Chapter 17
1761 Words
Separated Love
by larajeszz
Chapter 17
It’s been a few days and I still couldn’t believe it.
Pinayagan ako ni Mommy sumama sa camping!
Agad ko ‘yong ibinalita sa mga kaibigan ko. Lahat sila ay nagulat pero mas lamang ang excitement! Kahit pa magkakaiba kami ng strand—hindi kami magkakasama sa lahat ng activity—ay nanaig pa rin ang kasiyahan dahil first time kaming makukumpleto. Ibinalita ko rin ‘yon kay Asher via text message.
From: Asher
your mom’s agreement is for two people. see you there. :)
Weekend ngayon at naisipan naming magkakaibigan na mamili na ng mga gamit na dadalhin namin para sa camping. Two weeks from now pa naman ‘yon pero hindi na ako makapaghintay. This would be my first time, so I want it to be memorable.
“Hindi ako makakasama.”
Umani ng iba’t ibang reaksyon mula sa aming apat ang sinabi ni Syrine. Magkaka-video call kami dahil pinag-uusapan namin kung ano’ng mga dapat naming bilhin.
“Ano ba ‘yan?! Ang K.J. naman!” ani Aiden.
Cally pouted and showed us her puppy eyes. “Matitiis mo talagang hindi kami samahan, Sy?”
“Hayaan niyo siya!” singhal ni Ivy. “Kung makaasta akala mo may jowa na ide-date, eh.”
Pinanliitan ko ng mata si Syrine dahil hindi siya nakasagot sa sinabi ni Ivy. She was stunned; she didn’t know how to respond. It was very unlikely for her to run out of words.
“Uy! Parang mayroon nga! Natameme siya, oh!” pang-aasar ko.
Tuloy ang pag-iling niya pero taliwas naman ang pahiwatig ng naging kulay ng mukha niya. Ang pula na ng mukha niya!
Syrine lauged, but it was fake. She sounded nervous. “Para kayong mga sira. Porke’t di ako sasama may date agad?”
“Hahalik muna sa paa ko ‘yang lalaki na ‘yan bago kayo magkatuluyan,” Cally said.
“Kawawa naman pala ‘yon. Baka ayawan na lang no’n si Syrine n’yan,” pambabara ni Ivy.
Tumaas ang kilay ni Cally. “May problema ka sa paa ko?!”
Habang nag-aasaran sila ay tumunog ang notification ng cellphone ko. Mabilis kong tiningnan kung ano o sino ‘yon at hindi naman ako nabigo. Ni hindi ko rin napigilan ang ngiti sa labi ko.
“Anak ng tokwa. Isa pa ‘tong si Jayceelyn, oh!” Si Cally ang unang nakapansin sa akin. “Totoo na ba ‘yan, ha? May label na?”
Inilabas ko ang dila ko at inasar siya. “Kapag inggit, pikit.”
“Ang yabang, grabe!” singhal niya.
Ivy had a smirk on her face, and said, “Ligawan mo na kasi ‘yong kapatid ni Asher.”
“Gano’n ba siya kapogi para ligawan ko?!” Cally was in disbelief. “I mean — oo, pogi siya… Pero ba’t ako?!”
Napuno ulit kami ng tawanan. And somehow, my worries—no matter how small or big they are—I feel like they've evaporated with every single laugh that I hear from my friends.
I felt my phone buzzing in my hand.
From: Asher
i can give you guys a ride for later.
I heaved a sigh. Everything just feels so… perfect. I couldn't ask for more.
Nang banggitin ko ‘yon sa mga kaibigan ko ay tuwang-tuwa sila. Mga hayok talaga sa libre ang mga ‘to.
To: Asher
Hihiram ka ulit sa landlord niyo?
From: Asher
no need. i already got my own.
At iyon na nga ang nangyari. After a few hours ay kumpleto na kami sa loob ng 5-seater car ni Asher. Ako ang una niyang sinundo. At dahil hindi naman kalayuan ang bahay ng mga kaibigan ko ay sinundo rin namin sila. Tamang-tama para sa aming lahat ang kotse niya.
“Tama lang pala na wala si Syrine,” komento ni Aiden.
“Huwag kamo niyang sasagutin ‘yon kung walang sasakyan, ah?” ani Cally. Tinutukoy niya ay ‘yong manliligaw ni Syrine na hindi naman kami sure kung existing ba.
Tahimik akong napangiti dahil sa mga pinag-uusapan nila bago bumaling sa katabi. I was his passenger princess. And seeing him now, driving so seriously, makes my heart flutter.
“Mamimili ka rin?” I asked.
He took a quick glance. “Yeah. I just looked through our stuff and realized that I really need to buy a lot of things.”
While on the way to the mall, tanging mga kaibigan ko lang ang hindi matigil sa pag-uusap. Asher and I would simply react to whatever we heard. All of them were STEM students, hindi naman kami naka-relate nang biglang naalala nila ang mga gawain nila sa major subjects.
When we arrived, marami na’ng tao. The sun is almost out and we all agreed to have an early dinner. Pero dahil sa dami ng tao ay kinailangan pa naming maghanap ng restaurant na kakasya kaming apat.
Cally, Aiden, and Ivy were the ones in front of us; kami ni Asher ang nasa likuran. Abala ako sa pagtingin sa paligid nang maramdaman ko ang na kinuha niya ang kamay ko. He even intertwined our fingers.
He leaned closer to whisper, “What do you want to have?”
“Kahit ano na lang.”
Hindi ako makapag-isip nang maayos. Hindi naman ito ang unang beses pero ang isip ko ay nasa kamay lang naming dalawa.
“I don’t think that’s part of their menu,” he uttered.
I just smiled. Bihira lamang kasi siyang magbiro. “Kung ano na lang ang gusto nila.” I pointed my friends using my lips.
Nang makakita ng Kainan na hindi masyadong siksikan ay sumang-ayon ang lahat na ro’n na lang kami kumain. Kahit hindi kami pamilyar sa pangalan ng restaurant ay ginusto na rin namin na subukan.
“Si Syrine ba ‘yon?”
Papasok na sana kami nang marinig naming sinabi ‘yon ni Cally. Tiningnan namin ang direksyon na tinutukoy niya sa hindi kalayuan. At tama siya, si Syrine nga ‘yon.
“Nabanggit niya ba kanina kung bakit hindi siya makakasama sa’tin?” tanong ko.
“Hindi. Basta in-inform lang tayo na hindi siya makakasama,” sagot ni Ivy.
We were all hungry, pero parang mas gutom kami sa chismis. Halos dalawang minuto lang naming pinapanood si Syrine sa kinatatayuan niya. She seemed to be waiting for someone. Buti na lamang at hindi nagagawi sa amin ang paningin niya.
We all flinched when the person she seemed to be waiting came out from the store where our friend was standing. They laughed as the guy put his arm around Syrine’s shoulder.
“Is that…”
Hindi na natuloy ni Aiden ang sasabihin niya. We were all shocked our mouths hanging open—everyone except Asher. Napunta sa akin ang tingin nilang lahat, as if studying my reaction. I’m just as shocked as they are!
It was my brother. My best friend is here at the mall with my brother.
Asher was the one to break the silence. “Let’s not meddle with them for now.”
Pumasok na kami sa restaurant ay um-order. A heavy silence hung over our table. No one spoke; we just stared blankly at nothing, each of us struggling to process what we’d seen. Hanggang sa makarating ang pagkain ay tuloy-tuloy lamang ang kilos namin. Walang nagsalita. Wala na ring nagbibiro.
I know Kuya and Syrine have their reasons, and I know that sooner or later, we’re bound to know. But I still couldn’t get off the heavy feeling in my chest. I felt… betrayed.
“You okay?” Asher asked.
It’s just the two of us now. Biglang naiba ang mga bibilhin ng mga kaibigan ko kaya humiwalay sila sa amin. I could take a hint. I knew they thought I needed space—that I needed comfort. And because they know Asher as my boyfriend, ang alam nila ay siya ang makakapagbigay sa akin ng comfort na ‘yon. And they’re not wrong about that.
“Yeah,” I showed him a smile. “Oo naman.”
He just nodded, though he did not seem to be convinced. Naglakad lang kami sa tabi ng isa’t isa. Unlike earlier, he was no longer holding my hand. And it feels so wrong. Is it weird to say na parang may mali na hindi siya nakahawak sa kamay ko ngayon? There was a void in my chest that only the warmth of his hand could fill.
“I’m pretty sure they don’t mean any harm,” aniya habang diretso lamang ang tingin sa unahan. “And I know that it wasn’t an easy choice for the both of them.”
I exhaled. “You think so?”
Bumaling siya sa akin at ngumiti. “Of course.”
He offered his arm, and as I willingly linked mine through his, a look of quiet satisfaction settled over his face. A fresh, masculine scent filled my nose—God, he smelled so good.
“Sobrang protective ng Kuya mo sa’yo. Remember the night when we had an assignment at my house?” Natatawa akong tumango. “He was so worried. Ayaw niyang mapahamak ka o masaktan. So, stop thinking that he did it intentionally. He’s probably hurt, too, by doing so.”
Tama siya. Dapat ay inintindi ko muna bago ako nagpadala sa naramdam ko.
He continued, “The same goes for Syrine. She must be in a difficult position, torn between her feelings for your brother and her loyalty to you. But choosing him doesn't mean she’s stopped choosing you. She’s probably just waiting for the right moment to tell you.”
Nakagat ko ang labi dahil sa guilt. Kung ano-ano na ang naiisip ko kanina nang makita silang dalawa na magkasama. Tama si Asher. Mahirap din naman talaga para sa kanilang dalawa na magsabi agad dahil kapatid ko si Kuya Jaywen at kaibigan ko naman si Syrine.
I looked up to him. “Thank you. I really need to hear those.”
He smiled widely, revealing a perfect set of pearly teeth. My heart hammered against my chest. I felt incredibly lucky to witness a smile so genuine—especially since everyone else only saw him as cold and distant. In that moment, I was the only one who knew his warm side.
At sa mga oras na ‘yon, gusto kong paniwalain ang sarili ko na hindi lang ‘to isang malaking palabas.
I wanted it to be real. I wanted him to be mine—and I wanted to be his.
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-larajeszz
- Writer
