. Baka siguro sa sobrang kaba ay hindi na makatibok ang puso niya.

All of his life, minsan lang siya humingi ng tawad, at sa babae pa.

He sat down on the sofa first and took a deep breath. Uminom na rin muna siya ng tubig bago pa man lumabas si Harlow. Pagkalipas pa ng ilang minuto ay tumunog na ang pinto. It was a sign that someone was opening it!

He stood up and ready himself. Parang bumagal ang ikot ng mundo nang unti-unting bumukas ang pinto. Saglit pa nga lang ay iniluwa na n'on si Harlow.

"Good morning!" Tyson said.

Harlow yawned as she looked at him. Hindi pa siya nakasagot agad dahil pinunasan niya muna ang kaniyang mga mata. When she was done, she looked at him again. When she saw him, she wiped her eyes again and blinked it for how many times.

"Tyson?" she said.

"Yes, good morning," he smiled.

Harlow walked near him and wandered her eyes all throughout the sala. It seemed like she could not believe of what she was seeing.

"Ano 'to?" she asked.

"Flowers for you," he said as he gave her the bouquet.

Harlow confusingly accepted the flowers. Inamoy-amoy niya muna iyon at saka muli niyang ibinaling ang kaniyang paningin sa binata.

"Anong meron?" she asked again. "Hindi ko naman birthday."

"H-harlow..." He took a deep breath. "I.. I'm-"

Tyson was stopped from talking when suddenly, the someone knocked on the door.

Ang dalawa ay parehong napalingok sa may pinto, pagkatapos naman ay napatingin sila sa isa't isa.

"Someone's knocking," Harlow said.

Tyson gasped. "Okay, ako na ang magbubukas."

He tried to stay calm, pero sa loob-loob niya ay gusto na niyang sumabog. He was about to say sorry when someone on the outside just ruined the moment.

He opened the door. Bigla na lamang nag-init ang kaniyang dugo nang makita kung sino ang taong iyon.

"f**k it, Farris," he thought to himself.

Ano ba talagang problema ng lalaking iyon at lagi na lamang naninira ng araw niya? Kung wala lang talaga si Harlow sa harapan niya ay baka sinuntok na niya ito at nang matauhan.

Hanggang sa kabilang buhay pa naman ay may sisira sa love story niya. He would rather be single forever if that was the case.

"Magandang araw!" masayang bati ni Farris.

Tyson was about to bad-mouth him when Harlow called out his name.

"Farris!" she said as she ran towards him.

Parang dinurog pa sa milyu-milyong piraso ang kaniyang puso nang makita ang dalaga na masaya sa pagdating ng lalaking iyon.

Harlow let Farris in and told him to sat down. Nagpaalam siya saglit upang ipagtimpla siya ng kape.

Tyson was seemed to be killed multiple when Harlow just placed the bouquet on the sofa. Binitiwan niya lamang basta-basta, hindi man lang inilagay sa kuwarto. Wala bang halaga sa kaniya ang mga bulaklak? O baka naman, wala lamang halaga sa kaniya ang nagbigay ng bulaklak?

Tyson gasped as he had seen the smile on Farris' face while Harlow wasn't arriving yet. Mukhang nanliligaw na nga ang lalaki at tuwang-tuwa pa dahil baka iniisip niya na malaki ang pag-asa niya sa dalaga.

"Edi sana lahat may pag-asa," Tyson whispered in the mid-air.

Ilang minuto pa ay nakabalik na si Harlow sa sala dala-dala ang isang tasa ng kape.

"Edi sana lahat tinitimplahan ng kape," Tyson whispered again.

From the doorway, he just watched the two talking happily with each other. Kahit durog na durog na siya, nagawa niya pa ring titigan sila. Dumating lang si Farris, na-out of place na naman siya.

Wala ba siyang lugar sa puso ni Harlow? Kahit pinakamaliit lamang na lugar, wala ba?

Mayamaya nama'y bigla siyang napangiti nang may maalala siya. Ilang araw na lang at aalis na silang dalawa sa Willow, ibig sabihin ay hindi na makakasamang muli ni Harlow si Farris.

Selfish, wasn't he?

Ganoon ba talaga kapag nagmamahal? Sa sobrang magustuhan mo na mapasaiyo ang isang tao ay wala ka nang balak ipamahagi siya sa iba?

When he couldn't carry anymore seeing the two smiled with each other, he went back to the room. Pinagtinginan siya ng dalawa sa pamamaraan niya ng paglakad, pero hindi niya iyon binigyang atensyon.

When he entered to the room, he went to the window and looked at the pink skies forming their cotton candies. He thought it would be better to stare up above than to stare at them.

Though his focus was on the skies, his attention was still on Harlow. He exerted effort just to speak forgiveness to her, but it was cut off unfortunately. He even picked up flowers for her, but obviously she didn't appreciate them well. Because of that, his willingness to say sorry to her was lost. Maybe it was time to build a gap between them two.

But the hardest part wast that, he would not endure to see himself apart from her, as well us see her apart from him. Until the end of the mission, they would be questing together, maliban na lamang siguro kung pipiliin nilang maghiwalay ng landas pagkatapos ng lahat.

He gasped again. "Foolish heart."

After some time, he had decided to leave the place and go back to work, fulfill his mission. Ilang araw na lang din naman ang pananatili niya sa Willow kaya't susulitin na lamang niya, imbes na magmukmok siya sa tabi-tabi.

When he exited, he went first to the kitchen to drink some water so he could retain his strength. Magkakape sana muna siya dahil hindi pa siya nakakapag-kape, ngunit nawalan na siya ng gana.

Sino ba naman ang gaganahang mag-kape kung ganoon agad ang bungad sa iyo ng umaga?

After drinking some water, he continued walking. Kita niya pa rin sa sala ang dalawa at abala sa pagkukuwentuhan, but he tried his best not to mind them anyways. When he finally reached the doorway, he was stopped by what he saw.

A lady wearing a long white dress well-suited with her cute smile had blocked him on his way.

"Amora?"