Summer Medicine

Chapter 6

Pat's POV

It's been two days, and Max and I still haven't talked. Gumaling na lang ako pero wala pa rin. He still brings me flowers every day, and he still greets me whenever we cross each other, but that's just it.

He seems busy every time I see him, or is he? I don't want to think about it that way pero baka iniiwasan niya lang ako.

I've already finished all the things I wanted to do kaya wala na akong magawa tapos bigla kong naisip si Emma.

Emma works here at the camp. I don't know anything about Max aside from his first name, age, and how he loves flowers. Max saw my information with the help of Emma, so maybe I can also look at his.

Naglakad ako papunta sa front desk and I saw Emma drinking hot chocolate, I assumed.

"Hi, Emma."

I greeted with a bright smile on my face.

"Oh hi. Tara meryenda."

"No, thank you. Kakatapos ko lang din magmeryenda."

She took a sip of her drink and looked at me puzzled.

"You need something, don't you?"

She asked.

"Yeah."

Nahihiya kong sagot at pumasok sa loob ng frontline.

"Tell me about it."

"I know Max got my information from you and..."

"What? I told him not to tell anyone."

Nakakunot noo niyang sabi with a mark of disappointment on her face.

"Don't worry. I'm not telling anyone."

"Why did you tell me?"

"I need Max's information."

Hindi na ako nagpaligoy-ligoy pa and immediately told her my business.

"Oh, both of you guys."

"Please?"

"Do you guys not know the thing they called 'get to know each other'?"

She asked and air quoted.

"It's a little awkward between us right now. Do you know anything about Max?"

"Max is also a mystery to me."

"But you've been here before he even came here."

"No. When I came here, Max was already here."

Napakunot ang noo ko at napa-isip. That can't be. As far as I know, Max said he had been here since June. It has only been two months, or maybe my mind is tricking me. I have a terrible memory.

"I see."

"Do you still want to look at his private information? We need to be quick, or else we will be caught."

"Yes, I want to."

Emma nodded at me. She placed her right hand on the mouse and started clicking things as I watched.

"Weird."

"What? Why?"

"He's not in the system."

"That can't be."

Lumapit ako sa computer and I saw a sign saying 'record not found'.

"Maybe it's broken. Let me do it again."

Emma closed the system and then re-opened it. She typed 'Max', and it says 'record not found' again.

"Oh gosh. I think it's broken."

"Is there anything we could do?"

"You're really interested in him huh? Well, I can't ask for help because if I do, they will know that I'm sneaking on the customer's record."

I bit my lips desperately thinking of ways to see Max's information.

"Oh! Maybe we can find it on the papers inside."

"Can we?"

I asked.

"Yeah, there's always a printed copy, but you need to stay here kasi baka may dumating na customer."

"Are you sure it's okay for you to look for it alone?"

I could help. Ako rin kasi yung nag request so I think I should help.

"Sure. Besides, bawal ka ring pumasok sa loob. There's a CCTV inside."

"Oh."

"Be right back."

"Sure."

Pagkapasok ni Emma ay umupo ako aa pwesto niya. I waited from minutes to an hour. I waited and waited and even faced customers without knowing what exactly to say to them. I just smiled and gave them brochures and stuff.

"Is it possible to find it?"

I asked Emma who's still inside the room.

"Got it!"

She shouted from and went outside. Lumapit ako kaagad sa kaniya pagkalabas niya. She's holding a brown envelope.

"We need to be quick."

She said and opened the envelope. Shock immediately hit us the moment we saw what was inside.

There's only one piece of paper where only a picture of him and his name is printed.

It's like a resume, but nothing.

"How is this possible?"

Emma commented.

"Maybe there's another envelope of his information inside."

Baka maling copy of his information yung nakuha ni Emma.

"No. I am a hundred percent sure that this is just it. I looked at every paper inside kanina."

"That's weird."

"I'm not gonna lie. I am now so into Max's information too."

"Hmm."

Napa-isip ako. Iba-ibang theory ang pumapasok sa imagination ko, but none of it makes sense.

"He's so mysterious."

"You know what they say. Mysterious guys get lots of girls."

"Why is that?"

So he's a womanizer now? In this place? It doesn't make sense again.

"I don't know either."

"Maybe he's..."

"What are you guys doing?"

Agad akong napahawak sa dibdib at muntik pang tumalon nang may biglang magsalita dahilan rin para hindi ko matapos ang sinasabi ko kanina.

I looked back, and I saw Max.

"Uh, nothing."

Emma answered and immediately hid the paper on her back.

"What's that on your back?"

She looks stiff and nervous making it obvious for Max to tell that we are hiding something suspicious.

"Huh?"

"At your back."

"A paper."

Emma laughed awkwardly.

"Can I see?"

"No."

Emma answered and shook her head aggressively.

"Why?"

Max asked.

"Pat, help me."

Bulong ni Emma sa akin kaya nataranta na rin ako.

"It's private information."

I confidently answered, not realizing right away that it is the most stupid answer I could give.

"Oh gosh, Pat, really?"

Emma shouted in disappointment.

"Okay! I'm sorry!"

I heard Max chuckle. It's been a while since I saw him smile, and it felt like forever.

"Who's information are you guys looking at this time?"

"Just a random guy Pat has a crush on."

"Random guy?"

Max asked, and we both nodded.

"Can I see?"

"No."

Emma and I answered in chorus.

"I didn't know you had a crush here."

Max said when our eyes met.

"Do I know him? Maybe I could help."

"No, you don't."

I answered and walked away. I was annoyed at Max earlier, and now I am even more annoyed. Why would he help me with another guy like he doesn't even care? Am I the only one interested here?

With the heaviest steps I could take, I walked wherever my feet would take me until I tripped over a medium-big rock which I failed to see because I was too focused on my emotions. Afraid of what will happen next, I closed my eyes and waited for me to fall on my face, but I didn't.

I felt a strong grip on my right shoulder. I looked over my shoulder to see, and I got blinded by the sunlight.

"I was calling you."

He said.

Rinig ko ang bakas ng pagtakbo niya dahil sa habol hininga niyang pagsalita.

Tuluyan niya na akong hinila and helped me stand properly.

"You almost fell."

"Why do you care?"

Masungit kong sagot.

He raised his eyebrows and bit his lips in shock at my little attitude.

"A thank you would be nice."

"Thank you."

"Are you mad at me?"

"I don't know. Am I?"

I answered philosophically.

"You are."

"Then perhaps I am."

"I'm going to the market. Care to join me?"

He smiled.

I'm starting to hate his smile. He's acting as if nothing happened again.

He kissed me and promised to come back, but he didn't, and now we are talking like the first time we ever did.

"Why?"

I asked.

"I figured you might like it."

"Why?"

"Just..."

I watched him look around, thinking about what he could answer.

I was planning to ask him why until I convinced myself to join him. I want to come with him, but I will feel stupid if I come. I'm supposed to be mad at him, but still, I want to be with him.

It only makes sense if you're mental.

"I want you to come with me."

He answered, and my eyes widened. That's not the answer that I was expecting to hear.

"Will you come with me?"

He asked, and my head voluntarily nodded.

We started walking without talking to the car parks at the camp. I didn't know he knew how to drive. As far as I know, the market is only ten to fifteen minutes away.

When we arrived, we bought all kinds of goods such as milk, fish, vegetables, spices, meat, packed grocery foods, and fruits.

Wala man lang akong naitulong. I was watching him the whole time because I don't know anything pagdating sa pamamalengke, and whenever I go to the grocery, I grab whatever looks good.

Nang mailagay na ni Max lahat ng pinamili namin sa likod ng kotse ay pinagbuksan niya ako ng pinto at pinapasok na sa loob.

Nagsusuot ako ng seat belt ko when I saw him na may dinudukot na kung ano sa likod.

"Here, Ferrero Rocher. I saw you looking at it earlier."

"Oh, thank you."

I wanted to do a happy dance when the chocolate reached my hands, but of course, I couldn't.

"I hope you're not mad at me anymore."

He said and started driving pero hindi ako sumagot.

"I'm sorry for not coming back when you were sick. I was afraid that I'll make you uncomfortable."

He explained, but I remained silent. I didn't expect him to talk about it, so I don't know what to say.

"And about the kiss..."

The kiss.

My heart felt like it dropped when he said the word kiss. I'm too nervous to hear the next words that he will say.

"It's not nothing to me. I... I like it... Because it's you."

And again, I became mute.

"I'm sorry. You can ask me anything, and I will answer. I don't want to make you feel confused any longer."

Too late. All the questions in my head are suddenly all gone. It was all made because of overthinking, and now that one question is answered I have nothing left to ask.

Maybe I was making him uncomfortable too nung mga nakaraang araw by being awkward whenever we see each other.

"Is this a peace offering?"

I asked while pointing at the Ferrero Rocher he bought me.

"Maybe."

He smiled, and I chuckled.

"Bati na tayo?"

"Maybe."

Sagot ko.

"Silly."