Short Stories Compilation✔︎

You were mine

"Achlys! Girl! Kamusta kana?"

It was a friend of mine but I don't really remember her name. Gia? Gab? I don't know and I don't care. I walked closer to her, agad niya naman akong niyakap.

Hindi ko alam kung pang ilang beses na 'yang naitanong sa akin. Kamusta ang buhay? Are you doing well? Okay ka na ba ngayon?

Pero iisa lang ang naisasagot ko.

"Okay lang naman."

Admitting what you truly feel will lead you to explaining. You express. And when you explain it... do they really care about it?

Kumalas na siya sa pagkakayakap at tumango tango, "That's good to know."

I smiled.

"Okay, we'll start in 10 minutes."

"Achlys, you sure you're doing this? Hindi naman kailangan eh—"

"Jio, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about it."

"Ewan sayo, tigas ng ulo mo." Inis na saad niya, tinawanan ko lang siya.

The irony of pain is that... you want to be comforted by the person who hurt you. Absurd, isn't it?

But somehow, it's true.

"Hi, I'm Doc Achlys." I introduced myself while looking at the camera, bahagya pa akong ngumiti.

"I am Jake."

"And we're exes," we said simultaneously. Bahagya pa kaming natawa nang banggitin 'yon.

"So, how are you two? Kamusta kayo ngayon?"

"We're fine," Jake answered.

"We're in good terms," sagot ko naman.

I glanced at him as he fixed his coat, nakatingin siya sa host kaya pumunta rin doon ang tingin ko. Binigyan kami nito ng box na may laman ng mga tanong para sa aming dalawa.

He handed me the box and I picked a paper. Kinuha niya 'yon sa akin para basahin.

"How was your relationship nung kayo pa?" Basa niya sa papel, sandali pa siyang tumingin sa akin.

"It was fine," nakangiti kong saad. "We were each other's home. We were so close sa point na... yung problema niya, problema ko na rin. Kaming dalawa yung nagchichismisan, nag-uusap ng mga kung ano ano... pinag-uusapan pa nga namin yung mga kinaiinisan naming tao." Natawa ako nang maalala lahat ng 'yon. "We fulfilled each other's needs... we were happy." 

"We were happy," pag-uulit niya sa sinabi ko.

It's true though. Masaya kami dati.

But not everything lasts.

"Reason/s of break up?" Basa ko sa nakasulat.  "Uh..."

"Siguro ano..." Napatingin ako sa kanya nang magsimula siyang magsalita, "nawalan ako ng time sa kanya."

"Bakit?" The host asked him. Nakinig lang din ako sa kanila.

"Ewan. I was too busy chasing my owm dreams that... that I forgot to take care of the first dream I persistently chased."

"I focused on myself... too much that, nakalimutan kong may naghihintay sa akin. Naghihintay sa akin yung taong una kong hinintay."

He looked at me with the same pair of eyes I used to adore. Ngunit hindi gaya ng dati, wala na doon yung kislap. That obvious happiness it reflects everytime he gaze at me. Ngayon, tanging sakit at lungkot nalang.

Umiwas ako ng tingin at ngumiti na lamangs a host, "siguro ano... parehas napagod?" 

"Hoy, hindi ah!" Agad na depensa ni Jake.