Sarang

Chapter 32

"And where are you going?" I raised an eyebrow at Aeris when I caught her hurrying to put her things away in the living room.

"I'm meeting someone," aligaga pa ring sagot niya before getting her lipstick and facing the mirror.

"And who's that, someone?" I asked her again. "Is his name starts with---"

"Shut up, okay?" she interrupted me. "Yes, I'm going out with him. I'll make kwento later," she joked as she tries to copy my tone.

"How about Ami?"

"He's goin---"

"Ready na ako!"

Sabay kaming napalingon sa hagdan nang marinig namin ang boses ni Ami. I was even surprised when I saw what he was wearing.

"Oh my God, you look so handsome love!" malakas na sabi ko bago naglakad palapit sa kaniya para ayusin ang sintas ng sapatos niya. "And you smell so good!"

"Syempre, Ate! Sabi mo 'yon ang gamitin kong pabango, eh! Tapos tinuruan din po ako nila Kuya Asher ng hairstyle!" masiglang sabi niya habang pinapakita pa ang ayos ng buhok niya.

"Ang pogi pogi naman ng bebe ko! Halika at maghahanap ako ng babaeng liligawan mo---"

"Aeris..." I threatened her.

"Syempre, joke lang! Isasama ko siya Ate ha, para naman wala kang masabi," she said before niya ako pabirong inirapan.

"Okay. Just take care. You know what I'll do if---"

"Yes, Mommy!" putol niya bago kinarga si Ami at lumapit sa akin. "Give Ate a goodbye kiss."

"Bye, Ate! Labyu!"

"Take care, okay?" paalala ko.

When they left, I took out my phone to check if there was any message from Asher but I saw nothing. I spent the rest of my day in my office. Wala akong oras para i-check ang phone ko but Asher send me foods just like what's he's always doing pero wala nga lang message or call from him.

"Madam, nag-message po pala si Ma'am Aeris na---"

"Received," I cut her off. "Thank you."

"Okay po. 'Yong driver niyo nga po pala nasa labas na po. Magdidilim na rin po kasi sa labas at ang sabi ni Ma'am Aeris ay huwag ka po namin hayaang mag-overtime ngayon."

"Yes, thank you. I'll just fix my things before going home."

"Sige po."

Like what she said, I turned off my computer and fixed my things before going put. But instead of going home, I told my driver to drive me to Asher's condo. I just want to check on him. Why isn't he texting me?

Bukas ang pintuan niya nang makarating ako kaya naman hindi na ako nag-abalang kumatok pa. I just made a sound to let him know na may taong pumasok. I looked around but there was no sign of him. I tried to look at him on his room pero wala rin. Where the hell is that man?

I was about to give up and ready to leave when I saw the door slightly open out to the rooftop. Hindi na ako nagdalawang-isip pa na pumunta ro'n. Pagkapasok ko, napamura ako nang makita ko siyang nakatayo roon sa gilid.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I asked him pagkatapos ko siyang hilain. He looked surprised because he couldn't speak right away and just kept looking at me. "Baliw ka ba? What are you trying to do? Magpapakamatay ka ba? The f**k are you thing? After confessing bigla-bigla ka nalang---"

I stopped speaking when he suddenly burst out laughing. Kulang nalang humilata na siya sa sahig sa kakatawa. After a few minutes at hindi pa rin siya tumigil sa kakatawa, inis kong binawi ang kamay ko sa pagkakahawak niya at tatalikod na sana pero pinigilan niya ako.

"Oh? Saan ka pupunta? Aalis ka? Paano kapag tinuloy ko 'yong sinasabi mo?" natatawa pa ring sabi niya.

"Tanga ka?" kunot-noong tanong ko.

"Joke lang," sabi niya. "Hindi naman ako tatalon katulad nang iniisip mo. May nilalagay lang ako, I'm painting something, tingnan mo."

Inayos niya ang pagkakahawak niya sa kamay ko bago ako dinala sa pwesto niya kanina. At first, I was just like looking at the things he put not until I realized something.

"This is---"

"Yeah," natatawang sabi niya. "You scars. Hindi ko kasi kayang kalimutan, eh. Kaya naisipan kong i-paint dito para kapag gumaling na, makikita ko pa rin. Hindi nga lang sa mukha mo."

"Is this what you've been busy with all day?" I asked him.

"Medyo," bahagya nanaman siyang tumawa. "Halika na, let's talk inside."

"Yeah, you even left the door open. Paano kapag hindi ako ang pumasok?"

"Binuksan ko lang 'yon kanina. Nakita ko 'yong kotse mo, eh," sambit niya. And that explains everything. Kaya naman pala. "Do you want to eat something? Nag-dinner ka na ba?"

"Not yet," I told him. "But I'm still full. Inubos ko 'yong binigay mo before going here."

"Okay," he said. "So, bakit ka nandito?"

Hindi ako sumagot. Nanatili lamang ako sa pwesto ko habang pinaglalaruan ang mga daliri ko. Why did I come here nga ba? Do I have something to tell him? May dapat ba kaming pag-usapan about something?

"Sia..." he called my name. At first, hindi ako kaagad sumagot. Not until he touch my hand. Para akong napaso at nang mahalata niya 'yon ay kaagad niyang binitiwan ang kamay ko. I cleared my throat many times before finally speaking.

"I don't want to hurt you," I told him. Hindi siya sumagot pero nanatili lamang siyang nakatingin sa akin, mukhang naghihintay sa susunod na sasabihin ko. "Asher, masasaktan tayong dalawa... lalo ka na. I don't want to enter into a relationship that I know we will also be hurt in the end. Umpisa palang, hindi pa man natin subukan alam nating pareho ang magiging kalabasan."

"Do you want to hear my thoughts?" he asked me. I nodded as an answer. "I don't care," seryosong sabi niya. "Masaktan na kung masaktan, Sia. Wala akong pakialam. At least we tried, at sigurado akong magiging masaya tayo. Wala tayong pagsisisihan kasi sinubukan natin."

"How about me?" I asked. "Paano naman ako? I don't want the thought of hurting you because of me."

"Hindi ako masasaktan nang dahil sa 'yo, Sia. Kung masasaktan man ako, dahil na 'yon sa akin. Kasi 'yon 'yong pinili ko. That what I chose to happen. And you know how much I am willing to risk everything just for you. Isang beses lang Sia, hayaan mo akong iparamdam at ipakita kung ano ang kaya kong gawin para sa 'yo."

It took me a minute before responding to him.

"Do you want me to be honest with you?" I asked him again. "I don't know if I have feelings for you."

I didn't know what's his reaction. Nanatili lamang blangko ang ekspresyon niya kaya nag-iwas na lamang ako ng tingin. Okay, that's a bad idea. I shouldn't have said that.

"Okay lang," mahinang sabi niya. "Hindi naman ako humihingi ng kapalit. Just... let me. Hayaan mo lang akong gawing 'yong mga bagay na ginagawa ng ibang lalaki sa babaeng gusto nila. Kahit 'yon lang, Sia."

"I can't give you an assurance for now. But if this will make you happy then I will let you. Just don't... expect too much on me on this matter."

After weeks of avoiding, after noong conversation namin I finally decided to talk to him despite of all the ilingan and such.

"Let's go out later. Gusto mo ba?" he asked me while I was trying to fix my hair. "Kanina ka pa ayos ng ayos sa buhok mo. Okay naman?"

"Ang gulo," sabi ko bago muling inabot 'yong suklay. "Ang gulo tingnan."

"Ako nga," sabi niya before grabbing my other comb. "Anong ayos po ang gusto niyo, Madam?"

Hindi kaagad ako nakapagsalita dahil sa sinabi niya. Nang ma-realize ko, doon ako natawa.

"Stupid," I said before rolling my eyes.

"350 lang po, kumpleto na po lahat. With make up po ba?"

"Yeah," pangsasabay ko sa trip niya.

"Okay, so let me first put this..." he stopped talking before looking at me as if trying to ask for my permission before touching my make ups

"Go on," I told him. "Out this headband on me first."

"Okay," he smiled like an idiot before organizing all the make ups in front of me. He even put a hairclip on me para raw magmukhang cute.

I let him do what he want. Ilang beses pa kami nagtalo dahil parang pinagtitripan nalang ako pero sa huli, tumigil nalang ako at hinayaan siyang gawin ang gusto niya.

"Ready ka na ba?" tanong niya.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Wait, let me record this one," he said before getting out his phone from his pocket. "Okay, game. One, two, thr—"

Hindi pa man siya tapos magbilang ay humarap na ako sa salamin.

"Oh my God," I said before looking more sa buong mukha ko. "Oh my God it looks good!"

"Really?" tanong niya bago binaba ang phone.

"Let's take a picture, bilis!"

We spend almost 30 minutes of taking pictures and even videos bago ko sinabing I should put make up on him to. Hinayaan niya lang ako and after that, we took photos again.

"Ate—" Ami stopped when he saw out faces. "Hala!"

"Bakit— the f**k? Trip niyong dalawa?" natatawang tanong ni Aeris. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa bago tumawa.

"It's his fault," sabi ko kaagad sabay turo sa kaniya. "Maghihilamos lang ako," paalam ko.

Instead of washing my face, I decided to take a shower nalang din.

"Hey, I have a meeting to attend. Let's meet later sa mall?"

"Okay!" I shouted as a response. Katulad ng sabi niya, pagkatapos kong mag-shower ay na-receive ko ang message niya. He even got a ticket for a movie kaya natawa nalang din ako.

"Ate, it's lunch time!" rinig kong sigaw ni Ami mula sa labas.

"Coming!"

Nagmadali na ako sa pagbibihis bago tuluyang bumaba.

"Lakad niyo?" tanong ko. Pareho kasi silang nakaayos.

"Ililibot namin si Kerby dito sa village," sagot ni Aeris.

"Tapos ganiyan ang ayos mo? Sa village nga lang ba?" muling tanong ko.

"Oo nga."

"Weh?"

"Fine. I'm... Ate ano ba," she pouted bago padabog na sumubo.

"He's meeting Kuya'ng naka-kotse," conyong sagot ni Ami sa akin.

"Do you know this Kuya?"

"Yes! Nakita ko na po siya tatlong beses. Noong huli nakita ko siyang pinaiyak si Ate Aeris—"

"Ami," pigil kaagad sa kaniya ni Aeris. "Hindi ako umiiyak no—"

"Nakita ko kaya, Ate. Tapos niy—"

Mabilis na tumayo si Aeries para takpan ang bibig ni Ami. "Please, huwag mo naman akong ilaglag," pagmamakaawa nito sa bata. Napailing nalang ako dahil doon.

"Hayaan mo ang Ate mo. Matanda na yan," natatawang sabi ko nalang para tumigil siya.

I spend scrolling on my feed for the next few hours until the clock hits 4 o'clock. Nagbihis lang ako ng damit, I didn't bother to put some make up dahil tinatamad na rin ako.

"Huy, saan ka pupunta?" tanong kaagad ni Aeris sa akin.

"I'm going out with Asher, magkikita kami sa mall."

"Okay!"

"Don't bring your guy here," biro ko sa kaniya. I saw how her eyes widened when I said that.

"Excuse me?! I don't have any plans to do that!"

"Okay, bye!"

I texted my driver dahil sigurado akong kay Asher din ako sasabay. Dumeretso ako kaagad sa sinehan to wait dahil may upuan naman ron.

I even texted him na nandito na ako pero hindi siya nag-reply kaya hinayaan ko nalang muna. But not until halos isa at kalahating oras na akong naghihintay.

"Hi!"

I was about to go nang bigla nalang siyang sumulpot sa harapan ko. "Naghintay ka ba ng matagal? Sorry, ang daldal kasi nila Mashi, eh."

"Nope. Isa't-kalahating oras lang naman akong naghintay," I sarcastically said.

"Sorry, lika na. Do you want to eat something?"

"What about the movie?" I asked him dahilan kung bakit siya natauhan.

"s**t, oo nga pala. Halika na, baka nagsimula na 'yon." Natatarantang sabi niya.

Tapos na 'yong movie nang makarating kami pero good thing pwede pa ulit 'yong panoorin kaya hindi na rin sayang.

"Masarap ba yan? Ang pangit ng lasa noong akin," bulong ni Asher sa akin nang nasa kalagitnaan na kami ng panood ng movie. Dahil gusto kong mag-focus sa movie ay hinayaan ko nalang siyang kumuha sa pagkain ko. Minsan palihim ko nalang siyang iniirapan dahil panay pa ang reklamo niya sa pinapanood.

"You know what? Mas naintindihan ko pa 'yong mga rants mo over the movie. Ang daldal," reklamo ko pagkatapos naming manood.

"Totoo namang walang lasa. Tapos ang liit kaya noong subtitle. Tapos ang likot pa no'ng katabi ko, ang ingay ingay din akala ata siya 'yong kinakausap ko," pagpapatuloy niya.

"Shut up. Hindi ka gumawa ron sa katabi kong sobrang tahimik lang."

"Ano?" biglang seryosong tanong niya. "Katabi mo kanina? Bakit? Type mo ba?"

"What are you talking about?" tanong ko sa kaniya. "Paanong napunta diyan ang topic?"

"So, type mo nga? Eh, ako?" pagpapatuloy niya.

"Ano?"

"Am I not your type? What's your type? I'll try to become your type, so tell me."