Wind and Sail

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Naalala ko ulit tuloy ang sayaw noong nag-aayos kami ng room namin. Hindi ko maipaliwanag ang nararamdaman ko noon, hanggang ngayon ay iniisip ko pa rin. Nitong mga nakaraang gabi, palagi iyong nasa isip ko bago matulog.

“Alam mo, Dayn…” salita niya habang sumasayaw kami.

“Hindi, ano ba iyon?” nakangising tanong ko.

He threw his head back and laughed softly. I watch him as he does that, his eyes sparkled when hit by sunlight. I smiled at him, aware that I am mesmerized by this stupid jerk.

“Nothing. You look pretty.”

My nose wrinkled. “I know,” I answered confidently.

He laughs again. Mas natutuwa pa ako kapag tumatawa siya kaysa kapag nambobola siya. “Still,” he insisted.

“Huwag mo akong binobola, mukha nga akong dugyutin ngayon, oh.” Tiningnan ko ang suot ko at may mga alikabok iyon at may talsik pa ng pintura ang blouse ko.

Hinawakan ni Sxan ang baba ko at inangat ang mukha ko sa paningin niya. “Sino ba kasi nagsasabi na binobola kita?” He looked to my eyes directly and smirked.  

Parang tanga lang oh. I was thrilled by that, my cheeks flushed, I just laughed to hide it.

“I just know, duh.”

I rolled my eyes at him and looked away. He flicked me on my forehead. It didn’t hurt, it was gentle, para ngang tap lang.

“You two! Smile!” yelled by Criza. Nilingon namin siya pareho habang tumatawa pa. Napapikit ako noong nag-flash ang camera na hawak niya.

Napangiti na lang ako sa naalala.

“What are you smiling at, huh?” he asked me. Huminto siya sa guwardiya para kumuha ng parking ticket. Sa mall na kami pupunta tutal kaunti na lamang ang mga kailangan namin. Dumating na halos lahat sa room nitong mga nakaraang araw. Mga punda at pagkain na lang ang kulang.

“Wala, wala, ito lahat napapansin,” sita ko sa kaniya. Inaayos ko na rin ang mga gamit ko para mamaya ay bababa na lang.

“Sus, huwag mo ako gaanong iniisip, magkasama naman tayo tapos halos araw-araw tayong nagkikita.”

“Hoy…” oo nga tama ka “---ang assuming mong lalaki ka.” I weaned him off.

“Deny pa, I can see right through you, you know.”

“Oh my god, perv!” I put my hands across my chest, covering myself up.

He was caught off guard. He panicked. I know what he meant by that; I just want to play mind games. No one can see right through me, that is impossible. I have always been uptight, and I build my walls higher.    

“Oh my god!” I cackled.

Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin. “Napakaano nito, that’s not what I meant!” he defended. “But if that’s what you were thinking these times we were together…” his facial expression had changed from being defensive to a seductive sly smile. Oh my god! It backfired!

Papalapit siya nang papalapit sa akin with that face. He raised his brow softly and bit his lips.

“Damn you!” I laughed and pushed his face with my hand. “Stop! You’re starting to creep me out!”

Umupo na siya nang maayos at tumawa. “You started it!”

I rolled my eyes.

“Rolling your eyes are your trademark, aren’t they?” he said.

“I’ve never thought of that. Why?” I asked of him.

He is the first person who told me that. I mean yeah, I always roll my eyes back in every situation. But I never thought of it as my trademark? Or habit?

“Hah! Wala pa bang nagsasabi sa iyo noon?”

“Nah, maybe naiisip na nila iyon sa akin, hindi lang siguro nila sa akin sinasabi,” sagot ko. He is finding a spot to park.

“Hmm,” tatango-tango niyang sabi. “Sino ba naman kasi ang gugustuhin magsabi no’n sa iyon, e, para kang mangangain lagi ng buhay tuwing makikita kita.”

I was surprised.

“What? Don’t tell me you were surprised by what I just said?”

I shake my head no. “Oh, my god.” He laughed.

“Tuwing makikita mo ‘ko? Palagi mo akong nakikita?” tanong ko sa kaniya. Hindi ko naman siya laging nakikita kapag normal na araw.

“Oo, hindi mo talaga ako mapapansin kasi lagi kayong magkausap ni Clarene,” paliwanag niya. “Kapag hindi kita lalapitan, hindi mo ako papansinin.”

Napakunot ang noo ko. So, ibig sabihin, kaya kami nag-uusap dahil kinakausap niya ako? I had a short flashback of our meetings. Totoo nga, kapag makikita ko siya, hanggang tingin lang ang ginagawa ko. Kapag siya naman ang nakakakita sa akin, nilalapitan niya ako.

“Hindi mo naman siguro sinasadya na hindi ako pansinin ‘diba?” tanong niya.

I felt a little bit guilty. Hindi ko na lang siya sinagot. E, ano naman kasing gagawin ko tuwing makikita ko siya? Alangan namang araw-araw ko siyang kausapin, ‘diba? Para saan?

“Huy, tinatanong kita.”

Tiningnan ko siya at itinaas ang isang kilay. “E, ano naman ngayon kung hindi kita pansinin?” masungit kong balik ng tanong.

He put his hand on his chest, where his heart is and acted as if he was deeply hurt. “Ouch, sakit mo naman magsalita.”

Bumaba na ako ng sasakyan habang siya ay may inaayos pa sa loob. Sumilong muna ako sa puno medyo malayo kung saan naka-park ang sasakyan. Maya-maya lang ay lumabas na siya, tinatakpan niya ang araw gamit ang kamay. He is wearing shades, a white, grey shirt, and khaki shorts, shucks. Wala namang sinabi sa weather forecast na uulan, pero bakit umuulan ng pogi ngayon sa harap ko?

Tinakpan ko ng kamay ko ang sumilay na ngiti sa labi ko. I raised my hand to get his attention. Ngumiti siya nang makita ako. Lakad-takbo ang ginawa niya palapit sa akin.

“I was looking for you,” he said. He put his hands on his waist and sighed. “Let’s go?”

“It’s so hot, I forgot to bring an umbrella,” I said while blocking the sun with my hand as if it helps, it doesn’t because I’ve got tiny hands.

He walked a little ahead of me. I was confused but I realized he’d done that to create a shadow for me to hide from the sun.

Nauna siyang makasilong sa labas ng mall. Huminto siya at hinintay ako na makatawid.

“Thanks,” I said then smiled at him. He smiled back. Pinauna niya ako na makapasok sa mall. Napansin ko na may mga mata na dumadapo sa kaniya, sino ba naman kasing hindi makakapansin dito? Tiningnan ko ang dalawang babae na kasunod niya sa pila na kinikilig pa.

Natawa ako sa reaksiyon nila. “Tinatawa-tawa mo riyan?” tanong niya nang makalapit na siya sa akin. He put his hand behind me, and we started walking. Lumingon ulit ako sa dalawang babae at nakita kong bumagsak ang mga mukha nila.

Lilingon din sana si Sxan pero pinigilan ko siya. “Wala, wala, tara na.”