KEEPING UP WITH HER CHEERFULNESS

CHAPTER 8

ZHYCARICH POV

"Sege bye!.." - Clara..

Di...di Ako maka paniwala..

SA edad niyang 17?.. may Sarili na siyang Bahay?..

"Go inside now, Clara..

I won't leave until you get inside.."

"Don't worry, kuya!..

The door isn't that far from here.. just a few more steps!"

Sagut Naman nito.. na ikina titig ni Clayden ng masama..

"Okay fine!.. fine!.. I'm going inside!..

bye!.."

Agaran Naman itong tumakbo at pumasok SA Bahay Niya..

Tsk!.. hayyyyts.. sana ol!..

Sana All may caring at over protective kuya..

• • •

"Heyy.."

Biglang tawag nito sakin..

Agad Naman akong napatingin Ritu..

"Move over here to the front seat..

right here by my side.."

"Ba.. bakit?.."

Nagtataka kong tanong Ritu na ikinalingon Niya sakin..

"I'm not your driver, ma'am..

so hurry up.. so I can get you dropped off right away.."

Saad nito na ikina baba ko agad at lumipat SA front seat.. SA tabi Niya..

OKAY NA SANA AKO RON SA BACK SEAT EHH.. TSK!...

"By the way.. earlier?.. what were you doing there?.. why didn't you go home right away?.."

(He asked me this seriously, which made my eyes widen in surprise.)

"Ka...kasi.. ano kasi..."

"What?.."

"Kasi naubos ko Yung pamasahe ko..

binili ko ng Isang slice ng cake!..."

"Wait?.. what!!?.." Gulat nitong Sabi

"Just for a single slice of cake?..

You actually risked your fare money just for that?.."

"Masarap kasi Siya!.."

"Wow!..

I can't believe it..

didn't you even think that maybe you wouldn't be able to get home?.. "

"Okay lang Naman..."

"Huh!?..

And you're totally okay with that?..

You really are something, woman!.."

"I knew you were there..

that's why my nervousness went away..

because I knew that once you saw me..

you wouldn't leave me behind.."

(That's what I said then, and I smiled at him — sweeter than the cake I'd eaten earlier.)

............

"well....

So how was the cake?..

was it good?.. did you get full from it?.."

Anito at iniwasan Ako ng tingin at itinuon SA pag dra-drive..

SO?.. GANON LANG?..

HINDI MAN LANG SIYA NAM BLUSH?...

TSK!...

MISSION 1: [PAPULAHIN ANG MUKHA NG COLD NA DOCTOR..]

FAILED!..

"Okay lang Naman...

satingin ko worth it yung 500 pesos ko.."

Sagut ko rito na ikina preno Niya Bigla..

"What?..

500 pesos?.. for just one piece of cake?..."

MAY MALI BA DON?...

"Ba..bakit?... ma..masarap Naman kasi talaga Siya.. kaya siguro mahal..."

Saad ko Ritu na ikina iling iling Niya..

"You even called me a scammer back then!.. and now?.. turns out you're the one who got scammed.."

"H..huh?.."

"No single slice of cake should cost that much..

What kind of cake did you even buy earlier?.."

Tanong nito.. at seryuso akong tinignan..

"Strawberry cake Siya.. "

"Where did you even buy it?.."

"Sa bakery shop lang.."

"Cake here in the Philippines doesn't cost that much..

but if you're in an expensive restaurant..

or maybe in a high-end bakery..

and the cake you're buying is really made with expensive ingredients..

maybe then.

sure, there are cakes that cost a lot like that.. but..

it's impossible for it to reach 500 pesos..

You know the most expensive cake here in the Philippines is Mango Bravo?..

Strawberry cake isn't that expensive.. because you can usually buy it just about anywhere..

Next time.. do some research first before you buy.."

NAPATULALA NALANG AKO SA HABA NG EXPLAINATION NITO..

ANO SIYA?.. AI?..

"Wow..

Ang galing..."

Saad ko Ritu at pumalakpak..

HINDI KO NA PALA KAILANGANG MAG RESEARCH SA SUSUNOD TUWING BIBILI AKO..

MAY AI NA AKONG PANG OFFLINE.. HEHEHE..

"I'm serious, woman!..

just forget about it already!..

I already know you won't listen anyway..

the important thing is..

you're here now.."

Saad nito at nagpatuloy sa pagmamanehu..

° ° ° ° ° FORWARD

Laking gulat ko nalang ng may malakas na tumapik sa balikat ko..

"Arayy!.."

Agad akong nagising dahil SA sakit..

"Ops!.. sorry..

I just didn't know how to wake you up.. so I couldn't think of any other way..

the only thing that came to mind was to just tap you.."

Paliwanag nito..

"Bakit ba?.."

Agad itong tumingin SA labas..

At laking gulat ko nalang ng Makita ko Ang mga nag sisik sikang mga tao sa Serenity Park condominiums na tinitirhan ko..

May mga reporters at may iba ring parang mga pulis Ang tayu..

Te..Teka?...

napatakip Ako saking bibig ng maisip ko kong sino Ang mga itu...

"T..they're dad's men..."

Nanginginig kung Sabi habang naka hawak parin sa bibig ko..

"Hide!..."

Agad ako nitong Pina yuko ng biglang napatingin samin Yung Isa sa mga tauhan ni papa..

"Just hide right there..

because they're looking over here.."

"I..ilayu moko ditu plss..."

Pag mamakawa ko SA kanya..

"Yeah.. I'll get you out of here...

but.. we can't turn back around.. they'll get suspicious if I do that... we need another way..."

Agad nitong hinubad Ang jacket Niya..

at itinakip sakin..

"Just don't move...

clear?.."

Agad ko Naman itong tinangoan..

"We just have to go straight ahead..

so they won't suspect us.."

Saad nito at pinatuloy Ang pag dra-drive..

Habang mas papalapit kami.

mas nararamdaman ko Yung kaba..

WHAT IF MAHULI KAMI?..

WHAT IF KUNIN ULIT AKO NI PAPA?..

TAPOS IKUKULONG NANAMAN..

AYAW KONG MAULIT YUN!..

PAGOD NAKO MAGING SUNOD SUNORAN

AT AYAW KONANG MASAKTAN..

AT HIGIT SA LAHAT!..

AYAW KONG MAKITA ULIT ANG MUKHA NG BABAENG YUN!..

"We made it out.."

(He said, calming me down.)

Napahinga Ako ng maluwag at inalis na Yung nakatakip sakin..

"Salamat...

You saved me again...

I owe you my life.."

Saad ko Ritu at tinignan Siya sa mga mata..

"You don't have to say that...

I already told you..

I'm here to help..

and I won't ask for anything in return..

unless I end up with absolutely nothing left..."

Sagut nito at nagpatuloy sa pagmamanehu..

WHAT IF THIS GUY WASN'T HERE?..

WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME RIGHT NOW?.. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE IT..

ALL THANKS TO HIM..

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ FORWAD ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"From now on..

you're staying here in my house.."

"H...huh?.. "

Di makapaniwalang Tanong ko Ritu..

"You want me to repeat it?.."

[ZHYCARICH->UMILING ILING]

"Kla...klaro na..."

"Then good.. btw..

Don't worry..

because it won't just be the two of us here..

I'll call Clara later..

I'll let her stay here too.."

Agad naman ding nawala Ang kaba ko sa sinabi nitong patitirahin din Niya si Clara ditu..

Bu..Buti Naman...

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really, not yet.."

"So you are hungry then...

you just didn't say so..

just sit right there...

I'll go cook something first.."

Napatulala nalang Ako sa sinabi nito..

PA..PAG LULUTUAN NIYA AKO?...

AM I DREAMING?...

~ ~ ~ ~

"Here.. eat.."

Agad namang kuminang Ang mata ko..

"Ang sarap nilang tignan lahat!..

siguro masasarap to!?.."

"The taste of food doesn't depend on how good it looks..

it depends on how it's cooked..

not everything that looks delicious actually is..

some things look good but don't taste good at all when you eat them.."

"Ganon?.. pero lahat ng masasarap na kinakain ko.. magaganda kasi sila tignan.."

"Is that what you really think?.."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Here.."

Saad nito at inabot sakin Ang pagkaing ngayun kolang Nakita SA buong Buhay ko..

"Ang Ganda!..

niloto mo to para sakin?..."

Naka ngiti kong Tanong Ritu..

Agad ko Naman itong tinikman..

Cough!** cough!**

"Tu..tubig!..."

"Hahaha!.. so?..

what do you think now?.." - Clayden

Saad nito at tumawa

"What kind of food is this?...

bakit subrang asim Niya!.."

Muntik na akong ma ihi...

"I bet you've never tasted this in your whole life, huh?

Well.. you know what? This food is super healthy..

it's high in fiber..

and so nutritious!.."

"What is it?.."

Tanong ko Ritu habang hawak hawak Ang Isang baso ng tubig..

"it's called Sinigang.."

KAYA PALA..

NARINIG KONA ANG PANGALANG YAN NOON..

ALLERGIC SI PAPA SA PAGKAING TO..

NAAALALA KOPA YUNG MAY MAID NA PINAGLUTOAN KAMI NITO..

PERO PINATAPON NIYA..

AT YUNG WORST?..

SINISANTE NIYA YUNG MAID NAYUN..

"Allergic si papa sa pagkaing Yan..

kaya pinapatapon Niya tuwing may nag luluto nito.."

Saad ko Ritu na ikina hinto Niya..

"At alam mo kong ano Yung mas worst?.."

"What?.."

"Senisisante Niya Ang mga maid namin tuwing nagluluto ito ng Sinigang..

Ganon Siya ka lupit.."

Saad ko na ikina kunot ng kilay Niya..

"What kind of father is he to you?.."

Tanong nito na ikina tingin ko SA kanya..

"H..he was kind back then..

when Mom was still alive..

b..but.. when Mom died?..

he changed suddenly..

And I don't know why..

Buong Akala ko noon..

nagkakaganon lang Siya kasi nasasaktan parin Siya sa pagkawala ni Mommy..

Pe..pero.."

Napahinto Ako SA pag sasalita ng maramdaman ko Ang mainit na tubig na dumaloy sa mga mata ko..

"Hindi na Siya nagbagu mula non..

naging malamig na Ang trato Niya sakin..

Parang naging invisible Ako SA paningin Niya.

There were days when I needed him so much..

every time there were school meetings..

every time I got into an accident..

every time I was hurt..

He wasn't always able to come..

lagi siyang busy..

lagi siyang nasa trabahu..

At inintindi ko lahat ng Yun..

pero.. tuwing nagkikita kami?..

He just stares at me..

he never, ever asks how I'm doing..

Wala man lang..

Kumusta anak?..

Gutom kanaba?

inaalagaan kaba ng maayus ng mga nanny mo?..

Hindi kaba nila pinapagutom?

I haven't gotten to bond with him since then..

but I'm still thankful..

because even if I don't remember it that well.. those 6 years since I was born.. I know he loved me back then.."