Chapter 19
1016 Words
I stared at him with a confused eyes. At dahil wala siyang idea kung bakit tinitingnan ko siya sa ganitong paraan. Bigla na lang itong namewang sa akin.
"May chef kayo?" Mas lalo pang nangunot ang noo ni Nuru. Nagsalubong ang kaniyang kilay at umisang hakbang ito papalapit sa akin. Masiyado akong alerto sa mga galaw niya kaya naman nakalayo agad ako sa kaniya.
"Anong klaseng tanong iyan? Of course we have one. Nakita mo na ba kung gaano kalaki ang lugar na ito? What do you think of us? Mga barbaro? We are not stuck in the medieval age either, Evanessa. Arcania is exactly like your world except the part that it's not like," anito.
At ano naman ang ibig sabihin niya roon? Paano ko naman kasi malalaman ang pagkakapareho ng mundo ko sa mundo niya kung kinulong niya ako roon sa parang bartolina nung dumating kami rito?
"Arcania is so much better than the mortal's world," he added. Hindi ko pa magawang sumang-ayon sa sinasabi niyang iyon at sa palagay ko. Kahit na kailan ay hindi ko yata magagawang maki-oo.
Nang lumakad si Nuru papunta sa isang sulok ng kusina at dinampot niya iyong telephone na nakasabit sa pader ay medyo nakumpirma ko na totoo nga ang sinasabi niya. May technology na rin dito.
"Anong ginagawa mo? I am going to call the chef. Hindi ba at gutom ka?"
"Huwag na! Nakakahiya. Okay na ako rito," awat ko sa kaniya. Nuru is trying to spoil me. Tingin niya siguro ay mapapaamo niya na ako kapag ginawa niya ang lahat para lang ma-please ako. Hindi ko ipagpapalit ang dati kong buhay para sa buhay na inu-offer niya sa akin ngayon.
"You are here just in time. Gutom ka rin ba Qino?" Tanong ni Nuru roon sa mayabang na lalaki na sa tingin ko ay kanang kamay niya. Qino stares at him with his stern eyes. He soon resolve the confusion that he is having when he saw me looking down but casually stealing glances from them with the box of strawberry juice on my hand.
"Not exactly hungry but there is still room for food in my tummy," he answered that made me smile. I became hopeful. I hope he cook something or heat something from the refrigerator that we can share together. I am really dying to have something. Lahat naman ng hidwaan ay naisasantabi basta pagkain ang pinag-uusapan.
"Master, are you going to cook for the both of us? I think she is hungry. Hungrier than me," Qino teased. I roughly grabbed the hem of his shirt. I gritted my teeth at him and disguised it as a smile. Sana lang ay hindi iyon napansin ni Nuru.
Nuru finally left his post. It's still spacious behind Qino or on my back that he can walk on to if he's really leaving the kitchen to be back on his room but the arrogant prick decided that he will walk between Qino and I.
Because of that. I was forced to let go of Qino's shirt and back away from him.
"Why don't you do it instead? You two seems pretty close. Since when did you two became friends?" Nuru mocks with his eyes glaring on my hand na nakahawak sa laylayan ng damit ni Qino kanina.
I think I saw the fire on his eyes intensified when it met mine. There is a beastly expression on his face when he walks out of the kitchen with the beer on his hand.
Gone is the weight on my chest when I could no longer feel his presence. It means Nuru is now far from where I am. Maybe he is actually back on his quarter. I hope he never comeback again.
"God, what is wrong with him? He is always mad and ready to throw hands. Kayong mga abscond. Common ground niyo ba ang pagkakaroon ng anger management issue?"
Qino shakes his head. He sashayed towards the refrigerator and starts taking out few things from it. If I were to give myself an answer base on all of the things that are laid down on the counter. Qino is on his first step to cook something. I don't think he will just heat something for the two of us to eat.
He told me he is going to make an instant ramen more special. With all of these ingredients before our eyes. I believe it is possible, to have the instant ramen be on the same level as the ramen that can be eaten and bought on authentic ramen shops.
Nanahimik lang ako rito sa isang sulok pero hindi ko talaga magawang maniwala sa sinabing iyon ni Qino. Wala rin kasi sa itsura nito na maalam siya sa kusina.
"Tikman mo." Qino handed me the wooden spatula that he's been using to mix the ramen while he puts all of his special ingredients earlier.
I took a small amount of the soup from the pot through the wooden spoon. Blow it for a couple of seconds to cool it down before I brought it on my mouth to taste.
I lick my lower lip after I tasted the soup. My brows crane up on their own.
Qino lightly bump his arm with mine. I look at him as fast as I can, my eyes are asking why he did it.
"Will you please fix the look on your face? I've done this before a hundred times and they are delicious," he defended his precious and special ramen.
Natawa na lang ako sa sinabi niyang iyon at muling tinikman iyong upgraded na instant ramen recipe nito.
"I didn't say they taste bad. I'm trying to focus on its taste hence my eyebrows," I explained. Qino nodded his head. With his finger, Qino signaled me to wait as he take something from the cabinet.
Two pair of wooden chopstick.
He seperated the pair and give the other one to me. We even bump our chopstick with each other before we started eating our midnight snack.
Hindi naman siguro masama kung maging kaibigan ko ang abscond na ito.
- Writer
