Zeno's Sapphire

Chapter 3

Agad naagaw ng pansin ko ang nasa gitna ng lugar. Full of cute stuffs! I quickly run towards it, I can't hide the excitement. 

"Don't run," He strictly said kaya agad akong nag-sorry bago nginitian siya. Umiling lamang siya sa akin at inikutan  ako ng mata at pumunta sa kabilang shelf.

Napanguso ako roon at saglit na pinagmasdan ang likuran niya. To think that he doesn't mind Kuya's impoliteness is unexpecting, lagi kasing mahihimigan nang kastriktuhan ang pagsasalita niya kung hindi naman ay irita, kasungitan. He's the type of persom you'll feel intimidated with.

But I will still admit that I like his presence, maybe that's how it is right? Kapag tinulungan ka ng tao, you'll always see them as a good one.

Kuya has this side too but a lot of times he's just being sarcastic and just want to make you learn things. While Zeno's a lot more stiff, a serious one and like uninterested with the things outside his business.

Muli ko na lamang tinuon ang atensyon ko sa mga naka-display. I smiled, I never thought of buying things but seeing this unique notebooks and pencil case-- I changed my mind. I never saw this kind of designs before!

The notebook is hardbound, has its gold curve lines embossed in an intricate manner. Kapag binuksan mo ay hindi ordinaryong puting papel ang laman but printed with an old texture and quotes written in cursive. The pencil case is just simply cute, it's fluffy and fuzzy.

I frowned when I realized na wala pala akong dalang money. Hindi naman kasi planado ito, maybe I'll just ask mom and dad if we can come here before we go home.

Napagdesisyunan ko na puntahan ang pwesto niya, he's currently scanning different art history books. I may not dislike reading but I have never liked history ever since, I just study my history subjects because I need to.

Minutes had passed when people are starting to come in, siguro ay sikat ang shop na ito kaya maraming nagpupunta. I am starting to feel uneasy again, ang iba tao ay napapatingin sa akin. Lalo akong lumapit kay Zeno na ngayon ay mayroon nang hawak na tatlong libro.

I think holding his coat is starting to become a habit of mine whenever he's around. Mukha namang naramdaman niya iyon kaya bumaling siya saglit sa akin at sa paligid.

I give him a shy smile. Tumingin naman siya saglit sa kanyang relo at tumingin sa akin, "Let's go, aren't you going to buy anything?"

Umiling ako. His brows shot up as if waiting for me to speak, hindi naniniwala.

"W-wala.." ani ko saka bumitaw sa kanya.

Hindi na siya sumagot sa akin at naglakad na lamang papunta sa pinuntahan ko kanina. "Which one?"

I felt a sudden speed of my heartbeat with his questiom. This is weird, kinakabahan ata ako kung bakit niya tinatanong, how come he knew I wanted to buy something from here?

"H-huh.." My only response.

Tinitigan niya naman ako na parang ayaw niya nang magtanong uli. His gray eyes are starting to peek through me, "Pick." Mahihimagan na ng kainipan ang paraan ng pagsabi niya. "I'm sure you forgot to bring money. I'll pay," dagdag niya.

Wala na akong maisip idahilan at kinuha ko na lamang ang napili kanina. Magkikita pa naman kami kaya bayayaran ko na lamang siya para rin hindi na kami bumalik dito. He insisted so I'm guessing... It's fine.

He get the notebook and pencil case from me and proceeded to the counter.

Nang makalabas kami sa shop at saka pa lang ako nagkalakas ng loob magsalita, "Thank you... I'll—"

"My treat, don't bother." pangunguna niya sa dapat ay sasabihin ko pa lamang habang direstso lang ang tingin sa daan dala ang binili sa kabila naman niyang kamay ay ang duffle bag niya.

Napanguso ako at hindi na lamang sumagot.

Saan naman kaya ang pupuntahan niya ngayon? Holiday week dito ngayon kaya naman walang pasok sila kuya pero kami naman ay bakasyon kaya walang kaso kung magtagal kami rito kaso ay hindi rin naman pwedeng iwanan nang matagal ang negosyo nila Mom and Dad.

Kuya shared how busy he is when he started studying here and since Zeno is working at the university, I'm sure he is too. Tatlong araw na lang at may pasok na uli sila, I wonder how he teaches? Sa ibang estudyante niya, ganito rin kaya siya sa kanila. Strikto at parang hindi interesante sa mga bagay-bagay?

We stopped in front of a car. Hindi ko alam kung anong tawag sa kotse na ito but it's a four-seater car and it's a black one. It looks like a sport car, though.

I looked up to him when he suddenly opened the car. Oh.. it's his..

The place where we went earlier is a narrow street but a beautiful place to walk around especially with lots of shops and stands around. Kung wala gaanong tao, masisiyahan din ako.

Hindi na ako nagtaka kung sa malayo pa nakaparada ang kotse niya, I'm guessing that there is no other parking lot near the shop.

"Get in, little girl." His baritone voice got my attention.

Bahagya pa akong nagulat at hindi napigilan mapanguso sa pagtawag niya sa akin. Why does he need to call me little? Mabilis na akong sumakay doon bago pa siya mainip.

He's right though, ang taas ko ay umaabot lamang ng ilang pulgada bago ang kanyang balikat kaya nga tuwing titignan ko siya ay kailangan ko pa ring tumingala. But I'm still young, I can still grow taller.

Another thing's unexplainable is me going with him. Hindi ko naman tinatanggi na kinakabahan pa rin ako at nag-aalala na baka naiinis ko siya o naiistorbo pero sa iba't ibang taong nakakasalamuha ko siya lang 'yung kaya kong sumama ka agad.

I slightly tilt my head to glance at him, he still look serious though but I think this is his normal expression.

But is it really because he helped me that I can still neglect the intimidation I am feeling from him or maybe not like others, he doesn't give me much attention.

Maybe it is that way. I always feel overwhelmed with people that's why my socializing skill is inexistent. They could think that I'm used to it because I always go with my parents but that wasn't the case. I was just always quiet and shy beside or behind my parents everytime.

Tahimik ang naging biyahe namin, nagmasid lang ako sa mga lugar na nadadaanan namin. It's enjoying because this is not a familiar place to me, every different houses styles and streets made me smile. Maganda pala talaga dito kung tutuunan ng pansin.

Maya-maya pa ay pumasok kami sa isang gate kung saan pinagbuksan kami ng guwardiya.

My eyes slightly widened with the white house that welcomed our view. Dito kaya siya nakatira? Ang ganda!