The Sixth Girl Book 2

Chapter 16

“For you,” nakangiting sabi sa akin ni Hoshiro sabay abot ng isang balot ng Hany sa akin pagkaupo namin sa kanyang kotse sa labas ng condo.

Napakurap naman ako inilapit sa aking mga mata ang binigay niya para masigurado akong totoo nga ito.

“Hany nga!” excited kong sabi sa kanya, “Saan ka nakabili nito? Wala akong makitang nagbebenta nito dito sa Hyillia!”

Nakangiti namang sumagot ito matapos nitong paandarin ang kotse nya, “Sa Akimrea madami nyan. Actually, nang dumating ako sa amin ay hinanap hanap ko din yan kaya inutusan ko mga tindahan sa amin na mag stock niyan. Maybe because we always eat it back in Versalia. Hindi pwepwedeng hindi ka dadaan sa City proper once a week para bumili niyan diba?” he said nostalgically to me as he drives.

Tahimik kaming bumyahe hanggang sa makarating kami sa Hyiliopolis kung saan dumeretso kami sa Euniche Restaurant Hyillia Branch.

“Talagang dito talaga?” natatawa kong tanong kay Hoshiro ng tumigil ang sasakyan sa tapat nito.

“Well, it was the first restaurant I offered to you right?”

Lumabas si Hoshiro at pinagbuksan ako ng pinto. Inabot ko ang kanyang kamay at lumabas na ako ng sasakyan.

Surprisingly, walang media akong nakita o mga paparazzi. I wonder why?

“Kung nasa Pilipinas tayo, baka hindi na tayo makalabas ng sasakyan. Amazing right?” sabi sa akin ni Hoshiro as if reading my mind, “Hyillians and Hyillists teaches the sanctity of privacy. All of us Akimreans adhere to Hyillists so pag sinabing personal life, personal life. Ito ang isa sa mga kakaunting bagay na thankfully ay hindi katulad ng sa Pinas,” masayang sabi niya sa akin as we entered the restaurant while he is not letting go of my hand.

Madaming tao sa loob pero as Hoshiro said, they didn’t make a scene or mess. They all stood up, politely and respectfully bowed and continue on what they are doing before we arrived habang dinala kami ng hostess sa isang glass ceiling private room na may view ng night time sky ng Hyillia.

Kailangan pa nga bang sabihin ko na mamahalin ang place na ito? Kahit sa Versalia ay kilala na ang Euniche sa pagiging above first class ang quality at presyo.

“Hindi ka pa ba nangangati Verna?” alalang tanong sa akin ni Hoshiro matapos niya akong tulungang umupo at pumwesto na sya sa harap ko.

“Bakit naman ako mangangati?” kunot noo kong tanong sa kanya.

Ngumisi ito ng nakakaloko sa akin, “Diba allergic ka sa mga mamahalin?”

Kung ako pa rin siguro yung teenager na babae years ago baka binato ko na siya ng kutsara at nilayasan na ito.

Pero all I can do now is laugh at what he said.

“Gumaling na siguro ako. Siguro dahil carry ko na magbayad,” sakay kong sagot dito na nagpatawa sa aming dalawa.

Bumalik ang hostess na may dalang isang bote ng juice at pinagsalin kami sa aming mga baso.

Ininom ko ito and to my surprise lasang tang. As in Tang four seasons ang paborito kong inumin years ago.

“You always ordered the same thing over the years, Verna. Tuwing nakikita kitang kumain sa Communal Canteen ng Versalia laging Tang Four Seasons iniinom mo,” nakangiti niyang sabi sa akin.

Bago pa ako makasagot ay halos isang dosenang waiter ang kasunod ng hostess pag balik niya at inalis nila ang taklob ng mga hawak nilang tray at iprinesent sa akin bago ipinatong sa aming table kasunod ng kanin.

Tilapia, Daing, Sinantolan, Sinigang, Dinengdeng, Bopis, Adobo, Fishball, Betamax, Kropek, Halo-halo at Palitaw.

Lahat ng mga pagkaing kinahiligan ko dati nasa harap ko ngayon.

Magalang na nagsitungahan ang mga waiters at sinabi ng hostess na tawagin lang siya pag may kailangan pa bago iniwan na kaming dalawa ni Hoshiro.

“How did you even remembered all of this?” mangha kong tanong sa lalaking tinitira na ang sinantolan ahead of me.

 “Do you even have to ask, Verna?” naiiling na tanong sa akin ni Hoshiro sabay lunok ng isang hiwa ng daing, “Buong teenager life ko sa iyo umikot. You expect me to just forget everything just because we parted ways?”

Hindi na ako umimik sa sinabi niya matapos niya akong sabihan na kumain na ako dahil hindi na masarap ang kanin pag hindi na mainit.

I just laughed at him.

Maybe, just maybe, this date wasn’t a bad idea at all..

-0-

We ate mostly silently. Pero ng mabusog na kami ay tahimik kaming tumitig sa glass ceiling kung saan maraming bituin ang ngayon ay kumikislap sa langit.

“I’m sorry kung boring Verna. After all, it’s my first date after all,” paumanhin sa akin ni Hoshiro.

Napatawa naman ako, “You expect me to belive this is your first?”

“Well, you rejecting me for years left some kind of mark in me. I never dared asked anyone for a date ever since you said no to me when I was thirteen that day. Getting rejected by one person for dozens of times for years is enough rejection for a lifetime for me, thank you,” seryosong sagot niya sa akin.

Nakaramdam naman ako ng guilt sa puso ko, “Let me ask you a question I never thought you answered seriously when we were young. Bakit ako? Maybe you can give me a matured answer now?”

Napatungo ito at nilaro laro ang tissue sa mga daliri niya, “Believe me, I keep asking myself even when we’re teens. Up until now, honestly I ask myself why. I agree what my other friends said, you are not that pretty, some even said, you included, that you looked boring and plain. Many girls are hitting on me when I was courting you in Versalia. Lalo na ng nag college ako at grumaduate.”

Hindi ako sumagot.

Kung ibang babae ang makakinig ng sinabi niya sa akin ngayon tyak maoofend. Pero somewhat, his honesty and the fact that I did say something like that way back when is really what makes him a curiousity to me.

“Some of them even turned up naked in my dorm,” natatawang share nya sa akin na nagpataas ng kilay ko, “Thankfully, my sister said that the greatest reward that I can take home from college is the fact that I graduated a prude or a virgin.”

He keeps on speaking…

“We technically grew up together Verna. You can say, I was, still and will always be in love with you. No matter how many times I said it through the years, the meaning will never change,” titig niyang sabi sa akin, “After we part ways, I thought I can finally forget my feelings or at least follow your advice to focus on something else. But in the end of each of my day, there’s nothing, no, no one else matters to me but you,” malambing niyang sabi sa akin while holding my hands.

Napatungo ako at napailing before I answered him truthfully, “Please don’t say you love me. You know I might not ever say it back.”

“Don’t you think I don’t know that? I don’t even expect you to say that to me,” sagot niya agad sa akin, “Just don’t say it to other man though,” nakangising paalala niya as he cracked his fist.

I suddenly felt this weird feeling in my heart like a fire stirred at parang nag init ang pakiramdam ko bago ako napatawa as I held his hand as tight as he holds mine.

“We are messed up aren’t we?”

To my surpise he suddenly kissed me in my cheek, “As long as it’s our mess, I’m fine with it.”